A photo tour of the Magic Kingdom's newest fireworks
show
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Text and photos by Mark Goldhaber, staff writer
Shells from the new firing locations cross during the new Wishes
show.
“I bet a lot of you folks don't believe that—about a wish
coming true, do ya? Well, I didn't either. Of course, I'm just a cricket,
but let me tell ya what changed my mind. Ya see, the most fantastic,
magical things can happen—and it all starts with a wish!”
…So says Jiminy Cricket at the beginning of Wishes, an amazing
new fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. New firing
locations and shell types made for a very impressive show. Jiminy's words
are followed by a “wishing star” shell fired from one of the
new locations that brings an immediate positive reaction from the crowd.
While very episodic in feel (my wife referred to it being “in six
movements”), it featured an impressive pyrotechnic display, evoking
more “oohs” and “aahs” than I've heard during a Disney
fireworks show in a very long time. The fireworks were designed by Eric
Tucker, whose credits include IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
at Epcot.
A new, cloud-effect shell explodes over Cinderella Castle.
While I haven't seen Believe… There's Magic in the Stars
at Disneyland to make a valid comparison, I can be certain in saying that
Steve Davison and his team have done a wonderful job with this new show.
Though there was quite a bit more talking than we're used to from the
Fantasy in the Sky shows, the use of many character voices was
a nice touch.
The image of the sorcerer's hat is projected on the Cinderella Castle
as red shells jump alongside during the Fantasia segment of Wishes.
There seemed to be six major portions of the show, each introduced by
Jiminy. It started with a child reciting the “star light, star bright”
poem. This was followed by the singing of a song with those lyrics, written
by Gregory Smith—who worked on such productions as IllumiNations
25 and Splashtacular at Epcot, and the Mickey Mania
parade at the Magic Kingdom.
Comet shells cross over the Cinderella Castle during the “When You
Wish Upon a Star” segment of the new Wishes show.
The next segment was introduced by Jiminy Cricket talking about wishes,
followed by a number of Disney character voices wishing for things. Tinkerbell
flies early in this portion, though we thought it might have been better
to have her fly a little later during the Peter Pan music in this
movement.
This is followed by the third portion, a series of instrumental Disney
numbers.
The fourth movement was a “magic” segment, featuring some
words from the Genie from Aladdin followed by some music from the
movie, then music from the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia
with the pattern from the sorcerer's hat projected on the castle while
single red shells popped up from the various firing locations in time
with the music.
Fireworks explode alongside the Cinderella Castle during the “villains”
portion of the show.
Next came the “villains” segment of the show, with the castle
lit in a very spooky manner while many villains had their say in words
and music.
The show concluded with another “star light, star bright”
segment.
The firing locations from the tops of the Fantasyland dark ride buildings
made for a great addition to the tableaux that Davison was able to create.
Parallel launchings show off the new launch locations that were added
for the Wishes show.
“Wishes takes us into the heart of Disney storytelling and
shows us that wishes can come true if you believe in them with all your
heart,” said Davison. “The goal of the show is to move guests
in a very special way, to fill them with a magic only Disney can create
and, most of all, to give everyone a magical memory to treasure for a
lifetime.”
Music from the show includes songs from ten Disney classics: Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella,
Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty
and the Beast, Aladdin, and Hercules.
Shells cross behind Cinderella Castle during the new Wishes fireworks
spectacular.
Wishes was designed to integrate with the “Magical Gatherings”
promotion that encourages large groups of family and friends to visit
Walt Disney World together.
“What Wishes is created to do is bring everyone together
at night,” Davison said. “They all may have different experiences
during the day but at night we're asking everyone to come to the Magic
Kingdom to watch what happens when family and friends all make a wish
together and see what happens in the sky.”
A number of people that I spoke with or overheard after the show were
all remarking on how this show was so totally different from Fantasy in
the Sky and how amazing it was. Folks, this one is a keeper. Disney
has a new nighttime spectacular that is worthy of the name Disney.
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Mark is a veteran of many trips to Walt Disney World starting in 1972, with a few Disneyland trips also under his belt. He is also a Disney stockholder and a Disney Vacation Club member who collects Disney sericels, books, clothing, and just about any other thing with The Mouse on it that he can lay his hands on. Between visiting WDW, planning trips for himself and others, fantasizing about trips to WDW, and reading everything he can about Walt Disney and his legacy, there's not much time left for anything other than family time, but he's perfectly happy with that. Mark is a computer geek working for the State of New York. He lives in the suburbs outside Albany, New York, with his wife and son. Click here to contact Mark. 
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