Disney World Is Expensive, But The Best Attraction Right Now Is Free

You don’t have to regularly follow everything new at Disney World to know that a vacation to the most magical place on earth is expensive. It’s the sort of vacation that people save up for because everything, from tickets to food to hotel rooms are going to set you back, quite a lot in many cases. And Disney World is only getting more expensive. But right now, you don’t even need to buy a theme park ticket to see the best attraction at Disney World.

Disney Dreams That Soar is a brand new, limited-time, drone show that takes place in the sky over Disney Springs, the resort shopping and dining complex. Disney Springs doesn’t even charge for parking, so it’s possible to see this show without having to spend any additional money, which certainly makes it the best value attraction in the entire resort.

Disney World Has Finally Added Drones

Drones have become a common part of nighttime entertainment in many theme parks. Sometimes they perform alone or with fireworks, but they’re an incredible new addition to the attraction arsenal. Disney has done shows with drones at its international parks, but Dreams That Soar is the first time they’ve been used at Disney World, and the show is amazing.

I love a good nighttime spectacular, and Disney World is dealing with an embarrassment of riches right now in that regard. Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After is a modern classic, and one of the best castle fireworks shows ever conceived. Luminous: The Symphony Of Us at Epcot uses some incredible mechanical technology to do fireworks in a new way blended with water and an amazing soundtrack, and does it all in a way that doesn’t require us to deal with eyesores in the World Showcase lagoon.

But one of the problems with those shows, especially if you're short like me, is that a lot of what there is to see happens low to the ground, and if you are too far back or have tall people, or a kid on shoulders in front of you, it can be tough to see all that. Dreams That Soar is so high that I'm not sure there's a bad seat in the house.

Disney Dreams That Soar Is Beautiful

Several moments from great Disney and Pixar animated films are recreated from flying drones. Even simple animation can be accomplished, like seeing Peter Pan flying from Big Ben and seeing Wall-E and Eve slowly embrace each other. It’s all truly beautiful and there’s just nothing else like it at the resort.

As the drones flow from one scene to the next, sometimes visually, sometimes invisibly, the music from each classic film or a line of dialogue will be played. Each one is going to hit you emotionally if you care about these films at all. On top of that, the show ends with an original song “Dreams That Soar” which is equally excellent. Disney has created some amazing original music over the years for its nighttime spectaculars and this is another emotional banger.

If there’s a downside to the show, it’s that it’s short. It’s only about 10 minutes long, which is around half as long as the nighttime shows in the parks. I certainly wouldn’t say no to a longer show, but it doesn’t feel short.

This show could have been done in one of the parks, so the fact that Dreams That Soar doesn’t require you to buy a park ticket isn’t inconsequential. Disney still wants you to spend money, of course. The fact that the show will draw people into Disney Springs, where there are plenty of chances to spend, is part of the idea. A couple of the restaurants that have locations along the water where the show takes place are offering dining packages that give you a spot to watch the show while you eat.

But if you want to just go and watch the show, you can. You’ve spent a lot on your Disney World vacation, so consider this a free gift. You'll only get it for a limited time, however. Disney Dreams That Soar is currently scheduled to end on September 2.