Disney Officially Announces Return of Beloved Show

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Nighttime shows are a massive part of the magic experienced throughout Disney Parks. We are thrilled that one beloved show is coming back in 2024.

Guests traveling to California can enjoy two Disney Parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Both parks include unique attractions, shows, and magic.

Disneyland Park is the original Disney Park. Guests will find well-themed lands such as Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland. Beloved rides like Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, the Haunted Mansion, and “it’s a small world” are all found throughout Disneyland Park.

Over at Disney’s California Adventure Park, guests can enjoy themed lands based on beloved movies. Cars Land, Avengers Campus, Pixar Pier, and more. While visiting this unique Disney Park, guests enjoy top attractions like the Incredicoaster and Radiator Springs Racers.

Disneyland combines the history of Disney with the excitement and thrills of new technology throughout these two parks.

world of color - one nighttime water show disneyland california adventure park

The nighttime shows are a considerable part of the magic at these two Disney Parks. 

In Disney California Adventure, World of Color brings Disney and Pixar stories to guests through projections and water features. This is a 22-minute show that takes place on select evenings around Paradise Gardens Park. 

Over at Disneyland Park, guests can experience a fireworks show on select evenings. The show changes throughout the year, focusing on different holidays during the show. This nighttime show includes fireworks, a fantastic soundtrack, and even unique appearances from some beloved Disney characters.

There is one nighttime spectacular that has been missed at Disneyland Park.

Fantasmic!, a renowned nighttime show, was shut down on April 22, 2023, following a significant issue with the animatronic dragon. During the show, the dragon burst into flames during the finale.

The show takes place on the Rivers of America in Disneyland Park. In the past, the show included numerous Disney characters, projections from many Disney movies, and fireworks.

Since closing, guests have anxiously been waiting for the return of this fantastic show. We now have a date to mark on the calendar. 

Fantasmic Disneyland

Disney announced today that Fantasmic! will return to Disneyland on May 24, 2024. Previously, Disney stated that the show would return in “spring 2024,” keeping the May opening date on track.

No additional information was provided about show times or updates that will be seen when the show returns in May.

Previously, Disneyland said that when the show returned, it “won’t include the dragon future, but it will feature new special effects and a thrilling new battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent.”

Although we anxiously await more information regarding what surprises Disney has in store for the updated show, we are thrilled that we can now circle a date on the calendar for its return.

This is a fantastic nighttime spectacular that has been greatly missed at Disneyland. We can’t wait for it to return this spring.

A Brand-New Attraction Is Coming to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Walt Disney World’s EPCOT was always designed to be a revolving experience, a constant ‘state of becoming.’ This theme park’s main inspiration was the ever-evolving world of advancement, technology, and nature.

In fact, when Walt Disney first dreamt of EPCOT, he was imagining something else entirely: a city. His famous quote reads:

So that’s what E.P.C.O.T is…an experimental prototype community that will always be in a state of becoming. It will never cease to be a living blueprint of the future, where people actually live a life they can’t find anywhere else in the world.

Any hardcore fan of Walt Disney World Resort will tell you that EPCOT originally stood for ‘Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.”

While the Disney Park is, well, exactly that: a theme park, and not a city, it still finds ways to honor Walt’s original vision. It’s always in a state of becoming.

In EPCOT, things are ever-evolving, just like Walt Disney wanted. While rides and attractions can’t always change or update as often as a constant ‘state of becoming’ requires, the nighttime spectaculars can!

That’s why it makes total sense for the Walt Disney Company’s latest announcement: an all-new firework display in EPCOT.

EPCOT is one of the best places in Walt Disney World for a nighttime spectacular. Not only does the theme park’s iconic Spaceship Earth attraction come to life with projections, but the fireworks show across the World Showcase Lagoon can be viewed anywhere in the World Showcase.

That means a guest in the Mexico pavilion and a guest in the France pavilion can watch the same fireworks display at once, despite being in entirely different areas.

EPCOT Forever

Luminous: The Symphony of Us will feature iconic Disney music, fireworks, and even dancing water fountains. But at this time, these are the only details we have.

This new experience will debut on December 5.

Disney DELAYS Start Time for ‘Happily Ever After’

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

After a long day of enjoying the magic of the Disney Parks, many Guests choose to spend their evening watching one of the phenomenal nighttime spectaculars that Disney offers Guests. Walt Disney World truly goes above and beyond to bring Guests incredible entertainment all day long, but for many Guests, the nighttime spectaculars cannot be beaten.

