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Disneyland once planned to use aerial drones in ‘World of Color’

September 23, 2024

Disneyland ultimately backed out of plans to include aerial drones in the “World of Color” water show after U.S. government regulations placed restrictions on the nighttime spectaculars featuring flying robots that Walt Disney Imagineering helped pioneer.

Walt Disney Imagineering Vice President for Parades and Spectaculars Steven Davison spoke about Imagineering’s pioneering work creating drone light shows with Intel’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Group during a D23 panel at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“We originally worked with Intel when they first brought the drones out,” Davison said during the Magic After Dark panel at D23. “They were supposed to premiere at this water thing across the street we won’t talk about.”

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Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader do battle in a scene projected on to mist screens as part of “World of Color — One” at Disney California Adventure. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A picture of Walt Disney is projected onto a mist screen during “World of Color — One” at Disney California Adventure. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“World of Color — One” projects high-definition digital imagery onto mist screens and synchronizes a musical soundtrack to 1,200 dancing fountains and fire effects in Paradise Bay at Disney California Adventure. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“World of Color — One” debuted at Disney California Adventure in January. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Scene from World of Color – ONE, the new nighttime water show at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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ALSO SEE: Where Disneyland could add a nighttime drone show

The first Intel drone show debuted in Germany in 2015, the same year “World of Color: Celebrate” opened at Disney California Adventure as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the Disneyland resort.

The Disney Springs outdoor shopping mall — Disney World’s version of Downtown Disney — hosted the “Starbright Holidays” drone show in 2016 that employed 300 Intel drones.

“We did a lot of pioneering work on this initially,” Davison said at D23. “Actually a lot of copyrights on it that we don’t even enforce because so many people are using these.”

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Disneyland Paris has been pushing the envelope with nighttime drone shows like “Disney D-Light” and “Disney Electrical Sky Parade.”

“There’s so many restrictions in America with the use of drones,” Davison said during the D23 panel in August. “We’re finally getting a chance to actually look at them and use them.”

ALSO SEE: ‘Behind the Attraction’ showcases the power of 1,200 fountains in Disneyland’s ‘World of Color’

Marvel Entertainment hosted a “Deadpool and Wolverine” aerial drone show in July during Comic-Con 2024 in the skies of San Diego.

Disney has filed patents for cutting-edge drone concepts — including drone-controlled puppets and 3D drone displays that mimic fireworks shows.

ALSO SEE: Disney’s new ‘World of Color — One’ is unexpected and different — and that’s the goal

Where could Disneyland and Disney California Adventure add a nighttime drone show?

The nightly fireworks shows, “Fantasmic,” “World of Color,” the skies over Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus or even above the Main Street Electrical Parade are just a few of the places where Disneyland’s entertainment team could introduce aerial drones.

Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld San Diego and Six Flags Magic Mountain have all hosted nighttime drone shows.

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