1 00:00:02,711 --> 00:00:04,212 Remain seated, please. 2 00:00:04,295 --> 00:00:06,840 Please remain seated. 3 00:00:30,697 --> 00:00:37,495 Just as it's always been, since Disneyland first opened in 1955, 4 00:00:37,579 --> 00:00:43,001 a day in a Disney park is one of endless possibilities, 5 00:00:43,084 --> 00:00:45,086 thrills... 6 00:00:45,170 --> 00:00:48,465 ...adventure, discovery. 7 00:00:48,548 --> 00:00:54,220 Everything under the sun can be found in these magical lands, 8 00:00:54,304 --> 00:00:58,641 and everything not under the sun as well, 9 00:00:59,476 --> 00:01:04,939 because when night falls, that's when it's time for... 10 00:01:05,023 --> 00:01:06,900 Fireworks. 11 00:01:06,983 --> 00:01:10,028 But, of course, it doesn't end there. 12 00:01:10,111 --> 00:01:15,867 Don't forget the lights, lasers, and parades. 13 00:01:15,950 --> 00:01:19,162 These are the nighttime spectaculars... 14 00:01:19,245 --> 00:01:23,541 It really changed your perception of what nighttime entertainment can be. 15 00:01:23,625 --> 00:01:30,340 ...that transform the Disney park of the daytime into a whole new world. 16 00:01:30,423 --> 00:01:33,676 But there's a reason for this radiant ritual, 17 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,096 a guiding philosophy, if you will, 18 00:01:37,222 --> 00:01:40,850 that dates back to the earliest days of Disneyland. 19 00:01:40,934 --> 00:01:43,019 There's a great story with the Sherman Brothers. 20 00:01:43,103 --> 00:01:46,648 ♪ Shining at the end of every day ♪ 21 00:01:46,731 --> 00:01:48,858 When they were with Walt Disney on Main Street 22 00:01:48,942 --> 00:01:51,319 and there was a firework show that started. 23 00:01:54,197 --> 00:01:56,449 {\an8}And Walt turned around and said to Richard Sherman, 24 00:01:56,533 --> 00:01:58,118 {\an8}"This is our kiss goodnight." 25 00:01:58,201 --> 00:02:02,539 Literally and figuratively, sparks were flying. 26 00:02:03,206 --> 00:02:04,707 Did Walt say the kiss goodnight? 27 00:02:04,791 --> 00:02:05,792 Did he actually say that? 28 00:02:06,292 --> 00:02:08,878 There is the rumor. 29 00:02:08,962 --> 00:02:11,840 I don't know that that is true. I think it's kind of apocryphal. 30 00:02:11,923 --> 00:02:14,217 Well, one shouldn't kiss and tell. 31 00:02:14,300 --> 00:02:16,136 But it's... it's a good urban legend. 32 00:02:16,219 --> 00:02:18,054 Oh, well, in any case... 33 00:02:18,138 --> 00:02:21,015 {\an8}Walt thought that we really needed a way to bring everyone together 34 00:02:21,099 --> 00:02:24,936 {\an8}at the end of the night and kind of encapsulate the day. 35 00:02:25,019 --> 00:02:27,230 Hm, almost like a... 36 00:02:27,313 --> 00:02:32,068 {\an8}Like a moment that kisses you goodnight before you leave at the end of the day. 37 00:02:32,152 --> 00:02:33,319 {\an8}Thank you. 38 00:02:33,403 --> 00:02:38,241 But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we've only just begun our evening. 39 00:02:38,324 --> 00:02:41,744 In fact, the story of fireworks in the park, 40 00:02:41,828 --> 00:02:48,418 the very first nighttime spectacular, started before the first park even opened. 41 00:02:48,501 --> 00:02:51,921 {\an8}Before Disneyland opened, Walt Disney started telling folks 42 00:02:52,005 --> 00:02:53,298 {\an8}about it on television. 43 00:02:53,381 --> 00:02:54,465 He created a show called... 44 00:02:54,549 --> 00:02:57,510 Walt Disney's Disneyland! 45 00:02:57,594 --> 00:03:00,263 ...and started doing, uh, reports on how the construction 46 00:03:00,346 --> 00:03:01,973 and how the development was going 47 00:03:02,056 --> 00:03:04,184 to get people excited about coming to see the new park. 48 00:03:04,267 --> 00:03:07,478 Now we want you to share with us our latest and greatest dream. 49 00:03:07,896 --> 00:03:12,358 And he opened that show with Tinkerbell flying in and waving her wand 50 00:03:12,442 --> 00:03:13,860 and making fireworks explode. 51 00:03:14,819 --> 00:03:16,446 And so when people came to the park, 52 00:03:16,529 --> 00:03:18,948 they expected to see Tinkerbell and the fireworks... 53 00:03:19,032 --> 00:03:20,533 Can't wait to see the fireworks. 54 00:03:20,617 --> 00:03:22,493 ...and there weren't any. 55 00:03:22,577 --> 00:03:24,913 I guess they're not doing any fireworks. 56 00:03:24,996 --> 00:03:26,497 We didn't have the wherewithal 57 00:03:26,581 --> 00:03:29,000 to do a big firework show or anything at that time. 58 00:03:29,083 --> 00:03:31,794 But all of that was about to change, 59 00:03:31,878 --> 00:03:33,171 thanks to Mickey. 60 00:03:33,630 --> 00:03:35,340 No, not that Mickey! 61 00:03:35,423 --> 00:03:39,469 Mickey Aronson was the first full-time pyrotechnician at Disneyland 62 00:03:39,552 --> 00:03:41,054 that was hired by Walt Disney. 63 00:03:42,013 --> 00:03:46,017 Yes, Mickey Aronson, who, in 1957, 64 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:50,813 would begin overseeing Disneyland's first fireworks spectacular, 65 00:03:50,897 --> 00:03:54,400 which, later that year, would be formally titled... 66 00:03:54,484 --> 00:03:55,485 Fantasy in the Sky. 67 00:03:57,528 --> 00:04:00,907 When it started, it was literally about five minutes long, 68 00:04:00,990 --> 00:04:04,202 and it was cast members shooting the fireworks themselves 69 00:04:04,285 --> 00:04:05,828 up in the sky behind the castle. 70 00:04:05,912 --> 00:04:07,413 They would take a music track... 71 00:04:08,581 --> 00:04:10,959 ...and then the pyrotechnicians would light a flare 72 00:04:11,542 --> 00:04:14,879 and you would hear, "Two, three, fire one! 73 00:04:14,963 --> 00:04:16,589 Fire two! 74 00:04:16,673 --> 00:04:18,591 Three! Four! Five!" 75 00:04:22,595 --> 00:04:26,599 And they knew how long the timers were on each of the shells, 76 00:04:26,683 --> 00:04:29,143 and then by doing that, they would create a show in the sky, 77 00:04:29,227 --> 00:04:31,187 but it was all done by hand with a flare. 78 00:04:31,271 --> 00:04:35,316 But while Mickey and his flare, along with his team, 79 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,236 were handling the magic behind the scenes, 80 00:04:38,319 --> 00:04:40,863 there was only room out front in the spotlight 81 00:04:40,947 --> 00:04:44,284 for one minute master of ceremonies. 82 00:04:44,993 --> 00:04:48,746 Walt knew that the fans wanted to see Tinkerbell starting the fireworks, 83 00:04:48,830 --> 00:04:50,331 and he wasn't able to do that 84 00:04:50,415 --> 00:04:53,501 until after the Matterhorn was built in 1959. 85 00:04:53,584 --> 00:04:57,547 Then, he had a place where he could have Tinkerbell fly down behind the castle. 86 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:02,260 Here comes Tinkerbell now over the happiest land of all! 87 00:05:02,969 --> 00:05:04,595 Naturally, the Tinkerbell role 88 00:05:04,679 --> 00:05:08,057 would require someone both acrobatic and tiny, 89 00:05:08,141 --> 00:05:11,352 which is quite literally what Walt found. 90 00:05:11,436 --> 00:05:14,147 Tiny Kline was a fairly famous circus acrobat 91 00:05:14,230 --> 00:05:16,983 and she was famous for her iron jaw act, 92 00:05:17,066 --> 00:05:20,653 where she would slide down a wire holding on to a bit in her teeth. 93 00:05:25,658 --> 00:05:28,911 And so, at 70 years old, she's living in Southern California 94 00:05:28,995 --> 00:05:32,665 and Walt met her and said, "Will you come and be Tinkerbell for me at the park?" 95 00:05:33,333 --> 00:05:38,046 And so Tiny took to the sky, hanging by her teeth and... 96 00:05:38,129 --> 00:05:41,299 Not with her teeth. She slid with, you know, with a harness. 