Everything You Need To Know About the Disneyland Diamond Celebration

May is always a special month for me, because Mother's Day and my birthday are in May. This year I've got an extra reason to celebrate, because I'm going to the Disneyland Resort to celebrate Disneyland's 60th anniversary on my birthday! The Diamond Anniversary celebrations will kick off with a 24 hour party starting 6:00am on Friday May 22!  The fun continues nonstop till 6:00am on Saturday May 23.

There are so many special things going on during those 24 hours, the time will just fly by! Guests will enjoy, and you may have read about some of them.... but the Disney folks have been releasing them in dribs and drabs over the past few months.  So I've compiled all of the fun and magic (and links!) into one single post. Here is the full list of all the magical opportunities for families to enjoy the Diamond Celebration.

First off, here is everything guests will enjoy at the 24-Hour event on May 22:

Debut of Paint the Night parade

Disneyland Park will light up the night with a new nighttime parade called Paint the Night. With over 1.5 million LED lights flashing and glowing, it's like the old Electrical Parade meets 21st century technology! Even the dancers and props will light up. All-new parade stars include a 54-feet long Mack Truck from Cars, plus Anna and Elsa!

Debut of new World of Color show

World of Color show has a new theme: Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney. Neil Patrick Harris will join Mickey Mouse in reliving Walt Disney's story, featuring music, fountains, lasers, plus animation and live action film projected onto a watery canvas.

Debut of new Fireworks spectacular

Disneyland's new fireworks show, Disneyland Forever, is going to be like no other fireworks show. Projection mapping technology will immerse viewers in dozens of Disney movie worlds, from The Lion King to Finding Nemo to Mary Poppins. The show will be viewable not only from Main Street USA, but also from It's a Small World, the Matterhorn, and the Rivers of America, with a different view from each location.

24-Hour Event Food

Guests can enjoy special treats only available during the 24-hour event, such as a Mocha Chip Funnel Cake at the Stage Door Cafe, Creamy Corn Chowder at French Market Restaurant, and Bananas Foster French Toast at Cafe Orleans. I'm definitely going for the Barbecued Pulled Pork & Slaw Cone at the Cozy Cone Motel!

24-Hour Event Merchandise

If you're going to the 24-Hour event on May 22, make sure you stop by a souvenir shop and check out the special 24-Hour tshirts and pins, because they'll only be on sale during the 24-Hour event!  In fact, they might even sell out before the 24 hours are over!

Don't worry, if you can't make the 24-Hour event, you haven't missed the party. The celebrations for Disneyland's Diamond Anniversary will continue throughout the summer and beyond.  Guests will have many opportunities to enjoy the new nighttime entertainment -- Paint the Night, Disneyland Forever and Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney -- as well as the special offerings below:

New interactive entertainment

Throughout the Diamond Celebration year, performers will invite park guests to become part of the show at several places throughout the parks. Guests can march along with the Disneyland Band at a daily Diamond March-Along up Main Street USA, sing along with the Dapper Dans quartet, dream along with the Red Car News Boys on Buena Vista Street, dance along with Five & Dime, and party in Wonderland at the all-new Mad T Party.

Diamond Celebration Treats

It wouldn't be a celebration without treats! Guests will be able to indulge in special Diamond Celebration Cupcakes, special drinks, Rice Treats, Caramel Corn, and Cotton Candy. I'm definitely saving space in my belly for a cupcake -- and I'm washing it down with the special mango, pineapple and passion fruit Lucky Fortune Tea! And don't forget the special popcorn buckets!

Diamond Celebration Merchandise

More than 500 merchandise items will be available to purchase during the Diamond Anniversary Celebration. Think blinged-out ears, hats, shirts, jackets, Vinylmation, pins, bags, mugs.... I can't wait to go shopping! Disneyland only turns 60 once, so every single item in the Diamond Anniversary merchandise is sure to become a collector's item!

