In total, Disney D-Light runs for less than five minutes. Then, after hanging there for a few moments - even after the lights return to normal - the drones sparkle and fade… for now. I had the chance to see Disney D-Light twice and, both times, there was an audible gasp of delight and amazement from the crowd.

After a brief moment of near total darkness, seemingly from out of nowhere, the drones light up to reveal a giant “30” in the sky (keen observers may notice that the 30 doubles as a mickey icon). Now for the part you’ve all been waiting for. Accompanying the imagery (which utilizes the 30th anniversary’s color scheme and other motifs) is a slower, more emotional version of the anniversary theme “Un Monde Qui S'illumine.” Fun fact: this rendition was actually recorded at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London. Like many recent Disney entertainment offerings, the pre-show mostly utilized projection mapping - in this case, utilizing the already-gorgeous Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant as its palette. Sure enough, seeing these glowing flying machines take to the sky was nothing short of magical.īefore we get to “the moment,” let me set the stage for Disney D-Light.

This new pre-show to Disney Illuminations might not sound that exciting based on the most basic of descriptions but it gets a boost from the mention of one emerging technology: drones. While this event includes several new offerings, merchandise, treats, and more, one of the highlights I was personally looking forward to was the debut of Disney D-Light. This weekend, Disneyland Paris kicked off its 30th anniversary celebration.

Disney illuminations review