Walt Disney World Resort is currently showing five nighttime spectaculars: EPCOT Forever, Fantasmic!, Wonderful World of Animation, the Electrical Water Pageant, and Happily Ever After. Of all these shows, Happily Ever After, the fireworks show at Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom is the most popular choice amongst fans. That is why it is essential that Guests hoping to see Happily Ever After are aware that Disney has altered the show’s start time.

‘Happily Ever After’ Will Happen a Little After…

Fans were overjoyed when the Walt Disney Company announced the return of the fan-favorite firework show “Happily Ever After” would be returning to Magic Kingdom Park. This 18-minute extravaganza is one of the most beloved shows ever made by Disney, and fans from all over the world are eager to return to the Parks and see it perform once more. Fans are especially excited about the all-new projections down Main Street, U.S.A.

When You Can See ‘Happily Ever After’

While the show will still be performed every night, it is essential to know that the starting time for the show has been pushed from 9:00 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. This pushback is due to the sun setting later in the day. Happily Ever After requires a fully dark night sky. The show will likely return back to its 9:00 p.m. start time once summer is over.

This news is important so that Guests don’t feel like they are wasting time waiting for the fireworks show to begin at Cinderella Castle.

Final Performance of Harmonious Nighttime Spectacular at EPCOT

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

The 50th Anniversary celebration has come to a close across Walt Disney World, and the nighttime spectaculars introduced as part of “The Most Magical Celebration on Earth” have now been performed for the final time. Last night, guests visiting EPCOT were able to watch the last performance of the “Harmonious” nighttime spectacular before it is replaced by the limited return of “EPCOT Forever” tonight.

Watch the video here;

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/ccGDFMRI

The four half-circle barges had LED screens, while the center ring barge used a water screen to project clips and images. Fountains, lights, lasers, and pyrotechnics were used to enhance the show.

The show opens with chants, as a narrator shares that “All around us, the world is alive with music. Voices calling out in search of one another, we find each other in song.” A medley of “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” and “Go the Distance” from “Hercules” follows, sung in English, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, German, Arabic, Latin American Spanish, and Tahitian.

Alongside a number of Disney favorites like “Aladdin”, “Mulan”, and “The Lion King”, the show featured scenes from newer Disney films, including “Moana”, “Coco”, “Brave”, and “The Princess and the Frog.”

“Harmonious” closes with the song “Someday” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” For the final time, the narrator then proclaimed: “You raise your voice and it’s enough to lift the human spirit. Set the song inside you soaring, and the whole wide world will hear it.” A fireworks finale brought an end to “Harmonious” at EPCOT.

Cranes are already in place around World Showcase to remove the barges following tonight’s final performance of “Harmonious” at EPCOT. These barges were widely considered unsightly and impeded the stunning vistas of the lagoon on either side. In addition, they were plagued by a variety of problems, ranging from malfunctioning equipment to outright fires. They have already been removed from the EPCOT map in the My Disney Experience app and online at the Walt Disney World website.

Eventually, a 100 Years of Wonder nighttime spectacular will debut at EPCOT, but “EPCOT Forever” will return in the meantime. In October of 2022, we reported that it was rumored that Disney will incorporate the use of drones in their new nighttime show coming to EPCOT later this year.

Final Performance of Disney Enchantment Nighttime Spectacular at the Magic Kingdom

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

April 2nd marked the last performance ever of “Disney Enchantment” at the Magic Kingdom. The nighttime spectacular debuted on October 1, 2021 with the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, and now will conclude to make way for its predecessor, “Happily Ever After,” as the celebration concludes.

You can find the video below.

The show debuted when The World’s Most Magical Celebration began on October 1, 2021 to highly mixed reviews. Fans criticized its lack of connection to the history of Walt Disney World, largely focusing on newer Disney films instead. Additionally, the structure of the show itself and its message were also lambasted. Many said it fell flat compared to “Happily Ever After,” which is regarded among Disney’s best nighttime spectaculars at any park.

The first iteration of the show lasted until early May 2022, when additional pyrotechnics and laser effects were quietly added to the show’s finale.

In August, Disney quietly updated the show again, this time overhauling the entire introduction to include a short tribute to Walt and Roy Disney, who were instrumental in the creation of Walt Disney World. Some references to opening day attractions were also added, alleviating some complaints about the show’s lack of historical connection to the park. A few lines of narration from Angela Bassett were also replaced by Mickey Mouse’s voice.

At the D23 Expo 2022 in September, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products head Josh D’Amaro announced that “Happily Ever After” would return after the 50th Anniversary celebration concluded in March 2023. Its first performance is set to be tonight, April 3.