97 00:05:41,382 --> 00:05:43,092 Probably sensible! 98 00:05:43,176 --> 00:05:46,679 Fantasy in the Sky was a huge success, 99 00:05:46,763 --> 00:05:51,476 making Walt's dreams of a lively park after dark a reality. 100 00:05:51,934 --> 00:05:54,979 And as the parade of time marched onward, 101 00:05:55,063 --> 00:05:59,192 ultimately making its way to early 1970s Florida, 102 00:05:59,275 --> 00:06:03,363 the firework spectacular would light the skies of the Magic Kingdom 103 00:06:03,446 --> 00:06:05,865 at Walt Disney World as well. 104 00:06:06,282 --> 00:06:10,119 But all of the excitement wasn't just confined to the park. 105 00:06:11,371 --> 00:06:15,792 The nearby contemporary and Polynesian hotels 106 00:06:15,875 --> 00:06:17,877 were destinations of their own, 107 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,755 and when guests visited those places... 108 00:06:20,838 --> 00:06:23,257 {\an8}There needed to be some kind of nighttime entertainment, 109 00:06:23,341 --> 00:06:25,051 something special for them. 110 00:06:25,134 --> 00:06:26,344 And with both hotels 111 00:06:26,427 --> 00:06:30,056 sitting on the sprawling lagoon at Magic Kingdom, 112 00:06:30,139 --> 00:06:34,727 it seemed only natural for the folks at Disney World to test the waters! 113 00:06:36,020 --> 00:06:38,523 So the Electrical Water Pageant was created. 114 00:06:38,606 --> 00:06:44,445 A parade of literal actual floats, literally, actually floating! 115 00:06:44,529 --> 00:06:46,114 They used these wire frames 116 00:06:46,197 --> 00:06:49,075 with thousands of twinkling lights and music. 117 00:06:49,158 --> 00:06:50,785 The music and the lights would synchronize 118 00:06:50,868 --> 00:06:53,830 and form different types of whimsical characters, 119 00:06:53,913 --> 00:06:56,416 dragons and water creatures, and things like that. 120 00:06:56,499 --> 00:07:00,253 Hugely popular, these twinkling lights dazzled the eyes 121 00:07:00,336 --> 00:07:03,047 of more than just the guests, namely... 122 00:07:03,131 --> 00:07:04,465 Card Walker. 123 00:07:04,549 --> 00:07:07,135 {\an8}Who, at the time, was the executive VP 124 00:07:07,218 --> 00:07:10,012 {\an8}and COO of the Walt Disney company. 125 00:07:10,096 --> 00:07:13,808 {\an8}Card Walker saw and loved the Electrical Water Pageant 126 00:07:13,891 --> 00:07:16,352 and said, "We need something like this for Disneyland." 127 00:07:16,436 --> 00:07:18,187 {\an8}Just because a show works in one park, 128 00:07:18,271 --> 00:07:20,815 {\an8}does not necessarily mean it's gonna work in another park. 129 00:07:20,898 --> 00:07:23,151 And so, out in California, 130 00:07:23,234 --> 00:07:27,405 Disneyland chose to go a slightly different route. 131 00:07:27,488 --> 00:07:29,615 You know, Disney's just all about innovation, right? 132 00:07:29,699 --> 00:07:32,660 So there's this pageant on the water. 133 00:07:33,703 --> 00:07:35,455 {\an8}We come to Disneyland 134 00:07:35,538 --> 00:07:40,168 {\an8}and the idea is to translate that into a nighttime parade. 135 00:07:40,251 --> 00:07:42,962 That, naturally, would march down Main Street. 136 00:07:43,045 --> 00:07:46,799 Which would make it a Main Street... 137 00:07:46,883 --> 00:07:47,884 Yes. 138 00:07:47,967 --> 00:07:51,053 - ...Electrical Parade? - Yes. 139 00:07:51,137 --> 00:07:52,263 Yes! 140 00:07:55,725 --> 00:07:58,436 And to design this luminous cavalcade, 141 00:07:58,519 --> 00:08:03,024 Card Walker turned to Disney Director of Entertainment, Bob Jani, 142 00:08:03,107 --> 00:08:08,905 who, with the advanced technology of Disney R and D at his disposal, 143 00:08:08,988 --> 00:08:11,741 began prototyping the show with... 144 00:08:11,824 --> 00:08:13,409 his Christmas tree. 145 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,039 He basically was in his living room and took the Christmas lights off the tree 146 00:08:18,122 --> 00:08:20,791 and had them on the floor, and his wife goes, "What are you doing?" 147 00:08:21,751 --> 00:08:23,669 And he goes, "What do you think 148 00:08:23,753 --> 00:08:26,589 if we did this in three-dimensions and sent it down the street?" 149 00:08:26,672 --> 00:08:29,175 And it's like, "Are you crazy?" 150 00:08:29,258 --> 00:08:31,844 As it turns out, no, thanks to batteries! 151 00:08:31,928 --> 00:08:33,679 And there were these switches that would go... 152 00:08:34,931 --> 00:08:36,891 ...and turn on! 153 00:08:36,974 --> 00:08:38,893 Like the many lights themselves, 154 00:08:38,976 --> 00:08:43,439 the many floats came together to create a dazzling spectacle. 155 00:08:43,523 --> 00:08:46,526 So it was developed to be a series of individual segments 156 00:08:46,609 --> 00:08:49,862 that had lots of little twinkling lights on them. 157 00:08:50,321 --> 00:08:52,240 There was a giant drum 158 00:08:52,323 --> 00:08:55,159 {\an8}manned by Mickey Mouse with the logo on it. 159 00:08:55,785 --> 00:08:59,455 {\an8}Certain float sections were inspired by Disney animated classics, 160 00:08:59,539 --> 00:09:01,123 such as Alice in Wonderland, 161 00:09:01,582 --> 00:09:03,584 the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio, 162 00:09:04,210 --> 00:09:08,548 and Pete's Dragon, another very popular one added in 1977. 163 00:09:08,631 --> 00:09:11,801 But there was more to the Main Street Electrical Parade 164 00:09:11,884 --> 00:09:13,219 than meets the eye. 165 00:09:14,011 --> 00:09:16,597 The ears got their fair share too. 166 00:09:16,681 --> 00:09:20,059 {\an8}♪ The Main Street Electrical Parade! ♪ 167 00:09:22,853 --> 00:09:24,855 {\an8}It's a very interesting song that is played 168 00:09:24,939 --> 00:09:27,817 during the Main Street Electrical Parade called "Baroque Hoedown." 169 00:09:27,900 --> 00:09:32,154 Definitely a catchy tune. But as unique as the song itself was, 170 00:09:32,238 --> 00:09:36,158 so, too, was the way in which park guests were hearing it. 171 00:09:36,242 --> 00:09:39,704 Was our first parade that had tracking show control. 172 00:09:39,787 --> 00:09:42,498 That's right, tracking show control! 173 00:09:42,582 --> 00:09:45,376 Um, what is tracking show control? 174 00:09:45,459 --> 00:09:49,547 The technicians at Disney had figured out a way of moving the sound 175 00:09:49,630 --> 00:09:50,798 down the street with speakers 176 00:09:50,881 --> 00:09:53,050 so that it was always synchronized to the floats. 177 00:09:53,134 --> 00:09:54,844 So no matter which float was in front of you, 178 00:09:54,927 --> 00:09:58,222 you were hearing the portion of the song that was designed for that float. 179 00:09:58,306 --> 00:09:59,599 Say it was Alice in Wonderland, 180 00:09:59,682 --> 00:10:03,102 as the float went by you would hear the Alice in Wonderland music 181 00:10:03,185 --> 00:10:05,479 incorporated into the main song. 182 00:10:05,563 --> 00:10:07,690 And then when it passed you and went to the next zone, 183 00:10:07,773 --> 00:10:09,817 the music would start for the people in the next zone. 184 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:12,445 Well, that's cool, but how? 185 00:10:12,528 --> 00:10:14,447 When they recorded it, 186 00:10:14,530 --> 00:10:17,700 there was a two-inch piece of tape that had 24 tracks, 187 00:10:17,783 --> 00:10:20,161 and one of it was the bass track 188 00:10:20,244 --> 00:10:22,455 that went around to all the wayside speakers, 189 00:10:22,538 --> 00:10:26,834 then every single other track was transmitted to the float, 190 00:10:26,917 --> 00:10:29,962 that would then pick up a radio signal and then play it back. 191 00:10:30,421 --> 00:10:32,882 I mean, that was nuts back then! 192 00:10:32,965 --> 00:10:37,428 And it's been that way since it opened in 1972. 