For more than a decade World of Color at Disney California Adventure has been one of the most popular nighttime spectacular events in any Disney park. The combination of music, lights, and water make for an enchanting experience. This past weekend, as part of Disneyland’s new 100 Years of Wonder celebration commemorating the Walt Disney Company’s 100 years of existence, a new version of World of Color debuted. And the show looks better than ever before. Considering the way Disney Parks are always advancing technology, it’s easy to assume that World of Color has seen a mechanical upgrade, but that’s not the case.
I recently had a chance to speak with Jennifer Magill, who is a producer with Disneyland Live Entertainment (opens in new tab). and I asked about the ways that the new show, World of Color - One, was able to bring to life the likes of Star Wars and the Avengers, along with more traditional Disney and Pixar elements, in such an incredible way. She told me that nothing about World of Color has changed as far as how the show is created, the fact that it looks better than ever is down to the people. Magill explained…
You know what's interesting is a lot of people say, 'what are those new lights you have in there, what are those new effects?' Actually, all of the tools that we have are the tools that we’ve had. We’ve just got an amazing designer and creative team that has looked to use these assets in different ways to really make it new and interesting.
World of Color has always looked good, with scenes from popular Disney movies projected on sheets of water, sometimes aided by elements from Pixar Pier in the background, but it’s actually difficult to believe that there have not been technical upgrades to the equipment being used, the images are so much clearer than they used to be, but that’s apparently all down to people figuring out the best way to use the available tools.
It’s difficult to call World of Color - One the best version of the show ever. Each one has unique elements that set it apart and make it special. But World of Color - One is certainly the best-looking version of the show so far. It marks the debut of both Marvel and Star Wars characters in the show as well, and seeing the Millennium Falcon blast into Hyperspace or a version of the Avengers: Endgame portal sequence just wouldn’t be as stirring if it didn’t look as good.
World of Color - One stands alongside Wonderous Journeys, the new fireworks show at Disneyland, as top-notch new additions to the park. With the recent opening of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, the entire resort feels like a brand new place. And the new stuff isn't done yet. Magic Happens, a parade that ran for less than two weeks prior to pandemic closure will be back in February, and a newly redesigned Mickey's s Toontown is set to debut in March.
