It’s after midnight in France and we’ve just returned home from Disneyland Paris after enjoying a special fireworks show in celebration of Fête Nationale (14 de Juillet) or what we in the U.S. know as Bastille Day. Yesterday, the resort announced the one night spectacular would light up the sky after Disney D-Light and Illuminations, and considering we’re in town, we knew we had to attend.
The show lasted 10 minutes and started off with a greeting in English from Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast), inviting us to be their guests for this presentation. The message was repeated in French and then the castle lit up followed by a series of rhythmic fireworks. After a moment, the drones for Disney D-Light started glowing blue, white and red, making a flowing ribbon behind the castle.
While I’d anticipated the score would feature French national songs, the selected soundtrack was actually mostly Disney favorites including, “Out There” and “Topsy Turvy” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” from The Aristocats and a rousing chorus of “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast.
Considering this was a fireworks show, there weren’t any castle projections, but lighting effects and water fountains were used on cue to enhance the presentation. One of the best moments was when a Ratatouille medley was playing and the drones recreated the Eiffel Tower right next to the castle. Two Parisian icons next to each other set to a lovely Parisian score? Who could ask for anything more?
The rest of the show featured the standard firework burst that everyone is familiar with in addition to the “crackling” types that seem to stay in one place. There were a few explosives that shot straight up with a trail of light to follow and others that fanned out creating a dynamic backdrop.
While we don’t have the same connection to Bastille Day as Disneyland Paris’ French guests, we could feel the love that went into this spectacular and the emotion behind every song, transition and the finale. Speaking of the finale, this show did not disappoint, as for a full 20+ seconds there was a continuous (and loud) release of fireworks set to “Be Our Guest.” Finally as the show ended, the castle lit up blue, white and red and the audience cheered for their country!
As we made our way out of the park, Mickey and Minnie—dressed in their Parisian best—stepped out on the balcony of the train station to bid au revoir to guests. But as always, they had to have a bit of fun by getting everyone to cheer first in sections then as one united group. They even led guests in singing “Champs-Élysées!” It was the perfect way to end the festive evening.
Bonne Fête Nationale et à bientôt!
no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com