Diamond Celebration Decor

Have your photos taken in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the Carthay Circle Theater, because they've been blinged up for the Diamond Celebration! And don't forget to check out the newly decorated store windows on Main Street USA, which have been specially done for the occasion.

Updated and refurbished attractions

Many of the attractions that you've been waiting for have returned, and they've been bedazzled! The Matterhorn Bobsleds, Peter Pan's Flight, and Soarin Over California have been given new special effects. There's a new ghost in town over at the Haunter Mansion -- watch out for the Hatbox Ghost at the opening of the cemetery scene! Finally, the remodeled and expanded Grizzly Peak is reopening to the public.

Diamond Days Sweepstakes

The Diamond Days Sweepstakes begins on May 22, and guests to the Disneyland Resort can win daily prizes such as VIP tours and dining experiences.  There are even more spectacular weekly prizes to be won, including real Disney Diamonds, a Cinderella glass slipper, a private party in Fantasyland, and a stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite.

photo credits: Disneyland News

Disclosure: I am attending the Diamond Celebration press event at the invitation of the Disneyland Resort. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Disneyland Resort celebrates 60 years on May 22

2015 is a special year for the Disneyland Resort!  Disneyland first opened on July 17, 1955, which means it's celebrating it's 60th year.  The celebrations will start on May 22nd -- which I'm so excited about, because May 22 is my birthday!!  How cool is that?!  I can't wait to celebrate with Mickey, Minnie, and everyone who loves everything Disney!

For such a special occasion, you can be sure the celebrations will be super special.  Last month, the Disneyland Resort unveiled some of the ways they are going to mark their Diamond year:

Diamond Celebration Decor
The Disneyland Resort is dressing up in style for its 60th anniversary celebration!  Both Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland and Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure are being given a special makeover.  will glisten and gleam for the celebration, each with its own diamond medallion. The Disneyland Resort and surrounding streets will sparkle with Diamond Celebration décor and festive banners in shades of Disneyland blue. Also bearing the diamond anniversary theme, creative merchandise and food items will be designed to complement the celebration.

“World of Color – Celebrate!”
My favorite Disneyland Resort nighttime show, World of Color, is also getting a fresh new look.  “World of Color – Celebrate!” illuminates the night in a celebration of the unparalleled imagination of Walt Disney. The premiere on May 22 will be oo-hosted by none other than actor Neil Patrick Harris! His co-host: Mickey Mouse, of course!  Mickey and NPH will take guests on a fun-filled and inspirational journey, exploring Walt Disney’s decades-long legacy of memorable animated moments and his dream of Disneyland park, all culminating in a madcap musical tour of Disneyland Resort attractions as never seen before.  I've enjoyed every single incarnation of World of Color, and I can't wait to see what the new show brings.

“Paint the Night” parade
Remember the Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade?  I first saw it when I was six years old. Although the Electrical Parade still happens in Magic Kingdom at Disney World, it hasn't been at the Disneyland Resort since 2010.  So it's great to hear that Main Street USA will come to life after dark once again with the new “Paint the Night” parade.  Of course, it's going to be updated for the 21st century, with lots of special effects and all-LED (more than 1.5 million!)  lights that flash and glow as they bring Disney stories to life.  Guests will see  “Monsters, Inc.,” “Cars,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Toy Story”, “Frozen”, and of course, Mickey Mouse leading the grand finale.

“Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular
Everyone loves a good fireworks show, and the “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular is sure to be diamond caliber.   Thanks to the largest installation of projection mapping technology in a Disney park and surprising special effects, guests will find themselves transported into the worlds of beloved Disney and Disney-Pixar films, including a dance with King Louie from the “The Jungle Book” and a flight over London with characters from “Peter Pan.”  Two original songs also will be featured, the theme “Live the Magic,” and the inspiring closing song “Kiss Goodnight,” written by Disney Legend Richard Sherman. Best of all, “Disneyland Forever” will not only be visible from Main Street, U.S.A., it will also be visible from several other Disneyland locations.

