Previously on Sam’s Disney Diary, I covered one of the final performances of “The Magic, The Memories and You”. The nightly castle projection show premiered as part of the “Let the Memories Begin” marketing campaign in 2011. Just a few months after the retirement of “Let the Memories Begin”, “Celebrate the Magic” picked up the castle projection mapping.
The beauty of “Celebrate the Magic” is the flexibility of the technology. Being able to easily insert and remove clips allows Imagineers to customize the show based on current interests. The popularity of Frozen resulted in the addition of “Let it Go” just a few months after the movie premiered. There was also a new Jungle Book sequence, no doubt tied to the Diamond DVD release of the movie. The show touches numerous Disney properties and ties them together effortlessly.
Not only does the show get a seasonal touch, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, etc…the ability to change a clip just about any time has the potential to lead to a new experience on your next trip. Frozen wasn’t even in theaters during my last trip, and now it has the longest section of the show. The show starts and ends with the “Celebrate the Magic” and a Walt Disney cameo. Tinker Bell introduces the show and transforms the castle into a paper canvas, where we see a young Walt Disney sketching Mickey Mouse as “Steamboat Willie”. The song then leads a kaleidoscope of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy with short clips of various Disney characters and a nod to World of Color and Fantasia. Tinker Bell spreads some pixie dust on a paintbrush that in turn leads us into each show section. These are the sections that can be easily swapped, allowing the show to be longer, shorter, or have more content.
In February 2014, the sections looked like this:
- Alice in Wonderland; Casey Jr; Dumbo; Wreck-it Ralph
- Lion King; Tarzan
- Jungle Book
- Lady & The Tramp; Princess Melody, Tangled
- Buzz Light-Year; Pirates of the Caribbean
- Frozen
All followed by the closing melody of “Celebrate the Magic” with various iconic Disney characters and the closing cameo of Walt with the famous, “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a Mouse”; A wonderful quote, but one we all know started with a man, not a mouse.
The show runs twice a night, check the Times Guide. The first show will be after the first parade, just before the Wishes. The best part of “Celebrate the Magic” is the fireworks start just 5 minutes after it finishes. The best place to see the details is the hub area. Yes, I know it’s crowded! If you time it just after the parade, you can stand in the parade route for both “Celebrate the Magic” and Wishes. There is typically a second showing after Wishes, before the second parade. Be sure to check the Times Guide! Disney also talks about the “Glow with the Show” ears and “Celebrate the Magic”. During my trip in February 2014, there were no “Glow with the Show” hats to be found or seen. Not sure what happened there? Does anyone know?
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