Credit: DisneyOn July 17, 1955, Walt Disney stood on Main Street, U.S.A., and welcomed guests to Disneyland Park for the first time. It had been years in the making, but Walt’s dream of creating a place where adults and children could have a magical time together had finally come true. Walt Disney changed not only the theme park industry, but the film and entertainment industry as a whole — from the creation of Mickey Mouse to the 1937 release of the world’s first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Related: Disney Honors Walt’s Wife Lillian in BIG Way on Main Street, U.S.A.!
The decades have flown by, and Disneyland Resort is now celebrating its 70th anniversary. Disney loves a party, so the celebration kicked off on May 16 and will run through the summer of 2026. However, the company wanted to do something extra special for the theme park’s actual 70th anniversary.
On July 17, 2025, Disneyland premiered a brand new animatronic show at the Main Street Opera House — “Walt Disney – A Magical Life”. The new show tells the story of Walt Disney, from his simple beginnings in Marceline, Missouri, to his big move to Los Angeles, California, with nothing more than a suitcase and a dream. Walt is brought to life through remastered footage and archived audio recordings.
When the show opened, Disney required guests to join a virtual queue to control the crowds. The virtual queue opened every day at 7 a.m., and guests could only see the show if they were assigned a boarding group.
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It’s been less than two weeks since the new show premiered, but Disneyland has already made things a lot easier for guests visiting for the platinum celebration.
On July 25, guests noticed that they no longer had to join a virtual queue if they wanted to see “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.” If they want to see the show, they just need to show up at the Main Street Opera House and wait until the next show begins.
It is important to note that the use of the virtual queue is subject to change. If Disney cast members notice that the show’s standby queue is getting out of control, they could decide to use the virtual queue. For the most up-to-date information, be sure to check the Disneyland Resort app.
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Right now, “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” runs daily from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. However, Disney has said that eventually, the show will run in rotation with Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. The Disneyland Resort calendar currently runs through September 5, and there are no listings for Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln showtimes.
Have you visited Disneyland recently and watched “Walt Disney – A Magical Life”? Are you glad that a virtual queue is no longer necessary to see the show? Do you think the virtual queue makes things easier or more difficult in terms of planning your day in the theme park? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!