All the Fun Things to Know About Disneyland's Sweethearts Night

Are you looking for a dream date to do with your favorite person? How about a Sweetheart’s Nite at Disneyland? I’m sharing all of my tips for making it the best night possible and what to expect if you attend this epic party.

So, what exactly is Disneyland’s Sweetheart’s Nite?

Sweetheart’s night is a nighttime party in the Park that requires a separate entrance ticket. This event only happens in January and February each year.

Getting tickets

  • In the past, Disneyland has not announced the date that they will release the Sweetheart’s Nite tickets in advance. 

  • When I signed up to go this time, they released tickets on December 14, but they didn’t announce the ticket sales until the night before. 

  • Once the day came to purchase tickets, I was placed in a queue which took about 4 hours until I was able to buy the tickets. 

  • Tickets DO sell out! They only sell a limited amount of tickets, so be sure to get on it right when they are released.

When do you get to enter the park?

  • This year, the party started at 9 PM and ended at 1 AM.

  • However, the tickets allowed us to enter the park at 6 PM. We decided to show up early and they ended up letting us enter around 5:30 PM.

Do you have to buy a regular Disneyland pass in addition to your party ticket?

No, you do not have to buy a regular ticket as well as the Sweetheart’s Nite ticket. 


Why would you want to go to Sweetheart’s Nite?

  • Smaller crowds! 

    • Although there are still a lot of people, wait times for rides were typically 5-10 minutes.

  • Photo Ops! 

    • They had so many cute photo ops set up around the park. Some of my favorite scenes were: sitting in the boat from The Little Mermaid, eating spaghetti at the checkered table from Lady and the Tramp, or flying on a magic carpet from Aladdin. 

    • The Photo Pass is included in your ticket! So when you’re going around to all of the fun photo ops, the pictures will automatically be uploaded to your phone.

  • Special Food and Treats

    • If you're wanting a sit-down restaurant for dinner, you’ll want to make reservations as soon as you’re able to, as there are only 2 restaurants that offer this special Sweetheart’s dinner. The Plaza Inn on Main Street serves a spaghetti dinner with bread, salad, spaghetti, and dessert for $80 per couple. Cafe Orleans offers a three-course meal with appetizers (soups and salads), a main course (steak or chicken), and a dessert for $100 per couple. 

    • We got a special hot fudge ice cream sundae at the Golden Horseshoe! My husband, Ward, loves popcorn and he got popcorn in an exclusive Sweetheart’s Nite container that was so cute!

  • Sweetheart’s merch

    • We didn’t end up buying any Sweetheart’s merch, but we heard that there were some cute things! I’ve also heard that it sells out very quickly, so if you’re interested in Sweetheart’s merch, then be sure to shop earlier in the evening!

  • Exclusive Entertainment

    • There is a special ball, where you can go dancing with some of the iconic Disney couples! There is a live orchestra on the hour each hour to dance to.

    • They also had live jazz bands playing in Adventure Land as well as on the river boat.

  • Special Fireworks Show

    • In addition to a special fireworks show, they also have special light projections that illuminate the castle. The show is set to special love songs and it is so cute!

Pro Tip!

When you first enter the park, pick up one of the special Sweetheart’s maps. This map will tell you where to go for all of the special events and specialty food items. It also tells you where each of the photo ops will be.

Do I need to dress up?

  • No you don’t, it’s totally up to you! Do whatever matches your personality :) 

  • I would say about 10 percent of people were dressed up in Valentine’s outfits.

Should I bring my kids?

This is up to you! Kids are still welcome in the park, but I hardly saw any kids when we were there. It was kind of weird to be in Disneyland with barely any kids! The majority of people there are couples on a date night.

Area closures during Sweetheart’s Nite

  • Starr Wars Rise of the Resistance, Critter Country, Mickey’s Toon Town, Splash Mountain, and It’s a Small World closed at 9 PM

  • Despite these closures, there is still so much open to do!

  • If any of these rides matter to you, I would recommend riding these when you first arrive at the park around 6 PM.

If you’re interested in going to Sweetheart’s Nite… do it! You won’t regret it!

Disney, Family Travel, Podcast, Travel TipsLisa AndrewsComment