Three New Nighttime Spectaculars Coming to Disneyland Paris in 2024 to 2026

During the D23 Expo, Disney shared exciting news about the future of Disneyland Paris and Disney Adventure World, which included the tease of new nighttime spectaculars coming to the parks. The company has now pulled back the curtain on the fireworks and projection shows, revealing details and concept art.

Before we get to that, we’ll quickly recap the other Disneyland Paris announcements since some of those got lost in the shuffle of D23. The one that we did cover was the most exciting–the creation of the world’s first major attraction and themed area inspired by the beloved Disney Animation film, The Lion King. (In case you missed it, that has the announcement and a detailed look at the Lion King ride/land model on the show floor.)

Before the future opening of the new Lion King land, guests will be treated to a variety of new experiences at Disney Adventure World. These include the Adventure Way promenade surrounded by lush landscape, the Raiponce Tangled Spin family flat ride, and the Regal View Restaurant & Lounge, which will offer spectacular views over Adventure Bay and the World of Frozen.

When the Kingdom of Arendelle opens its gates in 2026, guests will not only have the opportunity to embark on an unforgettable journey alongside Anna and Elsa inside the all-new attraction at Disneyland Paris, Frozen Ever After, but they will also be able to take part in immersive shopping and dining experiences and meet the beloved sisters in person during a royal encounter.

Also in 2026, an all-new breathtaking nighttime show will also debut on the lake and above. The banks along Adventure Bay and The Regal View Restaurant & Lounge will be the perfect spot to watch the awe-inspiring combination of water screens, fountains, special effects, and boundary-pushing drone choreography.

Honoring its long legacy of innovation in nighttime entertainment, and in partnership with its France-based Official Technology Provider Dronisos, Disneyland Paris is also developing the first of their kind water-drones to be used just for this special show, that will bring each adventure-filled day at Disney Adventure World to a spectacular close.

All of these new experiences will roughly double the footprint of what’s now known as the Walt Disney Studios Park (and should be known as Disney CineMagique Kingdom/Adventure), which is ushering in a new era marked by a fresh creative vision. To celebrate this new chapter, the second park will even be renamed Disney Adventure World when the World of Frozen comes to life in 2026!

Fast-forward to today, and Disneyland Paris is unveiling the lineup of events awaiting guests over the next few months. This begins with Disney Halloween Festival, featuring a devilishly fun program from October 1 to November 3, 2024, leading into the eagerly awaited Disney Enchanted Christmas from November 9, 2024 to January 6, 2025.

Also during the end-of-year period, a new epic show entitled Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics will run in the evening from November 23, 2024 to March 29, 2025 at Marvel Avenger Campus. This show will feature an epic battle where Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch will have to unite their talents to repel the threat of a strange occult power.

Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics will take place on the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB) building through Spring 2025. The show will combine projections, music, and special effects with an all-new storyline featuring some favorite and new-to-Disneyland Paris Super Heroes.

Finally, an all-new nighttime spectacular will enchant guests of all ages every day at Parc Disneyland starting January 10, 2025. This new fireworks show will feature a combination of iconic songs and projections of Disney characters onto Sleeping Beauty Castle and – for the very first time – onto Main Street, U.S.A.

This still-unnamed all-new nighttime spectacular will enchant guests of all ages every day at Disneyland Paris starting in Winter 2025. With a magical medley of iconic songs and projections of Disney characters onto Sleeping Beauty Castle, guests will go on a journey filled with emotion and nostalgia, discovering that true magic lies within every moment of life.

The show will push the technical boundaries set for the previous nighttime shows, such as Disney Dreams! and Disney Illuminations. Guests will be immersed like never before, thanks to an innovative combination of projections, fountains and breathtaking lighting effects, all set to a fantastic original soundtrack specially composed for the show.

Marking a notable first in the history of nighttime spectaculars at Disneyland Paris, the featured story will incorporate Main Street, U.S.A. A string of visuals from Disney Animation films such as Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast, and Encanto, as well as moments featuring Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s Toy Story films will be brought to life on the iconic street located in Disneyland Park, made possible through state-of-the-art projections complete with sound effects.

“For this new show, we reimagined the way of telling stories with our Castle as the main attraction. This exclusive experience at Disneyland Paris is a testament to our creative expertise – skill which has been honed over the years. We are looking forward to dazzling and touching the hearts of our guests by immersing them into breathtaking sequences inspired by their favorite Disney and Pixar movies like never before. This can’t-miss experience will make it possible for guests to end their day in the parks all together in the most unforgettable way,” said Dana Harrel, Executive Entertainment Director, Disneyland Paris.

Turning to commentary, I have no opinion on the Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics show. I tried to watch the last Doctor Strange movie on Disney+ and turned it off less than 30 minutes in because it was an incomprehensible mess of (bad) CGI. Probably even a less popular opinion, but I thought WandaVision was fine but overrated. Point being, Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics is clearly “not for me.” And that’s fine. The less time I have to spend in the Walt Disney Studios Park until the transformation project is finished, the better.

On the other hand, I’m very excited for the new nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Paris! To this day, Disney Dreams remains one of my Top 10 Disney Nighttime Spectaculars & Fireworks Shows of All Time. It was the first fireworks plus castle show of the modern era, and Disney captured lightning in a bottle on its first try with Disney Dreams. An achievement that was not repeated until Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom. Disney Dreams was like the Parisian version of that, plus World of Color (or flashes of it).

I mention this because there was a certain je ne sais quoi (feels right to use this in a DLP post for once) about Disney Dreams. A big part of the reason subsequent montage shows have failed to have the same heart, if you ask me, is that the synergy tail has wagged the dog. Instead of the Disney Entertainment team getting to choose which films best fit the storyline, they had a mandate to highlight whatever was popular in theaters or streaming. This is a big reason why Disney Enchantment fell flat for us–it felt less like a heart-filled nighttime spectacular and more like a sizzle reel for Disney+.

Anyway, it’s heartening to hear that the new nighttime spectacular on Sleeping Beauty Castle and Main Street will have an original soundtrack composed for the show, and it’ll take guests on a journey filled with emotion and nostalgia, discovering that true magic lies within every moment of life. That could just be fluff, but it also could be a narrative through-line, and my hope is the latter. (Also, nostalgia isn’t a buzzword that’s often used in these circumstances.) I’m also pleased that Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast are two of the films mentioned–especially the former, which certainly isn’t for synergy.

But who knows–the very next sentence highlights Toy Story, and it seems like there’s a requirement that be in everything now…even where it doesn’t fit. (Looking at you, Luminous.) Regardless, the 2025 Disneyland Paris nighttime spectacular cannot be any worse than Disney Illuminations, and I hope that the company has learned its lesson from the last couple of synergy-centric shows that flopped.

For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay in Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our best random tips for doing DLP like a pro. See Disney Park Tickets Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. Finally, for advice beyond Disney, check out our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.

Your Thoughts

Are you excited for the new nighttime spectaculars or upcoming additions to Disneyland Paris? Optimistic that the new castle show will finally live up to the high bar set by Disney Dreams? Excited for the Dr. Strange thing? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!