“Disney Dreams That Soar” Drone Show Team Learned From Disneyland Paris (Interview)

Hi everyone!

The new Disney Springs drone show “Disney Dreams That Soar” debuted on May 24th, 2024 to a large, receptive audience. The nearly 10-minute show features a variety of Disney characters and 800 drones, in what Disney Live Entertainment Executive Creative Director Tom Vazzana says is “a love letter to everyone who has a dream”.

This is not the first drone show at Disney Springs. That honor goes to Starbright Holidays, which ran in 2016 with 300 drones. We have also viewed all of the Disneyland Paris drone shows multiple times. While “Disney Dreams That Soar” isn’t as advanced as “Disney Electrical Sky Parade” (the newest Disneyland Paris show), it is really well done, with a nice soundtrack and it is free for guests to view.

I had the opportunity to ask a few questions of Tony Giordano, Show Director for Disney Live Entertainment about “Disney Dreams That Soar”, which will run through September 2nd, 2024. The Disney Live Entertainment team did go to Disneyland Paris to learn about their shows, and that was one of my questions.

Here is our three-question interview!

Our video of “Disney Dreams That Soar”

MS: How did you choose which Disney and Pixar characters you wanted to add to the show?

TG: “Disney Dreams that Soar” is about Disney characters who have had a dream of flying. Not just the idea that they can fly, but the idea of taking their lives to the next level. We also considered where the show was happening. When you walk around Disney Springs, you can find such a wide range of characters represented in the merchandise and décor. We wanted to continue the spirit of having those nostalgic characters as well as some of our newest additions to the Disney collection so there really is something for everyone.

MS: Was there anything you learned from Disneyland Paris about putting on a drone show for guests?

TG: The Disneyland Paris team was a great resource when developing this show. The team at Disney Live Entertainment was able to travel to Paris and see their drones in action, taking time while they were there to learn from the people who have really been pioneering these large-scale shows.

Disney Electrical Sky Parade at Disneyland Paris

MS: We assume you were in Bordeaux, France for testing. What was the feeling you had the first time you saw the drones fly?

TG: To me, seeing those drones fly for the first time was real magic.

A lot of amazing people worked on this show. It’s one of the best collaborations I’ve ever gotten to be a part of in my almost 30-year career at Disney. Seeing that hard work literally take flight and create something that our guests will be able to experience was an incredible feeling.