Disneyland has announced plans for its 70th anniversary celebration, which starts May 16. Walt Disney died in 1966 at age 65, so Disneyland now has endured longer than its creator. It might be tempting to credit Walt’s vision for his park’s enduring success. But while that vision set the stage, Disneyland has needed seven decades of outstanding support from its cast members to keep this show a hit.

If Disneyland these days offered nothing more than the attractions and entertainment that it presented back in 1966, I doubt the park would have maintained and expanded its devoted fan base over the past six decades. But Disneyland’s leadership has — to varying degrees over the years — embraced Walt’s vision that the park should never be complete so long as imagination remains in the world.

That is why whenever Disneyland celebrates an anniversary, many of us who love the park ask — what are we getting new this time?

The 70th anniversary celebration will bring back the “Paint the Night” parade, which opened at Disneyland for the 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration back in 2015. The “Wondrous Journeys” show from The Walt Disney Co.’s 100th anniversary in 2023 also will return. Over at Disney California Adventure, a new version of “World of Color” will premiere, called “World of Color Happiness!”

Those are limited-time engagements for the celebration. The all-new permanent attraction coming to Disneyland in this anniversary year will be Walt himself. For the first time, Disney has created an audio-animatronic depiction of its founder, which will hold court in a new production in the Main Street Opera House.

“Walt Disney — A Magical Life” will include a video retrospective of Walt’s career before bringing out the figure, which will be staged in a reproduction of his office. Disney allowed me a sneak peek at its Walt animatronic a while back, and I can reassure fans that it is a convincing and respectful representation of the man. I can’t wait to see the complete production.

If you are concerned for the future of the Opera House’s current resident, Disney has said not to worry. A Disneyland representative said “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln” will return and run in rotation with the Walt show after an introductory period for the new production.

On the flip side, the “Magic Happens” parade will not return in 2025, replaced by a character cavalcade. At Disney California Adventure, the Red Car Trolley ride will close Feb. 8 as the park clears space for construction of its Avengers Campus expansion.

If all goes well, Disneyland fans should be enjoying those new Marvel-themed rides in time for the resort’s 75th anniversary in five years. Perhaps we will see the first new projects enabled by the approval of the DisneylandForward changes by then, too.

Disneyland’s success lies in part in its ability to appeal to nostalgia for its history while also enticing fans with the promise of its future. So, while waiting for the next best things at the parks, I am looking forward to spending some great moments next year with the man who started it all.

Robert Niles covers the themed entertainment industry as the editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.