Summer nights at Walt Disney World Resort will enchant theme park guests when glittering light magic, high adventure, dance fever, thrills and chills set the after-dark scene. From June 6 through Aug. 14, “Summer Nightastic!” lights up the entertainment experience at the Vacation Kingdom with a megawatt parade, a fireworks extravaganza, a rockin’ dance party, concerts and other surprises.
At the Magic Kingdom, thousands of tiny lights illuminate the return of the beloved “Main Street Electrical Parade,” and the elaborate new “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” paints the night sky more brightly than ever.
There’s a special energy in the parks at night. It’s all about the magic and the sense of adventure and mystery that nighttime possesses in the Magic Kingdom.
Chris Oyen, show director for the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular”
“Main Street Electrical Parade” – This classic pageant of illuminated floats goes all the way back to 1972, when it first debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. With 23 floats, more than half a million tiny colorful lights, 80 performers, synthesizer music based on “Baroque Hoedown,” and Disney theme songs woven in, the parade returns to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time since 2001. A nostalgia trip for many, this “crown jewel of summer” kicks off the season with lighting effects, floats and characters new to Walt Disney World Resort.
Tinker Bell waves her magic wand from the basket of a dazzling balloon float. The Tinker Bell float alone generates more than “25,000 points of light,” says Paul Chychota, the parade’s production manager.
Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade in Magic Kingdom this year, and Snow White appears with the Seven Dwarfs on a Diamond Mine float glittering with colorful gems.
Ten thousand strobes of “pixie-dust” light the parade trail as a treasury of classic Disney stories comes to life. Floats feature enhanced effects and, though the music stays true to the original parade, the score’s dynamics soar to greater heights thanks to state-of-the-art technology, Chychota says.
Beloved floats like the “Honor America” finale display – featuring the American flag and giant American eagle – return, along with costumed characters like Alice in Wonderland, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.
“Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” – Magic Kingdom presents more after-dark magic when the sky explodes with vivid color and visual effects that tell a thrilling story headlined by fairies and pirates.
With this show, we’re making the skies come alive – we’re not just going to immerse you, we’re going to surprise you, too.
Chris Oyen, show director for the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular”
The summer fireworks are accompanied by a whimsical score of classic Disney tunes and theme music from the hit film “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.”
The Fairy Godmother from “Cinderella” and other famous fairies star in the fireworks spectacular.
The fireworks perimeter around Magic Kingdom will expand by 25 percent for the summer show. No matter where you are in the park, you’ll be surrounded by the spectacle.
Pirate Alert: Captain Hook and his band of buccaneers burst onto the scene to seize the park’s Cinderella Castle. Disney’s creative entertainment team designed fireworks that tell the story, including a skull-and-crossbones display and other visual effects convincing enough to make you believe the castle is under siege.
We’re constantly innovating, pushing ourselves to be more creative with the kind of pictures we paint in the sky – we’re trying to make the skies come to life and dance.
Chris Oyen, show director for the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular”
NOTE: All photographic imagery used in this post © Copyright Disney.
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