A Frozen Holiday Wish Debuts at Magic Kingdom (With Video)
This holiday season (and by “holiday season,” we, and Disney, mean the last two months of the year as soon as the Halloween decorations come down), the ceremony that illuminates Cinderella Castle’s “Dream Lights” has been reworked as A Frozen Holiday Wish. In prior years Cinderella and Fairy Godmother lit the castle in a show called, “Cinderella’s Holiday Wish.” The beautifully lit castle is a spectacle that makes seeing a huge crane in all your photos from the early fall and mid-winter mostly worth it.
This year the honors are done by Frozen‘s Elsa, with assistance from her sister Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf the Snowman. Lest you think Elsa just goes around lighting random castles, she does ask permission (from the crowd) first. SPOILER: The crowd says, “Yes”. The gist of the new show is that everyone wishes for snow at Christmas starting November 5. If only there were someone around who could create snow on demand….
While it sounds like I’m mocking the show, if you can get past the cheesiness of the storyline, it’s fun and pretty. The build-up to the lighting does seem to go on a little long, but the combination of castle projections and sparkling lights is very nice. My complaint is about the logistics of seeing the show. A Frozen Holiday Wish is wedged in with Dream Along with Mickey, Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It!, and/or an evening parade, which makes the hub – already crowded due to construction – really tight. Unless you really want to see Anna and Elsa on the castle stage, watch from a distance or risk getting boxed in and having to sit through Dream Along with Mickey.
Our video of the actual lighting is on YouTube. If you do a search you should find it from all angles, as it seems every blogger in Orlando, including yours truly, was there to get it online first. Or if you’re visiting this holiday season, check your Times Guide and see it in person. The show is scheduled at 6:15PM and 7:30PM on nights without special events. On nights with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (like tomorrow, Friday, November 7), it is scheduled for 6:15PM during normal park hours and 8:00PM during the separately-ticketed party.
Video from TouringPlans (apologies for the amateurish portrait orientation – it’s the only way to get the whole castle from close in):
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What date is it scheduled to end on?
I don’t know about the show, but I do know in previous years the castle generally stays lit for about two weeks after Christmas. I can’t remember if the pre-show also keeps running for that long, though.
My cousin posted a video last night (he’s in the college program) and I was pretty impressed. I was hoping they would integrate the projections and it did not disappoint. I do agree that the build is too long, but considering how pretty it is, I’ll let it slide.
My 21-month-old gave her seal of approval by pointing to the video and saying “Woah!” when the lights turned on. I wish we could take her to see it in person!
Nothing about the show really bothered me, other than the fact that Olaf grew about 5 feet.
So is Cinderella not part of the show at ALL? I’m actually not anti-Frozen, and I think this could be a cool show (not watching the video for spoilers), but c’mon, it’s Cinderella’s home!!!
Not a mention at all of Cinderella, no. Legions of 4 year old girls are saying “Cinder-who?” between stanzas of “Let It Go.”