“12th April will be a very special day,” Disneyland Paris has confirmed in a tweet from its president Catherine Powell, with a new concept art showing Disney characters and a marching band emerging from Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s long been teased and expected that the 25th anniversary of the resort’s actual opening date would feature some exclusive “surprises”, just like the 20th Anniversary date five years previously. This colourful new concept suggests part of a ceremony to commemorate the day, including Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, Goofy and Max, Chip and Dale, Clarice, Pluto and Duffy and ShellieMay. Guests in Mickey Mouse ears follow behind. The marching band is a welcome throwback to the Euro Disneyland Band which led the park in its opening years, a longstanding tradition of other Disneyland parks. Though Disneyland Paris still has a band for live musical performances, notably on Town Square in Main Street U.S.A., they aren’t given the same permanent prominence. For the 15th Anniversary opening ceremony, a marching band dressed very similarly led a special pre-parade. On the last anniversary date of 12th April 2012, the park presented a packed schedule of one-off events, including a talk with legendary Imagineer Tony Baxter, an opening ceremony and Cast Member flashmob and special mini character shows celebrating each of the lands. Watch our 12th April 2012 playlist to relive the events:

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Original Imagineers to return?

Meanwhile, as the park’s original Imagineers Eddie Sotto (Main Street, U.S.A.) and Tom Morris (Fantasyland) share some fantastic memorabilia on Twitter, fans suggest they should be welcomed back for an anniversary event or presentation themselves sometime this year…

I’d come out and do a DLP25 presentation of unseen video and pics if the park thought there was enough interest. https://t.co/hLqCRX98gC

— Eddie Sotto (@boss_angeles) February 27, 2017

So, what do you say Disneyland Paris? • Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for new high quality videos of all the 25th Anniversary events, coming soon!