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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CLIF Kid ZBar snacks -- the perfect party treat (and a giveaway for you!)

Birthday parties are notorious for serving junk food. I'll be the first to admit that cake, ice cream, candy are staples of all my kids' birthday parties.  But as with everything in life, moderation is key, and I always like to balance the junk food that I serve with healthy food.  That's why CLIF Kid snacks are so great -- as far as kids are concerned, they're treats, but parents love them because they're  a healthy snack made with wholesome, organic ingredients.  We recently held a DisneySide party to celebrate my son's 11th birthday, and CLIF Kid generously supplied us with some of our favorite CLIF Kid snacks.  Check out all the CLIF Kid goodies we enjoyed at the party:

CLIF Kid ZBar Protein bars are the perfect healthy treats for growing kids, because each one contains a whopping 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.  CLIF Kid only uses organic ingredients so you can feel good about serving your kids healthy, wholesome food.

We received a box of the Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor (photo above) and 2 boxes of the Chocolate Chip flavor.  My kids love the flavors (my favorite is the Peanut Butter Chocolate) and think they're as good as any bakery treat.

Instead of fruit gummies or fruit chews, why not serve CLIF Kid ZFruit & Veggie ropes? They're tangy and chewy and kids love them.  Unlike most fruit snacks, these also contain real veggies -- sweet potato juice, sweet potato puree, carrot puree, red beet juice concentrate -- for an ever bigger health punch. We received 3 flavors -- Cheery Cherry, Mango Mania, and Blueberry Blast -- all of which taste great!

Like all CLIF Kid snacks, these do not contain any artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, and each bar or rope is made with organic ingredients.  You can definitely feel good about serving CLIF Kid snacks at birthday parties, on playdates, in school lunchboxes, in Valentine's Day parties, or any day of the year.

Our party was a huge success, and a big part of the credit goes to the CLIF Kid snacks I served!  The party was held at a local paintball field. I placed a CLIF Kid ZBar Protein bar on each guest's plate so they would have something healthy to munch on besides cupcakes and rice krispy treats.

 3Po and his guests spent over an hour running, dodging, darting, shooting, playing, and being extremely active.  After their paintball session was over, they were sweaty and tired and very, very hungry.  Needless to say, the kids devoured the CLIF Kid snacks in no time.

Each guest received a CLIF Kid ZBar Protein bar and a CLIF Kid ZFruit & Veggie rope in their goody bag, so they got to take some of that goodness home with them.  Thank you, CLIF Kid, for helping to keep my kids and their guests healthy and happy!

Win 2 boxes of CLIF Kid ZBar Protein

One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a 15-count box of CLIF Kid ZBar Protein in Chocolate Chip flavor and Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor!

Enter via Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends 11:59 PST on February 20, 2015. I will draw a winner after that date and post their name once the winner has been confirmed and verified.  Continental US residents only. For more giveaway rules, click here.  Good luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclosure: I received samples from CLIF Kid for review.  Giveaway prize is provided by CLIF Kid.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Add More Pixie Dust to your DisneySide Party with HP and MyPrintly

One of the easiest ways to save money when throwing a party is to make some or all of your own decorations.  You can make wall posters, banners, bunting, signs, and so much more, with just some paper, pens, and paint.  If you don't consider yourself the artistic type, then substitute pens and paint for a good printer!  The internet is teeming with great ideas and images to print out.

One of the most useful things that I received in my DisneySide At Home Celebration box was a set photo paper cards from HP.  I used them to print out invitations and thank you cards for the party.  The theme of my DisneySide party was Paintball Mickey (because my son celebrated his 11th birthday with a paintball party), so I found an image of Mickey, an image of a paintball gun (from Disney Infinity), and some images of paint blobs.  I combined them with a photo of the kids in their paintball gear for a cute and memorable thank you card.  I also have a more generic Mickey Paintball invitation and thank you card image at the bottom of this post -- feel free to download and use for your own Mickey Paintball party!

