Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams is a fireworks spectacular at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida and at Disneyland Park in Paris. The show debuted at the Magic Kingdom on October 9, 2003, and was developed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, who were assigned to create a replacement for the 32-year-old Fantasy in the Sky fireworks. In September and October, during "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party", the show is replaced with Happy HalloWishes, and in late November and December, Holiday Wishes during "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party". In 2007, the Magic Kingdom presented a new separate admission (a/k/a "hard ticket") event called "Disney's Pirate and Princess Party" with its own fireworks program titled Magic, Music and Mayhem. The French version of Wishes premiered on July 16, 2005, with the only similarity to the American version being the music and storyline.

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom

Wishes

The regular show is hosted by Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy, and revolves around the wishes of famous Disney characters - good and bad. The lights on Cinderella Castle change colors throughout the show, reflecting the different stages of Wishes' story. At times it glows blue, imitating the Blue Fairy, but it is lit in angry reds and oranges for the Villainous Wishes sector of the show. There are also a number of special projection effects used on the Castle, such as the face of the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the stars and moon from Mickey's sorcerer hat in Fantasia. While most of the characters in the show are only heard as part of the show's music track, Wishes also features an appearance from Tinker Bell as she flies from the tallest spire of Cinderella Castle (weather permitting).

The show begins with the Blue Fairy's narration: "When stars are born, they possess a gift or two. One of them is this: they have the power to make a wish come true." This transitions into the theme song of the show, which is the poem "Starlight, Starbright" set to music. Jiminy Cricket begins his narration about how he didn't used to believe in wishes, but is about to share the things that changed his mind. The show continues with a medley of famous Disney music overlaid with Disney characters making wishes. Snow White, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Aladdin, Peter Pan and Ariel are featured, among others. Several primarily instrumental sections follow, representing wishes for adventure, wishes for love and 'magical' wishes. Wishes then takes a turn for the slightly-sinister when the Disney villains, led by the Evil Queen from Snow White, take over the show. However, in the end, Good triumphs over Evil, and the Blue Fairy returns to host the finale, stating that "we must always believe in our wishes, for they are the magic in the world." The show ends with a mix of the Wishes theme and "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio.

Happy HalloWishes: A Grim Grinning Ghost Spooktacular in the Sky

HalloWishes debuted in 2005 and is performed at the separate-admission ("hard ticket") event Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom in lieu of the regular Wishes show. Taking its name from the theme song for the classic attraction Haunted Mansion, the show features fireworks synchronized to classic Disney Villain themes and other Halloween music.

Holiday Wishes: Celebrate The Spirit of the Season

Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season replaces Wishes during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and during the park's regular operating days near Christmas Day (often December 21-31). The show features dazzling fireworks performed to remixed classic Christmas songs and an appearance by Tinker Bell. For the show's finale, the music and fireworks stop temporarily and machines on the roof of Main Street, U.S.A. create artificial snow, creating an emotional climax similar to the Believe... In Holiday Magic holiday show at Disneyland. Its soundtrack is available on CD.

Magic, Music, and Mayhem

This fireworks show replaces Wishes at Disney's Pirate and Princess Party, and features music from the Disney Princess library of animated movies and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise.

Wishes at Disneyland Resort Paris

As part of the Happiest Celebration on Earth for Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, Disneyland Resort Paris' Disneyland Park introduced a "nighttime spectacular" based on the Magic Kingdom's Wishes pyrotechnics show. The show ran its first year from July 16, 2005 to August 28, 2005, with performances every night at 11:15 p.m. The show ran every summer season from 2005 until 2007 and was replaced in 2008 by The Enchanted Fireworks.

Despite featuring fewer fireworks and a smaller budget, the Parisian version of Wishes contained special effects not seen before in the park. In addition to projections of Disney characters to help relay the story of the show to the multilingual audience, green and blue laser arrangements (projected onto and from the Castle) differentiated it from previous fireworks shows in the park. A scene involving Hercules and Disney Princesses was cut from this version. Narration of the show was altered as well, with some sections of Jiminy Cricket's English-language narration cut and replaced by the Blue Fairy, who now co-narrates the show in French.

See also

• Remember... Dreams Come True, the Disneyland fireworks show that also uses the wishes theme music.