We Watched Opening Night of Disney World’s Drone Show “Dreams that Soar”

“Disney Dreams That Soar presented by AT&T” just debuted at Disney Springs and is lighting up the sky in a new way for Walt Disney World.

This new drone show is one of many new offerings for the summer at Walt Disney World, including the highly anticipated Tiana's Bayou Adventure and CommuniCore Hall and Plaza, which are both set to officially open in June.

Disney Dreams That Soar features state-0f-the-art drones to bring beloved Disney characters to life. I saw the show in person last night and loved it, with many “wow” moments and great audience reactions. Here's all the details on the show and my thoughts after seeing it.

Disney Dreams That Soar Details

May 24, 2024 marked the official debut of Disney Dreams That Soar at Disney Springs, and with it came a massive audience to see the all-new offering at Walt Disney World. The core idea of the show is to highlight characters we know and love that soar, and dream to soar.

Disney Dreams That Soar is a limited-time show, and will be performed nightly through September 2. The 9-minute show currently is performed twice nightly, at 9:00 PM and 10:45 PM. Showtimes are subject to change, so make sure to check DisneySprings.com before your visit. The demand for the first show at 9:00 PM is very high right now going into the summer season, so if you don't mind staying out late, the 10:45 PM showtime is ideal, yet will still be busy.

The show is best viewed from the shoreline of Disney Springs West Side. If you are not viewing it from Disney Springs West Side, you will not be able to hear the soundtrack for the show, or view the characters as they are meant to be seen. The viewing area for the show is limited, yet since the drones perform high in the sky, you can see them perfectly even if there are people standing in front of you.

My biggest takeaway with the show is the scale of it, as it uses 800 cutting-edge drones, all choreographed to create over 30 characters that light up the night sky. The show features characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movies.

While the show is full of beloved characters, it also is set to an original soundtrack and original song. The original song opens and closes the show, and has classic Disney vibes which I loved.

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As I previously mentioned, the scale of this show is really what stood out to me, with one of the main highlights being the Death Star. The Death Star is 213-feet tall and rotated in the sky, complete with lasers being fired. This was one of the many “wow” moments with a huge audience reaction, and is a fantastic use of the cutting-edge drone technology.

Not only is the show set to an original soundtrack, but it also features quotes and well-known moments from the characters and films featured. During the Death Star sequence, Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are heard talking over Star Wars music, right as the Death Star is revealed. The use of the drones, music, and quotes really does bring the entire show together.

For reference, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT stands at 180 feet tall, so the height of the Death Star during the show would tower over Spaceship Earth if they were next to each other. I feel it's only appropriate to compare the Death Star to Spaceship Earth since they are both similarly-shaped spaceships.

More Disney Dreams That Soar Fun Facts

I've already mentioned some fun facts on the scale of Disney Dreams That Soar, yet there are many more worth mentioning.

The Dumbo scene was my favorite part of the entire show, and after finding out it's the highest point of the show at 354 feet tall, I feel that's definitely part of it. Dumbo at 354 feet tall is 17 times higher than the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction at Magic Kingdom Park.

At the beginning of the show, Big Ben from Peter Pan appears, and it stands at 328 feet tall. For reference, Big Ben in real life stands at 316 feet tall, so as of now, you can see a taller Big Ben in drone form at Disney Springs.

The Up House is another “wow” moment, as many are, and during the show, is 321 feet tall. If you were to take 3 Up Houses from the film (with the balloons), it would take roughly three and a half of them to be as big as the one Up House during Disney Dreams That Soar.

During this scene, the Up House appears and then rocks back and forth to complete the effect that the balloons are making the house float above the water. The drone technology is impressive on its own, but the use of so many vibrant colors here truly adds to the scene, and it was gorgeous in person.

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Baymax flies at a height of 328 feet tall during the show, which is 52 times bigger than the character Baymax at Disney Parks. Baymax first appears in his normal form, and then is activated as Hiro can be heard talking in the background.

This scene was spectacular and utilized the drone technology perfectly. Not only does it look like Baymax is flying above the water here, but the drones for the “thrusters” activate and twinkle to complete the flying effect. The attention to detail for the entire show is incredible, yet this scene stands out due to the flying effect brought to life through the drones and soundtrack.

The facts about Disney Dreams That Soar really speak for themselves, and this show is something that needs to be seen in person multiple times to be fully appreciated. There is so much happening at once during the entire 9-minute show that you won't be able to take it all in during one viewing.

My Final Thoughts on Disney Dreams That Soar

Disney Dreams That Soar is a fantastic FREE summer offering at Disney Springs. In my opinion, this show is a must-see during its limited-time run, and hopefully just the beginning of drone shows for Walt Disney World.

My initial takeaway for the show, along with the scale of it, was how quickly-paced and action packed it is. This show is packed with over 30 characters in a 9-minute run time, and I immediately noticed how many incredible characters are featured. The fact that so many characters are featured allows for everyone to see a character they love, and the audience reactions I experienced in person were incredible.

I specifically loved the Dumbo scene, which is brought to life beautifully in an incredible art style through the drones and colors. The only scene of the show that fell flat for me was the Guardians of the Galaxy scene, which took up too much time with the characters from the films. The Milano from the Guardians of the Galaxy films was a brilliant use of the drones, but the character sequence after didn't match the rest of the show, which at its core about characters who can soar, and dream to soar.

Overall, I think the teams from Disney Live Entertainment did a fantastic job with this show. I hope the limited-time run is either extended or leads to more drones in nighttime entertainment at Walt Disney World in the future. I strongly suggest taking the time to see it if you are planning a visit to Walt Disney World this summer.

Make sure to stay tuned to MickeyVisit.com, as the team will be covering all the new summer offerings at Walt Disney World.

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