"Right when you see it, can you believe it?
It's wondrous!"
It's wondrous!"
"For over a hundred years, Walt Disney Animation Studios has invited audiences to believe in things never thought possible. And so tonight, we once again invite you to wish upon stars, to step into the unknown, and to join us on this, our Wondrous Journey."
Wondrous Journeys is a nighttime spectacular that originally ran at Disneyland from January 27-August 31, 2023, as part of Disney's 100 Years of Wonder celebration. The show allows guests to relive inspirational moments from the Disney Animated Canon's first 62 movies (from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Wish). Clips and artwork from animated Disney movies and shorts were projected onto Sleeping Beauty Castle, various Main Street, USA buildings, "it's a small world", and the Fantasmic! stage and mist screens. The soundtrack includes an original theme song, "It's Wondrous," and exclusive renditions of the Canon's music. Weekend performances also included fireworks and pyrotechnics.
In December 2023, Disney announced that they would revive Wondrous Journeys from March 22-April 14, 2024.
Wondrous Tropes:
- Audience Participation: MagicBand+ wristbands flash and vibrate in time with the show.
- Award-Bait Song: "It's Wondrous" sings praises for "the magic that we call life" and pursuit of dreams.
- Bookends: In addition to the custom for a Disney nighttime spectacular to play its theme song at both the beginning and the end, the first human to appear in the center of Sleeping Beauty Castle is Snow White, as a rough sketch picking flowers. The last characters to appear in the center of the castle consist of Snow White and her prince, now fully-colored as he helps her out of her glass coffin.
- Cool Gate: "Immortals" begins with the map from Treasure Planet opening up a portal to the San Fransokyo Gate Bridge.
- Cover Song: Except for "I Wonder" and "I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)", all of the pre-existing songs utilize new recordings.
- Darkest Hour: The characters enter this after a storm leaves Disneyland in ruins. Fortunately, Moana's Grandma Tala helps lift their spirits back up.
- Demoted to Extra: Happened to the Blue Fairy and Baymax during the 2024 revival, in which they no longer fly over Sleeping Beauty Castle.
- Determinator: From the exit music version of "It's Wondrous:"I took all my dreams and I gave them a try
I got used to falling while learning to fly - Early-Bird Cameo: Both Asha and Valentino make a brief appearance before Disney created an official teaser trailer for Wish.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: The "Almost There" segment begins with James teaching Tiana that wishes can come true with help from some hard work.
- Empathic Environment: The aforementioned storm seemingly results from the characters' self-doubt. When they recover, the structures re-materialize Encanto-style.
- "I Want" Song: The show includes a combination of "I'm Wishing" and "I Wonder," as well as a mash-up of "Go the Distance," "Belle (reprise)," "How Far I'll Go," and "Out There."
- Make a Wish: "When You Wish Upon a Star" played while the Blue Fairy flew over Sleeping Beauty Castle.
- Monochrome to Color: The first "It's Wondrous" segment segues from clips of black-and-white Classic Disney Shorts, to un-colored rough animation of Disney Animated Canon movies, to full-color clips of the completed movies.
- Pastel-Chalked Freeze Frame: The "I'll Make a Man Out of You" sequence pauses scenes of battle or despair.
- Pretty Butterflies: The show connects the different eras of Disney animation through "the flight of the butterflies," to quote "It's Wondrous."
- Rewatch Bonus: The average guest would need to watch Wondrous Journeys at least five times to see how exactly it references all of the movies. Some of the references consist simply of one or two fleeting cameos, found only in a specific area of Disneyland.
- "Setting Off" Song: "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" and "For the First Time In Forever" become one when stripped of their lyrics, and played over some distinctive vehicles taking off.
- Theme Tune Extended: Disney released a digital single for an extended version of "It's Wondrous" in March 2023.
- The Triple: A montage of everyone preparing for battle shows a confident Milo rallying the Atlanteans, an authoritative Sgt. Calhoun rallying her soldiers... and a nervous Raya rallying herself.
- Triumphant Reprise: "It's Wondrous" sounds wistful at the start, then receives a more jubilant rendition at the finale. The exit music sends guests off with a lively variation of the song.
- Up, Up and Away!: Baymax flew around Sleeping Beauty Castle while pointing his left fist forwards.
- Waxing Lyrical: The opening narration quotes songs from Pinocchio and Frozen II.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Some clips of characters telling each other this precede "Immortals" and "Dos Orugitas."
