It’s not often Disney rolls out something that’s genuinely free at Walt Disney World. Such is the case with the new Disney Dreams That Soar drone show that’s playing this summer at Disney Springs. The show offers a brand new nighttime show for guests at Disney World, and it notably doesn’t require a theme park ticket.
Disney Dreams That Soar uses 800 drones to create a variety of different Disney characters over the western side of Disney Springs. The drones create some fun designs (we particularly like the Up and Star Wars portions), many of which are three-dimensional, all set to music. There’s even a nice bit of original music at the show’s conclusion.
If you’ve seen a drone show before, you’ll find Disney Dreams That Soar doesn’t reinvent the wheel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The characters and designs the drones make are impressive, but not quite on par with some of the spectacular things seen in the Electrical Sky Parade over at Disneyland Paris. It’s a lot of fun!
Running at about nine minutes, the show doesn’t overstay its welcome. The novelty watching characters form and move across the sky doesn’t get old. The lighting, music, and intricate drone patterns are fascinating to watch. Add in the fact this is a free show and you’ve got an instant winner. It makes it really hard to complain. We do wonder why Disney continues to resist the idea of using drone at any of their theme parks.
However, it is worth noting that while you can see Disney Dreams That Soar from many places in Disney Springs, some locations are much better than others. The show is intended to be watched from the western side of Disney Springs. The walkway in front of Jaleo, House of Blues, and Summer House is the ideal spot. It’s also the most crowded spot. Some of the show’s more flat or two-dimensional shapes/designs won’t look too good in other spots. It’s meant to be viewed straight on.
You can also take in the show from the walkway at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. But, and this is a big BUT, the music isn’t currently played on that side of the lake. The music comes off muffled. And, the show will be backwards (such as the portion where the show’s name is spelled out), though that’s easy to forgive.
The first viewing of Disney Dreams That Soar attracted some massive crowds. And, as you might imagine, it brought a decent amount of chaos when the show ended. We imagine this will improve in a hurry after the initial opening period dies down. Pack your patience just in case.
Disney Dreams That Soar will play twice nightly at 9pm and 10:45pm through September 2.
