Disney Illuminations

Within each of us is a dreamer, just waiting to be awakened. We all have the magic to unlock this inner child. But sometimes, that inner child needs an invitation to come out and play. This is your invitation... to dream.

The music played during this opening and the finale of the show is "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella, and is performed by Heather Headley.

Like other Disney fireworks shows, various songs from Disney-related films are then showcased, including:

• Circle of Life and Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King
• Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid
• Fronds Like These and The Turtle Lope from Finding Nemo
• He's a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prologue (cut in 2024) and How Does a Moment Last Forever (cut in 2024) from Beauty and the Beast
• When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio
• Main Title and March of the Resistance from Star Wars
• Let It Go, For the First Time in Forever (cut in 2024), and Vuelie from Frozen
• A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella (reprise)
• If You Can Dream from Disney Princess

The show soft-launched on 25 March 2017 at the start of the Disneyland Paris' 25th anniversary celebrations, with its official launch on 26 March 2017.

Illuminations was suspended from 12 March 2020 shortly prior to the park's closure during the COVID-19 pandemic in France; it appeared as a "Disneyland Paris Watch Party" on YouTube with a full video.{{cite web |date=9 April 2020 |title=Disneyland Paris Releases Full "Disney Illuminations" Show on YouTube |url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2020/04/09/disneyland-paris-releases-full-disney-illuminations-show-on-youtube/ |access-date=8 July 2020 |website=The Laughing Place}}

After a brief reopening from 21 December 2021 to 2 January 2022, it was suspended again due to French government regulations on large gatherings.{{Cite web |title=Disneyland® Paris reveals incredible offerings for 2021 Christmas season, with the return of must-see shows and a brand-new Christmas Parade – DisneylandParis News |date=18 October 2021 |url=https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/programme-noel/ |access-date=25 January 2022 |language=en-US}} The show reopened on 16 February and was paused on 11 November for the 2022–2023 Christmas season. A revival of Disney Dreams! of Christmas temporarily replaced the show from 12 November to 8 January 2023.{{Cite web |title=As Part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration, the Magic of Christmas will be Even Stronger at Disneyland Paris from November 12th, 2022 to January 8th, 2023 – DisneylandParis News |date=September 2022 |url=https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/as-part-of-the-30th-anniversary-celebration-the-magic-of-christmas-will-be-even-stronger-at-disneyland-paris-from-november-12th-2022-to-january-8th-2023/ |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=1 September 2022 |title="Disney Dreams! of Christmas" Returns to Disneyland Paris for 2022 Holiday Season |url=https://www.mousesteps.com/2022/09/01/disney-dreams-of-christmas-returns-to-disneyland-paris-for-2022-holiday-season/ |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=Mousesteps |language=en-US}} Illuminations then returned on 9 January 2023.

On 10 January 2023, it was announced that its predecessor Disney Dreams! will be revived and replace Illuminations starting 12 April as part of the resort's 30th Anniversary "Grand Finale", which is part of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration.{{Cite web |title=Disneyland Paris Offers Magical New Experiences Ahead of the Grand Finale of its 30th Anniversary – DisneylandParis News |date=10 January 2023 |url=https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/disneyland-paris-offers-magical-new-experiences-ahead-of-the-grand-finale-of-its-30th-anniversary/ |access-date=19 January 2023 |language=en-US}}

On 8 May 2024, it was announced that the revamped version of Disney Illuminations will return on 31 May 2024, after the final performance of Disney Dreams! on 30 May 2024, but the entire Beauty and the Beast live-action segment, as well as the second part of the Frozen segment (For the First Time in Forever part), were cut from the show. The show was reduced in runtime by a third due to the cuts made.

The show is known to use a large amount of audio-visual, lighting, pyrotechnic and hydro-technic technology, mostly installed for the preceding Disney Dreams! show.

The castle is covered with projectors, and uses a much wider area than the previous Disney Dreams!, utilizing the hills around the castle as well as the castle itself.

