Say goodbye to double magic—because not one, but two major Disney California Adventure spectacles are vanishing from the schedule this August. Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! is on its way out… and Wondrous Journeys, the park’s fireworks spectacular, is quietly being benched too.
If this feels like déjà vu, that’s because it is. Disney’s pulling the same seasonal switcheroo it did last year—and fans hoping to catch these entertainment headliners better move fast.
Parade Disappearing Act: Where Did It Go?
Since its return on May 16, 2025, Better Together has lit up the streets of Disney California Adventure twice daily (2:30 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.), bringing Pixar pals like Miguel, Joy, Mei Lee, Luca, and Mr. Incredible to life with high-energy music and colorful floats. But starting August 4, the show just… disappears.
No official announcement. No final show fanfare. Just a quiet exit from the Disneyland Resort entertainment calendar.
The Pixar Pals Dessert Party, which offers reserved seating and sweet treats for parade watchers, also has no bookings listed past August 3. All signs point to that being the last hurrah—for now.
Wondrous Journeys: Next on the Chopping Block
Not far behind is Wondrous Journeys, Disneyland’s gorgeous nighttime fireworks and projection show celebrating 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios. It’s still listed through August 9 at 9:35 p.m., but not a single show is scheduled beyond that.
Sources suggest this may be part of the same entertainment shuffle that’s pulling the Pixar parade off the calendar. And just like the parade, this isn’t its first time being paused—Wondrous Journeys took a seasonal break last year as well.
In both cases, the pause isn’t being marketed as a cancellation—Disney previously described them as “temporary” shifts to make room for limited-time holiday offerings. But with no official return date given, fans are left wondering if these shows will come back right after the holidays… or hibernate until well into 2026.
Why the Sudden Vanishing Act?
One word: Halloween.
Oogie Boogie Bash, the park’s after-hours villain-centric event, is creeping in fast with its first party night on August 17. And with the 2025 version adding even more—like an all-new VIP Tour experience—the park needs time to prepare for its massive seasonal transformation.
Daytime entertainment like Better Together has to step aside so Disney can set the stage for all things spooky: lighting changes, special effects, exclusive characters, crowd flow adjustments, and more. And nighttime shows like Wondrous Journeys often get swapped out to accommodate Halloween overlays, pyrotechnics restrictions, or party-specific performances.
In short: the pumpkin season doesn’t mess around.
We’ve Seen This Movie Before
This August timing mirrors 2024, when Better Together also ended on August 4 and Wondrous Journeys paused for seasonal offerings. So while the sudden disappearance might seem dramatic, it’s part of an established pattern—one that just doesn’t come with much transparency.
Disney’s style is to quietly update the calendar and let the internet do the rest. No official press release. No closure banners. Just blank days on the entertainment schedule and a wave of online speculation.
With the final listed performance of Better Together falling on August 3, and Wondrous Journeys wrapping up on August 9, guests only have a few weeks left to catch both of these 70th anniversary favorites before Halloween takes over.
And here’s the thing—Disney says both are just “pausing”… but didn’t say when they’ll return. We may not see them again until the tinsel’s packed up and Valentine’s Day hits, or later.
So if you’re hoping to soak up some Pixar joy or cry during that Walt Disney projection one last time, don’t wait. This is your last call.