193 00:10:38,262 --> 00:10:41,432 {\an8}Although, not a permanent lighting fixture at Disneyland, 194 00:10:41,515 --> 00:10:46,020 {\an8}the Main Street Electrical Parade has returned for limited time runs, 195 00:10:46,437 --> 00:10:49,190 and when it does, it's plain to see 196 00:10:49,273 --> 00:10:52,860 that there are some fancy new frills on display. 197 00:10:52,943 --> 00:10:57,531 {\an8}For guests to be able to see Raya and Moana, and Hercules, 198 00:10:57,615 --> 00:11:00,368 you know, a character representation that they may not have seen 199 00:11:00,451 --> 00:11:01,911 in the Electrical Parade before. 200 00:11:01,994 --> 00:11:03,162 And that's not all! 201 00:11:03,245 --> 00:11:05,498 As the finale float comes down Main Street, 202 00:11:05,581 --> 00:11:09,877 it enchants all of the buildings around it with projection mapping. 203 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:11,629 Yes, projection ma... 204 00:11:11,712 --> 00:11:15,132 Actually, we're gonna need an explanation on that one too. 205 00:11:15,216 --> 00:11:17,802 Projection mapping, basically, 206 00:11:17,885 --> 00:11:21,681 is instead of projecting on a flat screen like a movie, 207 00:11:21,764 --> 00:11:24,517 you're projecting it on a dimensional surface 208 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,229 and marrying that surface with what you are projecting on it, 209 00:11:28,312 --> 00:11:31,565 {\an8}which gives you so much latitude in creating illusions. 210 00:11:31,649 --> 00:11:35,319 But projection mapping is nothing new to the Disney parks. 211 00:11:35,403 --> 00:11:38,864 In fact, it goes back further than you might think. 212 00:11:38,948 --> 00:11:43,911 The first instance of it is Madame Leota in The Haunted Mansion back in the '60s. 213 00:11:43,994 --> 00:11:48,290 Awaken the spirits with your tambourine! 214 00:11:48,374 --> 00:11:51,210 And that was done in a very rudimentary way 215 00:11:51,293 --> 00:11:53,003 at the time with a film projector. 216 00:11:53,087 --> 00:11:55,756 These days, it's all done with video. 217 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:01,470 And I love that we're continually growing and changing things like our parades 218 00:12:01,554 --> 00:12:03,806 and to be able to... to keep that fresh for guests. 219 00:12:03,889 --> 00:12:09,478 {\an8}And that's no small feat after more than 50 years. 220 00:12:10,062 --> 00:12:13,733 And when it comes to Tokyo Disneyland's Electrical Parade, 221 00:12:13,816 --> 00:12:19,488 there's no small anything, with this one clocking in at 45 minutes, 222 00:12:19,572 --> 00:12:22,616 over double the length of the original. 223 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,161 {\an8}It's a giant version of the Electrical Parade 224 00:12:25,244 --> 00:12:26,287 {\an8}called Dreamlights, 225 00:12:26,370 --> 00:12:28,831 {\an8}and Dreamlights has been running since 2001. 226 00:12:29,498 --> 00:12:33,627 Welcome, everyone, to the world of light and fantasy! 227 00:12:33,711 --> 00:12:36,797 But unlike Main Street Electrical Parade, 228 00:12:36,881 --> 00:12:41,218 Dreamlights has left the nostalgia of those holiday bulbs behind 229 00:12:41,302 --> 00:12:44,263 in favor of some sparkly new tech. 230 00:12:44,346 --> 00:12:47,516 What was wonderful when Dreamlights came on in Tokyo 231 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,729 is it really took kind of light technology to a whole different level. 232 00:12:51,812 --> 00:12:55,900 LED technology has been incorporated over the years. 233 00:12:55,983 --> 00:12:58,569 It has really evolved from the Christmas light 234 00:12:58,652 --> 00:12:59,653 that we know and love 235 00:12:59,737 --> 00:13:02,072 from the original Main Street Electrical Parade. 236 00:13:02,156 --> 00:13:04,909 And it really started to transform how you can do lights. 237 00:13:04,992 --> 00:13:06,327 Like with the Genie, 238 00:13:06,410 --> 00:13:09,830 the whole Genie can change and morph in front of you. 239 00:13:09,914 --> 00:13:12,166 Just a beautiful nighttime display 240 00:13:12,249 --> 00:13:14,794 that will just bring you back to your childhood like that. 241 00:13:14,877 --> 00:13:18,964 {\an8}In each and every float we feel a story, 242 00:13:19,048 --> 00:13:24,887 and the characters seem to shine brighter than usual 243 00:13:24,970 --> 00:13:27,848 in the many lights that illuminate them. 244 00:13:30,851 --> 00:13:33,020 With guests mouths agape 245 00:13:33,103 --> 00:13:36,565 at the spectacle of fireworks and parades, 246 00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:40,653 nighttime's have become the highlight of many people's day. 247 00:13:40,736 --> 00:13:42,780 But back in 1984, 248 00:13:42,863 --> 00:13:45,658 when Michael Eisner joined the Disney company, 249 00:13:45,741 --> 00:13:49,286 where others saw a spectacular array of dazzlement, 250 00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:55,125 Eisner saw a spectacular opportunity specifically for Disneyland. 251 00:13:55,209 --> 00:13:57,461 Not content with just the nightly fireworks 252 00:13:57,545 --> 00:13:59,922 and Main Street Electrical Parade, 253 00:14:00,631 --> 00:14:05,427 Eisner set his sights on adding a third event, but where? 254 00:14:05,511 --> 00:14:06,512 Well, let's see. 255 00:14:06,595 --> 00:14:10,015 It's not like Disneyland had a spare lagoon laying around, 256 00:14:10,099 --> 00:14:11,517 or did it? 257 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,895 So of course, where better than the Rivers of America. 258 00:14:14,979 --> 00:14:18,148 Of course, the Rivers of America, 259 00:14:18,232 --> 00:14:24,196 there since opening day in Frontierland, surrounding Tom Sawyer Island, 260 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:29,994 which they figured could be used to stage this brand-new nighttime spectacular, 261 00:14:30,077 --> 00:14:32,413 whatever it would end up being. 262 00:14:32,496 --> 00:14:36,333 {\an8}They wanted to create something that would attract a lot of people, 263 00:14:36,417 --> 00:14:39,295 {\an8}you know, kind of like the fireworks, tell a definite story, 264 00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:42,006 and the name of the show was "Imagination!" 265 00:14:42,089 --> 00:14:44,174 The concept being that the entire show 266 00:14:44,258 --> 00:14:49,054 takes place in Mickey's mind, or rather Mickey's... 267 00:14:49,138 --> 00:14:50,431 Imagination! 268 00:14:50,514 --> 00:14:51,515 Exactly! 269 00:14:51,599 --> 00:14:52,600 - Okay! - Yep. 270 00:14:52,683 --> 00:14:54,018 - Good name! - Um... 271 00:14:54,101 --> 00:14:55,102 Is it, though? 272 00:14:55,185 --> 00:14:57,563 {\an8}Imagination is kind of a generic term. 273 00:14:57,646 --> 00:14:59,857 {\an8}What was needed was a Disney term, 274 00:14:59,940 --> 00:15:05,863 something that would more fantastically show the imagination of the show. 275 00:15:05,946 --> 00:15:08,073 Which was Mickey's imagination. 276 00:15:08,157 --> 00:15:09,158 Oh, boy! 277 00:15:09,241 --> 00:15:13,203 And taking a cue from the 1940 film Fantasia, 278 00:15:13,287 --> 00:15:15,539 one word came to mind. 279 00:15:15,623 --> 00:15:21,337 "Phantasmagoria," and that was felt to be a little too much of a mouthful. 