I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of night time spectaculars in my time, in Florida, California, on Disney Cruise Line. In my experience, Disneyland Paris’s night time spectaculars have always been a let down, with a huge difference between its US based sister shows and the usual shows in Paris being night and day. Paris has never come close to what you see in the US… until now.
When I say that the Bastille Day Disneyland Paris show is the best show there is on the planet – I mean it. That is not hyperbole – the drones and fireworks showcasing this years Bastille Day are unrivalled by any show at any Disney Park. I’ve not had the pleasure of July 4th in USA, but Id imagine its at least close. This was far superior to New Years Eve.
How good are they? I cannot stress how outstanding this was. Your ‘host’ is Lumiere, in drone form, who introduces you to the Bastille Day extravaganza and sets the stage for an all our celebration of French culture and French-Disney classics.
During this night time spectaular, drones and fireworks worked hand in hand to create an absolute spectacle, which left me with my jaw literally dropped and in absolute awe. I have never experienced a show like this – this is something special. My particular highlight was the ‘Make it Pink, Make it Blue’ sequence which featured drone versions of the fairies from Sleeping Beauty shooting fireworks at the castle, which changed colour in time. Incredible sequence.
The grand finale was a giant Mickey Mouse in the shape of the French Flag. This also set a world record for the amount of drones to make one single thing… and it was designed by an Irishman! Created using 1,571 drones that flew over Sleeping Beauty’s castle, the giant tricolour Mickey head has been officially certified as the “largest aerial display of a fictional character formed by multirotors/drones”, according to Disneyland Paris.
So is it worth it?
That’s a harder question – the park was very busy and many people lined up from 6pm in the centre of the park to get a good spot, and by 9pm the place was heaving, with an hour to go until the show. We watched from Discovery Land just a bit away from the Orbitron, which still provided amazing views. If this was a first time and my priority was to enjoy the park, Id have to say no – the place is PACKED for most of the day. However, if you want to see the absolute best sky show there is on the planet, this is the one. In that sense, its worth all the cost and strain. Patience as always is needed, but it will be in my memory forever to come.
Should you do it? Definitely. I’ll never forget it. You won’t either.
Disney From Ireland 