Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS
The 1,200 high-pressure water nozzles installed under the
surface of DCA's Paradise Bay are the infrastructure for Disney's $75-million attempt to
keep guests in the park (and spending money) until closing time. If you've seen or heard
about the spectacular fountain show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas,
World of Color
is simil-
ar but larger, with more special effects and themed to Disney movies. The show includes a
newmusicalscoreandincorporatesdozensofDisneyfilmsandcharactersinits27-minute
performance. The show's backdrop includes Mickey's Fun Wheel, which was fitted with
special lighting effects for use in the show. Giant projection surfaces sculpted by sprayed
water—even larger than those used in
Fantasmic!—
display custom-made animations, and
flamethrowers spew almost enough heat to dry off guests standing in the splash zones.
What's most remarkable about the show is how the flashing colored lights and pulsating
fountains combine to look like low-level fireworks. The effects are astounding, the colors
are vibrant and deep, and the music includes some of Disney's best songs without being
overloaded byoverly sentimental ballads. Youcan even invest $25in Glow with the Show
mouse ear hats that illuminate in sync with the show; better yet, stand toward the rear and
freeload by eyeballing others who bought them. But while
World of Color
is aesthetic-
ally entrancing, dramatically speaking it's a bit of a dud. Disney spectacles have never
needed especially strong story lines, but
World of Color
is so plotless that it makes
Fant-
asmic!
next door look like a Russian novel. The show is essentially a 30-minute montage
of movie moments with awkwardly edited segues straining to tie them together. Despite
the show's titular association with Uncle Walt's 1960s NBC TV show, and the retro theme
of DCA's overall rebranding, there's precious little vintage Disney referenced in
World of
Color
. Aside from a brief cameo by 1937's
The Old Mill,
almost all the featured films are
drawn from the last quarter century, with lots of mist-screen time given to modern Pix-
ar heroes such as Buzz Lightyear and Wall-E, and footage from the fourth
Pirates of the
Caribbean
film. From time to time, a sequence will be temporarily added to the show in
celebration of a holiday or to promote a new Disney product; for example, a Christmas
season preshow features elves from Pixar's “Prep and Landing” shorts, and a
Brave
-based
montage was inserted during the film's summer 2012 debut. There's also a handful of ob-
scurities mysteriously tossed in: was there a fan club somewhere clamoring for more of
Fantasia 2000
's flying whales? Ultimately, there's enough dazzling eye candy to over-
whelm any underlying emotional emptiness in the narrative. Finally,
World of Color
has
more false finales than the last
Lord of the Rings
film, so stay put until you're absolutely
sure that the show is over.
TOURING TIPS
Entertainment value aside,
World of Color
is an operational nightmare. The
effects were expressly designed to be viewed from Paradise Park, the tiered area along
the lagoon in front of The Little Mermaid attraction. Unfortunately, only about 4,500
people—less than a quarter of the park's average daily attendance—are permitted to stand
there for each show. Though demand has slacked somewhat since its opening season, get-
ting a decent view for
World of Color
still requires time, planning, and/or money, and
therefore can almost seem to be more trouble to see than it's worth, but we still consider it
not to be missed. A couple from San Jose writes:
