With Disney ending Dreams That Soar, it looks like the theme park is looking to promote a different free show in its absence, but there is a catch.
Over the summer, Walt Disney World Resort has had a free evening drone show that guests can watch at Disney Springs. While Dreams That Soar may not be as spectacular as in-park night shows such as Happily Ever After or Fantasmic, as a free show that requires no park ticket and no parking fee, it certainly was a good perk for guests.
Right now, it has become quite evident that Disney’s cost is becoming tough for many families. Many families have admitted to going into debt to vacation at the most magical place on earth, and with the constant price hikes, those costs do not seem to be subsiding.
While Dreams That Soar may be no more, Disney is relying on their old faithful Electrical Water Pageant to bring guests in.
The Electrical Water Pageant is a nighttime water parade at Walt Disney World that has been running with minor changes since it debuted in 1971. The show is a parade that floats across Bay Lake with multiple lit-up floats. The current iteration of the show’s floats is as follows:
- Opening: “Fanfare” from The Little Mermaid
- Sea Serpent (four floats) “Boo Bop Bopbop Bop (I Love You Too)” from Pete’s Dragon
- Whale (one float) (Updated later in 1997) “Whale of a Tale” from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Turtle (one float)
- Octopus (one float) “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid
- Three Jumping Dolphins (three floats)
- Brachiosaurus (one float) “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was)
- Crocodile (one float) “Never Smile at a Crocodile” from Peter Pan
- Four Seahorses (one float) “Fanfare” & “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
- Neptune (one float) “Fanfare” & “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
- All floats then change to the American Flag & Stars as they have been doing since 1971: (9 Piece) – “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, “Yankee Doodle”, & “America the Beautiful”
- Closing: “Fireworks” & “Jig” from The Little Mermaid
The Disney Parks Instagram account just recently shared the best viewing locations for the Electrical Water Pageant: The pageant can be viewed from the shores of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
While this is not new information, it may not be information that was well known to all, which could have some guests discovering it as if it were a new offering they could enjoy. This has been proven also to be successful, as the post has comments which state, “Is this for a limited time?”.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Electrical Water Pageant with fun facts and best places to watch! 🌊🌟🎶 (link in bio)
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The funny thing about this post is that none of these locations will allow you to park for free.
Unless you are a paying guest, you cannot park at any of these resorts in your own car. The only workaround is to make a dining reservation at one of those resorts, eat there for dinner, and then go to see the Electrical Water Pageant.
Another option is to park at the Ticket and Transportation Center and use the resort monorail or pathways to walk to a viewing location; however, that will cost you $30 at the lowest cost. So, either you pay for dinner, you pay for parking, or you pay to sleep at one of these costly resorts—but none of these viewing spots will be free.
Below is a full version of the show.
So, while the Electrical Water Pageant is beloved, it is only available for free to a limited number of guests.
Do you think that Disney should allow guests to park at their resorts regardless of whether they are dining there or not?