Disney Dreams or Disney Illuminations ?

Between 2012 and 2017, it was the Disney Dreams show that accompanied the closing of Disneyland Paris. It was then replaced by Disney Illuminations… But now the park is announcing its return to the delight of its spectators from 12 April 2023! What do we think of this decision? And you, which team do you belong to? And for once, it’s the whole Team Ed92 that is participating in this edition!

Team Dreams or Team Illu? You are at a crossroads.
Make Your Choice !

Team Dreams ! By Team Ed92

An improved and ergonomic show

Disney Dreams has been significantly improved since the early years, with the synchronised use of the castle’s turrets and new energy-efficient laser video projectors, in an environmentally friendly way.

This new edition of Disney Dreams will be even more spectacular than the previous one with :

• sublime projections ;
• laser effects;
• breathtaking water jets;
• explosions of colour…

We will even have the impression of seeing the walls and turrets of the castle turn and undulate, which I am sure will fill us with happiness.

A madeleine of Proust

This show conveys special emotions and awakens the child in us. Indeed, it is enough to hear the first notes of Peter Pan for us to feel the memories invade us. Every evening the magic of this show will take us to unforgettable adventures.

With songs and images from our favourite Disney films: Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, Rapunzel, Ratatouille and many more… This expedition from the real to the unreal aims to make us dream and go beyond the limits of everything we hoped for.

I want to celebrate this renewal!

I have to admit it… even if the Disney Illuminations was very nice, after 5 years, it was really starting to run out of steam. And I had already stopped going to see it… Always the same to the hundredth of an inch…

Enough is enough! I’m really relieved and happy to have a little change.

In short, you understood it, I am waiting for the return of Disney Dreams, I can’t wait. So see you on April 12, 2023 for a show that will take us from the infinite to the beyond!

The opinion of the ED92 team:

The ED92 team was asked to give their opinion and we bring it to you!

For Sandra, Disney Dreams has a real history that makes the experience interesting and unique. When the show first came out, it was a real novelty, a unique kind of show, whereas Illuminations doesn’t bring much!

Valentine finds that each scene brings a lot of emotion by using the familiar songs from all the Walt Disney Pictures masterpieces. Unlike Illuminations which is a succession of advertising samples.

The video mapping is particularly elaborate, following the architecture and the contours of Sleeping Beauty Castle, whereas for Disney Illuminations they are more simple projections, Guillaume thinks. Eren adds that there is a real thread running through the show.

The opinions are similar as a good part of the ED92 team is in favour of the return of Disney Dreams.

We finish with Angie’s opinion who says: because it’s Disney Dreams (but it was too short for us, for an editorial).

Team Illu ! By Team Ed92

Mickey as master of ceremonies

It’s been five years since Disney Illuminations was the last image we have of a visit to the park. While its predecessor was masterfully led by Peter Pan, Illu (for those who know him well) is presented by none other than the master of the place: Mickey of course!

Technical prowess

New technologies also make this show a must-see at Disneyland Paris! Combining projections on the castle, lasers, fountains and pyrotechnics, it also brings the castle’s surroundings to life. And let’s not forget the fireworks that give certain scenes an even more impactful aspect.

Epic movie scenes

Who hasn’t shivered at the battle scenes in Star Wars? Or at the end of Elsa’s song? Or during the various confrontations of the famous Jack Sparrow? The show offers an immersion in the heart of famous scenes from our favourite films!

But the time has come for renewal and this is the end of the show. Illuminations will light up the sky for the very last time on 11 April and will be replaced by its predecessor. No doubt I will miss Illuminations: its crescendo, its soundtrack, its finale… It’s time to say goodbye to all that.

I expect Dreams to make me dream like Illuminations has done for the past five years and I’ll be pretty adamant about bringing something new since, after all, that’s what is blamed by those who don’t like the current show.

So will Dreams succeed in dethroning Illuminations in the hearts of fans of the show (like me)? Answer on April 12th when the new show premieres!

The opinion of the ED92 team:

For Eren, Disney Illuminations brings more diversity and allows you to enjoy each painting without feeling like you’ve missed a part of the story if you’re not in the right place. Unlike Disney Dreams where you have to wait a long time in advance to be sure to be well placed! He would have preferred something newer, because for him Disney Dreams is going to have aged for all these years! “I would have preferred something new or modified parts of Disney Illuminations”.

Sandra added that in Disney Illuminations more licenses are included to satisfy all the fans (even if one can reproach the catalogue effect). This show had the merit of bringing something new. While Disneyland Paris is often criticized for not renewing itself enough, the idea of revamping the show after 5 years is commendable.

One of our reporters concluded that for her, some parts of Disney Illuminations were “little moments of poetry” like the Finding Nemo sequence, the allusion to UP and a nice pyrotechnic finale!