280 00:15:22,504 --> 00:15:26,842 So after tapping out of and then into their imagination, 281 00:15:26,926 --> 00:15:28,802 they conjured up "Fantasmic." 282 00:15:28,886 --> 00:15:32,514 And, of course, also that sort of brings in Mickey Mouse 283 00:15:32,598 --> 00:15:34,433 at the end of it too, Fantasmic. 284 00:15:34,516 --> 00:15:38,020 {\an8}- And on May 13th, 1992... - Fantasmic! 285 00:15:38,103 --> 00:15:41,941 {\an8}Yes, Fantasmic became the newest way to punctuate your day. 286 00:15:42,024 --> 00:15:44,193 Let's not forget the exclamation point. 287 00:15:44,276 --> 00:15:46,403 That's the most important part! 288 00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:48,697 Right! 289 00:15:48,781 --> 00:15:52,451 Well, there are other contenders for most important part. 290 00:15:52,534 --> 00:15:54,536 Welcome to Fantasmic! 291 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:57,081 {\an8}From pyrotechnics. The water effects. 292 00:15:58,165 --> 00:16:02,002 The first mist screens that ever appeared were here on Fantasmic. 293 00:16:02,086 --> 00:16:03,420 The projections. 294 00:16:04,088 --> 00:16:06,548 The barges as they were coming by. 295 00:16:09,802 --> 00:16:12,721 Mickey on top of the mill with the fireworks going off around him. 296 00:16:13,305 --> 00:16:16,308 But the really impressive part of Fantasmic 297 00:16:16,392 --> 00:16:19,561 is the show before the show. 298 00:16:19,645 --> 00:16:23,190 One of the most amazing things is that you'd never know it was there 299 00:16:23,273 --> 00:16:25,109 when you walk by the park during the day. 300 00:16:25,192 --> 00:16:29,613 It's really quite unbelievable that this is pulled off night after night. 301 00:16:29,697 --> 00:16:32,908 In the afternoon, before a Fantasmic show, 302 00:16:32,992 --> 00:16:38,288 Tom Sawyer Island is fully transformed into the stage for Fantasmic. 303 00:16:38,372 --> 00:16:40,708 {\an8}It's an amazing system that all works together, 304 00:16:40,791 --> 00:16:45,170 these huge towers that have lighting, projection, audio. 305 00:16:45,254 --> 00:16:47,798 They have to be brought out in time for the show. 306 00:16:48,298 --> 00:16:51,885 And as the sun casts its shadow over the lagoon, 307 00:16:51,969 --> 00:16:54,263 it's not just the guests that gather. 308 00:16:54,346 --> 00:16:56,807 It takes a casting crew of over a hundred people 309 00:16:56,890 --> 00:16:58,225 to bring this show to life. 310 00:16:58,308 --> 00:17:01,562 Stage technicians that are working on the Columbia and Mark Twain 311 00:17:01,645 --> 00:17:03,397 getting it all set up for the show. 312 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,860 As crew members and characters prepare to light up the lagoon, 313 00:17:07,943 --> 00:17:13,240 there's one character in particular that truly brings the heat. 314 00:17:15,451 --> 00:17:19,288 {\an8}Any show that has a huge, fire-breathing dragon is okay by me. 315 00:17:20,748 --> 00:17:22,499 The Maleficent Dragon! 316 00:17:22,583 --> 00:17:26,879 Our Maleficent Dragon stands at 45 feet tall, 35 feet wide, 317 00:17:27,296 --> 00:17:30,591 and can fire an isopar dragon's breath flame. 318 00:17:31,759 --> 00:17:35,054 She's breathing fire, real fire, 319 00:17:35,137 --> 00:17:38,766 and all of the Rivers of America are set aflame. 320 00:17:38,849 --> 00:17:43,020 But not all of this spectacular is hidden away by day. 321 00:17:43,103 --> 00:17:45,773 The Mark Twain Riverboat and the sailing ship, Columbia, 322 00:17:45,856 --> 00:17:48,692 both make a spectacular appearance. 323 00:17:48,776 --> 00:17:52,529 We sneak a giant pirate ship up in the darkness, 324 00:17:52,613 --> 00:17:54,281 and all of a sudden, Jack Sparrow's up there 325 00:17:54,364 --> 00:17:55,532 swinging through the ratlines. 326 00:17:55,616 --> 00:18:00,829 From a boat load of effects to a boat load of Disney characters, 327 00:18:00,913 --> 00:18:06,543 Fantasmic set the standard and pushed the boundaries far beyond 328 00:18:06,627 --> 00:18:09,546 where live shows had been in the Disney parks. 329 00:18:09,630 --> 00:18:11,548 This is the one that started it all 330 00:18:11,632 --> 00:18:14,718 when it comes to spectaculars we show around the world. 331 00:18:14,802 --> 00:18:18,806 Fantasmic was the show that made me wanna work for Disney. 332 00:18:18,889 --> 00:18:21,433 It was something unlike anything I'd seen before. 333 00:18:25,604 --> 00:18:30,150 The dazzlement of Fantasmic wows park guests at Disneyland 334 00:18:30,234 --> 00:18:33,445 and now at Disney's Hollywood Studios too. 335 00:18:33,904 --> 00:18:38,200 But Fantasmic isn't the only show to have graced Anaheim. 336 00:18:38,283 --> 00:18:42,788 Right next-door to Disneyland, at Disney California Adventure Park, 337 00:18:42,871 --> 00:18:46,416 something new was lurking in the depths. 338 00:18:48,502 --> 00:18:53,549 In 2010, Walt Disney's vision of bringing a film-like experience 339 00:18:53,632 --> 00:18:57,094 to Disney park nightlife reached a new height, 340 00:18:57,177 --> 00:19:02,641 where a groundbreaking 380-foot wide water screen 341 00:19:02,724 --> 00:19:06,436 immersed viewers in Disney's cinematic history. 342 00:19:08,647 --> 00:19:10,858 And it was all thanks to this guy. 343 00:19:10,941 --> 00:19:12,860 No, wait, hang on, that guy! 344 00:19:12,943 --> 00:19:17,197 In 2005, when Bob Iger became the new CEO, 345 00:19:17,281 --> 00:19:20,117 Disney made a number of exciting acquisitions, 346 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,579 like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. 347 00:19:23,662 --> 00:19:26,957 But Bob wasn't only focused on movie studios. 348 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:32,671 In 2007, he ordered a major overhaul of Disney California Adventure Park. 349 00:19:33,130 --> 00:19:36,133 {\an8}Disney California Adventure had traditionally been a park 350 00:19:36,216 --> 00:19:38,802 {\an8}that closed around 7:00 o'clock in the evening. 351 00:19:41,763 --> 00:19:48,604 So, the desire was to also give those guests a kiss goodnight as well. 352 00:19:48,687 --> 00:19:53,317 And who better to do that than fireworks expert Steve Davison? 353 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,819 We had fireworks at Disneyland and the park wanted to do 354 00:19:55,903 --> 00:19:56,904 something in the lagoon. 355 00:19:56,987 --> 00:19:57,988 But this time, 356 00:19:58,071 --> 00:20:01,408 Steve would have to be a little more fluid with his plans. 357 00:20:01,491 --> 00:20:02,826 "Why don't we do a fountain show?" 358 00:20:02,910 --> 00:20:05,454 So I'm like, "Okay." Know nothing about fountains. 359 00:20:05,537 --> 00:20:07,331 So we just go out and we start to research it. 360 00:20:07,414 --> 00:20:09,583 And as ideas flowed... 361 00:20:09,666 --> 00:20:12,085 We decided to do the world's biggest color fountain. 362 00:20:12,169 --> 00:20:14,379 Steve and his team put together the pitch 363 00:20:14,463 --> 00:20:17,090 for the Wonderful World of Color, 364 00:20:18,008 --> 00:20:20,010 which was not to be confused with... 365 00:20:20,093 --> 00:20:24,389 the Disney television program from the 1960s, 366 00:20:24,473 --> 00:20:26,934 that took its name from the newfangled fact 367 00:20:27,017 --> 00:20:30,687 that television had begun broadcasting in color. 368 00:20:30,771 --> 00:20:32,439 A bit of color magic will fix it. 369 00:20:34,650 --> 00:20:37,236 Bippity, boppity, blue. 370 00:20:37,319 --> 00:20:42,074 So, why not call the new colorful lagoon show World of Color? 