2
Credit: DisneyOne Disney park said a permanent farewell to its fireworks display last night.
Whether you’re visiting Disneyland Resort or Tokyo Disney Resort, nighttime spectaculars are a quintessential part of the Disney experience. But not all of these shows are built equal. For every Happily Ever After (a masterpiece) there’s a Mickey’s Mix Magic (a not-so-magical masterpiece), with some displays simply struggling to strike the right chord with parkgoers.
Disney Illuminations undeniably fell into the latter category.
What Is Disney Illuminations?
After a year-long absence, the fireworks spectacular returned to Disneyland Paris to replace Disney Dreams! in May 2024. The show had changed a lot in its absence. Its live-action Beauty and the Beast (2017) section and half of the Frozen (2013) segments were removed, leaving it with scenes inspired by The Lion King (1994), Finding Nemo (2003), The Little Mermaid (1989), and both the Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises.
Unsurprisingly, these cuts shortened the show. Disney Illuminations lasted just over 16 minutes, making it considerably shorter than its previous iteration.
It didn’t help that the remaining sections weren’t even particularly well received by guests. Attitudes towards Disney Illuminations within the Disneyland Paris community were lukewarm, which is why fans were excited to hear that Disneyland Paris was planning on introducing a replacement.
Disney Illuminations Fireworks Show Comes to an End
That day has finally come. Last night, Disneyland Paris held its final performance of Disney Illuminations.
From tonight (January 10), a new nighttime spectacular will light up the skies above Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris. Disney Tales of Magic will combine drones, pyrotechnics, and – for the first time in the park’s history – projections along Main Street, U.S.A.
Disney describes the show as follows:
Let your heart be captivated and your spirit lifted as this brand-new nighttime spectacular whisks you off on a soul-stirring journey through a myriad of beloved tales and newfound stories, such as Cinderella, Pinocchio, Encanto and Lilo & Stitch.
With state-of-the-art effects and fireworks immersing dreamers of all ages in ways that are beyond anything you’ve seen before, this is a one-of-a-kind experience you’ll cherish forever and ever.
Disney’s Electrical Sky Parade Also Bows Out
The downside to the end of Disney Illuminations and the beginning of Disney Tales of Magic is that it also means the end of the Disney Electrical Sky Parade.
Unlike Disney Illuminations, the Disney Electrical Sky Parade—which was performed as a nightly pre-show—was extremely well-received by parkgoers, leaving some “weeping” upon its debut in January 2024.
Inspired by the iconic Main Street Electrical Parade, it used up to 500 drones to recreate floats from the Disneyland staple, including Casey Jr. and Pete’s Dragon.
With Disney Tales of Magic also incorporating drones, it makes sense that Disney doesn’t want to conduct two major performances using the technology each day. However, it’s still bittersweet to see such a fantastic show bid its permanent adieu.
What’s your favorite Disney nighttime spectacular?