Mickey’s Mix Magic – Viewing Options Round-Up
Mickey’s Mix Magic debuted on January 18, 2019 at Disneyland. This show is billed as a high energy projection show by Disney which features fireworks on select nights (weekends & holidays). The projections are visible on Main Street USA, it’s a small world and the Fantasmic! water screens along the Rivers of America. For more on Mickey’s Mix Magic plus Disney’s promo video & pictures here is the initial press release. Since the show premiered I have visited all three locations for performances and below are some of my thoughts of each location.
Main Street USA
I watched the premiere of Mickey’s Mix Magic from just beyond Center Street and since then have watched it several times from further down the street near the Cinema. Main Street utilizes projections on both sides of the streets and Sleeping Beauty Castle. Overhead there is snowfall, lasers and spotlights throughout the show. I found Main Street to be the most immersive viewing location because the show can surround you with projections and effects. Having the additional lights, lasers and effects are a plus the other locations did not have. Also the fireworks are set up to be viewed beyond the Castle. The downside to Main Street is it is a flat viewing area and very crowded most shows with fireworks. So views can be obstructed if you are on the shorter side or unlucky with guests in front of you.
it’s a small world
From the Small World mall area projections are visible on the attraction facade and fireworks off to the left behind ToonTown. The night I watched the show there were no other effects used. I thought this was a missed opportunity to enhance the show. Maybe over time they will add more effects to the area. Another bit of awkwardness with this location is the fireworks are off to the left and if you are back in the main mall area trees may block your view. The projections are only in front of you but the terraced viewing choices help to allow more guests to see clearly and the projections themselves seemed a little more crisp than on Main Street, but overall the show was not nearly as immersive.
Rivers of America
Mickey’s Mix Magic utilizes the water screens from Fantasmic! for the projections on the Rivers of America. The show I viewed used no other effects which I thought was a missed opportunity. It seems like they could have utilized some of the lighting and lasers from Fantasmic to enhance the show. Maybe eventually they will. The projection surfaces are the smallest here compared to the large canvas of Main Street and the small world facade. Also a bit awkward are the fireworks which are shot off to the right beyond Big Thunder, I did not move far enough toward the Haunted Mansion so they were all off to the side in my pictures. The night I watched this was the most pleasant of the three locations. As soon as Fantasmic! ended a very large majority of the guests left the area so you could move up to the rivers edge or choose a location in the viewing area and you were not packed in like the other locations (or the Fantasmic! show that just ended). If you want a mild crowd and unobstructed view of the projections this was the best of the three choices.
