A holiday spectacular featuring low-level fireworks that hasn’t been seen in 25 years could make a comeback at Disney California Adventure as part of “World of Color,” according to the Disney executive in charge of staging nighttime shows around the globe.
Walt Disney Imagineering Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars Steven Davison teased the return of the “LuminAria” nighttime spectacular at Disney California Adventure during a D23 event, according to LaughingPlace and DapsMagic.
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Davison spoke as part of the D23 Spotlight Series: Disney California Adventure’s 25th Anniversary Celebration panel on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Disneyland Hotel.
Disneyland has not announced any plans for a “LuminAria” version of the “World of Color” nighttime spectacular.
The short-lived “LuminAria” winter holiday nighttime spectacular ran on Paradise Bay for only one season during the opening year of Disney California Adventure in 2001.
The show featured a 60-foot-tall fiber optic Christmas tree, choreographed water fountains, low-level pyrotechnics and video screens displaying interactive holiday cards drawn during the day by theme park visitors.
“LuminAria” never returned in part because pyrotechnic smoke would often blow into the crowd watching the nighttime show along Paradise Bay depending on the direction of the wind.
The “World of Color” nighttime spectacular debuted in 2010 — taking over the Paradise Bay infrastructure once used by “LuminAria.”
Davison developed “LuminAria” and a series of “World of Color” shows that have been staged on Paradise Bay over the past 15 years.
Davison has been teasing a potential return of “LuminAria” ever since 2009 when he was interviewed by D23 about the upcoming debut of the first “World of Color” show, according to WDW News Today.
“To be honest, I think we can bring ‘LuminAria’ back,” Davison told D23 in 2009. “I was listening to the track the other day and thinking if you put ‘LuminAria’ into the ‘World of Color’ infrastructure, it would do everything it ever wanted to do and more. I’m not saying we are doing that, but we could.”
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Davison has created fireworks shows, nighttime spectaculars and parades that have appeared at all six Disney theme park resorts around the world.