From beach activities to theme parks and sporting events to hiking and music venues, there’s something to do, see, eat, or attend every day here in Southern California. Whether you’re a frequent visitor to the area, or even a local, you’re bound to have your favorite places to go and events to attend, but sometimes you need a little extra excitement in your life, right? An exciting weekend away with the kids or a surprise date day with your significant other calls for something extra, and we think we’ve got the perfect list of places you need to see and things you need to do in 2018. You might already know and love some of these events and theme parks, but we bet you haven’t experienced all the new magic, thrills, and excitement coming to these Southern California attractions!
Disneyland® Resort’s Star Wars Experience
You might be familiar with the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening at the Disneyland® Resort next year, but guests already have plenty of Star Wars features to take in at Disneyland® Park before the grand opening! The newest features on Star Tours will take you through new 3-dimensional adventures inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Hop on the Starspeeder 1000, and your guide, C-3PO, will take you to a new planet, Batuu. If the kids are a little worried about what you might encounter on planet Batuu, we suggest a training session at The Jedi Training Academy at Tomorrowland Terrace. Young padawans will be trained in the latest skills from master jedis and will even take on the galaxy’s most feared character, Darth Vader! That’s if your young padawan doesn’t choose The Dark Side.
Pixar Fest
Pixar fans rejoice! Pixar Fest is coming to the Disneyland® Resort in April for a limited time with new decorations, entertainment, and plenty of Pixar characters to meet! A new Pixar-themed fireworks celebration, Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular will have you hugging your friends close as you watch Pixar’s pals come together in a colorful and extraordinary show displayed on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Rivers of America, “it’s a small world”, and the buildings of Main Street, U.S.A.! Pixar Fest also has two new parades – one in Disneyland® Resort and one in Disney’s California Adventure – featuring Pixar-themed scenes and characters as they dance through Disneyland® Park.
Your Pixar favorites will make appearances, including the beloved Pixar lamp! You’ll find many more Pixar-themed decorations and entertainment in both the Disneyland® Resort and Disney’s California Adventure. This is one party you don’t want to miss, so make sure you attend before it’s over!
Lunar New Year Festivals
If you are looking for extra fun and excitement for your Lunar New Year celebrations, head on over to the Disneyland® Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood for fun activities, live entertainment, and lucky foods and traditional dishes with your favorite characters.
At the Disneyland
® Resort, Mulan and Mushu will take guests through a heartwarming nighttime water show in Disney’s California Adventure and will lead a Mulan’s Lunar New Year procession all in celebration of friends and family as we enter the Year of the Dog! Enjoy the festivities between January 26 and February 28, 2018.
If you’re a fan of Kung Fu Panda, you’ll really love the recreation of Po’s Village at Universal Studios! From February 10 through February 25, 2018 guests can enjoy food at Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop, take photos with Po and Tigress, and even meet the Mandarin-speaking Megatron from TRANSFORMERS®!
Knott’s Berry Farm’s HangTime Roller Coaster
A new and exciting roller coaster will open at Knott’s Berry Farm this summer. The first dive coaster on the West Coast, the HangTime coaster features thrilling inversions, corkscrews, and a drop that’s beyond-vertical. A dive coaster is one like no other with drops nearing 90 degrees. HangTime’s drop is 96 degrees! Knott’s Berry Farm will soon have only the second roller coaster in the Western Hemisphere that gives riders the sensation of floating with a negative-g stall loop. Thrill seekers will love it!
SeaWorld’s All New Sesame Street Party Parade
We’ve always wondered how to get to Sesame Street, and we finally know how! Kind of. SeaWorld San Diego guests will have the opportunity to see the brand-new Sesame Street Party Parade, which features your favorite Sesame Street friends with colorful floats and fun music. Your kids will love watching Elmo, the Cookie Monster, and their friends dance on by. The parade features two performances, and we’re sure you and your kids will be dancing right along with the characters! The parade runs on the weekends from May 5 through July 1, but if you can’t make it to SeaWorld until later in 2018, you can catch a Halloween adaptation of in October!
2018 will be one for the books! The Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel offers a central location to many Southern California attractions and events and with free shuttle service, on-site entertainment, dining, and discounts for Southern California attractions, we’re your perfect home base for exploring the area! Whether you’re planning for the months ahead or for next weekend, there are plenty of new and exciting things to add to your list!
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About the Author: Matt Hale – Social Media & Reputation Manager, Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel
