Summer Nightastic comes to Walt Disney World!
Coming soon to Walt Disney World is an event, or rather a series of events, that will enchant theme park guests when glittering light magic, high adventure, dance fever, thrills and chills set the after-dark scene. From June 6 through Aug. 14, “Summer Nightastic!” lights up the entertainment experience with a megawatt parade, a fireworks extravaganza, a rockin’ dance party, concerts and other surprises.
Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot will all present special events designed to add summertime energy to the after-dark theme-park experience. At Magic Kingdom, thousands of tiny lights illuminate the return of the beloved “Main Street Electrical Parade,” and the elaborate new “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” paints the night sky more brightly than ever.
“Main Street Electrical Parade” is the classic pageant of illuminated floats that goes all the way back to 1972, when it first debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. With 23 floats, more than half a million tiny colorful lights, 80 performers, synthesizer music based on “Baroque Hoedown,” and Disney theme songs woven in, the parade returns to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time since 2001. A nostalgia trip for many, this “crown jewel of summer” kicks off the season with lighting effects, floats and characters new to Walt Disney World Resort.
See Tinker Bell as she waves her magic wand from the basket of a dazzling balloon float and marvel at the “25,000 points of light emitting from The Tinker Bell float alone while Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence also join the parade in Magic Kingdom this year. Snow White also appears with the Seven Dwarfs on a Diamond Mine float glittering with colorful gems and ten thousand strobes of “pixie-dust” light the parade trail as a treasury of classic Disney stories comes to life. Floats will also feature enhanced effects and, though the music stays true to the original parade, the score’s dynamics soar to greater heights thanks to state-of-the-art technology.
Beloved floats like the “Honor America” finale display which features the American flag and giant American eagle will also return, along with costumed characters like Alice in Wonderland, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.
“Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” at Magic Kingdom presents more after-dark magic when the sky explodes with vivid color and visual effects that tell a thrilling story headlined by fairies and pirates. The summer fireworks are accompanied by a whimsical score of classic Disney tunes and theme music from the hit film “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.”
The Fairy Godmother from “Cinderella” and other famous fairies star in the fireworks spectacular and the fireworks perimeter around Magic Kingdom will expand by 25 percent for the summer show. No matter where you are in the park, you’ll be surrounded by the spectacle.
And here’s a Pirate Alert to watch out for as Captain Hook and his band of buccaneers burst onto the scene to seize the park’s Cinderella Castle. Disney’s creative entertainment team have designed fireworks that tell the story, including a skull-and-crossbones display and other visual effects convincing enough to make you believe the castle is under siege… now this is going to be cool!
Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror adds new effects… and a summer-only drop sequence to the mix for guests daring to step into the attraction’s infamous service elevator for a ride into the “fifth dimension.” And on Hollywood Boulevard, in the shadow of the 122-foot-tall Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat icon, guests are invited to the Rock n’ Glow Dance Party, where a DJ and live rock band keep popular tunes coming five nights a week.
At Epcot, live “Sounds Like Summer” tribute-band concerts will rock guests each evening from June 12 to July 31 with familiar tunes ranging from “Hotel California” to “Stayin’ Alive.” Blasts from the past will be heard when the curtain rises on popular rock-band tributes from June 12 at the park’s America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. Each evening through July 31 at 5:45, 7 and 8:15 p.m., bands will drum up lots of nostalgia with hot tunes and cool riffs, from “Satisfaction” to “Saturday in the Park.” The lineup is subject to change but looks like this…
June 12-19: Stayin’ Alive – A Tribute to The Bee Gees
June 20-26: Hotel California – A Salute to the Eagles
June 27-July 3: Karin Lawson – A Tribute to Janet Jackson
July 4-10: Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones Tribute Band
July 11-17: Slippery When Wet – The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute
July 18-24: 2U– A Tribute to U2
July 25-31: Beginnings – A Tribute to Chicago
All special summer events are included in regular theme-park admission and it’s sure to be a wonderful time to visit Walt Disney World, Florida. Hope you can make it!