371 00:20:42,157 --> 00:20:44,576 And so we ran with that. 372 00:20:44,660 --> 00:20:48,372 Straight to Bob Iger's office, where, of all the colors, 373 00:20:48,455 --> 00:20:50,916 Steve was most concerned about... 374 00:20:50,999 --> 00:20:52,000 ...green. 375 00:20:52,084 --> 00:20:53,502 I never thought it was gonna sell. 376 00:20:53,585 --> 00:20:54,795 It's too expensive. 377 00:20:54,878 --> 00:20:57,047 But after showing Bob the plans... 378 00:20:57,130 --> 00:21:01,677 The big question from him was, "When," so then the real work starts. 379 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:02,928 Water work. 380 00:21:03,011 --> 00:21:07,557 The team tested fountains, just like this one, and this one, 381 00:21:07,641 --> 00:21:09,643 oh, and don't forget about these bad boys, 382 00:21:09,726 --> 00:21:15,274 and devised a way to hide them in the lagoon, all 1,200 of them. 383 00:21:15,357 --> 00:21:20,445 Basically, if you drain Paradise Bay, it goes to 14 feet at the base. 384 00:21:20,529 --> 00:21:23,156 Where they set some massive tables. 385 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,243 Three platforms that are built on man lifts that go up and down. 386 00:21:26,827 --> 00:21:30,038 These are the platforms by which we attach all of our equipment. 387 00:21:30,706 --> 00:21:33,417 Our power, our data. We have projectors. 388 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:35,127 This is where they live. 389 00:21:35,210 --> 00:21:38,755 And these platforms are more than just surface level. 390 00:21:38,839 --> 00:21:43,343 Under every single table is a giant warehouse of electronics. 391 00:21:43,427 --> 00:21:45,929 All of which can be raised and lowered! 392 00:21:46,013 --> 00:21:48,640 During the day, you wouldn't even know there's a show here. 393 00:21:48,724 --> 00:21:51,059 But, of course, there is a show here. 394 00:21:51,143 --> 00:21:56,064 A show known for dazzling audiences and puzzling its creators. 395 00:21:56,148 --> 00:21:58,483 When we were looking to design the fountains, 396 00:21:58,567 --> 00:22:00,027 there was no road map for this. 397 00:22:00,694 --> 00:22:02,612 You start to learn things very quickly, 398 00:22:02,696 --> 00:22:07,117 like if you turn on all the fountains you're gonna sink the platform. 399 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,828 And even when it's just some of the fountains... 400 00:22:09,911 --> 00:22:13,790 The distribution of weight, sometimes it has them a little off-kilter. 401 00:22:13,874 --> 00:22:16,209 So suddenly, we're adding weights to certain parts. 402 00:22:16,293 --> 00:22:18,003 We're talking about weights you lift, 403 00:22:18,086 --> 00:22:19,838 weights you might find in a theater. 404 00:22:19,921 --> 00:22:22,507 The team also had to deal with currents. 405 00:22:22,591 --> 00:22:24,259 Electrical, that is. 406 00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:26,178 Oh, look, we only have so much power. 407 00:22:26,261 --> 00:22:28,930 We can't run the entire system at once. 408 00:22:29,473 --> 00:22:31,308 But of all the challenges there are 409 00:22:31,391 --> 00:22:34,227 to running one of the world's largest fountain shows, 410 00:22:34,311 --> 00:22:36,563 the biggest one might come as a shock! 411 00:22:36,646 --> 00:22:40,484 We love the way the water looks, but water gets into everything, 412 00:22:40,567 --> 00:22:44,363 so one way we protect our equipment is by using things like silica packets. 413 00:22:44,446 --> 00:22:46,823 These are the packets you find in shoes. 414 00:22:46,907 --> 00:22:49,785 These are the packets that you'll find in certain food products. 415 00:22:49,868 --> 00:22:53,038 And the water truly did go everywhere, 416 00:22:53,121 --> 00:22:58,210 because wider than a football field, and taller than a four-story building, 417 00:22:58,293 --> 00:23:02,714 the World of Color mist screen sprayed a backdrop 418 00:23:02,798 --> 00:23:05,133 for some of Disney's most famous imagery. 419 00:23:05,217 --> 00:23:07,886 But when the team planned on limiting the projections 420 00:23:07,969 --> 00:23:09,805 to animated characters only... 421 00:23:09,888 --> 00:23:13,266 His live action figures don't read well in water. 422 00:23:15,685 --> 00:23:16,812 You know you can't read. 423 00:23:17,479 --> 00:23:20,690 This made one character particularly animated, 424 00:23:20,774 --> 00:23:25,445 so he took his grievance up with Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony, who is... 425 00:23:25,529 --> 00:23:28,240 The vice president of creative and advanced development 426 00:23:28,323 --> 00:23:29,616 for Disney Live Entertainment. 427 00:23:29,699 --> 00:23:31,326 Right! So, what did Bob say? 428 00:23:31,410 --> 00:23:33,495 He said something like, "What about pirates? 429 00:23:33,578 --> 00:23:36,289 Why isn't pirates in the show?" 430 00:23:37,165 --> 00:23:39,626 - Oh, bugger. - But instead of jumping ship, 431 00:23:39,709 --> 00:23:41,878 Steve had a plan. 432 00:23:41,962 --> 00:23:45,424 {\an8}The entire piece shows Jack Sparrow in two places, 433 00:23:45,507 --> 00:23:47,801 {\an8}but the rest of it is all water and fire. 434 00:23:49,928 --> 00:23:53,390 And it was taking that theme that was so powerful 435 00:23:53,473 --> 00:23:56,518 and just creating kind of this pirates battle with it. 436 00:23:57,269 --> 00:24:03,400 That exuberant, orchestral score just took everything up to 11. 437 00:24:03,483 --> 00:24:06,945 And when Bob Iger saw it for the first time... 438 00:24:08,989 --> 00:24:10,782 He loved it! He cheered. 439 00:24:10,866 --> 00:24:12,742 He's like, "Wow, see?" 440 00:24:12,826 --> 00:24:16,413 In the days before its public premiere in June 2010, 441 00:24:16,496 --> 00:24:18,999 many in the extended park's family 442 00:24:19,082 --> 00:24:23,128 got to see the finished World of Color for the first time. 443 00:24:23,211 --> 00:24:25,672 We had a imagineering night 444 00:24:25,755 --> 00:24:28,758 for the imagineering families to come and see it, 445 00:24:28,842 --> 00:24:32,387 and one of the original imagineers, Bob Gurr, came up to me, 446 00:24:32,471 --> 00:24:33,805 and I'd never met him before, 447 00:24:33,889 --> 00:24:35,682 and he goes, "Are you Steve Davison?" 448 00:24:36,224 --> 00:24:37,559 I said, yes. 449 00:24:37,642 --> 00:24:39,060 He goes, "I'm Bob Gurr, 450 00:24:39,478 --> 00:24:43,064 and I just wanna tell you, Walt Disney would be proud of you." 451 00:24:44,149 --> 00:24:46,651 He said, "Walt would love this. 452 00:24:46,735 --> 00:24:49,488 You have taken a medium and transformed it. 453 00:24:49,571 --> 00:24:52,115 He would be so excited to see this today." 454 00:24:52,782 --> 00:24:56,369 I think out of anything that anyone's ever told me, 455 00:24:56,453 --> 00:24:59,998 I think that's probably been one of the most beautiful, 456 00:25:00,081 --> 00:25:03,293 because, I mean, he worked with Walt Disney all the time, 457 00:25:03,376 --> 00:25:06,087 and to get that comment from him really meant a lot to me. 458 00:25:08,882 --> 00:25:13,470 World of Color continues to light up both skies and eyes 459 00:25:13,553 --> 00:25:16,181 at Disney California Adventure Park, 460 00:25:16,264 --> 00:25:20,227 where, in 2023, a brand-new fountain show 461 00:25:20,310 --> 00:25:23,647 debuted for Disney's 100-year anniversary. 462 00:25:23,730 --> 00:25:30,320 And in 2021, Walt Disney World in Florida had a milestone of its own 463 00:25:30,403 --> 00:25:33,448 as it prepared for its 50th anniversary. 