We held the party at our local paintball field.  The place had a picnic area with first-come-first-served picnic tables, so I decided to make a birthday sign to mark our spot.  Artist Simon Phipps generously allowed me to use his adorable Mickey Paintball artwork for the sign.  I added a few more paint splotches and a Happy Birthday sign, then printed out two copies.  I pasted both printouts onto a sheet of stiff cardboard, then attached it to a wooden stick.

I stuck the sign into a glass jar filled with plastic beads in order to make it stand up.  I also added a few smaller Mickey Mouse Clubhouse signs to make the display more festive.  Everyone thought it looked cool, and all our guests had no problem finding our party table!  Thank you so much Simon for letting me use your artwork!  (Please note, the Mickey Paintball artwork belongs to Simon Phipps and cannot be used without his permission!).

Below are the Mickey Paintball invitations and thank you cards that I designed.  They should be printed on 4x6 photo paper.  Feel free to download and print (if you do blog about them, please mention me and link to this post!). To see what other great things you can do with photo paper, go to MyPrintly, HP's new site for printing projects and ideas.  Enjoy!

More DisneySide party posts:

• DisneySide At Home Party kit reveal
• DisneySide Mickey Paintball party host
• How to make a Mickey paintball bandana
• How to decorate paintball cupcakes
• How to make Mickey paintball rice krispy treats

Disclosure:I received photo paper samples from HP, courtesy of Disney and MomSelect.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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I'm hosting a DisneySide @Home Celebration!

I received free product from Disney Parks and other sponsors.

Whenever I enter a Disney park, something happens. I walk faster, I smile wider, I hug the kids more.  Like most people, it's easy for me to show my fun, playful side -- my Disney Side -- at Disney. But just because you're not at a Disney park doesn't mean you can't show your DisneySide!  All it takes is a enjoying Mickey pancake for breakfast, sipping your coffee from a Disney mug, or wearing a Disney shirt.

Even better, why not throw a party to celebrate your DisneySide?! This month, hundreds of hosts around the country will be celebrating their DisneySide at home.  Each celebration will be as unique and as special as each host. I'm excited to announce that I've been selected as a DisneySide @Home Celebration host for the second year in a row!

To help us prepare for our parties, Disney Parks and the MomSelect team sent each host a gigantic party box filled with partyware and other goodies.  Last year's DisneySide party box was incredible, and this year's box was just as special.  When our box came, Mickey could barely contain his excitement! Actually, he contained it better than I did; I couldn't wait for my kids to get home so only Mickey and I were present for the great box opening.

This year, hosts were selected to host parties with a variety of themes -- Disney Villains for teens and tweens, Disney Princess for preschool girls, Disney Cars for preschool boys, a Multigenerational Disney party, and a Mickey and Friends party.  I received a Mickey and Friends box.  Each box is slightly different (even boxes with the same theme vary slightly in content), so each time a hostess opens a box, there's always a bit of excitement and magic.

Take a look at THAT -- Yikes!!  The box contained anything and everything a DisneySide hostess would need to throw a magical DisneySide party, and more.  It was so difficult to show everything in one photo, I had to tack stuff up onto the wall!

Keep reading for close-up photos and a detailed list of the box contents. I made an unboxing video if you prefer videos to photos; I set it to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious because that's the only word that properly describes this box!


First, all the party basics: Mickey-themed plates, cups, tablecloth, and decorations.

A Minnie snack stand to display cupcakes, Minnie snack boxes to hold popcorn or pretzels or cookies, and Minnie sandwich bags so we can pack some treats for our guests to take home.

Party printables: party invitations, party banners, and special Disneyland Diamond Anniversary edition (yes! Disneyland is celebrating its 60th year!) favor boxes to cut out and assemble.

Party games: Disney bingo, Disney word search, and Disney trivia.

Another party game: Pin the Smile on Mickey.  He also makes a great wall decoration!


Prizes and party favors: Mickey pencils, Mickey stickers, a box of crayons and a set of cards.

