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3. Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle’s “Beacons of Magic” transformation is probably the most successful as doing what it explicitly sets out to do, which is to make a park icon look “magical” and iridescent. A mini-show even sees the Castle’s “regular” after-dark look dim as narration offers, “Tonight, as we gather beneath the spires of this majestic castle, our dreams ignite the magic to create a beacon shining out and celebrating 50 years of the Most Magical Place on Earth.” Gold sweeps across the castle’s stonework as light radiates from its “50” medallion. 

In a transformation practically plucked from She-Ra, the castle becomes a radiant, animated version of itself. Gold sparks reign from its tallest tower, the “ribbons” around its turrets glow, and swirling layers of pixie dust rise from the base and circle around until the castle’s bathed in a bluish glow accentuated by wisps of color that undulate like oil in a puddle… but, you know, pretty.

The “show” is over as quickly as it began, but the purple-ish park icon remains all night – a very, very beautiful counterpart to the warm incandescence of Main Street’s popcorn lights. Unfortunately, it’s interrupted by showings of “Disney Enchantment,” a controversial new nighttime show that does what we like least: it uses projection mapping to transform the castle into a bumpy movie screen to play clips of Disney animated films.

2. Tree of Life

The Tree of Life that serves as the centerpiece of Disney's Animal Kingdom is definitely one of the most entrancing park icons on the planet, with the bark of the gigantic baobab tree mystically shaped into hundreds of animals, great and small. But for most of Animal Kingdom's life, what it looked like after dark wasn't a huge deal. Since real, live animals served as the park's centerpiece for most of its history (and since its ride count was notoriously small), Animal Kingdom tended to close up shop early, just as the animals headed to bed.

That changed with the opening of Pandora: The World of Avatar, when designers rolled out a suite of after-dark elements meant to entertain guests who stayed to see the bioluminescent alien world. Kilimanjaro Sunset Safaris and Rivers of Light never caught on quite the way Disney hoped, but a beautiful, projection-based lighting package called "Tree of Life Awakenings" saw glowing vignettes sweep across the Tree.

As part of the Beacons of Magic program, that general idea is back. As with Cinderella Castle, a short introduction crescendos with the Tree being bathed in "EARidescence," highlighting its hidden animals. The otherworldly glow truly transforms the icons into a breathtaking, supernatural centerpiece for the park. But most importantly, the Tree of Life variation of Beacons of Magic works because the ambiant, atmospheric animation fits the park's vibe wonderfully.

1. Spaceship Earth

It's probably not a surprise that when it comes to after dark icons, nothing can possibly top Spaceship Earth. For most of this century, EPCOT's geodesic sphere has sported a pretty poetic lighting pattern, with orange at the bottom and a violet color on top... sort of like a perpetual sunset, the look was iconic and beautiful. So much so that when Disney began teasing the installation of new LED bulbs at the intersection of the sphere's white panels, fans grimaced. 

But when Spaceship Earth's Beacons of Magic package was unveiled on October 1, 2021 – Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary, and EPCOT's 39th – it was the lighting display – and not the multi-million dollar nighttime spectacular Harmonious – that brought a tear to visitors' eyes. Hundreds of points of light transform Spaceship Earth into a tapestry of color and texture that's so EPCOT, it's hard to believe Spaceship Earth ever was without it.

Now, granted, the icon cycling through different patterns every 15 seconds or so kind of comes across as someone who just installed new smart lights on their Christmas tree and wants to show off what the tech is capable of. But paired with the new score composed by Pinar Toprak, the possibilities really are endless. And even if flicking through different settings can make Spaceship Earth look a little too much like a screensaver sometimes, the effect is absolutely stunning in person, and somehow feels spectacularly modern and quintessentially '80s... which, at EPCOT, is high praise. 

 
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