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Text and photos by Adrienne Vincent- Phoenix

I should start by saying that I did not like the summer fireworks show, Believe! There's Magic in the Stars, when I initially saw it. It started out too slow, the silly narration by the kid seemed awkward, and all of the fireworks were white. White fireworks? What's the point?

As the show progressed, the colors got brighter, and the storyline started to come together, I was drawn in. By the end, I was definitely glad I'd seen it once... but it wasn't something I was planning to go see night after night after night. A few weeks later, my husband wanted to stay and see the fireworks again, and I agreed. There must have been a little extra pixie dust in the air that night, because it was as if I had never seen the show before. The whole thing was incredible from start to finish. Mickey worked, the music captured me, and I was hooked. A few weeks later I found a great spot to see Believe!, just in front of' "it's a small world", and we made it a point to watch the fireworks as often as possible. I was terribly saddened when Believe! was put on hold for the new Holiday version, but I was sure that I'd love the new version just as much. Plus - I'd heard something about snow!

I was able to watch the two "rehearsal" performances of "Believe in… Magic of the Holidays" this past week, as well as another performance Sunday. I think the show is wonderful. It is not the equal of the original Believe!, but it's a great show in it's own right.

Castle before the show

Having said that, it is important to note that the music is disjointed. After watching the show again on Sunday night, it seems that some changes have been made to the music. The whole thing flows better, although I'm still not sure why they thought "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" and "The Dreidel Song" made a good medley. There are still some starts and stops in odd places. Overall, I think that this is a crowd pleaser, which almost everyone will enjoy. And, did I mention the snow?

Opening Finale

The show actually starts with a finale, set to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". If you are planning to take pictures, be prepared - the first salvo is one of the most impressive. Next, there is a piece of narration by a Grandmotherly type voice. (Did anyone else who saw it fear she was about to say "Open your heart and wish on a star in the sky?") The "Remember the Magic" (Holiday Version) song starts, while lots of gold, white and silver fireworks are used, as well as the first comets.

Crossing comets

The first splash of color comes with the Toyland section. The Castle is lit with colored strobe lights, which makes the Castle seem to come alive. The Roman Candle Calliope is used here again, but is not quite as effective as it was with Believe! v. 1.0.

Roman candels

Lots of fountains are used here as well, bringing color and rhythm to the section. This segues into the "Dreidel Song" / "Two Front Teeth" medley. Red and Green Fireworks with the "Dreidel Song"? This section finishes with one of my favorite effects - an exploding shell which spins and corkscrews in all directions, and even more fountains.

Roman candle fountains

The next section is much more subdued. The strains of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" are accented with a Roman Candle fountain behind the Castle, which resembles a peacock tail. It's a nice, slow section with more gold and silver fireworks.

Peacock tail

After a few moments, the music swells into a meld of "Carol of the Bells" and "We Three Kings". This is a very strong, but short, piece, with lots of well-timed bursts. The tempo slows again as "Silent Night" is heard, punctuated with single, small bursts which slowly dissolve. As the final "Sleep in Heavenly Peace" bar is played, a comet crosses the sky and there are about 5 seconds of silence.

Silent Night comet

Several people have remarked that this pause is too long. It's not like the "fake" finale in Believe!, where that could BE the end and everyone would go home happy. The whole show just stops here, and you hope it's not over. "Carol of the Bells" breaks the too-long silence, accented with a Sugar Plum Medley and a lot of big, bright shells. Lots of "boom" in this section! The tempo drops again as a reprise of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is accompanied with big silver and gold "willows."

Willows

Time for the finale! The singers launch back into the "Believe" Holiday song., and there is a smaller-than-usual finale. Rather than a traditional "How Many Shells Can We Explode All At Once" ending, this show relies heavily on Roman Candles and Fountains during the finale.

Finale Roman Candles

Finale Fountains

After the last shells explode, the music fades to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", a hissing noise is audible, and the streetlights slowly come back up. People look around and wonder what's still to come, and suddenly someone points to the sky and exclaims, "LOOK!" Yep - it's snowing, on Main Street U.S.A.

A Canadian family we were standing near last night wasn't all that impressed (after all, they get way too much of the real stuff), but most of the guests were just entranced.

Snow above heads

The snow lasts for a few minutes. It's not heavy, and it doesn’t "stick." As a matter of fact, it's not really snow at all, but a special effect. If you’d like a peek behind the magic, be sure to look for an "Ask Doc Krock" column on this subject coming soon.

No matter how it's done though, I think it's a fantastic effect. Kids were especially thrilled with it, but grown-ups were doing their fair share of acting like kids again too. For the few minutes that it's snowing, people just wander around as if in a daze.

Enjoying the snow

The snow effect is done in four areas throughout the park, so you have your choice of viewing locations. While Main Street is the favorite spot, with everyone trying to get that "Wonderful World of Disney" view of fireworks over the Castle, I personally prefer the "it's a small world" corridor. The fireworks seem MUCH bigger when you're that much closer to the launch area.

Snow Blower

Most fireworks shows end with a huge finale. "Believe… In Holiday Magic" ends with snow. The real finale is not what you see in the air. It's what is falling to the ground. Because of this, guests who are not in the snow areas miss the big surprise of the show. Unlike Belive!, there is no story to the holiday version. Without the snow effect, there is no conclusion - the show just stops.

The finale to the show

Overall, though, I LIKE this show, and I wasn't alone. Although the crowd reaction was not overwhelming on the first rehearsal night, it has been very strong on subsequent nights due to the fixes they have been making - but pretty much still only once the snow ends. So, if you're going to be at Disneyland for the fireworks, be sure to aim for a spot in the "Snow Zone."

I think the "Magic" is not so much the effect on the street, as it is the effect on the audience.