464 00:25:33,532 --> 00:25:35,242 To celebrate the occasion, 465 00:25:35,325 --> 00:25:38,870 it was decided that a new nighttime spectacular was in order. 466 00:25:38,954 --> 00:25:40,664 But what would it be? 467 00:25:40,747 --> 00:25:42,999 What if we did a Disney concert? 468 00:25:43,667 --> 00:25:46,169 Ah, yes, of course, a concert, 469 00:25:46,753 --> 00:25:51,550 because Disney and music go hand in hand, or voice in ear, 470 00:25:51,633 --> 00:25:53,510 and being lead on the project, 471 00:25:53,593 --> 00:25:57,806 it was up to Steve Davison to decide what kind of concert it would be. 472 00:25:57,889 --> 00:26:00,475 What if we did a Disney concert, 473 00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:04,062 but we did it through the eyes of World Showcase? 474 00:26:04,688 --> 00:26:08,733 Epcot's World Showcase, a vast promenade 475 00:26:08,817 --> 00:26:12,696 highlighting 11 different nations from around the world 476 00:26:12,779 --> 00:26:16,157 all encircling a 40-acre lagoon. 477 00:26:16,241 --> 00:26:19,369 We could then go back and have those cultures now, 478 00:26:19,452 --> 00:26:23,123 bring that music back to us from their point of view. 479 00:26:23,206 --> 00:26:26,710 Of course. A stirring ode to global oneness 480 00:26:26,793 --> 00:26:29,087 through the unifying language of music. 481 00:26:29,170 --> 00:26:32,340 Steve's show was already shaping up to be something-- 482 00:26:32,424 --> 00:26:36,886 No, it's not my show, it's not their show, it's our show. 483 00:26:36,970 --> 00:26:40,056 That, for it to work, we all need to work in harmony together. 484 00:26:40,140 --> 00:26:41,182 Harmony! 485 00:26:41,266 --> 00:26:44,269 Fitting, considering that when the Disney creative team 486 00:26:44,352 --> 00:26:46,271 had to pick a name for the show... 487 00:26:46,354 --> 00:26:47,606 We came up with Harmonious! 488 00:26:47,689 --> 00:26:50,358 When you think about harmony, it's about music coming together 489 00:26:50,442 --> 00:26:54,946 {\an8}and intertwining it together, and it's us, right, so harmony us. 490 00:26:55,030 --> 00:26:56,072 {\an8}Harmony us. 491 00:26:56,156 --> 00:26:58,575 {\an8}Us coming together, celebrating our different cultures, 492 00:26:58,658 --> 00:27:02,037 but also respecting that we are all one. 493 00:27:03,622 --> 00:27:07,459 And although it may be a small World Showcase, after all... 494 00:27:07,542 --> 00:27:09,252 Harmonious was a big undertaking. 495 00:27:09,336 --> 00:27:12,505 ...in every way, starting with the venue. 496 00:27:12,589 --> 00:27:17,844 World Showcase Lagoon is not an insignificant body of water, 497 00:27:17,927 --> 00:27:18,928 let's say that. 498 00:27:19,012 --> 00:27:21,640 The Epcot lagoon is the largest body of water 499 00:27:21,723 --> 00:27:23,516 for any of our theme parks across the world, 500 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,227 so we had to make the show in that same scale. 501 00:27:26,311 --> 00:27:29,731 After all, with over a mile of coastline... 502 00:27:30,148 --> 00:27:31,733 uh, lagoon line, 503 00:27:32,317 --> 00:27:36,404 that's a whole lot of front row seats for a center stage of sorts. 504 00:27:37,405 --> 00:27:41,159 {\an8}And so our team's invented, uh, a barge technology. 505 00:27:41,242 --> 00:27:45,038 Uh, barge is putting it mildly. 506 00:27:45,121 --> 00:27:47,749 Each one of these massive vessels 507 00:27:47,832 --> 00:27:51,795 is a fully-loaded multimedia complex unto itself. 508 00:27:54,214 --> 00:27:55,965 Take this one, for example. 509 00:27:56,758 --> 00:28:00,428 This has 360-degree video going around it. It has a wall that moves. 510 00:28:00,512 --> 00:28:02,639 It has scenery that comes out. 511 00:28:02,722 --> 00:28:05,266 It has fountains. It has moving lights. Pyro. 512 00:28:05,350 --> 00:28:08,103 Let me guess, there are moving arms too? 513 00:28:08,186 --> 00:28:10,021 There are moving arms in the show. 514 00:28:10,105 --> 00:28:11,356 Of course there are. 515 00:28:11,439 --> 00:28:13,233 They're over 55 feet in length, 516 00:28:13,316 --> 00:28:15,568 and that's what Steven uses as our dancers, right, 517 00:28:15,652 --> 00:28:17,237 they're our live components in the show. 518 00:28:17,737 --> 00:28:19,489 They were able to, in one situation, 519 00:28:19,572 --> 00:28:22,867 they may be emulating the lamp from Aladdin, 520 00:28:22,951 --> 00:28:26,329 to, uh, a palm tree that's in, uh, Jungle Book. 521 00:28:26,413 --> 00:28:28,498 So we're able to use those 522 00:28:28,581 --> 00:28:31,167 through lighting and fountains, and lasers here. 523 00:28:31,251 --> 00:28:33,795 Was used them as our moving cast, if you will. 524 00:28:35,630 --> 00:28:38,133 After years of preparation, 525 00:28:38,216 --> 00:28:42,595 {\an8}Harmonious made its premiere in September 2021, 526 00:28:42,679 --> 00:28:47,142 just in time for the Walt Disney World Resort's 50th anniversary. 527 00:28:48,893 --> 00:28:51,104 Everyone gather around World Showcase. 528 00:28:54,065 --> 00:28:57,569 You start to hear the chants of our different films. 529 00:28:57,652 --> 00:29:02,240 The opening of the Lion King, the mermaids singing, um, Moana, 530 00:29:02,323 --> 00:29:06,202 all started to come together as one, big, uh, beautiful piece 531 00:29:06,286 --> 00:29:08,413 being sung by all these different pavilions 532 00:29:08,496 --> 00:29:09,789 from around the world, 533 00:29:10,290 --> 00:29:11,499 and we start to bring the songs 534 00:29:11,583 --> 00:29:15,003 that were inspired by those places around the world 535 00:29:15,086 --> 00:29:17,172 back to us from their point of view. 536 00:29:17,255 --> 00:29:20,258 And while the ending of the Walt Disney World Resort's 537 00:29:20,341 --> 00:29:25,597 50th anniversary celebration has since brought Harmonious to a close, 538 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:30,310 the message of this epic spectacular still rings just as true. 539 00:29:31,895 --> 00:29:36,775 {\an8}It's really about giving you a sense that the world is connected culturally, 540 00:29:36,858 --> 00:29:39,235 we're all people, and we care about each other. 541 00:29:42,572 --> 00:29:44,032 Be it Harmonious 542 00:29:44,115 --> 00:29:47,786 or any nighttime spectacular that came before, 543 00:29:47,869 --> 00:29:50,663 it's clear that with every passing year, 544 00:29:50,747 --> 00:29:53,708 the nighttime spectaculars of the Disney parks 545 00:29:53,792 --> 00:29:58,296 are getting more and more spectacular all over the world, 546 00:29:58,713 --> 00:30:01,382 including Disneyland Paris, 547 00:30:01,466 --> 00:30:05,386 where they've taken nighttime spectacular technology 548 00:30:05,470 --> 00:30:07,305 to brand-new heights. 549 00:30:07,388 --> 00:30:09,808 {\an8}The Disney Illuminations show is a wonderful show 550 00:30:09,891 --> 00:30:12,227 {\an8}that takes place projected on the castle. 551 00:30:12,310 --> 00:30:14,187 Before the show each night, 552 00:30:14,270 --> 00:30:19,651 guests are treated to Disney D-Light, a state of the art drone show. 553 00:30:19,734 --> 00:30:22,946 Where the number 30, for our 30th anniversary, 554 00:30:23,029 --> 00:30:24,614 appears in the sky. 555 00:30:24,697 --> 00:30:30,328 And it's spelled out by more than 150 independent drones. 556 00:30:30,411 --> 00:30:32,372 {\an8}Each drone is individually programmed. 557 00:30:32,455 --> 00:30:34,582 It doesn't know what the other drones are doing. 558 00:30:34,666 --> 00:30:39,087 And it takes a team of four to keep these bots buoyant. 