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Credit: DisneyOn October 1, 2021 Magic Kingdom debuted a brand-new fireworks show, Disney Enchantment, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. In order to make way for this new nighttime spectacular, we had to say goodbye to the fan-favorite show, Happily Ever After, which sparkled into Disney history on September 29, 2021.
Once Disney Enchantment made its official debut, many fans did not hesitate to take to social media to share their honest thoughts and opinions on the show.
With all of this being said, I wanted to share some of my personal thoughts and opinions on the show and answer the question — is Disney Enchantment really THAT bad?
If you have not yet seen Disney Enchantment, spoilers ahead.
For starters, the introduction to Disney Enchantment was promising. I really enjoyed the “You Are the Magic” song that plays specifically for Disney Enchantment. Although it does not feel as nostalgic or emotional as “Happily Ever After”, I did feel as though it hyped up the audience and got Guests excited for the rest of the show. Additionally, “You Are the Magic” really does have a great meaning and fantastic lyrics.
As far as technology goes — that, too, was amazing. The incorporation of lasers, projections down Main Street, U.S.A., and the fireworks were all incredible and visually fantastic. (In fact, Disney Enchantment actually has more fireworks than Happily Ever After despite it being a short show!)
With all of this being said, my biggest issue is that, despite having Angela Bassett narrate the show, in reality, I felt like she didn’t have anything to narrate because there was such a lack of storyline. Disney Enchantment began reminding me of Wishes, the fireworks show that aired in Magic Kingdom prior to Happily Ever After. I say this because it starting off telling a story, just like Jiminy Cricket used to do during Wishes. However, it took a turn during the mid-section of the show when there was actually no story being told.
During the entire middle portion, I felt I was watching random Disney characters, with songs that were all covers, meaning there were not enough original Disney songs in my opinion. Adding onto that, within the Disney songs that played, there was not much singing at all. A majority of the songs were instrumental and slowed down tremendously.
One other thing I noticed regarding the music in Disney Enchantment is that Moana had two songs featured in Disney Enchantment. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Moana and the soundtrack is incredible, but with so many other original Disney Animated films, I felt as though Disney could have picked another classic song to replace one of the Moana songs.
But, I feel like my biggest issue with Disney Enchantment is that Disney hyped this fireworks show to be a 50th anniversary show, but it felt more like a regular fireworks show. There was nothing special included in Disney Enchantment that related to Disney World or its 50th anniversary. In fact, there was absolutely no mention of Walt Disney, Roy Disney, or even Mickey Mouse. If Disney wanted this to be a 50th anniversary show, I feel like more of the Parks should have been included.
For example, I would have loved to hear the music from Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world”, Pirates of the Caribbean, or Carousel of Progress considering all of these attractions are considered classic and opening day attractions. If Disney Enchantment is a 50th anniversary show, let’s celebrate the 50th anniversary by showcasing the Parks.
Bottom line — I did not feel any nostalgia or emotion when watching Disney Enchantment, and that was the biggest disappointment. BUT, with all of this being said, the fireworks and technology themselves are very visually appealing. There is just a huge lack of storyline and a connection to Disney World’s 50th anniversary.
If you have not yet seen Disney Enchantment, please go into the show with an open mind. Just because I felt disappointed does not mean everyone will. Disney Imagineers worked very hard on Disney Enchantment and some may enjoy the show. We all have our own opinions and our own likes and dislikes.
I want to note that I went into Disney Enchantment with a very open mind and gave it its best shot despite all of the backlash circling on social media, and I ask you to do the same and to form your own opinion of the show.
Have you seen Disney Enchantment yet? What did you think of the fireworks show? Let us know in the comments below.
The opinions reflected in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Inside the Magic overall.