World of Color – ONE is the brand new nighttime spectacular at California Adventure for Disney’s one hundredth Anniversary Celebration at Disneyland Resort. This evaluate shares images of the present, the way it compares to Wondrous Journeys and different blockbuster nighttime spectaculars, and a few context which may make it easier to take pleasure in it extra (possibly?).
As all the time, let’s begin with a little bit of fast background. World of Color – ONE is the primary nighttime spectacular in both park at Disneyland Resort to characteristic characters, music, and moments from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel, and Star Wars in the identical manufacturing.
Specifically, World of Color – ONE options scenes and songs from the Pocahontas, Lion King, Moana, Coco, Mulan, Soul, Avengers: End Game, and different tales. All of this comes alive on an immense water display, with quite a lot of totally different results–projections on mist screens, lasers, spotlights, and different results. All par for the course with the varied variations of World of Color.
Aside from bringing collectively disparate mental properties, World of Color – ONE differs in that it options an inspiring message that illustrates the storytelling legacy Walt Disney started a century in the past. World of Color – ONE celebrates how a single motion–corresponding to a drop of water–creates a ripple that may develop right into a wave of change. You’ll uncover the way it solely takes one motion to make an influence on the folks in our lives and the world round us. This mirrors how one man–Walt Disney–began the wave that has continued to develop and encourage folks across the globe for 100 years.
In so doing, the brand new nighttime spectacular options songs and tales of a number of the most brave, loving, and provoking characters who dared to be wavemakers and alter the world. World of Color – ONE weaves collectively this spectrum of tales with a musical rating comprised of 18 totally different compositions, together with the unique tune “Start a Wave.” This new tune was written by GRAMMY-nominated artist Cody Fry and options lead vocals carried out by singer-songwriter and actress Loren Allred.
This all comes collectively in a bundle that’ll be acquainted to those that have noticed Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration leisure. World of Color – ONE begins with dialogue from Walt Disney adopted by a voiceover explaining that he was the unique “drop of water” 100 years in the past. From there, that one drop created ripples of happiness and creativeness into movement, and that new tune performs.
Naturally, the primary scene following that is from the early-era Walt Disney traditional movie that began all of it, *checks notes* Pocahontas. Uh, okay. Following that, World of Color – ONE continues its songs and scenes with Encanto, Ratatouille, Soul, and Coco. It then has a callback to the unique music, earlier than extra songs and scenes. This time, now we have Star Wars, Lion King, Mulan, Moana, and Marvel. It then strikes into montage mode, with a bunch of various motion pictures, together with some that weren’t featured within the unique present (Raya and the Last Dragon, for example). All motion pictures famously created by the unique drop of water, Walt Disney.
World of Color – ONE then has its conventional finale, with a watery crescendo and provoking voiceover about everybody with the ability to make a distinction. The crowd goes wild, issues briefly go darkish, after which there’s one other clip that includes Walt Disney, adopted by the post-show/outro/exit music, or no matter you wish to name it. This final half has all the time been a World of Color staple, however the half with Walt Disney is totally different–virtually like an orphaned scene, indifferent from the bigger present.
The apparent criticism of World of Color – ONE is that it’s a present ostensibly about Walt, minus Walt. There’s a specific amount of validity to this criticism, and I used to be undoubtedly gearing up for one thing completely totally different after seeing the introduction. It ought to go with out saying, however that was sarcasm above. Walt Disney didn’t create Pocahontas or actually the rest in World of Color – ONE. So in that sense, it’s actually bizarre to anchor this explicit nighttime spectacular round Walt Disney.
The intent, at the least as I interpret it, was to attract a parallel between Walt Disney and the characters that observe as influential trailblazers who left indelible marks on the folks round them and society as a complete. The first half has motifs about inspiration and individualism, and these characters are presumably purported to mirror Walt in these senses. The second half is all about motion, showcasing heroes (actually and figuratively) who made a distinction on the world. Just like Walt…I assume? (Walt used a pencil, Thor used a thunder hammer, however completely the identical thought!)
