Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026: Iconic Disney Horses at Royal Banquet

Today, February 17, 2026, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year of the Horse – a powerful symbol of strength, courage, and hope – and Disneyland Paris is celebrating it in truly magical style with stunning equine portraits at the new Royal Banquet inside the Disneyland Hotel.

The Royal Banquet, created as part of the hotel’s grand royal transformation, is a lavish buffet restaurant featuring four distinct rooms filled with portraits of royal Disney characters, their friends, and loyal companions. The highlight for horse fans is the circular Carousel Room, whose design evokes a traditional merry-go-round and whose walls showcase noble steeds from timeless tales. These artworks are the result of close collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering Paris and the Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

Sophie Coudré, Art Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, explains: “The venue’s distinctive architecture, inspired primarily by Gustave Eiffel, serves as a stylistic extension of Main Street, U.S.A., which can be admired from the room’s tall windows. These architectural elements, combined with the storytelling of royal tales, inspired us to pay tribute to the horses and other noble mounts that play an essential role in the adventures of our Disney heroes and heroines.”

The Carousel Room honors five iconic horses: the mighty Clydesdale Angus from Brave, the fearless Maximus from Tangled, the loyal Khan from Mulan, the gentle Philippe from Beauty and the Beast, and the adventurous Samson from Sleeping Beauty. Each one embodies loyalty, justice, courage, and deep friendship – exactly the values that make the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 so inspiring.

Whether it’s your first visit to Royal Banquet or you’re specifically seeking these details, these portraits turn the experience into something truly special and perfectly capture the spirit of the new year. The ideal way to kick off the Lunar New Year 2026 at Disneyland Paris!