Disney’s ‘World of Color’-ful Facts, Figures and History

“World of Color” bursts with the imagination and technology of the 21st century, while it draws on the decades-old Disney tradition of creative storytelling. The show is infused with Walt Disney’s special gift for conjuring tales full of magic, excitement and heart, and the ingenuity of today’s Imagineers.

History

• Initial planning for “World of Color” began in July 2005. Even before the ambitious expansion plan was announced for Disney California Adventure park, the Disneyland Resort leadership wanted to add a one-of-a-kind, new attraction to the Disney California Adventure experience.
• It was a five-year process, from planning to launch. A variety of concepts – rides as well as shows – were considered for the Paradise Bay lagoon during the initial brainstorming.
• “World of Color” was conceived as a kind of “living ‘Fantasia,’” using music, animation, color, light and water to involve the audience in an exciting, whimsical and moving journey of storytelling.
• The “World of Color” creative team, led by Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, believed it was important to execute the show on a massive scale. After looking at existing fountain/water shows – many of them very spectacular – the cast members concluded that, in the words of Walt Disney, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
• Team members were told they couldn’t have fountains with multiple heads or moving heads. They created them.
• Team members were told they couldn’t create color and light in fountains. They found ways.
• Team members were told they couldn’t project images on water if it was not a water screen. They went beyond creating a “movie screen” on water – developing a show in which water, light and color become the characters, on a screen so versatile that it might be 100 feet, 200 feet or 380 feet wide at any given time.

Some “World of Color” Facts and Figures

• The man-made Paradise Bay lagoon is 3.5 acres with more than 16 million gallons of water.
• When preparations for “World of Color” began, the Disneyland Resort collaborated with the Orange County Water District to conserve the water in Paradise Bay. Instead of draining the lagoon to the ocean, the water was sent through the Water District’s state-of-the-art Groundwater Replenishment System. After being purified, the water was stored in the county’s underground water basin, which added to the overall water reserves. When the time was right, the purified water was used to refill Paradise Bay. For these efforts, along with other Resort-wide environmental practices, Disneyland Resort was recognized with California’s highest and most prestigious environmental honor: the 2009 Governor’s Environmental & Economic Leadership Award.
• The “stage” for “World of Color” is a platform composed of nearly 1 full acre of engineered superstructure, longer than a football field and capable of settling on three levels – one for the performance, one under the water surface and one for maintenance.
• The show features nearly 1,200 powerful and programmable fountains, and a vast underwater grid with more than 18,000 points of control. Each fountain has multiple points of control for lighting, color intensity, water angle, height and more.
• The fountains in “World of Color” can send water to heights ranging from 30 feet to 200 feet (by way of comparison, Mickey’s Fun Wheel reaches a height of 150 feet, some of it below the edge of the lagoon).
• “World of Color” employs 28 high-definition projectors (14 of them, submersible).

Inspired by “Your Host, Walt Disney”

• The Emmy Award-winning “Wonderful World of Color” (1961-1969) was Walt Disney’s first color television series, an extension of his previous “Disneyland” and “Walt Disney Presents” anthology series. Like those earlier shows, it entertained audiences with both classic storytelling and innovative artistry.
• The television show premiered with an all-new theme song composed by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. (The Sherman Brothers recently received the highest Disneyland honor – their names on a Main Street, U.S.A. window – on March 11, 2010.)
• The music and kaleidoscopic images of Walt Disney’s pioneering TV show inspired the colorful, ever-changing experience that immerses guests in the new “World of Color” spectacular in Disney California Adventure park.

For information on “World of Color,” other Disneyland Resort attractions, or to plan a celebration or vacation at Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com, call 866/60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.  To explore the expansion plans for Disney California Adventure, visit www.DisneyCaliforniaAdventure.com.

Photo credit dlrptoday.com

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