Lunar New Year 2025 rises at Disney California Adventure Park
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The sweet and savory bulgogi beef that tops the scallion pancake tostada on the menu at Studio Catering Co. in Anaheim at Disney’s California Adventure is inspired by Disneyland Resort Chef Daniel Duke Brown’s own mother’s recipe.
“I started working at Disney because of the Lunar Festival. I loved how they told stories with it and how different it was,” said Brown. “When I became a chef here in the park, I wanted to be able to tell a story too and bring in the things I grew up with.”
Bulgogi is a Korean dish, made up of thinly sliced meat typically marinated in a combination of soy sauce, a sweetening agent like sugar or honey, sesame oil, garlic, onion and traditionally pureed Asian pear. It is something Brown said he often ate when he was growing up in a Korean American household.
Brown’s contribution is part of the park’s annual Lunar New Year celebration, which launched on Jan. 17. This year, more than 40 new menu items honor Asian cuisine. As in years past, park guests can purchase a Sip and Savor Pass redeemable for six food or nonalcoholic beverages from participating locations at California Adventure. Brown said the new food offerings were developed by multiple Disney cast members like him, sharing their culinary experiences.
“I feel that having those stories behind it actually makes the food taste better. You can feel the love in it,” said Brown.
Each year the Lunar New Year is determined by the lunisolar calendar and observed within multiple Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. This year marks the Year of the Snake, and food is just one of the ways to celebrate. Many Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean traditions are honored during the festival.
Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession returns this year, led by Mulan and Mushu with a Chinese dragon puppet and traditional dancers and drummers marching from Hollywood Land to Paradise Gardens in the afternoon and evenings. A special preshow, “Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration,” takes place before “World of Color-ONE” and follows a little lantern traveling on a journey home for good luck and fortune with an original score by composer Tan Dun.
The Paradise Garden Bandstand features live music performances daily from groups like the Fortunes, a China-based pop band that fuses hits of today, like Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” with traditional Chinese sounds while the Sonoma Terrace hosts the Korean American a cappella group Vocal Seoul Friday through Sunday. The multicultural celebration also brings back the the Lunar New Year Wishing Wall in Paradise Gardens Park, where guests can add their wishes for the new year.
The Lunar New Year celebration in Anaheim runs through Feb. 16 and is one of many such events planned in Orange County. Other area cities and businesses promoting good luck and good fortune include:
Santa Ana Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival
3000 W. Edinger Avenue, Santa Ana
Jan. 25, 1 to 6 p.m.
Presented in partnership with the Santa Ana Parks, Recreation & Community Services Agency and the Santa Ana Public Library, the second annual festival will feature cultural performances, food vendors, Library Lane and a fireworks show at 5:45 p.m.
The District at Tustin Legacy
2437 Park Ave, Tustin
Jan. 25, noon to 2 p.m.
A festive performance is planned featuring lion dancers and Chinese musicians along with a pagoda-themed photo opportunity and lucky red envelopes.
Chinese New Year Omakase experience at Sushi Ii
100 West Coast Hwy Suite 202, Newport Beach
Master Chef Susumu Ii has planned a special course for diners at Sushi Ii on Jan. 29. Priced at $200, the traditional Omakase experience will include a celebratory appetizer plate, sashimi, grilled and simmered dishes, a selection of nigiri, miso soup and dessert. Reservations can be made online.
UVSA Tet Festival at Garden Grove Park
9301 Westminster Blvd., Garden Grove
Jan. 31, 4 to 10 p.m.; Feb. 1, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Feb. 2, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This Vietnamese Lunar New Year Festival hosted by the Union of Vietnamese Students Assns. of Southern California is a tradition that began in Garden Grove in 2013. The three-day festival will feature Vietnamese food, entertainment and a special replica of a traditional village in Vietnam. Admission is priced at $9, but entrance is free for those who wear traditional outfits or military and Scout uniforms.
City of Westminster’s Tet Parade
Intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia Street
Saturday, Feb. 1
The Tet Parade in Little Saigon has been a tradition for nearly two decades. Westminster is home to one of the largest populations of Vietnamese Americans in Orange County, and multiple generations come out for this annual event. The opening ceremony beings at 8:30 a.m., and the parade starts at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia Street, heading eastbound on Bolsa.
Paradise Dynasty Lunar New Year menu at South Coast Plaza
3333 Bristol Street, BLM, 1 Bloomingdale’s, Costa Mesa
Paradise Dynasty rings in the Year of the Snake with a special menu through Feb. 7 that includes Singapore-style black pepper lobster with noodles, steamed Chilean seabass, crispy sweet and sour prawns and crab and silken tofu soup. Diners can also look forward to red envelopes filled with 20% off vouchers for future dining.
Garden of Good Fortune Event at Fashion Island
401 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach
Feb. 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This free, family-friendly event is designed to honor the creativity and cleverness of the Wood Snake. A special lion dance performance will be accompanied by calligraphy demonstrations and kite-painting activities. Near Nordstrom, visitors will find a special wood snake art installation on view Jan. 29 through Feb. 12.
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