The apparent drawback, that I assume nobody engaged on the present recognized, is that each one of those characters are fictional and Walt Disney was an actual particular person (regardless of the corporate’s finest efforts to caricaturize him). I’m skeptical that any common visitor goes to simply confirm the parallel. Those who do join the dots are extra inclined to be theme park geeks like me who over analyze every thing, and can nonetheless be less-than-amused that Walt Disney is being in comparison with Baby Yoda.
In quick, the connection between Walt Disney and every thing within the present is tenuous at finest, and contrived in an off-putting method at worst. It doesn’t stream collectively, and World of Color – ONE can be higher with the Walt intro and outro eliminated. Since I’m not one to advocate for the elimination of Walt Disney references, I’d suggest transferring it over to Wondrous Journeys. (It’s not wanted there, however it will make infinitely extra sense at first and finish of that really spectacular nighttime spectacular.) Let World of Color – ONE exist because the second gate synergy play with out shoehorning Walt in a method that’s going to alienate the diehards.
Speaking of which, at the same time as a second gate synergy play, World of Color – ONE will not be nice. It jogs my memory a number of Harmonious, really. Like that, it’s not a cohesive manufacturing, the transitions are weak or nonexistent, and the visuals offered on the mist screens depart quite a bit to be desired.
Also like that, World of Color – ONE is at its finest when viewing every scene in isolation. Individually, I like a number of segments, together with these from Moana, Soul, Star Wars, and Lion King. However, I used to be greater than a bit stunned that motion pictures and music from the unique World of Color couldn’t stay as much as related segments from the unique World of Color (taking a look at you, Pocahontas).
The Coco and Encanto scenes additionally each fell flat for me, which got here as an enormous shock. Coco all the time brings down the home (even in Harmonious!) and Encanto ought to’ve been like taking pictures fish in a barrel. Marvel was a blended bag; the viewers appreciated that greater than I did.
In my view, these scenes upset each with the visuals and the music, and made an already lengthy nighttime spectacular drag much more. Not that World of Color all the time wants to maneuver frenetically, however with the longer runtime than fireworks, it does have to keep away from the prolonged lulls. Even with the nearly-perfect unique World of Color, pacing could be a drawback. That’s a lot more true right here, and that’s fully due to a couple poor tune selections in locations the place totally different music from the identical film might’ve energized the viewers.
The half that I genuinely beloved about World of Color – ONE is the unique music. “Start a Wave” is a ravishing tune with an awesome message. It was caught in my head after my second viewing of the present and, a lot to Sarah’s chagrin, I’ve now taken to “singing” it at dwelling. (Well, extra like offkey shouting half the lyrics and mumbling the remainder.)
“Start a Wave” will, no doubt, turn out to be an earworm of a tune for a lot of Disneyland followers. Between that and a few scenes which are really fairly robust, I believe the reception to World of Color – ONE goes to develop hotter over time, and make the preliminary scathing evaluations appear too harsh.
I’m truthfully unsure whether or not Wondrous Journeys helps or hurts World of Color – ONE. For me, it helped. Even with out Walt Disney being expressly talked about in Wondrous Journeys, that love letter to Walt Disney Animation Studios made the hamfisted dealing with of Walt in World of Color – ONE extra excusable. In my view, it’s okay that that is primarily a glorified Disney+ sizzle reel since Wondrous Journeys will not be. For others, I might see the standard distinction being much more pronounced after seeing Wondrous Journeys.
If you wish to higher take pleasure in World of Color – ONE, my suggestion can be pretending that the Walt Disney components are standalone pre- and post-show tags, meant to advertise Wondrous Journeys throughout the Esplanade. If you’re a Disney diehard, mentally separating that from the remainder of the present makes it much less irritating and extra pleasant. (I’m fully severe.)
