This past Friday, “Believe… in Holiday Magic” nighttime fireworks show returned to Disneyland for the holiday season. The show, which runs through January 8, 2023, is a pyrotechnical spectacle. The sky overhead Sleeping Beauty Castle lights up with a colorful display of fireworks.
As with select shows around the parks, “Believe… in Holiday Magic” will interact with MagicBand+ devices. The MagicBand+ is a recent arrival to the Disneyland Resort. Disney says MagicBand+ will provide “extra magic” as it comes “alive with vibrations and colorful holiday lights.”
Just before the show starts, the MagicBand+ goes from orange to a glowing blue and continues to interact with the fireworks throughout various sections of the show.
The show opens with the narrator saying, “Does your heart hold the magic of the holidays? Is it filled with warm memories just waiting to be discovered again? Now is the time to open your heart, believe in that magic, and remember those treasured moments… they’re still there, deep within you, waiting to touch you once more. So come along as the magic of the seasons leads the way.”
The opening song, “Can You Remember,” is a Christmas version of “Remember the Magic,” the theme song from Walt Disney World’s 25th anniversary. The song is performed by country singer Kellie Coffey, who was also the vocalist for “We Go On” and “Promise,” two popular songs that were in EPCOT’s former (and popular) nighttime show, “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.”
As the fireworks continue over Sleeping Beauty Castle, various holiday projects are displayed on the façades of the shops along Main Street, U.S.A.
After the fireworks conclude, the entire area is bathed in blue lighting as “snow” begins to fall on Main Street, U.S.A, Small World Mall, and the “Fantasmic!” viewing area while a rendition of “White Christmas” plays. This rendition is also performed by Kellie Coffey. The show concludes with the end of “White Christmas.”
Following “Can You Remember” is the fanfare from the Mickey Mouse Club March, then instrumental excerpts from various Christmas carols and a Hanukkah song, including:
- “March of the Wooden Soldiers”
- “Toyland, Toyland”
- “I Have a Little Dreidel”
- “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”
- “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
- “O Holy Night”
- “We Three Kings”
- “Joy to the World”
- “Silent Night”
- “Carol of the Bells”
- “Russian Dance (Nutcracker Suite)”
- “Arabian Dance (Nutcracker Suite)”
- “The Christmas Song”
After the excerpt from “The Christmas Song” is the conclusion to “Can You Remember,” now sung by a chorus led by the female vocalist.
A short excerpt from “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” accompanies the final line of “Can You Remember.” The announcer then says, “Cherish the holidays forever, and always believe,” and concludes the pyrotechnics portion of the show.
Check out our videos below with one version of “Believe… in Holiday Magic” on its own and one with MagicBand+
“Believe… in Holiday Magic” – Full Show 2022
“Believe… in Holiday Magic” – Full Show with MagicBand+
To celebrate the 45th anniversary of Disneyland in 2000, they premiered a fireworks show called “Believe… There’s Magic in the Stars.” The show was so popular that Disney decided to premiere a holiday version the following holiday season. This version used music from various classic Christmas songs together in order to create a thirteen-minute fireworks spectacular. The holiday version was very popular, especially the finale, which culminated in “snow” falling in various areas of the park.
“Believe… In Holiday Magic” has run every holiday season since 2000, with the exception of the 2005 and 2015 holiday seasons, when Disney opted to continue performing “Remember… Dreams Come True” in observance of the Disneyland Resort’s 50th anniversary and Disneyland Forever in observance of the Disneyland Resort’s 60th Diamond Celebration. It also did not run in 2020 as the park was closed due to COVID-19 regulations.
Are you excited for the return of “Believe … in Holiday Magic”? If so, let us know in the comments below.
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