The embodiment of the "100 Years of Wonder" celebration at Disneyland comes in the form of another nighttime spectacular – this one, a fireworks show. Disneyland has a pretty strong history when it comes to fireworks shows (most notably, the Julie Andrews-narrated REMEMBER... DREAMS COME TRUE for the 50th, which served as a "Grand Circle Tour" of the park's lands and rides.) And despite the odds, it seems that Disneyland has managed an impossible feat for the Disney100 celebration: creating a new classic. And pretty unanimously, that's what WONDROUS JOURNEYS is. 

Actually, it was back at the 2022 D23 Expo that we first got our first listen to the show's custom-made theme song, "Wondrous." Somewhat folksy, jangling, and reflective, the lyrics sings of simple beginnings; "how it grows from just a spark"; "a gentle stream of energy" between two people; "from jumping, to falling, to learning to fly." There's no doubt that it's an ear worm... but would it matter if the show itself amounted to yet another random assortment of clips from Moana, Encanto, The Princess and the Frog, and Frozen projected on a castle? 

The good news is... it isn't. There are a few things that make "Wondrous Journeys" stand among the best (and most timeless) of Disney Parks nighttime spectaculars... Here are a few of our thoughts. 

1. The right spirit

As we saw on the last page, a few too many of Disney's last decade of nighttime spectaculars have felt like "copy-paste" situations; like the same movies, the same songs, and the same moments – primarily from the last ten years of Disney Animation – have been on display.

Wondrous Journeys tries something new. The show is not built around a ham-fisted frame story or loose theme (like "Enchantment," "Harmonious," or "World of Color – One") that's basically a flimsy, thin excuse for mashing together clips from across the Disney + Pixar + Marvel + Star Wars catalogues accompanied by sing-along segments and plopped-in promotional pieces for whatever's new on Disney+.

Instead, Wondrous Journeys is a celebration of every single film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios (and select shorts) from the 1920s to today. From Snow White to Strange World, this show actually features animation from every single feature film Disney Animation has produced – yes, even the stinkers! All 61 are included, spread across the show's four projected viewing areas (Main Street, Sleeping Beauty Castle, "it's a small world," and the Rivers of America). 

Finally breaking out of the "ad-in-disguise" shell that has haunted Disney's recent spade of nighttime spectaculars, this is a show that features an entire segment anchored by Treasure Planet... Think about that! Wondrous Journeys doesn't seem at all focused on what's hot on Disney+, instead beginning early animation of Mickey Mouse, advancing through the Fab Five, and then Walt's early Princesses, fluttering by as pencil drawings on paper. This is the way Disneyland should feature the worlds of Disney Animation – as a loving, historic, and reverent tribute. 

2. The right music and visuals

Bookended by the song "Wondrous," the show then begins a wonderful journey through animation. It starts with Mickey and friends in their earliest forms, then leads into Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella to the tune of "When You Wish Upon a Star." In this segment (and the rest of the show), clips from the films themselves aren't alone; they're joined by early concept art and pencil sketches, 

🎵 Just to live one day 🎵
🎵 There must be more 🎵
🎵 I will find my way 🎵
🎵 Where I long to be 🎵

🎵 Out there 🎵#WondrousJourneys pic.twitter.com/rwiuUrwnk7

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) January 30, 2023

Then, it segues into an unbelievable quartet that surely stands among the best musical mash-ups in Disney history, mixing (new, re-recorded) audio from Hercules, Beauty and the Beast, Moana, and Hunchback of Notre Dame (above). An embodiment of the "I Want" song made famous in Disney Animation of the '90s, the segment signals the first steps of a journey.

Next, the Princess and the Frogs' "Almost There" (again, re-recorded) becomes a slow-building anthem to recall the journeys themselves. An instrumental montage then segues into an action-packed crescendo to the tune of Fall Out Boy's "Immortals" (from Big Hero 6) as Baymax flys over the castle, coinciding with heroic moments (from Raya and the Last Dragon, Mulan, Wreck-It Ralph, The Rescuers, and more). 

A final show section focuses on moments of doubt (from The Lion King, Moana, Encanto, and beyond) before returning to the song "Wondrous" to wrap it up. Be sure to take a moment to watch "Wondrous Journeys" above!

3. The right time and place

At Walt Disney World, both Disney Enchantment and Harmonious were (rightly) criticized for missing the moment. Both purported to be anchor experiences of the resort's 50th Anniversary... then both roundly refused to even acknowledge Walt Disney World, its history, or its founder. Instead, they were both cut-from-the-same-cloth sing-alongs of Disney Animation films from the last decade, held up as leading examples of how Disney World's anniversary forgot to celebrate Disney World. 

Disneyland has always leaned into its history and into nostalgia in a way that Disney World rarely does – one of many reasons we suggest that even Disney World loyalists should give the California resort a try... It's actually somewhat unusual for Disneyland to have a show that so heavily emphasizes the studio's output...

But Disney100 is the time to do it. Seriously, Wondrous Journeys serves as a perfect overlap of Disneyland and the corporate-baked Disney100... a tribute to the studio through the lens of the parks. It doesn't feel like promotion, but a retrospective. Wondrous Journeys isn't a clip show meant to highlight blockbuster Disney films; it's a tribute to the history of animation. It's as heartfelt, appropriate, reflective, and joyous celebration of Disney properties that designers could've concocted for Disney100 – a promotion that otherwise might've given us yet another sing-along.

It's wondrous

Altogether, "Wondrous Journeys" feels like the best possible, realistic product of today's Disney – one focused on leveraging its character catalogue, songs, and brands. Mercifully, it seems like World of Color – One absorbed the corporate mandate to advertise Disney + Pixar + Marvel + Star Wars (in what we still hope is a temporary capacity), leaving "Wondrous Journeys" to feel like a more heartfelt, authentic reflection of Disney Animation.

The intentional notion of featuring every single one of Disney's 61 animated films means that the show can still be "promotional," but isn't weighed down by the need to be. Instead, it feels more evergreen, remixing clips from across the studio into an opportunity to reminisce. It's emotional, it's well-balanced, it's historic... and more to the point, it's timeless. This is a show that Disneyland can feature for years. And with it, it seems that at long last, Disney's nighttime spectacular curse has come to an end... for now.