Disney Enchantment is Magic Kingdom’s new nighttime spectacular that debuted for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. The show features fireworks, enhanced lighting and projections, and music. Enchantment is done nightly (usually at 9 PM) throughout Magic Kingdom, best seen from the hub and Main Street. In this post, we’ll review the new show. There will be some slight spoilers and a few photos (sorry, we didn’t end up with the best spot) just to warn you!

Magic Kingdom has a history of nighttime spectaculars that tug on your heartstrings. Both Wishes and Happily Ever After found the right notes and balance between sentimental but not overly cheesy. Like Epcot’s new show, Disney Enchantment had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, the show played into sentiment although in a slightly different way than we’d prefer.

Enchantment is an embodiment of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary which is so humbly titled the World’s Most Magical Celebration. We’re all for that, as we could all use a party after the last 18 months. Enchantment’s theme is taken straight from that title and reminds us that the magic is in us. That was a stark contrast to the Harmonious idea, which ultimately ended up feeling like a celebration of how many people listen to Disney songs. Instead, this show took Disney songs and a plot and turned it back to celebrating the guests and fans who have seen the company grow and move along. I’m all for the theme and it felt like a fitting way to end the 50th anniversary night. With the big picture looking good, how well that idea is executed becomes the question.

Despite some missteps along the way, I think Disney Enchantment gets the point across and is an enjoyable watch. We’ll start with the positives. The show has plenty of room to breathe and isn’t as in your face as many of the recent nighttime spectaculars. In that way, it does feel a little bit like Happily Ever After by capitalizing on some quiet moments. No, it doesn’t do that as well as its predecessor but it is effective and there’s some subtlety used.

Throughout the show, the transitions between songs are seamless. There’s a skippy instrumental section with a number of Disney tunes that leads into Frozen 2’s Into the Unknown that is exceptionally well done. From that point on, the show takes off with great pyro and projections during that song and then reaches an emotional climax with a Moana number. For me, that section is the peak of the show. There is also a cool villains part. Enchantment finishes with an original song that is solid but not spectacular.

The projections at the castle are exceptionally clear and are nearly as captivating as the pyro above them. They look great and are fun to watch, if not a little much at times. During the aforementioned instrumental part, the show rolls through a ridiculous amount of characters and movies. If you have a favorite Disney movie, there’s a good chance it shows up somewhere in this section. This all fits in fairly well with the show and doesn’t interrupt the flow, in fact it probably gives it a jolt of energy when it’s most needed.

As for the negatives, Enchantment starts off slow and takes a while to get going. This is by design but I don’t think it quite has the build that the creators were hoping for. I kept waiting for that moment where the show loosens up and exudes joy. I’m not sure Enchantment ever quite gets there though. The whole soundtrack could use a few more fun and sing-along songs.

My other critique is mainly born out of personal preference. There isn’t anything specifically park related in the show. I always think this is a weird move, considering Enchantment was created to celebrate the parks. The same thing essentially happened with Disneyland Forever, which was created for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary. Actually, I think Disneyland Forever is the most comparable show to Disney Enchantment. Both are good and technically exceptional, but missing a final piece and more nods to the Disney Parks.

There are some wow moments throughout the show that I won’t divulge here. Enchantment could maybe use a few more of those moments to really make it a hit but what was given was sufficient. Cinderella’s Castle looks amazing as the foreground to the show and helps build the emotion.

No, Disney Enchantment doesn’t deliver an emotional journey quite like Wishes or Happily Ever After. But the bits of narration that are sprinkled in with a good choice of songs at the end make the show unique and touching. It’s also a step forward for Magic Kingdom from the technical side, as Main Street (along with other locations in the park) offer projections that fit in with the music and pyro above.

Enchantment doesn’t quite hit the highs of past shows but it is enjoyable and offers a nice message that fits in with the anniversary it was made for. There’s emotion in the show and some good music to go along with impressive visuals. Despite the nits to pick, Disney Enchantment is a nice addition to Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary offerings.

Have you seen Disney Enchantment yet? Let us know what thoughts you have, along with any questions, in the comments below. If you are planning a trip to Disney World, then check out our planning guide. If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!