More party favors: a Disney Princess nail polish set!  We won't have any girl party guests, so my two nieces will soon be very happy little Disney Princesses!


Souvenirs and memories for guests to take home: Disney luggage tags and HP photo paper packs.

Treats: a Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) tie-dye cake mix, a Mickey head-shaped baking pan, and Wilton sprinkles.  I cannot wait to bake!

A hostess kit with instructions, recipes, tips, and ideas. The kit also included a Disney Parks DVD, Mickey stickers (yay, more party favors!) and coupons for free Soy Vay and Beyond Beef.

To help clean up after the party is over: All laundry detergent, Wisk, and Snuggle. All, Wisk, Snuggle, and HP are this year's party sponsors, so I'm super grateful for their participation.  Thanks to all the sponsors, to Disney Parks, and to the Mom Select Team for putting all of this together!

So, what kind of DisneySide party are we throwing?  3Po will be celebrating his 11th birthday with a paintball party, so we decided to show our DisneySide at the same time!  The bright, vibrant colors of the Mickey and Friends partyware reminded me of colorful paintballs, so we are having a Mickey Paintball Party.  It's going to be very original, very creative, and a lot of fun :) Stay tuned for more posts on our upcoming DisneySide party!

If you'd like to throw your own DisneySide celebration, check out www.disneysidecelebrations.com for printables, recipes, activity ideas and tips.  You can also join in the fun, share the excitement, and stay up to date on any DisneySide twitter parties and contests on the DisneySide @Home Celebrations Facebook page!

My DisneySide party posts:

• DisneySide At Home Party kit reveal
• DisneySide Mickey Paintball party post
• How to make Mickey paintball invites, birthday signs, and thank you cards
• How to make a Mickey paintball bandana
• How to decorate paintball cupcakes
• How to make Mickey paintball rice krispy treats

Disclosure: I received free products from Disney and other sponsors, via MomSelect, to aid me in throwing a DisneySide party. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Our DisneySide @Home Celebration

Did you host a DisneySide party?  Leave a link to your party post below!

Weren't able to host or attend a DisneySide party? Join my giveaway for a DisneySide goody bag below!

It doesn't take much for my Disney Side to come out and play, so when MomSelect and Disney Parks invited me to host a #DisneySide @Home Celebration (and sent me some neat party supplies and other goodies in the process!), I put on my thinking cap -- aka Mickey Ears -- and got to work.  Fortunately, planning a Disney-themed party is easy and fun!  There are dozens of ways to show your Disney Side, from a princess playdate to a Toy Story party, to a Tiki Room luau, to a Minnie craft session to a Jake and the Neverland Pirates scavenger hunt to a Disney movie marathon.... the list is endless. Here's how 3Po, Jammy, The Pea, 7 of their friends and I chose to celebrate our love of all things Disney:

Making decorations for our DisneySide party couldn't be easier.  All I did was trace out Mickey ear shapes onto black construction paper.  You can find Mickey ear templates on the web, or use a Mickey cookie cutter like I did.  I also printed out a few Mickey drawings and stuck them on the wall along with the Mickey ears.  A red tablecloth and Mickey-themed partyware added the final festive touch.

First party activity: our DisneySide photo booth!  I gathered all the Disney-themed props I could find -- Mickey ears, Minnie headbands, the Toy Story alien hat that The Pea made last Halloween, some fake glasses, a boa, Alfie's Jack Sparrow hat,  Mad Hatter hat, and top hat.  I made a few more photo booth props from cardboard and paint sticks -- a fake mustache, a Cheshire cat grin, and some signs.  I made a background by gluing Mickey ears onto large sheets of paper, and tacked it onto our message board.  Then I let our guests choose their props and ham it up for the camera!