559 00:30:39,170 --> 00:30:44,217 {\an8}We verify that they are turned on, in working order, and fully charged. 560 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:47,720 And so, with guests' hearts full of wonder 561 00:30:47,804 --> 00:30:50,181 and the drones' batteries full of charge, 562 00:30:50,265 --> 00:30:52,308 the sky comes alive. 563 00:30:52,392 --> 00:30:57,230 {\an8}All of a sudden, the sky behind the castle lights up. 564 00:30:57,313 --> 00:31:00,400 And the reaction from the guests once it's underway 565 00:31:00,483 --> 00:31:02,443 is "Wow," every single time. 566 00:31:02,527 --> 00:31:06,614 It's beautiful and their eyes go wide. 567 00:31:06,698 --> 00:31:09,409 It has that effect on the guests every time. 568 00:31:09,492 --> 00:31:12,996 {\an8}You know, drones is kind of the new frontier, 569 00:31:13,079 --> 00:31:17,375 {\an8}in terms of the... the technological live entertainment toolkit. 570 00:31:17,458 --> 00:31:20,503 Disney drones might be the new kids on the block, 571 00:31:20,587 --> 00:31:23,339 but the good news is, there's plenty of space in the skies 572 00:31:23,423 --> 00:31:26,342 to share with their more fiery neighbors. 573 00:31:26,843 --> 00:31:29,012 What's a Disney spectacular without fireworks? 574 00:31:29,095 --> 00:31:30,513 Exactly! 575 00:31:30,597 --> 00:31:33,600 No matter what new technology is developed, 576 00:31:33,683 --> 00:31:39,188 something about the classic firework show seems to capture our hearts. 577 00:31:39,272 --> 00:31:43,151 But even for fireworks, there's always room to grow. 578 00:31:43,234 --> 00:31:45,445 Over the years, from the very earliest fireworks 579 00:31:45,528 --> 00:31:46,613 up to the present, 580 00:31:46,696 --> 00:31:49,324 {\an8}the science of fireworks has changed so dramatically. 581 00:31:49,407 --> 00:31:52,785 Mickey's flare has been outshone 582 00:31:52,869 --> 00:31:55,455 because now computers run the show! 583 00:31:55,538 --> 00:31:58,041 Now, fireworks are done in a very sophisticated way. 584 00:31:58,124 --> 00:32:02,462 We use electronic systems that basically go to each and every shell, 585 00:32:02,545 --> 00:32:05,882 {\an8}and we can now launch a shell and probably have it hit 586 00:32:05,965 --> 00:32:08,343 {\an8}within, uh, 10 frames of a second. 587 00:32:11,054 --> 00:32:13,890 In the early shows, we would basically go and draw them. 588 00:32:13,973 --> 00:32:16,184 So they'd come in and they would just take markers 589 00:32:16,267 --> 00:32:18,895 {\an8}and they'd say, "Oh, this a mine and it would go to a gold glitter, 590 00:32:18,978 --> 00:32:22,357 {\an8}but we want it to be red and blue to a sparkle." 591 00:32:22,982 --> 00:32:27,195 Now, all that has accelerated to the point where we're now doing full CGI. 592 00:32:27,278 --> 00:32:31,199 We can now go and take a shell, we recreate it in CGI, 593 00:32:31,282 --> 00:32:33,868 and now I can actually do an entire show 594 00:32:33,952 --> 00:32:36,579 and show it to you before we ever shoot one shell, 595 00:32:36,663 --> 00:32:39,582 and it'll be probably 90 percent accurate. 596 00:32:39,666 --> 00:32:44,545 And now, the classic air show has a lot more air in it. 597 00:32:44,629 --> 00:32:46,673 {\an8}A researcher in the development group came up with the idea 598 00:32:46,756 --> 00:32:48,925 {\an8}of launching the fireworks with compressed air, 599 00:32:49,008 --> 00:32:50,301 {\an8}like a big potato cannon. 600 00:32:50,385 --> 00:32:53,137 Each shell is in its own tube and it can be fired up 601 00:32:53,221 --> 00:32:54,847 exactly at the moment you need it to go. 602 00:32:54,931 --> 00:32:56,849 The amount of pressure can tell exactly how to go 603 00:32:56,933 --> 00:32:59,602 and you can aim the tube to do exactly what you want. 604 00:32:59,686 --> 00:33:03,648 I can now take shells and position them where I want them in the sky. 605 00:33:03,731 --> 00:33:06,734 This is the technology that allowed a big Mickey shape 606 00:33:06,818 --> 00:33:08,361 to show up in our firework shows. 607 00:33:08,444 --> 00:33:11,155 First of all, it's a safer way to launch the pyro, 608 00:33:11,239 --> 00:33:13,741 and it's also a quieter way to launch the pyro 609 00:33:13,825 --> 00:33:17,745 {\an8}because you don't have the, uh, concussion mortar. 610 00:33:17,829 --> 00:33:21,749 Which suddenly transformed everything because suddenly we had no ground smoke. 611 00:33:21,833 --> 00:33:23,751 Well, there's usually no smoke without fire, 612 00:33:23,835 --> 00:33:26,129 but now there's fireworks without smoke? 613 00:33:26,212 --> 00:33:29,590 One of the things about ground smoke is that if you don't have any wind 614 00:33:29,674 --> 00:33:32,093 your whole show just starts to disappear 615 00:33:32,176 --> 00:33:37,432 because you just have this swell of smoke surrounding everything you're at. 616 00:33:37,515 --> 00:33:41,853 Today's fireworks aren't just clearer, they're also cleaner. 617 00:33:42,270 --> 00:33:44,647 A new technology we have called nitrocellulose. 618 00:33:44,731 --> 00:33:49,777 Nitrocellulose is a new way to make colors of the different comets 619 00:33:49,861 --> 00:33:52,071 and the different colors that you're seeing in the sky, 620 00:33:52,155 --> 00:33:55,658 but it's done with a product also that doesn't use black powder. 621 00:33:55,742 --> 00:33:57,076 It changes the formula, 622 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,287 so you're getting rid of a lot of the smoke 623 00:33:59,370 --> 00:34:01,914 that used to be in, uh, traditional fireworks. 624 00:34:02,540 --> 00:34:04,876 From fireworks to waterworks, 625 00:34:04,959 --> 00:34:09,464 Disney's nighttime spectaculars have always found new ways 626 00:34:09,547 --> 00:34:11,174 to tell their stories. 627 00:34:11,632 --> 00:34:15,928 But one show in particular has truly risen to the moment. 628 00:34:17,013 --> 00:34:22,351 On June 18th, 2022, a brand-new nighttime spectacular 629 00:34:22,435 --> 00:34:26,189 illuminated the Hong Kong sky for the first time. 630 00:34:27,940 --> 00:34:30,651 And to call it "Momentous" would be accurate! 631 00:34:31,778 --> 00:34:35,698 {\an8}Momentous is a nighttime spectacular in Hong Kong Disneyland 632 00:34:35,782 --> 00:34:39,577 {\an8}unlike any other show we've put into any of our castle parks. 633 00:34:39,660 --> 00:34:41,746 Over five years in the making, 634 00:34:41,829 --> 00:34:45,666 this nighttime spectacular is the prodigious product 635 00:34:45,750 --> 00:34:49,003 of Disney Live Entertainment and imagineering teams 636 00:34:49,087 --> 00:34:52,423 in both the United States and Hong Kong. 637 00:34:52,507 --> 00:34:56,010 But just like any of Disney's most memorable spectaculars, 638 00:34:56,094 --> 00:34:58,721 it all began with an idea. 639 00:34:59,472 --> 00:35:01,599 {\an8}When you first set out to create a spectacular, 640 00:35:01,682 --> 00:35:03,726 {\an8}what you really need is a mission statement. 641 00:35:03,810 --> 00:35:06,771 For Momentous, it was "Live the moment, love the memory," 642 00:35:07,647 --> 00:35:12,735 and what resonated with us most was paying homage to the mentors, 643 00:35:12,819 --> 00:35:15,196 those who guided you along your journey. 644 00:35:15,279 --> 00:35:17,406 The story presented by Momentous 645 00:35:17,490 --> 00:35:20,159 draws upon decades of Disney lore, 646 00:35:20,243 --> 00:35:23,412 and in telling that story, the Momentous team drew 647 00:35:23,496 --> 00:35:26,833 from the dazzling history of nighttime spectaculars, 648 00:35:26,916 --> 00:35:31,629 combining all the most popular features into one magnificent show. 649 00:35:31,712 --> 00:35:37,885 Lights, lasers, projections, animation, pyro effects, and water effects. 