Walt Disney World has shared a sneak peek at the ‘Dreams That Soar’ drone show that’ll fly above Disney Springs this summer, along with viewing info and more. This post covers everything you need to know before you go, along with photos & video of the new nighttime presentation.
At Disney Springs, drones take to the skies above Lake Buena Vista with “Disney Dreams That Soar,” a summertime experience that will be a late-night perk for Walt Disney World visitors. “You can fly” takes on a whole new meaning as Walt Disney World showcases stories celebrating the joy of flight with state-of-the-art drones choreographed to create designs in the sky and paired with a soaring musical score and memorable movie quotes.
After spending a day delighting in shopping, discovering fun activities and savoring diverse flavors at Disney Springs, turn your eyes to the skies above the West Side for “Disney Dreams That Soar,” a nighttime show amongst the stars.
The Disney Live Entertainment team behind this limited-time nighttime experience recently got the chance to see all their hard work take to the skies during the first set of creative rehearsals for the show. Testing has already been occurring on “Disney Dreams That Soar” at an off-site location, and there will be a Cast Member preview in the early hours next week at Disney Springs before the show’s official debut.
Walt Disney World has now shared a first look at the “Disney Dreams That Soar” drone show, as well as some exciting new details about the larger-than-life experience soon to be the perfect complement to an evening at Disney Springs.
“We are presenting Disney characters who have had a dream of flying. Not just the idea that they can fly, but the idea of taking their lives to the next level.” said Show Director, Tony Giordano.
“We put a lot of thought in making sure that no matter how old you are, or how much of a fan you are, you’re going to see a character that you love.”
A lot of characters in “Disney Dreams That Soar” means a lot of drones. 800 drones to be exact, all working together to create a massive canvas in the night sky. Nothing can prepare you for the awe of seeing a Baymax nearly twice the height of Spaceship Earth (!!!) inflate, transform, and disappear right in front of your eyes.
“We were given the assignment to create an experience where you want to just hold the hand of the person next to you,” said Tony. “That’s always echoing in my mind as we work on this show.”
“I can’t wait to stand next to the guests and hear their reactions. That’s my favorite part of building any show because those reactions are why we do what we do. We want them to actually experience magic, and when you see all these drones, to me, you get to see real magic!”
Music plays a big role in that connection. “Disney Dreams That Soar” features well-known and beloved soundtracks in addition to an original song that will inspire you to follow your heart, take a leap of faith, and reach for the stars.
According to Walt Disney World, the best place to experience the drones “dancing” to this new soundtrack will be along the waterway in the Disney Springs West Side. (You’ll almost certainly want to take that advice–watching a drone show from an off-angle is the equivalent of viewing World of Color or another mist-screen show from behind. It’ll still look pretty and cool, but the visuals will be garbled.)
Clocking in at just under 10 minutes, the show is a perfect kiss-goodnight to your day of shopping, playing, and dining at Disney Springs, with 2 shows each evening this summer.
Check out the video below:
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“Disney Dreams That Soar” will run nightly at Disney Springs from May 24 through September 2, 2024! Showtimes for the nighttime presentation are 9 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.
Viewing areas are on Disney Springs West Side—along the waterfront between the Cirque du Soleil Theatre and Aerophile – The World Leader in Balloon Flight. Viewing areas for Disney Dreams That Soar are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
When watching Disney Dreams That Soar, your MagicBand+ will come alive—lighting up, vibrating and interacting with the spectacle that’s unfolding in the night sky!
“Disney Dreams That Soar” is an outdoor show and subject to cancellation in case of inclement weather. Showtimes are subject to change.
“Disney Dreams That Soar” isn’t’ the only thing coming for Summer 2024. Additionally, the ¡Celebración Encanto! Sing-Along is Coming to EPCOT and CommuniCore Hall will finally open. We’re still holding out hope that Walt Disney World has another card up its sleeve for this summer at EPCOT.
Then there’s the Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration Coming to Animal Kingdom in Summer 2024. This will mean merchandise, food, characters, and maybe some photo ops. It’s not the first time Animal Kingdom has hosted a Lion King anniversary event–and the park needs people to stay later–so hopefully more is on the horizon there, too. We’re not holding our breath, though.
Next up is Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where you’ll be able to get into your feels with Joy herself! She’s headed to Pixar Plaza starting June 10, where she joins other Pixar stars. She’ll be in her new home just in time for Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” which premieres in theaters June 14, 2024.
Finally, there’s the main event: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom. This reimagined ride won’t open until June 28, 2024–missing the first half of the summer season. This will also bring beignets to Magic Kingdom and, again, hopefully a few more surprises are in store. Special menus throughout the park celebrating New Orleans would be nice.
The good news is that “Disney Dreams That Soar” starts much earlier, so anyone visiting during the first half of the summer season won’t miss out. And from my perspective, this is right up there with TBA as the highlight of the season at Walt Disney World. (Unlike Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which will be around for decades to come, this drone show will be short-lived…so if you’re only able to see one during your next trip, maybe it’s better not to miss this. Silver lining?)
In terms of commentary, I’m very excited for “Disney Dreams That Soar.” I’ve said before that I think the original announcement really flew under the radar, garnering less attention than everything above for the parks this summer that was announced the same day. The aforementioned Lion Kingdom 30th Anniversary and Inside Out stuff at DAK and DHS is probably going to be fairly underwhelming.
I get that tourists are more interested in Walt Disney World’s four theme parks than Disney Springs, but I think the floor and ceiling are both much higher on “Disney Dreams That Soar.” (Not only that, but the future potential for drones!) As far as I’m concerned, “Disney Dreams That Soar” is the most exciting thing Walt Disney World is doing this summer outside of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I’m really looking forward to both…and that’s about it.
Ultimately, we think you shouldn’t sleep on the “Disney Dreams That Soar” drone show, and hopefully this first look demonstrates why. The name is fantastic and the concept of showcasing stories celebrating the joy of flight is phenomenal. I hope it includes a nod to the excellent Soarin’ score.
I’m also pleased that, regardless of the reason, Disney Springs is getting entertainment. We got burnt out on Disney Springs as locals, and have visited fewer times in the last 3 years than we did during a single month from 2018 to 2020, which is obviously an “us issue.” But we aren’t alone–there have been widespread reports of a slowdown at Disney Springs, presumably as pent-up demand exhausts itself, tourists reduce the duration of their trips, and locals become less free-spending.
Above all else, I’m excited for what I think this signals–ushering in a new era of entertainment at Walt Disney World. Purely speculative, but I’m betting that the “Disney Dreams That Soar” drone show at Disney Springs is the starting point for drones at WDW, but certainly not the endpoint. That this is a test, and (hopefully!) the real deal will come to Animal Kingdom in 2025. This same entertainment team is also working on bigger and better things for the other parks, so it’ll be nice to see what they’re capable of with the “Disney Dreams That Soar” drone show.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited for the “Disney Dreams That Soar” drone show at Disney Springs? Do you think this is testing for a fully-fledged, drone-driven nighttime spectacular at Walt Disney World in 2025? Or do you think it ends here, at Disney Springs? Do you agree or disagree with our reasons as to why one is unlikely–or desirable–in the foreseeable future? Think drones will be the ace up Disney’s sleeve to “compete” (air quotes) with Epic Universe? If a drone show comes to Walt Disney World, at which park would you like to see it? Any other thoughts or commentary to add? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
