Disney Tales of Magic is a nighttime spectacular that features drones, fountains, fireworks, projections and lights. The show debuted on January 10th, 2025 at Disneyland Paris. Tales of Magic rolls through a number of classic Disney and Pixar films using a variety of mediums to bring the movies to life. In this post, we’ll review Disney Tales of Magic and the end of this post will include our tips on the best spots to watch the show.

Tales of Magic is the first Disney Parks drone show I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. I kept narrowly missing ones at Disney Springs over the last few years and nothing of the sort has made it to Disneyland or Tokyo Disney Resort. On the flip side, Disneyland Paris has quickly become veterans in this department. The castle park has boasted a few different nighttime shows that features drones in the last couple of years.

With this being the first time I’ve ever seen a theme park drone show, I can’t say I’m an expert in that department. But even a novice like me can surmise that this is likely the future of these grand spectaculars. As much as I love fireworks, the environmental implications alone are enough to turn big brands like Disney and Universal to drones. That’s before even considering anything like “drones look really cool” or “I never thought I’d get to see Zurg drift past Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.” Suffice to say, I was excited to watch Disney Tales of Magic.

This isn’t all about drones though. As I mentioned, there are fireworks, projections, fountains and lights. Disneyland Paris is uniquely positioned to feature all of them and the show utilizes it quite well. Because of that, Tales of Magic is visually stunning with a few magnificent scenes. All of the different visuals work in concert, specifically in a few moments of the show, to make something more enveloping than any nighttime show I’ve ever seen.

An easy pick for a highlight (slight spoilers ahead) is The Lion King section. Using a few hit songs, including He Lives in You from the Broadway adaptation, the segment slowly builds up to a grand reveal of the drones framing the castle and the lights shining brightly, all while the music hits a crescendo. It’s one of the best moments I can remember in a nighttime spectacular.

The finale is likewise a feast for the eyes, if not a little overcrowded. The drones do clear out some to make way for more fireworks, lights and fountains while the show’s original song (Live in Magic) plays. Tales of Magic ends with a bang, both literal and figurative. Other highlights include a nice medley of 90’s Disney animated movie songs, a fun Toy Story section and another step forward in projections on the castle.

While visually stunning, Disney Tales of Magic doesn’t quite work as well as a whole. Before I go any further, I want to be clear. This is still one of the better nighttime spectaculars I’ve ever seen. The tone is similar to Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After and Disneyland’s Wondrous Journeys but with drones! That’s not a hard thing to sell.

Where Tales of Magic (ToM?) doesn’t quite come together is in the transitions. Like most nighttime spectaculars, this show operates in a series of vignettes. Most of them are focused on a specific film franchise but there are a few exceptions. The biggest fault in this show is that it doesn’t quite figure out how to get from one segment to another. There are some gaps that feel awkward and others that feel like they throw off the pacing.

Most of this is felt in the first half of the show, as it takes a little while before the drones show up and the pacing is pretty slow. I don’t mind that approach but would have enjoyed a slightly faster start. The other noticeable moment is coming down off the high of The Lion King into a good but not great Encanto bit. Both work well on their own, maybe even exceptionally well, but the flow doesn’t quite work.

That’s a minor complaint for a 20 minute show that made my jaw drop a few different times though. What the non-perfect transitions do affect is the emotional impact of the show. I certainly felt something but I think that was because of the look of the show rather than the heart. Obviously, talking about how something made you feel is as subjective as it gets and it may hit differently for others.

Outside of that, I thoroughly enjoyed Disney Tales of Magic. It’s a new medium that I’m excited to see Disney explore in the coming years. Utilizing the drones along with all of the other excitement like fireworks, projections and lights could prove to be a hard balancing act. But, in theory, it should be beautiful. For now, Disney Tales of Magic is a must-see at Disneyland Paris and one of the better nighttime spectaculars Disney has ever produced. As if that’s not enough, the show highlights what a new era of theme park shows could be.

Tips for Viewing Disney Tales of Magic

Like all other castle parks nighttime shows, the best place to view Disney Tales of Magic is on Main Street or in the hub in front of the castle. Disneyland Paris does offer a paid reserved viewing area. If you have the means then this is probably the best viewpoint of Tales of Magic. I don’t think it’s all that necessary and money could be spent better elsewhere.

I’m a little split on where to recommend standing for the Tales of Magic, assuming you don’t buy the reserved viewing. Closer to the castle will give guests a better view of the fantastic projections and, with that, a clearer understanding of the show. Up close also gives a better view of the fountains by the castle, which do play a more significant role in the show than Magic Kingdom or Disneyland’s water features.

The downside of being up close is that the castle may block some of the view of fireworks and drones. Ultimately, I do think that standing closer is better. But I also recognize that many people reading this may only have a day at Disneyland Paris. If that’s the case then fitting in as many rides as possible and strolling up to Main Street 15 minutes before Tales of Magic begins is the way to go from an itinerary perspective. If that’s you, then just try to view the show from somewhere on Main Street for that straight on view. Getting in front of Casey’s Corner would be ideal.

I don’t think anyone would be disappointed with their viewing experience if they ended up somewhere on Main Street. Like any show, the more time you devote to saving a spot then the better the view will be. But it’s a give and take situation and I don’t think you’ll gain that much by waiting an hour instead of half an hour. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure not to miss Tales of Magic!

Have you seen Disney Tales of Magic? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. We’re excited to bring you more content on the resort in the coming weeks and months! Planning a Disney trip? Check out our Travel Guides to help you along the way! Thank you for reading Wandering in Disney.  Please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages, all of which you can do on the right side of the page. Have a wonderful day!