This month’s 5 for 5 is all about
the night shows. We had originally talked about doing a more general ranking of
shows but realized that with the variety of “shows” you can find at Disney it
might be nice to distinguish between night shows and the rest such as the stage
shows and spontaneous/less formal shows.
Danny’s 5:
1. Remember Dream's Come True - an EXTREMELY brilliant and well
put together firework show that is more than a show, but a tribute to Walt
Disney and Disneyland!
2. Halloween Screams - a fun new take on Halloween and
Fireworks that embraces Halloween, Disney Villains and new technology (with the
flying of Zero over Sleeping Beauty Castle)!
3. World of Color - Another brilliant example embracing
technology with the lack of people power (I.E. needing characters to perform,
as in Parades, Fantasmic, etc...) or the need to shut down a part of the park (I.E.
Fantasyland during the fireworks); while embracing new brilliant story telling
on a new medium. Plus it's SO beautiful!
4. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth - A beautiful
firework show that doesn't scream "DISNEY," but tells a beautiful and
wonderful story!
5. Main Street Electrical Parade - It's a BRILLIANT,
TIMELESS and WONDERFUL classic!
Jaime’s 5:
1.
Halloween
Screams: Having only see the Halloween fireworks show at Disneyland I do not
have much to say about how it compares to the Halloween show at WDW. With that
said, I love that Zero the Ghost Dog from Nightmare Before Christmas does a
flyover and that you get to see and celebrate many of the classic villains from
Disney’s past!
2.
World of
Color: I love that this show is unlike any other, pretty much anywhere. While I
love fireworks (in a form or location) I really love that this show is special
to California Adventure, embraces Walt’s vision for moving forward and
innovating, and is simply a visual stunner. The only drawback is the viewing
area is not designed for short people (child, or vertically challenged such as
myself) so you really have to stand to see the show and after a long day at the
parks that can make me grumpy.
3.
Fantasmic! I
really appreciate the mix of Disney storytelling, characters, music, and
pyrotechnics. As per usual I find myself a bigger fan of the Disneyland version
than the WDW version but like that at Hollywood Studios there is a large auditorium
with plenty of seating. At Disneyland you sometimes need to stake out a spot
around the Rivers of America hours in advance and frankly I would rather be on
a ride!
4.
Illuminations:
I like that Illuminations feels true to Epcot, where the show takes place.
While there is much to be said about “Disney” and having classic characters and
music be a part of pretty much everything I really appreciate that
Illuminations doesn’t have that. What it does have is a celebration of people
and cultures from around the world and an inspiring message of unity. Another
perk: Epcot is huge and there is plenty of great viewing locations where you
can sit down and enjoy the show!
5.
Mickey’s
Very Merry Christmas Party Fireworks at Disney World: I was not sure of the
exact name of this show, but we have had the privilege to enjoy two MVMCP
celebrations (2010 and 2012) and I have really enjoyed both fireworks shows.
Being a Chicago native and transplanted to Colorado I think there might just be
something about wearing shorts and a t-shirt, outdoors, in December and being
full of holiday magic without being cold? Who knows?
