Three New Nighttime Spectaculars at Disneyland Resort
Category: Travel
For Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration there are three new nighttime spectaculars. Each one is amazing in its own right. They are intricate, colorful, and downright dazzling.
Neil Patrick Harris and Mickey Mouse host the new water show, “World of Color – Celebrate” in Disney California Adventure. Projected on the water fountains in Paradise Bay is a history of Disney films, beginning with a clip from “Steamboat Willie” and going through the years to Star Wars. With songs and scenes from favorite films, this nightly show is sure to please all visitors to Disney California Adventure.
“World of Color – Celebrate” utilizes the “Glow with the Show” technology so special Mickey Ear hats change color depending on the scenes being projected. For the 60th anniversary, there is a limited edition paintbrush and some special drink sippers to purchase that also interact with the show and each other, making for a colorful show as well as a colorful audience.
The new “Paint the Night Parade” in Disneyland is an updated version of the popular Electrical Light Parade, which impressed guests for years. Over 1.5 million LED lights showcasing eight Disney stories is “an inspired version of the original parade,” explained Randy Wojcik, Creative Director Parks & Resorts and Show Director of the parade. “The heart and soul of any parade is our performers,” he said, and the performers, combined with the lights and music blend to make this an electrifying parade. Besides many notable Disney characters, the parade also introduces Mack Truck, for the first time. The lights on Mack are bright and beautiful, to say the least.
The parade features several Disney princesses and characters from Cars, Monsters Inc., Peter Pan, and Toy Story. This after-dark spectacular is musical, magical, and memorable. It’s also filled with colorful lights that sparkle and ignite the sense of wonder in us all.
The highlight of the Diamond Celebration and something not to be missed is the “Disneyland Forever” Fireworks spectacular. It’s more than a fireworks show. Guests are immersed by images projected on the buildings on Main Street USA, the Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn, and there are also projections along the Rivers of America and “It’s a Small World.” So no matter where you are in the park, you will get an amazing experience and a different one from each location.
“The beginning of the show is a lovely tribute to Disneyland with the orange grove,” explained Sayre Wiseman, Executive, Parades & Spectaculars, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. Guests will feel as though they are standing in an orange grove, which was what the land was before becoming Disneyland. “The show is charming,” she exclaimed, and it truly is. It is more than charming. It is the most amazing and creative thing ever done by the Disney Imagineers, which is saying a lot.
Where should you stand for this spectacular show? If you stand on Main Street USA you’ll get an astounding experience seeing the visuals on the castle as well as the buildings lining the street. The buildings transform and at one point actually look as though they are dancing. Many graphics are present during this fireworks extravaganza. The Matterhorn transforms into Mt. Wannahockaloogie, the volcano from Finding Nemo. And at one point it erupts. Heffalumps and Woozles, Elsa’s falling snowflakes, stampeding African animals from The Lion King, bubbling bubbles from The Little Mermaid, and floating lanterns from Tangled are also displayed on the buildings. Plus, let’s not forget the stunning fireworks. Guests will be looking left, right, up, and over because they are immersed in the creativity that is the piece de resistance of the Diamond Celebration.
“We’re the industry leaders in painting the sky,” claimed Steve Davison, Executive Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. “We integrate media with pyrotechnics in this show.” “Disneyland Forever” has “a multi-layered effect” yet it “is music-driven.”
In the past the nighttime fireworks shows were spectacular. No one puts on a fireworks show like Disneyland. But now it is more than just fireworks set to music. It is an immersive experience for all the senses. There is too much to see in one visit. This is an event that needs to be seen and experienced many times from every angle. It’s just that incredible.
The experience doesn’t end when the final fireworks have faded. The finale, or walking out music, is a new song from celebrated composer Richard Sherman titled “A Kiss Goodnight,” and provides a memorable way to end the show.
With the three new nighttime shows, the Disneyland Diamond Celebration dazzles the senses and sets the bar for the future. How can they improve on these fantastic shows? Time will tell. But it will be difficult because these are nothing short of amazing.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.
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