Friday, May 24th marked the debut of the new drone show at Disney Springs. "Disney Dreams That Soar presented by AT&T" was announced back in March as a "summertime experience" that provides some much-needed late-night entertainment at Walt Disney World's signature entertainment complex.
Last night was the show's highly anticipated debut and like all new things that open at Disney World, it was met with massive crowds.
The show itself was met with warm reception. 800 drones flying in the air in perfect synchronization to create iconic Disney characters is certainly a sight to behold. But just be warned, if you plan on visiting Disney Springs this weekend — or any time in the near future — to catch the show, prepare for massive shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
Footage of last night's premiere has been making its way online and while the show itself looks amazing, the overall experience, specifically the crowd management, needs much more planning.
New drone show at Disney Springs - crowds are crazy - neat idea- need better crowd plan/process and exit plans from the parking garage. pic.twitter.com/3DkooArtyp
— RA Ferrell (@ra_ferrell) May 25, 2024
If you're someone who gets overwhelmed with large crowds, you may want to hold off a bit. The photos and videos of the crowd control look like an absolute nightmare.
Photos of the crowd control nightmare at Disney Springs after the first showing of Dreams That Soar last night 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/ZyBalT4kS6
— Ride Rover (@riderover_) May 25, 2024
Even if you're not going to Disney Springs with the intent to watch the show, the crowd it will draw will impact all aspects of your visit. So if you have dining reservations, you'll definitely want to leave earlier than usual. The parking situation was horrible, I've heard.
At a standstill... pic.twitter.com/hYvoNgFzJL
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) May 25, 2024
As a Disney annual passholder, these large crowds aren't really new to me, but that doesn't mean I like them. Nothing about this looks fun. It looks stressful and chaotic and Disney needs to do a better job in the future with its crowd management.
It's possible that this was just the perfect storm. A Friday night on an extended holiday weekend with a brand new show opening. Perhaps the crowds will thin out as the summer goes on.
I doubt it though. This is a limited time show that's only schedule to run through August. Because of that, everyone is going to flock to Disney Springs to watch it before it leaves. It's creating FOMO.
@DisneySprings #Disney Springs chaos during drone show! It was super scary and dangerous pic.twitter.com/kIWiGCLmEa
— Jenny Harrington (@Dollface20245) May 25, 2024
Not only is this a bad experience, but it's dangerous for all involved. One stir or unexpected emergency can result in a crowd collapse.
Disney needs to figure something out, and quickly, because this is not safe.