In a Disney Parks first, choreographed lighted drone technology is used during a new, specially-designed pre-show sequence for the park's 30th anniversary in 2022.{{Cite web|date=25 January 2022|title=As of March 6, 2022, Disneyland Paris will celebrate its 30th Anniversary!|url=https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/disneylandparis30/|access-date=25 January 2022|website=Disneyland Paris News}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=25 January 2022|title=Disneyland Paris Announces Disney D-Light Preshow Featuring Drone Choreography|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2022/01/25/disneyland-paris-announces-disney-d-light-preshow-featuring-drone-choreography/|access-date=25 January 2022|website=LaughingPlace.com|language=en-US}} Called "Disney D-Light", the new sequence uses 150 drones that recreated the Mickey Mouse-shaped 30th Anniversary logo above Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant. "Disney D-Light" is set to an original score and arrangement by Rick McKee that uses themes from Inside Out, Hercules, Moana, and other Disney films, as well as the anniversary's theme song "Un monde qui s'illumine" (written by Chantry Johnson, Noemie Legrand, and Tony Ferrari, and performed by Héloïse). The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios by The London Symphony Orchestra.

The original version of the pre-show (and post-show called "Afterglow", now folded into the "Disney D-Light" pre-show) debuted ahead of the celebration's launch, on 5 March 2022. A second version of the pre-show continues to play before Disney Dreams! until 30 September 2023, the end of the 30th Anniversary celebrations, which is part of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration.{{Cite web |title=Disneyland Paris presents fans with what's new for 2023 and beyond! - DisneylandParis News |date=12 April 2023 |url=https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/disneyland-paris-presents-fans-with-whats-new-for-2023-and-beyond/ |access-date=13 April 2023 |language=en-US}}

From 31 May 2024, Disney Illuminations include the pre-show that continue to run even when the 2023 revival of Disney Dreams! had its final performance on 30 May. A new show called Disney Electrical Sky Parade, inspired by Disneyland Paris version of Main Street Electrical Parade, temporarily premiered on 8 January 2024, as part of Disney Symphony of Colours celebration and was initially a pre-show for Disney Dreams!.{{Cite web |date=7 October 2023 |title=CONCEPT ART: New Disneyland Paris Drone and Projection Show Inspired by Main Street Electrical Parade - WDW News Today |url=https://wdwnt.com/2023/10/concept-art-new-disneyland-paris-drone-and-projection-show-inspired-by-main-street-electrical-parade/ |access-date=22 December 2023 |website=wdwnt.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=18 November 2023 |title=BREAKING: New Drone Show at Disneyland Paris Confirmed to Be 'Disney Electrical Sky Parade', New Concept Art Released - WDW News Today |url=https://wdwnt.com/2023/11/breaking-new-drone-show-at-disneyland-paris-confirmed-to-be-disney-electrical-sky-parade-new-concept-art-released/ |access-date=22 December 2023 |website=wdwnt.com |language=en-US}} The show was expected to run until 30 September 2024, but was later extended to 6 January 2025.{{cite web | url=https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-visit-in-paris/walks/articles/307150-disney-electrical-sky-parade-the-extended-nighttime-drone-show-at-disneyland-paris | title=Disney Electrical Sky Parade, the extended nighttime drone show at Disneyland Paris }}

However, on 5 December 2024, it was announced that a new pre-show titled Disney Love Notre-Dame de Paris, as a new limited time engagement in the honor of the grand opening of Notre Dame Cathedral, and inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios' film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was debuted from 5 to 14 December 2024 before Disney Illuminations at Disneyland Paris.{{Cite web |last=Charis |date=5 December 2024 |title=Disneyland Paris Debuts Limited Time Experience in Honor of Notre-Dame Reopening |url=https://disneyparksblog.com/dlp/disneyland-paris-debuts-limited-time-experience-in-honor-of-notre-dame-reopening/ |access-date=8 December 2024 |website=Disney Parks Blog |language=en-US}}

• World of Color
• Epcot Forever
• Luminous: The Symphony of Us
• Disney Movie Magic
• Wonderful World of Animation
• Happily Ever After

{{reflist}}

{{Disney nighttime shows}}

Category:Walt Disney Parks and Resorts fireworks

Category:Disneyland Park (Paris)

Category:Walt Disney Parks and Resorts entertainment