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As a surprise to cap off a day of covering Cars Land and a night of partying on Buena Vista Street, Disneyland gave media attending last night’s special event a chance to be the first to see the new “Glow with the Show Ears,” interacting with World of Color.
The illuminating Mickey Mouse ear hats were announced just over a week ago, thought to make their debut as part of an upcoming series of Disneyland annual passholder events. But Disneyland unveiled them earlier than expected, wowing attending press by creating a sea of glowing mouse ears that sparkled and shifted through a rainbow of hues in time with each scene of the nighttime show around Paradise Pier.
Video: Glow with the Show Ears debut for World of Color
The glowing ears offer an impressive twist to the already colorful show that features vibrant fountains. Through a bit of Disney magic, not only do the Glow with the Show ears change colors corresponding to what’s being shown in World of Color, but different sections of the crowd change to different colors at different times, even turning on and off seemingly at random to create a twinkling effect. And with hundreds of reporters, friends, family, and other invited guests each donning the new ears, the debut added a new layer of depth to an already impressive show, continuing the “carousel of color” across the audience’s heads.
Some of the best moments featuring the glowing ears are highlighted in the video above, with crowd favorites including Genie’s “Friend Like Me,” the battle between Buzz Lightyear and Zurg, and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequence. Not every second, every moment, or every scene in World of Color utilizes the ears, which darken to allow viewers to focus on the show itself. Instead, big moments are made even bigger by bringing the color out of the lagoon and into the audience.
As shown at the end of the video above, it was especially amusing to walk among the sea of reporters all heading back to the Grand Californian hotel while still wearing the ear hats which once World of Color ended began cycling through colors. It was like the Main Street Electrical Parade made its way through the hotel lobby.
Though it’s unlikely an entire viewing audience of hundreds will gather together on a regular basis to all wear these special ears creating the same sort of unique scene that formed last night, if enough locals purchase the hats and attend the show often, World of Color will become even more of a spectacle. For those who have never seen the show, the ear hats may prove to be a nuisance, as it’s easy to be distracted from the main performance and focus on the twinkling hats, particularly if someone is wearing one immediately ahead. But locals and annual passholders are likely to see Glow in the Show as a reason to return to see the Disney California Adventure show more frequently.
Glow with the Show Ears are now available at Disney California Adventure for $25 and not only interact with World of Color but also the new Mad T Party in the Hollywood Land section of the park.
