This weekend, the kick off to Disneyland Paris’ 30th anniversary celebration brought several exciting things to the resort. This includes some truly awesome merch, the debut of Disney D-Light (featuring drone technology), and much more. It also marked the arrival of the new high-energy daytime entertainment offering Dream… and Shine Brighter! True to its name, the show is a daydream of sorts, merging a roster of Disney friends and songs into something unique — and that sparks excitement in many guests that encounter the celebration.
Billed as “parade,” the term only technically applies to Dream… and Shine Brighter! Sure, you could still view the production in parade mode along Main Street and basically treat it as one of the cavalcades the Disney Parks have made a thing of in recent years. But, instead, those seeking the full experience will want to head to the Central Plaza (AKA the Hub) where the floats stop and the show begins.
After coming up Main Street to the track “Ready for a Ride,” and bringing up the energy in the process, the floats come to a stop near the castle as the music transitions to the 30th anniversary theme “Un Monde Qui S'illumine.” By the way, if you’re wondering why the parade has two different themes, show producer Astrid Gomez explained during a panel that, when the creative team solicited for songs, they enjoyed these two so much and couldn’t decide between them. The solution? Just go with both. Brilliant.
Back to the show itself, once exiting the floats, characters and dancers join the four stages found around the Hub. It’d be enough if the characters took to the stages and performed the rest of the show. However, what happens instead is far more intricate as performers continuously enter and exit, stroll the street around the Plaza, hop on floats, etc. Basically, everywhere you look, there’s something new to see every few seconds. It's frenzied, fun, and, well, impossible to film! Nevertheless, I did put together this video from two performances I was able to view this weekend:
One highlight of the show is, of course, the Sensational Six in their 30th anniversary costumes. To me, these looks are great and fit perfectly into the larger aesthetic of the celebration. Mickey and the gang are joined by a number of others including Tiana, Rapuzel, Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Woody, Jessie, Mad Hatter, Alice, Peter Pan, Joy, Chip and Dale, Clarice, and more. I should also mention that this is the Disneyland Paris debut of Miguel. It’s a varied and perhaps not completely cohesive list of participants but it all works in the end.
Another element of Dream… and Shine Brighter! that I really enjoyed was the selection of songs. During these mashups, guests may pick up on pieces of Disney tunes they don’t hear every day. Some examples include “The Unbirthday Song,” “Topsy Turvy,” “I’ve Got a Dream,” “Proud Corazón” and more. Considering that one of my largest criticisms of many recent Disney entertainment offerings is that they’re mostly soundtracked by the same dozens or so songs, this was a refreshing change.
If there’s anything about the show that’s lacking at all, I’d have to say it’s the floats themselves. Sure, they’re fun and colorful, but there’s nothing terribly memorable about them. Of course, considering that this show is about as far from a parade as you can get and still retain that moniker, I’m more than willing to give it a pass.
From what I’ve seen, Disneyland Paris has had their own unique “parade” style for a while. Yet, Dream… and Shine Brighter! builds on the previous show concepts to create something that’s impressively choreographed, well-conceived, and is just a ton of fun. With the show already performing to extremely enthusiastic audiences, I suspect that Dream… and Shine Brighter! will be one of the popular offerings during Disneyland Paris’ 30th anniversary celebration.
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