Credit: DisneyA closure date is fast approaching for World of Color – ONE.
Nighttime spectaculars mark the end of any good Disney day. For decades, these have primarily taken the form of fireworks displays. Since Fantasy in the Sky made its debut at Disneyland Park in 1958, pyrotechnics have become a huge part of Disney’s entertainment schedules worldwide, with recent displays proving bigger and better than ever.
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In recent years, Disney parks have branched out from solely using fireworks to start incorporating the likes of projection mapping and drone technology into its shows.
For example, at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom Park, Happily Ever After has proven itself as one of Disney’s most popular spectaculars to date. The show lights up both Main Street, U.S.A., and Cinderella Castle with projections while also putting the Fourth of July to shame in the skies above the park on a nightly basis.
Meanwhile, at Disneyland Paris, advancements in drone technology have led to the addition of the popular drone show Disney Electrical Sky Parade (which left guests “weeping” after taking inspiration from the Main Street Electrical Parade) prior to the park’s fireworks.
Walt Disney Imagineering’s technological prowess means that some of its shows don’t even need a single pyrotechnic to amaze guests. That was the case at Disney’s Animal Kingdom when it ran its (sadly shortlived) nighttime show Rivers of Light, which relied on water projections, floats, and characters for entertainment to avoid upsetting the park’s many animal residents with explosives.
Similarly, Disney California Adventure Park is also sans-pyrotechnics—not to upset animal residents, of which the Southern California park has none, but to avoid upsetting neighboring communities in Anaheim.
Instead, the park boasts World of Color. First introduced in 2010, this utilizes 1,200 water fountains that combine with lights, fire, lasers, fog, and high-definition projections to bring to life key moments from Disney movies across the years.
The show has undergone several updates throughout the years, with one of the biggest being the introduction of World of Color – ONE. This celebrates Walt Disney’s storytelling legacy, featuring cameos from iconic Disney characters such as Pocahontas, Joe Gardner, Luke Skywalker, Mirabel Madrigal, Simba, Moana, and the Avengers.
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Many assumed (if not hoped, considering the more than lackluster response to World of Color – ONE) that the show would wrap up with the rest of Disney100. That was the case for the fireworks display that ran above Sleeping Beauty Castle at neighboring Disneyland Park, Wondrous Journeys, which was widely praised by diehard Disney fans.
But this proved not to be the case for World of Color – ONE when it returned from refurbishment in January earlier than expected and bearing its current form instead of reverting back to the classic show.
However, the show is, in fact, closing soon – at least temporarily.
As of September 9, the Disneyland Resort website lists World of Color – ONE as under refurbishment. We now know that this refurbishment will apparently run through October 22, 2024. Considering the timing, we’d presume that this is to prep to replace it with World of Color – Season of Light, the show’s Christmas edition, which typically returns in early November.
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Until its closure, the show will continue its twice-nightly showings at Pixar Pier: 9 p.m. and 10.15 p.m. World of Color – ONE currently boasts a special pre-show to celebrate the release of Pixar Animation Studios’ Inside Out 2 (2024), just like it did last summer to mark Pixar’s last release, Elemental (2023).
World of Color – Season of Light usually runs until the first or second week of January. Last season’s performances wrapped up on January 10, 2024.
It remains to be seen whether World of Color will return in its original form or as the slightly less impressive World of Color—ONE form. However, with Disneyland’s 70th anniversary right around the corner in 2025, it would be great to see the show updated accordingly (and for it to make wiser song and pacing choices).
What’s your favorite version of World of Color?