Our second party activity was t-shirt decorating.  Hanes sent us white t-shirts in our DisneySide @Home celebration kit, so each guest got to make their very own Disney shirt.  I made some freezer paper stencils before the party, and each guest chose a design.  I ironed the freezer paper onto the shirts, so all the kids had to do was dab paint onto the stencil.  Once the paint dried, they peeled off the freezer paper and ended up with a design that looked like it had been silk-screened onto the shirt.

The Pea and her friends decided to draw their designs on their shirt using the fabric markers provided in our party kit.  They looked up Olaf pictures online, then copied them onto the shirt, drawing freehand.  I was amazed at how well their shirts turned out -- those girls are so artistic!

Because the kids took such care with their designs, the t-shirt decorating activity took up much more time than I expected.  Before we knew it, it was time to eat!  For dinner, the kids had corn dogs (a favorite Disneyland food) and cherry tomatoes.

For dessert, I went a bit overboard with Disney treats!  I recreated some of my favorite Disneyland treats:  Dole Pineapple Whip, Mickey ice cream sandwiches, Mickey rice krispy treats, and Mickey cupcakes.  They were so much fun to make, and tasted pretty darn close to the real thing.

3Po's and Jammy's guests went home soon after, but the girls stayed for a sleepover, and began yet another activity: the Disney Movie Marathon!  3Po and Jammy joined them, and they stayed up late into the night watching Mulan and The Lion King.

And what would a Disney Movie Marathon be without one of my favorite Disneyland snacks, popcorn?!  Of course, we served it in special popcorn buckets with Mickey ears that I cut out and glued.


I had planned to play some Disney-themed party games (Disney Trivia and Disney Taboo), but we ran out of time, so the next morning, while waiting for their parents to pick them up, the girls amused themselves by reading out Disney Taboo cards I made, as well as the Disney trivia cards included in our party kit.

Check out our goody bag:  a red paper bag decorated with Mickey ears, filled with runDisney bracelets, a Muppet Movie calendar, tattoos, and stickers that came in our party kit, along with some Mickey-themed pinata filler candy that I bought at our local party store and a mini Mickey rice krispy treat.  The girls also got a cute Mickey & Minnie poster (I offered the posters to the boys but they weren't interested!).

Finally, I printed out the photo booth photos on the HP photo cards that came in our party pack, so that each guest could have a fun keepsake of the party. You can find the DisneySide overlays that I used in the HP Photo Creations app, along with other fun designs.

I was sad to see our DisneySide @Home celebration end.  I have had so much fun planning and documenting all our preparations this past month, and it was a great way to share our love of Disney with my kids' friends.  Thanks to Disney Parks, Mom Select, American Tourister, Hanes, HP, Ocean Spray for all the fun party goods and supplies!

To celebrate their love of all things Disney, families across the country are hosting #DisneySide parties and letting their Disney Side shine. Follow the fun with the #DisneySide hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and get inspiration to host your own DisneySide celebration with recipes, activity kits and tips on www.disneysidecelebrations.com/. How will you celebrate your DisneySide this year?

If you've hosted a DisneySide @Home Celebration, leave the link to your party post below! I'd love to visit your blog, check out your party recap, and ooh-and-ahhh over all the wonderful ways you celebrated your Disney Side!



Win a DisneySide goody bag
Two lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will receive an 11'x14" Minnie & Mickey poster, a runDisney sticker, a Muppet Movie calendar, a runDisney chEAR card (sorry I had to fold a portion of the card because it wouldn't fit in the mailing envelope!), Disney temporary tattoos and Disney stickers.

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you show your Disney Side.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like" Bonggamom Finds on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the DisneySide @Home celebration giveaway! http://ow.ly/ui4uV #DisneySide

6) Tweet this (1 entry per day)

Enter to win a Mickey & Minnie poster -- 2 winners!  Giveaway ends  3/17/14 on @bonggafinds: http://ow.ly/ui4uV #DisneySide

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry per giveaway you've joined)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on March 17, 2014; I will draw a winner at random on March 18 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: I received free party supplies, goody bag fillers and other products to host a #DisneySide @Home Celebration. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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