Disney may be having second thoughts about one of its biggest entertainment cuts this year.
Nighttime spectaculars remain a major part of the Disney theme park experience, combining fireworks, projections, music, and increasingly, drones. Recent years have seen Disney experiment with how those different technologies can work together across its resorts.
Drones have become particularly prominent. Walt Disney World brought hundreds of them to Disney Springs for Disney Dreams That Soar in 2024, while another Disney resort has incorporated the technology into multiple nighttime productions.
Now, a feature removed earlier this year could be on its way back.
Disney President Reportedly Wants to Undo Recent Cut
Disneyland Paris President Christophe Murphy is reportedly pushing to restore drones to Disney Tales of Magic, the nighttime spectacular performed at Disneyland Park.
Murphy only assumed leadership of Disneyland Paris in July. According to recent reports, the newly appointed president wants drones reintegrated into the show as soon as possible.
That would reverse a decision made several months before his arrival. Disneyland Paris removed the drones from Disney Tales of Magic in April, changing a show that had only debuted in January 2025.
The drones were not the only element to disappear from Disney Tales of Magic this year.
Work around Sleeping Beauty Castle later forced Disney to remove the show's fountains. Additional pyrotechnics were used to help make up for their absence, further changing the production from the version that originally debuted.
Summer brought another complication. Heat-related restrictions in France limited Disneyland Paris's ability to use pyrotechnics, leaving projections across Sleeping Beauty Castle and Main Street, U.S.A. to shoulder more of the show.
Those circumstances eventually brought the drones back temporarily.
Their return helped restore some of the spectacle, while other effects were unavailable. Now, reports suggest Disney could make that change permanent rather than removing them again.
No date has been announced. Their full-time return could potentially follow the completion of the Sleeping Beauty Castle work or form part of Disneyland Paris's upcoming 35th anniversary celebrations in 2027.
Disneyland Paris itself has not confirmed the reported plans.
Major Changes Continue Across Disneyland Paris
The possible drone restoration comes during a wider overhaul of the resort.
Walt Disney Studios Park is being transformed into Disney Adventure World, with Disney continuing to develop new areas and attractions as part of the project.
A Lion King-themed land is among the biggest additions still to come. Disney is also planning significant changes to Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, restoring the attraction's Jules Verne-inspired identity after years of Star Wars theming.
Disney's wider theme park portfolio is changing, too. D23 brought announcements concerning Tomorrowland at Disneyland, Villains Land and Piston Peak at Magic Kingdom, Monstropolis at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Tropical Americas at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
At Disneyland Resort, nighttime entertainment is also shifting. Wondrous Journeys ends its current run ahead of the Halloween and holiday seasons, while Remember… Dreams Come True is scheduled to return in 2027.
Drones could play an increasingly important role in Disney's future nighttime entertainment.
Disneyland Paris previously used them for Disney D-Light, while Disney Dreams That Soar demonstrated the technology on a large scale at Walt Disney World. The Disney Springs production created characters and other images in the sky using coordinated drones.
Their rise has prompted questions among fans about whether Disney could eventually use drones as a replacement for traditional fireworks.
So far, Disney has announced no plans to phase out pyrotechnics across its theme parks. Its major nighttime spectaculars continue to feature fireworks, with drones generally serving as an additional tool rather than a direct replacement.
That is also what their reported return to Disney Tales of Magic would represent. Rather than replacing the show's other effects, drones would once again work alongside projections, fountains, lasers, and pyrotechnics.
For now, guests will have to wait for an official decision. But after their removal in April and unexpected temporary comeback this summer, the drones may yet become a permanent part of Disney Tales of Magic once again.
Do you want to see drones return to Disney Tales of Magic?