650 00:35:37,969 --> 00:35:41,472 And to serve as the backdrop for this symphony of the senses, 651 00:35:41,556 --> 00:35:45,601 the team chose the iconic Castle of Magical Dreams. 652 00:35:45,685 --> 00:35:48,271 It's a fascinating thing to be designing a spectacular 653 00:35:48,354 --> 00:35:51,232 around an icon that has not yet been built. 654 00:35:51,315 --> 00:35:55,862 Well, there was a castle, but it was due for some sprucing up. 655 00:35:55,945 --> 00:35:58,823 And both those projects were kind of moving simultaneously. 656 00:35:58,906 --> 00:36:01,159 Which presented the Momentous team 657 00:36:01,242 --> 00:36:03,161 with a unique opportunity. 658 00:36:03,244 --> 00:36:06,497 We were able to custom craft the castle and the effects. 659 00:36:06,581 --> 00:36:08,583 That gave us the opportunity 660 00:36:08,666 --> 00:36:11,836 to really incorporate the elements to the show 661 00:36:11,919 --> 00:36:14,964 in that amazing castle that you see out there. 662 00:36:15,047 --> 00:36:16,507 And for Momentous, 663 00:36:16,591 --> 00:36:19,635 the key element would be projection mapping. 664 00:36:20,887 --> 00:36:23,306 There was a lot of communication between us and the design team 665 00:36:23,389 --> 00:36:24,849 who was working on the castle 666 00:36:24,932 --> 00:36:27,685 about how the projections may work upon their structure. 667 00:36:29,854 --> 00:36:31,355 We were helping to make sure 668 00:36:31,439 --> 00:36:33,816 {\an8}that our textures of the castle were really refined, 669 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:36,569 so that when we projected the Momentous show, 670 00:36:36,652 --> 00:36:39,572 we were getting, uh, a clean and... and good projection. 671 00:36:40,573 --> 00:36:41,782 So not only were we able to create 672 00:36:41,866 --> 00:36:45,828 this beautiful new structure that had, you know, locations for pyro, 673 00:36:45,912 --> 00:36:47,246 for lasers, for lighting, 674 00:36:47,330 --> 00:36:48,873 {\an8}but we also added water elements. 675 00:36:48,956 --> 00:36:50,750 {\an8}Some of the best fountains that we have 676 00:36:50,833 --> 00:36:53,169 in any of our theme parks around the world. 677 00:36:53,252 --> 00:36:57,840 In addition to that we had mist screens, that are more of a fountain nozzle effect, 678 00:36:57,924 --> 00:36:59,508 that allowed kind of a softer, 679 00:36:59,592 --> 00:37:02,094 more out of focused thing in front of that. 680 00:37:02,178 --> 00:37:04,222 And when it came to the waterworks, 681 00:37:04,305 --> 00:37:09,185 the Momentous team didn't just build their show around the castle, 682 00:37:09,268 --> 00:37:11,896 they also built the show on it. 683 00:37:11,979 --> 00:37:14,565 We were able to install big water jets 684 00:37:14,649 --> 00:37:16,567 actually on the castle itself. 685 00:37:19,779 --> 00:37:22,281 And the combination of those different elements add, 686 00:37:22,365 --> 00:37:25,785 not only this level of depth that give us different types of services, 687 00:37:25,868 --> 00:37:28,913 to light, to project on, or to tell story with. 688 00:37:30,289 --> 00:37:33,209 The story of creating Momentous 689 00:37:33,292 --> 00:37:37,964 was written with the pen of technology and the ink of innovation. 690 00:37:38,589 --> 00:37:42,468 As the sun sets each night on Hong Kong Disneyland, 691 00:37:43,052 --> 00:37:47,181 park guests gather to witness a brand-new story 692 00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:50,268 that tells a tale as old as time. 693 00:37:50,351 --> 00:37:53,312 Momentous is about a life's journey. 694 00:37:53,396 --> 00:37:55,940 You're born, you grow, you get old, 695 00:37:56,023 --> 00:37:58,484 and along the way, you make all these wonderful memories. 696 00:37:59,110 --> 00:38:01,487 But something that we represent in this show, 697 00:38:01,570 --> 00:38:03,990 which is unusual, I think, for a lot of Disney shows, 698 00:38:04,073 --> 00:38:05,783 is the idea of loss. 699 00:38:07,952 --> 00:38:10,496 It's a theme in Disney movies for loved ones to pass away 700 00:38:10,579 --> 00:38:12,665 and how we persevere and come over that. 701 00:38:13,791 --> 00:38:16,210 We've all lost somebody important in our lives. 702 00:38:16,294 --> 00:38:19,547 We've all going on this journey together through our lives. 703 00:38:23,092 --> 00:38:24,802 This show packs a lot of heart. 704 00:38:24,885 --> 00:38:27,888 It reminds us to love and cherish the memories 705 00:38:27,972 --> 00:38:30,099 that we have with our families and friends. 706 00:38:30,182 --> 00:38:31,767 And that's the beauty of the show, 707 00:38:31,851 --> 00:38:37,356 {\an8}is that it encourages you to embrace emotions. 708 00:38:41,068 --> 00:38:47,491 On a dark night in 1957, a single fuse was lit at Disneyland. 709 00:38:48,868 --> 00:38:53,706 The ensuing fireworks display lasted only about five minutes, 710 00:38:53,789 --> 00:38:58,252 but it sparked an idea that's lasted a bit longer. 711 00:38:58,836 --> 00:39:00,546 There's an uplifting optimism 712 00:39:00,629 --> 00:39:03,716 that Disney has been able to sustain since Walt's time, 713 00:39:04,633 --> 00:39:08,012 and I think these nighttime spectaculars are the cap on that. 714 00:39:08,095 --> 00:39:12,683 {\an8}For 65 years, Disney's nighttime spectaculars 715 00:39:12,767 --> 00:39:16,562 {\an8}have illuminated both skies and imaginations, 716 00:39:16,645 --> 00:39:20,107 adding a new chapter to the spectacular saga 717 00:39:20,191 --> 00:39:21,901 with each passing decade. 718 00:39:23,235 --> 00:39:27,490 And while new ideas and advances in technology 719 00:39:27,573 --> 00:39:31,660 have provided unique ways to tell the Disney story... 720 00:39:31,744 --> 00:39:36,374 Whether it's a parade or a firework show, or a water spectacular. 721 00:39:36,457 --> 00:39:38,501 The goal has always been the same. 722 00:39:38,584 --> 00:39:42,171 What we wanna do is give you that one last opportunity 723 00:39:42,254 --> 00:39:44,632 at the end of your day for perfection. 724 00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:47,510 Coming together and standing shoulder to shoulder 725 00:39:47,593 --> 00:39:52,014 with people and experiencing this profound moment of pyrotechnics 726 00:39:52,098 --> 00:39:53,682 and storytelling, and music. 727 00:39:53,766 --> 00:39:56,227 But it's so much more than that. 728 00:39:56,310 --> 00:40:01,357 The nighttime spectaculars are a celebration of jubilation. 729 00:40:02,108 --> 00:40:05,820 A time to reflect on a day like no other. 730 00:40:07,029 --> 00:40:09,782 It leaves you feeling that sense of wonder. 731 00:40:10,366 --> 00:40:12,201 That's what we want our guests to leave with. 732 00:40:12,284 --> 00:40:14,328 As the skies come alive 733 00:40:14,412 --> 00:40:18,082 with the bittersweet feeling that the end is nigh, 734 00:40:18,165 --> 00:40:22,378 you can almost hear Walt's words echo across the night sky. 735 00:40:22,461 --> 00:40:24,380 "This is our kiss goodnight." 736 00:40:24,463 --> 00:40:25,965 Did he actually say that? 737 00:40:26,048 --> 00:40:30,344 Uh, yeah, okay. In any case, the sentiment is clear. 738 00:40:30,428 --> 00:40:32,680 We wanna tell you we love you on the way out. 739 00:40:32,763 --> 00:40:37,101 Leaving just one thing left to say, good night!