Disney Cascade of Lights

At Adventure Bay, the entire team behind Disney Cascade of Lights, the destination’s upcoming second nighttime show, is hard at work right now to ensure that everything is ready for its official launch on March 29, 2026. This is your chance to learn a little more about the design and behind-the-scenes details of this dazzling new production created for Disney Adventure World, the second reimagined park at Disneyland® Paris.

Repetitions in cascades

Night has long since fallen on Adventure Bay. The workers who were still busy a few hours ago on the Disney Adventure World construction site have left.

However, the area surrounding the lake is experiencing a surge of activity. The creators and technicians of Disney Cascade of Lights* are busy at work. They are rehearsing the installation of the impressive structure that will be brought to the center of the lake every evening starting March 29, 2026, and which contains an essential part of the equipment needed for the show—fountains, lights, projectors, and pyrotechnics.

This structure consists of five elements: a central section, with a surface area of 14m², to which four barges are attached, whose arms open out to give the whole structure an almost circular shape, mirroring the lake itself.

Everything takes place in complete silence: the various elements are transported from the marina behind the scenes using fully electric push boats, powerful enough to move the entire structure, which weighs around 160 tons. The drivers of these boats have undergone special training to move the barges with maximum precision, particularly around the now iconic rotating bridge from Frozen.

Once this structure is securely moored and connected, all that’s needed to start rehearsals are the 379 aerial and aquatic drones developed especially for this show.

A new wave of drones

Producer Ben Spalding has been dreaming about this show for more than seven years. At the time, he was working on the first drone shows at Disneyland® Paris, in preparation for the destination’s 30th anniversary. First came Disney D-Light, then Avengers: Power the Night** the following year. Whether at Disneyland® Park or Walt Disney Studios® Park, the goal was to tell stories high in the sky—up to 120 meters above the ground. But he quickly began thinking about the next step: a new experience in which the drones would fly lower and be closer to the audience. This was unprecedented! The lake project for Adventure Bay*** would provide him with the setting to bring his vision to life.

In close collaboration with Dronisos, Disneyland® Paris’ official technology partner since the beginning of this adventure, new drones are being developed: aerial drones that are more resistant to wind and rain, as well as aquatic drones, nicknamed “ducks.” Thanks to these exclusive innovations, the light show has never been so close to the audience. And more dazzling. “The water acts as a mirror that multiplies all our light sources,” explains Ben Spalding. “We have our aquatic drones lighting up the surface, plus low-angle lights placed all around the edges of the lake. Not to mention the fountains, each of which has its own light sources and various pyrotechnic effects. It’s a veritable cascade of lights!“ All these elements combine to form an extraordinary ballet of water and light that must be adjusted down to the millimeter so that each element finds its place without interfering with the others. ”The secret is teamwork. The entire show was previewed in 3D. Within this program, we had a very detailed model of the park, and from there, each manager in our team—drones, pyrotechnic effects, lights, etc.—did their programming. This allowed us to visualize, plan, and choreograph things in advance so that everything would then come together perfectly live.”

And to bring this dazzling festival to life, a team of 24 technicians will be at work every evening. “That’s more than twice as many as for shows like Disney Dreams or Disney Illumination. That’s how complex and rich Disney Cascade of Lights is!”

A cascade of emotions

But all this technology would be meaningless if it didn’t serve to convey emotions and tell a powerful story to support them. “We wanted to focus on emotion and storytelling. So we looked for a concept that could be understood and shared by the entire European audience, and that’s how we came up with the idea of ‘inspiration,’” Ben recalls.

Like Peter Pan’s shadow in Disney Dreams, Inspiration has become a character in its own right in the show, its guiding thread, bathed in light. It will also be the link between the audience and the characters featured in this story. These characters were not chosen at random. Mulan’s commitment is inspired by honor and a sense of family, as is Vaiana, who draws inspiration from the ocean to set off on an adventure and help her community. It is the strength of his heart that inspires Hercules and leads him to reveal himself as a true hero, and it is her sense of duty, despite prejudice and preconceived notions, that drives Judy Hopps to join the Zootopia police force. For their part, each of the Avengers followed their own inspiration and path before becoming heroes, as did Carl Fredriksen, whose heroism stems from a promise made to a loved one.

Director Susan Plyer (Minnie’s Dream Factory) was particularly inspired by this concept and these characters. “There is something emotional in each of them that can resonate with the personality of each of our visitors,” says Susan. “They are an endless source of inspiration in our lives, whether it’s helping others, helping our families, or having the courage to face everyday challenges.”

The visual appearance of the characters was particularly well crafted, especially in terms of design but also colors, which were carefully calibrated to best suit the projection conditions on a water curtain.

As for the music, it is not only an essential vehicle for emotion, but also the metronome that coordinates all the elements of the show. Composed by Mark Hammond (“Lost in the Magic”) and produced by Jonathan Barr, the show’s score was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London by a 90-piece orchestra and features an original song, “We Can Be Heroes,” which embodies the spirit of the show.

A cascade of views! 360°!

The creators of Disney Cascade of Lights* paid particular attention to ensuring that spectators would have the best possible experience, regardless of where they were seated—a considerable challenge given the immense scale of this 3-hectare lake. To achieve this, the design of the central structure was crucial, as was the placement of more than 240 projectors and light points directed towards the lake, as well as the spatialization of sound around Adventure Bay.

However, thinking holistically also means taking into account the environmental impact of such production. Whether it’s the boats’ fully electric power supply, which reduces their carbon footprint, the use of different varieties of fish to filter the lake water, or the type of products used for fireworks and other pyrotechnic effects, which leave no solid residue, every detail has been carefully considered.

The result? Our shows have a reduced environmental footprint, while still offering the audience what matters most: memories of an exceptional experience, in which every creator, from design to technical production, has infused a veritable flood of emotions…

Spoilers : Disney Cascade of Lights

Disney Cascade of Lights : Discover an excerpt from the show’s music