One of my favorite things about going to a Disney Theme Park is the shows. You can have the Roller Coasters (I know, how can I say that?) and the Character Dining if I can see my favorite shows! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Character Dining, but I really love the shows. The fireworks display usually brings me to tears and I think Fantasmic! at either end of the nation is really cool, but my favorite show is The World of Color at Disneyland Resort’s California Adventure Park.
If you haven’t traveled to the Disneyland Resort in recent years, you may not even know what this show is all about or where it is located. The World of Color is in California Adventure Park directly across from the Disneyland Park. It is a water and pyrotechnic show displayed in the bay of Paradise Pier toward the back of the park. It’s done at night using a wall of water to display film clips from many of our favorite Disney movies to tell a story. On a cold night, the pyrotechnics feel pretty good. Many folks think that because you’re in California that it will be warm, but even on a warm day, it can get pretty chilly once the sun sets. If you stand in the first section closest to the bay, you will get wet! So plan accordingly- more on selecting your viewing area in a minute.
Since The World of Color is so dear to my heart, you can imagine my excitement on my most recent trip to Disneyland when I found they were actually showing TWO different versions of The World of Color! The first version they are showing over the Holiday Season is called Winter Dreams and the second one is called Celebrate!
Winter Dreams World of Color is just like it sounds- it is a Holiday Spectacular! Olaf from Frozen is the “host”. In fact, Winter Dreams does highlight the film Frozen quite a bit, so if you’re not a fan, this version may not be high on your list. But, there are also plenty of classic Disney Christmas scenes featuring Mickey Mouse and his closest friends. I first saw this version of the water show in January 2014 and it’s being replayed this Holiday Season because of its’ popularity.
Celebrate! is the newest version of The World of Color created especially for the Disneyland Diamond Celebration. Yes, Disneyland turned 60 years old this past July and it is quite a celebration! The Celebrate! version of the water show highlights the creator of Disneyland Resort, none other than Walt Disney himself. This show is hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and chronicles the early years of Disneyland including Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie and many of the classic Disney movies that shaped my own childhood like Snow White.
On my recent trip to the theme parks in California, they were showing both versions of The World of Color in one evening. They showed the first one at 9pm and the second one at 10:30pm. The schedule certainly changes constantly so consult your travel agent (me, hopefully!) for the dates on which you’re traveling.
There are a couple ways to ensure good viewing of the show.
The first way is to pick up a FastPass for the show the day you want to attend. The FastPass kiosk is located between the private entrance at the Grand Californian Hotel (email me if you want more information on that private entrance) and the Grizzly River Run attraction. You are able to obtain a FastPass for both versions of the show as long as they are both playing that night. And your FastPass for The World of Color does NOT interfere with you obtaining a FastPass for another attraction at the same time. So, you can carry a World of Color FastPass and also have one for Soarin’ or your other favorite attraction.
Another way to ensure great viewing is to dine at one of the table service restaurants within California Adventure Park that offers a World of Color Dining Package. The participating restaurants are Ariel’s Grotto (where you can have an awesome Character Dining Experience), Carthay Circle (my personal all time favorite Disneyland restaurant), and Wine Country Trattoria. If you purchase the World of Color Dining Package at these restaurants, which includes a choice of starter, entrée, and dessert, you receive tickets to some of the best viewing at the show. The dining package is pricey, usually around $60 per person, but the viewing area for these restaurants is absolutely the best viewing available.
If you’re going to visit Disneyland Resort anytime soon, I highly encourage you to put The World of Color on your list of “must do’s”. I would gladly help you book a family vacation to remember to the Disneyland Resort or any other Disney Destination. I can assist in itinerary planning and ensure The World of Color is part of your trip. My name is Jeri May. I love Disneyland! My services are FREE to my clients. If you’d like to be one of my valued clients, email me today, find me on Facebook, or call me at 1-800-670-4312 x 147.
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