On occasion, Disneyland California offers after-dark, separate-ticketed events. These Disneyland After Dark events are special-themed nights on a limited number of nights. These include 90s Nite, Pride Nite, Star Wars Nite, and my favorite, Sweethearts’ Nite. I attended Sweethearts’ Nite last year and am thrilled it is returning for 2025.
Read our guide to Sweethearts’ Nite, including what to expect and tips for attending.
Disclosure: I paid my own admission to Sweethearts’ Nite. This post contains affiliate links. A purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
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Guide to Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite
Like other Disneyland After Dark events, tickets to Sweethearts’ Nite are sold separately. The event runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the designated nights, and the park is only open to guests holding a ticket. It takes place at Disneyland Park (not Disney’s California Adventure). Standard Magic Key, daily passes, and park hopper tickets don’t work for these events.
If you hold an event ticket, you are allowed to enter the park at 6 p.m., but the specific event doesn’t start until 9 p.m. When the event starts, guests in the park but without an event ticket are asked to leave.
Tickets, which run from $149-$179 per guest (price varies by night), include admission to the park and you won’t need to make a park reservation. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is not in use during these After Dark events.
The dates for 2025 are Jan 21, 23, 28; Feb 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 2025.
Character Meet and Greets and Entertainment
When I attended Sweethearts’ Nite in February 2024, we arrived right around 6 p.m. to take advantage of the full amount of time in the park. The character meet and greets and entertainment seemed to be the most popular event activities.
Entertainment includes:
Royal Ball – a ball where you can see some of your favorite Royal couples dancing
Sweethearts’ Nite Royal Cavalcade – this happens twice per night and includes a float with some favorite Disney couples
Mark Twain Moonlit Jazz Cruise – enjoy the music of a jazz quartet as the Mark Twain riverboat is turned into a jazz club. In 2024, this took place four times during the event, on the half-hour.
During the event, you can see romance-themed projections on iconic buildings, including the castle, It’s a Small World, and the Main Street USA buildings. It was fun to stand back and watch these projections. They also made for some great photos!
There are also some fun character greetings of your favorite Disney couples, including Daisy and Donald Duck, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Beauty and the Beast, and more. Character greetings were especially popular, and there were some pretty long lines to see the characters dressed in adorable Sweethearts’ Nite apparel. While I opted to skip these lines in favor of other Sweethearts’ Nite events, I got some cute photos while they were in between guests.
In 2024, the characters included:
- Mickey and Minnie
- Donald and Daisy
- Mary Poppins and Bert
- Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar
- Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen
- Indiana Jones and Marion
- Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde
- Space Couple
- Snow White and the Prince
- Peter Pan and Wendy
- Mulan and Shang
- Flik and Atta
- Esmeralda and Phoebus
- Belle, the Beast, and Gaston
- Ariel and Prince Eric
- Chip, Dale, and Clarice
- Chewbacca and Rey
- Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers
Character greetings may vary in 2025.
Treats and Food
During the event, you can enjoy some exclusive snacks and treats. In 2023, these included the following:
- Chocolate Strawberry Sundae
- Croque Monsieur
- Chocolate & Strawberry-Stuffed Croissant
- Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart
- Strawberry Shortcake Dole Whip Sundae
- Heart-Shaped Beignets
- Shrimp Tacos
- Mickey-Shaped Strawberry Cream Puff
- Raspberries & Cream Funnel Cake
- Fried, Heart-Shaped Ravioli
- Strawberry Donuts
- French Toast Sandwich
- Surf n Turf Fries
- Java Chip Churros
- Strawberry Cheesecake Churros
- Pretzel With Strawberry Cheesecake Dipping Sauce
Offerings in 2025 may vary.
The lines for these treats can be very long. Mobile ordering is available, but you’ll want to do that early in the evening for the best options.
More About the Event
Some commemorative merchandise is on sale for the event. On select nights, there are also jewelry trunk shows.
Guests receive an adorable, commemorative event credential and a mini-map/event guide. Your ticket also includes unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass digital photos taken during the party. I usually don’t tend to hold on to maps/guides, but I kept the Sweethearts’ Night one because it’s so cute.
There are some fun opportunities for themed photos. Be sure to find the PhotoPass photographers during the event. These photos are included with your admission and make a great, exclusive souvenir.
Costumes
Guests can wear costumes during this event while following the Disney rules. During the event I attended, I saw people wearing red and pink clothes but didn’t see too many costumes. That can change by the evening, however.
Tips for Attending Sweethearts’ Night
Planning on attending? Here are some tips for the event:
- Purchase tickets ASAP. They sell out quickly
- Arrive at 6 pm to enjoy the full duration of the event.
- Prioritize what you want to experience during the event. The character meet-and-greet lines get really long, so you probably won’t be able to see everyone.
- While there are no Lightning Lanes during the event, standby attraction lines tend to be a lot shorter during these events. Be sure to include attractions in your evening plans.
- Food lines can be very long for the special treats and snacks. It’s easiest to mobile order, but make sure you place mobile orders very early in the evening.
- Be sure to grab a commemorative map for the evening – it’s a great keepsake but also will let you know all of the entertainment, characters, and food available for purchase that evening.
