Fireworks will be the center of attention this week not only because of the Fourth of July holiday, but also because they are a great way to end the night at a Disney theme park. Fireworks are not only a summer tradition at Disney Parks, but have become a year-round experience as well. Walt Disney came up with the idea of ending a night with something special from the beginning. He wanted to give an extra surprise gift that he called a little “kiss goodnight.” The first Disney fireworks show began in the Summer of 1956 at Disneyland with a show called “Fantasy In the Sky.” The show was performed every summer through 1999. A new fireworks show for the 45th anniversary of Disneyland called “Believe…There’s Magic in the Stars” began February 18, 2000, and ran every summer through 2004. Fireworks continue to be performed most nights throughout the year.
Disney nighttime spectaculars are big! And that goes for this year’s “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” at Magic Kingdom Park. Also, a simultaneous fireworks display at Seven Seas Lagoon will continue to create even more unforgettable experiences this holiday. The 2024 shows (happening July 3 and 4) begin at 9:20pm.
In the early days of theme park pyrotechnics, fireworks fuses were lit by hand. By the 1960s, Disney Live Entertainment had developed a way to launch fireworks shows electronically. Over the years, the shows have grown in scope and sophistication and now Disney teams are able to combine fireworks with lighting, lasers, projection effects, fountains, and more. Disney teams travel all over the world looking for the perfect fireworks to fit the storyline. “When we write the show and write the story, we then go back and we go and find the perfect fit [firework],” Steven Davison, executive parades & spectaculars, told us in an earlier story. “You start to cast them [fireworks]. You have fireworks that become villains and fireworks that become like comedic clowns and you have some that are just beautiful.”
When you perfectly match fireworks with the story and music – magic happens – like during Happily Ever After presented by Pandora at Magic Kingdom Park. If you don’t know, Happily Ever After is an amazing experience that celebrates your favorite Disney stories. The fireworks extravaganza also uses lights, lasers, special effects and more – all to favorite Disney songs. Cinderella Castle is also magically transformed through state-of-the-art projection technology that’ll have you saying, “Whoaa!” The schedule and showtimes for this 18-minute show can be found on the My Disney Experience app and the Time Guide at Magic Kingdom.
The gorgeous fireworks during “Luminous The Symphony of Us” are another perfect way to end your day at EPCOT. Along with fireworks, the nighttime spectacular uses fountains, lights and music to bring everyone together around World Showcase Lagoon to shine a light on the shared experiences that connect people across the globe. Like a wonderful piece of music, “Luminous The Symphony of Us” is made up of a series of movements representing common themes of the human experience. The show features original songs written exclusively for the nighttime spectacular along with new arrangements of iconic Disney hits.
Of course, there’s more nighttime entertainment to wow at Walt Disney World this summer and beyond, including favorites like “Fantasmic!” and the “Wonderful World of Animation” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as the “Electrical Water Pageant” on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Disney Live Entertainment fireworks and special effects designers are always looking for the next idea to take you to a special happy place with new technology, new ideas and even new ways of telling stories in the sky!
Fireworks can also be seen at Disneyland as they will also present “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” on July 4th at 9:30pm in place of “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular.” “Fantasmic!” also includes fireworks during the show. “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” is performed nightly (except July 4) at Disneyland through August 4. World of Color at Disney California Adventure features fireworks during a pre-show on occasion, and varies throughout the year.
What do you think of fireworks show at Disney Parks? Let us know in the comments!
