It’s hard to write about Disneyland without being effusive with happy adjectives and gushing with sentiment. Just the name itself evokes a smile. Everyone, whether they’ve been to Disneyland or not, knows it as the happiest place on earth. But of the many new additions to the Disneyland Resort, it’s actually Disney’s California Adventure Park that’s bringing on the smiles this time around.
This summer we were captivated by the nighttime water spectacular World of Color. With a dazzling array of playful characters, menacing villains, expressive music, performing fountains and astonishing special effects packed into a 25-minute show, Disney has found yet another way to exhilarate, entertain and amaze.
Presented on a massive “stage” of water, color and light that is bigger than a football field and encompasses all of Paradise Bay, the mega-scale, after-dark celebration of Disney storytelling brings animation to life with powerful fountains that become “stars” of the show as they create one of the world’s largest projected water screens. It’s a truly magical experience that has to be seen to be believed. No video, picture or article will do it justice.
During the under-25-minute show, World of Color immerses audiences in technological wonder and the enchanting magic of beloved Disney and Disney-Pixar characters, combining nearly 1,200 versatile fountains, dazzling colors, Disney music and an all-new kaleidoscope of audio and visual effects, to take water-based entertainment to a new level of artistry.
Animated sequences projected onto the World of Color water screen flood the senses, taking us on an imaginative journey into the colorful worlds of such classics as Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and many more. The show’s remarkable special effects drive the narrative, creating not only beauty, grace and vivid colors, but dynamic action that delivers some of the show’s most urgent sequences racing toward the audience in a wave of excitement.
To view the show, guests can pick up a Fast-Pass at distribution machines by the Grizzly Rapids. Even though there are three shows that accommodate 6,000 at a time, get in line for the Fast-Pass early. Guests can also reserve seating by purchasing a boxed picnic or enjoying a sit-down dinner at either Ariel’s Grotto or Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery prior to the shows.
