Happily Ever After Review

Do you want to know how this Kingdom actually became full of Magic? 

...it all started way back in 1971, sure, but as the decades went by, more and more pixie dust was used to elevate Magic Kingdom to one of the best theme parks in the world. Pixie Dust that created rides like Space Mountain, or the Festival of Fantasy Parade and, more recently, the awesome fireworks show called Happily Ever After.

This spectacle is a great way to finish your day full of adventures in Magic Kingdom. The 20 minute show features a lot of Disney songs, visual projections on Cinderella’s Castle and, of course, lots of lots of fireworks brightening the sky with a dance of beautiful colors. It’s beautiful and magical, perfect for children, families, lovebirds and even Disney villains that want to shed a tear and go through a redemption plot.

The Good

Happily Ever After is a must see show, joining the hall of fame which includes Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios and the Festival of Fantasy Parade, which also takes place in Magic Kingdom. If you love Disney or just want to have a good time, make sure to grab a good spot in front of Cinderella’s Castle for this show which takes place once every night. It will be crowded and you actually won't sit down - unless you are watching it from a nearby restaurant - but it’s well worth it.

For this one, Cinderella’s Castle is the real star of the show. The castle is taken by projections from all angles, making it truly come alive in the middle of the night. Seriously, every single spot of the structure is taken by light, gorgeous animation and scenes from Disney classics like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Frozen. 

Oh, the projections aren’t just your regular movie scenes, nope. They are there to truly transform the castle, enveloping it in the atmosphere of the movie being featured. So, for Aladdin you can see a visual projection of the genie dancing on top of it, with the castle towers taken by rotating and colorful platforms that make it look like the castle is about to lift off. There are also dozens of songs that play throughout the show, such as “Part of Your World”, “Love is an Open Door”, and “Hakuna Matata”.

These are a few of the characters and franchises that are referenced during the show:

• Tiana
• Remy
• Quasimodo
• Ariel
• Rapunzel
• Merida
• Moana
• Nemo
• Aladdin
• Woody & Buzz
• Simba
• Olaf

Seriously, there are a lot of them…

The show is divided into different acts, and each one speaks about important things like love, friendship and hardships that we face in our lives. Each sequence features several visual projections on the castle walls, but also tons and tons of fireworks. Of course they are awesome. They even go together with the music playing. So, let’s say that we are listening to the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song playing, some fireworks will then fly from different directions during the chorus.

I love that the show features characters both old and new. Peter Pan is here, but you can also see characters from Zootopia and Inside Out. This show is actually an upgrade from the old “Wishes”, with top notch projections, the same amount of fireworks and also a few nods to the previous version. Remember Tinker Bell in Wishes and how she closed out the entire spectacle? I won’t spoil it here, but it’s very similar… and awesome. 

Will Kids enjoy it?

Oh, yeah! This show features some of their favorite movies, songs and it has plenty of fireworks, so kids and teenagers will probably appreciate it. It’s also a very unique attraction compared to a traditional ride, since the castle comes alive and the sky ignites with so many colors. It’s definitely a must see for the entire family.

The only issue I see is that young children might be a little tired to focus on the show. Magic Kingdom is packed with attractions and activities, and many guests arrive early to make the most of their day. This means they're often at the park by 8 am and still awake and ready to watch the show at 9 pm. Even I get tired after walking around the park for more than twelve hours. But hey, it's worth it. I promise.