New World of Color show “Season of Light” debuts at Disney California Adventure

The all-new, nighttime spectacular “World of Color–Season of Light” has just debuted at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. The new show wraps guests in the warm glow of holiday magic fusing cherished holiday music sung by beloved artists with memorable moments from treasured Disney animated films, this sparkling winter fantasy is magical for all ages. This is the fourth edition of “World of Color” and additional lighting, lasers and high-definition projections has made it more entertaining than ever.

Here are some fun facts and figures for the new show:

• More than 120 characters from 30-plus Disney and Disney•Pixar animated films are included in “World of Color–Season of Light.”
• The show has been in development for nearly a year, and the production team spent 10 weeks working overnight in the theme park to program the new show.

Music

• The score for “World of Color–Season of Light” was recorded in sessions in London, Nashville and Chicago.
• The soundtrack features some well-known musical artists performing popular holiday tunes:
  • “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
  • “Let It Snow” by Dean Martin
  • “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Michael Bublé and Idina Menzel
  • “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Amy Grant
  • “Mele Kalikimaka” by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
  • “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano
  • “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” by Pentatonix
  • “Wizards in Winter” by Transiberian Orchestra
  • “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley
  • “Let There Be Peace on Earth” by Heather Headley

Themes

• In the mesmerizing start, the last leaves of fall give way to the arrival of winter, as Mickey and his pals decorate their homes for Christmas. Themes include:
  • Snow: The Frost Fairies from “Fantasia” create a winter wonderland.
  • Love and Romance: Some of Disney’s romantic, fairytale couples take center stage, celebrating the holidays with the ones they love.
  • Family and Home: From Andy’s family in “Toy Story” to a “Mele Kalikimaka” with Stitch and his ‘Ohana and a “Feliz Navidad” from the Three Caballeros, the story demonstrates that the most precious holiday moments are spending time with family.
  • The Nutcracker: Highlights from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” ballet accompany hilarious visuals of gracefully dancing hippos, ostriches, elephants and alligators from Disney’s “Fantasia.”
  • Lights: Goofy goes all out in an over-the-top holiday light displays — until his ode turns to overload and everything short circuits, leading to a “Blue Christmas” with Sadness from Disney•Pixar’s “Inside Out.”
  • Peace on Earth: In a stunningly beautiful finale, the lagoon is illuminated with the light of hope, filling guests’ hearts with the spirit of peace, joy and goodwill to all.

Lighting & Projection

• For “World of Color–Season of Light,” the lagoon will be flooded with more light than ever as five newly installed barges erupt in a brilliant lighting effect to punctuate the grand finale.
• More than 800 individual light fixtures are needed to illuminate the show.
• Six laser projectors are deployed to create a variety of entertaining effects.
• Nearly 20 high-definition projectors convey imagery to the screens of water.

Fountains

• Paradise Bay lagoon serves as the stage for “World of Color—Season of Light.” The lagoon covers 3.5 acres with nearly 15 million gallons of water and more than 1,200 fountains.
• The tables on which the fountains and other equipment sit comprise nearly one full acre of engineered superstructure, longer than a football field and capable of three position levels: one for performance, one completely submerged and one for maintenance.
• A vast underwater grid contains more than 18,000 points of control. Each fountain has multiple points of control for lighting, color intensity, water angle, height and more.
• Fountain heights range from 30 feet to 200 feet in the air. By way of comparison, Mickey’s Fun Wheel reaches a height of 150 feet.
• The show features one of the world’s largest projected water screens – a wall of water 380 feet wide by 50 feet high, for a projection surface of 19,000 square feet.

World of Color Highlights and History

• “World of Color – Season of Light” is the fourth all-new production to take place on Paradise Bay at Disney California Adventure Park. Previous shows were:
  • The original “World of Color” (2010)
  • “World of Color – Winter Dreams” (2013)
  • “World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney” (2015)
• In its history, “World of Color” has incorporated pre-shows and enhancements to keep the show fresh for guests, including a New Year’s Eve pre-show (2010), a July 4 Independence Day pre-show (2011) and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011).
• “World of Color” received the 2010 Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Award for Outstanding Achievement–Nighttime Spectacular, for being “a visual and technical marvel.”

Will you plan to take in a showing of “World of Color – Season of Light” on your next visit to Disneyland?

(Photo courtesy Disneyland/Scot Brinegar)