Disney Illuminations
Disney Illuminations is a nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris.[1] It opened on 26 March 2017 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the park and replaced Disney Dreams!. Based on Ignite the Dream, the former nighttime spectacular at Shanghai Disneyland, the show features projection mapping onto the park's castle, fireworks, water fountains, fire, music, lasers, searchlights, and other special effects. The music played in the opening and finale of the show is "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella, and is performed by Heather Headley.
| Disney Illuminations | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Disneyland Park (Paris) | |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | 25 March 2017 |
| Opening date | 26 March 2017 |
| Replaced | Disney Dreams! |
| General statistics | |
| Attraction type | Multimedia, water, pyrotechnic show |
| Designer | Walt Disney Creative Entertainment |
| Theme | Disney's animated and live-action films |
| Music | Mark Hammond ("Disney Illuminations") Rick McKee ("Disney D-Light") |
| Duration | 20 minutes (Normal version) 30 minutes (Extended version, including drone pre and post-show) |
| Host | Mickey Mouse |
| Languages | English 50% French 50% |
| Sponsor | PANDORA (2017-present) Disney+ (2021-present) |
 Wheelchair accessible | |
Following the show's initial temporary suspension in 12 March 2020 (due to the park's closure during the COVID-19 pandemic), the show kicked off the "Disneyland Paris Watch Parties" with a full video.[2] After the park's second reopening in 2021, Disney Illuminations returned on 21 December before getting suspended again on 3 January 2022.[3] The show returned on 16 February, 2 weeks before the launch of the park's 30th anniversary celebrations.
Opening
The show starts with a voice-over, inviting all guests to release their inner child and dream:
Within each of us is a dreamer, just waiting to be awakened.
We all have the magic to unlock this inner child.
But sometimes, that inner child needs an invitation to come out and play.
This is your invitation... to dream.
Music
Technology
The show is known to use a large amount of audio-visual, lighting, pyrotechnic and hydro-technic technology, mostly installed for the preceding Disney Dreams! show.
Projection
The castle is covered with projectors, and uses a much wider area than the previous Disney Dreams!, utilizing the hills around the castle as well as the castle itself.
Drones
In a Disney Parks first, choreographed lighted drone technology is used during a new, specially-designed pre-show sequence for the park's 30th anniversary in 2022.[4][5] Called "Disney D-Light", the new sequence uses 150 drones that recreated the Mickey Mouse-shaped 30th Anniversary logo above Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant. "Disney D-Light" is set to an original score and arrangement by Rick McKee that uses themes from Inside Out, Hercules, Moana, and other Disney films, as well as the anniversary's theme song "Un monde qui s'illumine" (written by Chantry Johnson, Noemie Legrand, and Tony Ferrari, and performed by Héloïse). The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios by The London Symphony Orchestra.
The original version of the pre-show (and post-show called "Afterglow", now folded into the "Disney D-Light" pre-show) debuted ahead of the celebration's launch, on 5 March 2022.
See also
Notes
- "Disneyland Paris 25th Anniversary deconstructed: Disney Illuminations". DLP Today. October 18, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- "Disneyland Paris Releases Full "Disney Illuminations" Show on YouTube". The Laughing Place. April 9, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- "Disneyland® Paris reveals incredible offerings for 2021 Christmas season, with the return of must-see shows and a brand-new Christmas Parade – DisneylandParis News". Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- "As of March 6, 2022, Disneyland Paris will celebrate its 30th Anniversary!". Disneyland Paris News. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- "Disneyland Paris Announces Disney D-Light Preshow Featuring Drone Choreography". LaughingPlace.com. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.