Sunday Savings Series: Disney Dreams That Soar

 

Disney Dreams That Soar is the limited time drone show at Disney Springs. Since it costs nothing to watch, I thought that it would be a perfect addition to my Sunday Savings Series!

 

The opening date for Disney Dreams That Soar was May 24, but I was out of town and didn’t have a chance to see it until Saturday, June 1. I had heard a lot about the first weekend crowds for the show, and I hoped that crowd control would have been worked out by the time that my daughter and I went. For the most part, it was.

Disney Dreams That Soar runs twice each night, weather permitting. The first show currently is at 9:00, the second show is at 10:45. Remember, showtimes can change, so if you’re headed to Disney Springs you might want to doublecheck.

We arrived at Disney Springs around 7:00 PM. Parking was already a mess. The sign for Orange Garage said that it was full, so we decided to try Surface Parking. That was also full, but it wasn’t noted until we had already pulled in. We turned around and opted for the Grapefruit Garage, which at that time still had plenty of open spots.

Around 8:00 we decided to walk across Disney Springs to find a spot for Disney Dreams That Soar. Disney recommends watching on the waterfront behind House of Blues and Jaleo, and since we hadn’t seen the show yet we decided to head that way. There were plenty of Cast Members with blue wands, directing guests where they should go. It might have been the most crowded that I’ve ever seen Disney Springs, but it was organized.

We got into the line that looped around past the grassy area near the Drawn to Life theater. The line moved quickly. The line itself was to keep things orderly, you weren’t given a specific spot to watch from.

Some people chose to watch from the grassy spot near the beginning of the viewing area, but we kept walking down. There were areas blocked off with yellow tape, and that’s where you could stand to watch. We picked a spot behind Jaleo.

A little bit after 8:30 a Cast Member came through, instructing everyone who was sitting on the ground to stand. She said it was for safety, but honestly, it was to make room for as many people as possible. I’ve passed out from heat in the past, and it wouldn’t have happened if I had been sitting down at the time, so the “safety” excuse doesn’t cut it with me. But I digress.

About 20 minutes before the show, a set of three blue drones appeared in the sky. My guess is that these were to test the wind level. They remained for a few minutes, then flew back to where they came from. Those three drones generated a lot of excitement in the crowd.

At precisely 9:00, the music came on and all the drones flew out. There are 800 of them! If you saw the Christmas drone show at Disney Springs back in 2016…this is nothing like that. The technology has “soared”, pun intended. This show is spectacular.

In Disney Dreams That Soar you’ll see dozens of characters and scenarios appear before you. There are classic characters and newer ones as well. My favorite part was the Death Star scene, which isn’t a shock to those who know me. What pleasantly surprised me was that the scene centered around Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope. It wasn’t from the stories that were created after The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm.

When the ten minute show was over, the Cast Members directed us on how to leave the viewing area without causing chaos. Those who wanted to stay in the viewing area for the 10:45 show were allowed to, they didn’t have to get in line again.

I’ve heard that the second show is less crowded, which is probably true to an extent. That said, if you plan to arrive only for the show you’ll still want to give yourself plenty of extra time. When we left both the Orange and Lime Garages were marked as full, and Surface Parking was finally marked as full from the road as well. As we walked on the pedestrian bridge that takes you to the Grapefruit Garage there was a long line to get to Disney Springs. It took us a lot longer to drive home than normal because of the Disney Springs traffic.

Disney Dreams That Soar is brilliant. It’s beautiful, and it leaves you wondering what you will see next. The soundtrack adds to the experience. There are places away from Disney Springs where you can see Disney Dreams That Soar, such as Saratoga Springs, but last I heard the soundtrack isn’t piped in. Disney Dreams That Soar runs through September 2. If you can make it, do it. Just give yourself plenty of time, both when you arrive and when you leave.

Well done, Disney Imagineering and Disney Entertainment.