View the remainder of the nighttime spectacular as a studio park manufacturing, with the heavy-handed use of up to date mental property that comes with that, plus nice unique music and clunky try at a story thread. Such an strategy to World of Color – ONE nonetheless received’t make it good, however I discovered that it was a lot simpler to take pleasure in on subsequent viewings when framed this fashion. (Especially after I noticed Wondrous Journeys–that made a giant distinction for me.)
Ultimately, World of Color – ONE is one more nighttime spectacular in Paradise Bay that fails to stay as much as the unique montage clip present from 2010. Personally, I respect that Disney Live Entertainment has tried to create variations with a unfastened narrative thread, however I believe the one World of Colors which have “worked” on this regard are Season of Light and Hurry Home (not a full present, however nonetheless unbelievable).
Every different World of Color has felt prefer it has suffered from exactly the identical drawback: too many cooks within the kitchen or company content material directives. (Villainous is the lone exception–that one was simply plain bizarre.) The factor is, even when there was a mandate from on-high about making sure ‘brand deposits’ or together with particular mental property or franchises, it was nonetheless completed in poor and perplexing methods. The Coco and Encanto scenes might’ve been excessive vitality and enjoyable. The projections all through might’ve been extra attention-grabbing, and transitions might’ve been higher. Those are artistic fails.
With that stated, it’s nonetheless World of Color. Just as fireworks exploding over a fort is all the time superior, there’s a “low floor” for dancing fountains of vibrant water, lasers, mist screens, fireballs, and different cool results. You can’t assist however be entranced by these items–or at the least, I can’t assist it. Even the worst World of Color is a 7/10 for me as a result of it’s inherently mesmerizing, and ONE is fairly removed from the worst incarnation of this nighttime spectacular.
Honestly, I might watch The Joy of Painting projected onto the World of Color mist screens and have a fairly good time. (That present can be an 8/10 as a result of Bob Ross is the boss!) World of Color – ONE is certainly higher than that, and it’s additionally higher than Celebrate and different previous incarnations of the nighttime spectacular. It’s a spotty present, but it surely’s nonetheless one which’s properly price seeing. And it didn’t end result within the set up of a Stargate and water tacos in Paradise Bay, in order that’s a plus.
All issues thought of, World of Color – ONE is round an 8.5/10 for me. That may look like a excessive rating in mild of the criticism, however something beneath 9/10 is a little bit of a letdown for me relating to World of Color. Given the flicks, characters, and franchises utilized–plus the superb unique music and attention-grabbing narrative framework and message–World of Color – ONE might’ve been a masterpiece.
Finally, we’ll spherical out this World of Color – ONE evaluate with some sensible information. First, this nighttime spectacular is one centerpiece of Disney100, however not the one new providing–and even the one new nighttime spectacular. Consult our Guide to Disney’s one hundredth Anniversary Celebration at Disneyland & DCA for every thing it’s good to know in regards to the festivities.
Otherwise, our Best World of Color Viewing Spots are largely unchanged. Additionally, we did the World of Color Dessert Party once more for World of Color – ONE, and that’s considerably the identical (I doubt I’ll re-review it as a result of virtually nothing was totally different). My opinion of that continues to be unchanged, however Sarah stated I ought to stress that it’s actually, very nice to have a spot to take a seat since World of Color is so lengthy. If you’re positive with the free standing space, understand that entry to the principle viewing sections for World of Color – ONE is by way of digital queue within the Disneyland app. More data and how-to particulars can be found in our Guide to World of Color – ONE Virtual Queue.
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Your Thoughts
Are you wanting ahead to World of Color – ONE at Disney California Adventure? Have you already seen this present or Wondrous Journeys? If you’ve watched each, which do you favor? Excited that to see Baby Yoda, Dr. Strange, and different characters from the Marvel and Star Wars universes, or involved that it’ll have too many various kinds of IPs, and be disjointed consequently? Thoughts on the “Start a Wave” theme tune? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Hearing your suggestions—even if you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!