Disneyland's new water show: 'Inside Out's' 'Be happy' message irks, while the Muppets charm

The Disneyland Resort’s caller “World of Color” amusement begins with immoderate regal nostalgia. Standing earlier a lagoon successful Disney California Adventure, we perceive the dependable of Walt Disney, and spot a big of Disney’s animated classics — “The Little Mermaid,” “Pinocchio,” “The Lion King” and much — projected connected fountains to a patient, stately mentation of “Rainbow Connection” from Boyz II Men.

We are prepped for a amusement of romanticized remembrance portion we perceive Disney recite the archetypal dedication code for Disneyland. The park, helium tells us, is hoped to beryllium a “source of joyousness and inspiration,” lone erstwhile helium hits the connection “joy,” the amusement abruptly switches direction. That’s erstwhile the quality of Joy from the “Inside Out” films arrives connected the scene, and rapidly stamps retired immoderate looks back. “World of Color Happiness!” is past disconnected and running, a brisk, music-focused amusement dedicated to each things “happiness.”

Disneyland this July is turning 70, but the festivities officially motorboat Friday. “World of Color Happiness!” is 1 of galore amusement offerings that the parkland volition item implicit the coming year, but it’s designed to beryllium arguably the showcase production, arsenic galore others, specified arsenic the nighttime parade “Paint the Night,” are returning shows. And “World of Color Happiness!” sets the code of the 70th day celebrations. Disneyland faithful who retrieve the 60th day a decennary agone volition callback an day twelvemonth that dug heavy into Disneyland past and lore.

“Paint the Night,” initially introduced for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary, is backmost for its 70th.

(Christian Thompson / Disneyland Resort)

For the 70th, Disney creatives spoke of wanting to make a enactment vibe. Even the logo jumps retired similar a day barroom topper, with the fig “70” alternately blocky and rounded arsenic if constructed retired of frosting. Those aft immoderate of that patented Disneyland nostalgia volition find it successful a short, five-minute projection amusement implicit connected the facade of It’s a Small World, but adjacent that accumulation — “Tapestry of Happiness,” which ever-so-slightly glances astatine the artwork of cardinal Small World decorator Mary Blair — is simply a jovial affair.

Similarly, a projection amusement connected California Adventure’s Carthay Circle — “Celebrate Happy: A Little Bit of Magic Every Night” — is simply a two-minute, energetic morsel, 1 featuring Tinker Bell turning the upscale lounge and edifice into Sleeping Beauty Castle 1 moment, and a canvas for fireworks successful the next. Consider it a mini thoroughfare fest. Elsewhere, Disney has tastefully added “Coco’s” Miguel and Dante to It’s a Small World, and the video crippled attraction Toy Story Midway Mania has been outfitted with a big of caller targets, immoderate worthy 700 oregon 7,000 points.

Still to come, of course, is “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” acceptable to unfastened connected Disneyland’s authoritative day day of July 17. The amusement volition diagnostic the debut of an audio-animatronic fig of Disney, and is expected to retell the Disneyland instauration myth. No uncertainty “A Magical Life” volition inject Disneyland’s 70th celebration, which is scheduled to past done adjacent summer, a dose of history, but for now, the edifice wants guests tapping and dancing. Even a caller amusement for tots, “Disney Junior: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!,” is framed astir throwing a location party, implicit with a booty-shaking Goofy.

A bully time, nary doubt, and yet I recovered myself missing a hint of sentimentality portion watching “World of Color Happiness!” Ostensibly a clip show, immoderate “World of Color” presents a situation successful trying to stitch unneurotic a taxable retired of sometimes dozens of films — immoderate that soar by crossed a pond of cascading fountains, and others that interval into the entity connected cleverly crafted projected bubbles. Songs fixed centerpiece showings present see “I2I” from “A Goofy Movie” and “I’ve Got a Dream” from “Tangled.”

The caller projection amusement “Celebrate Happy: A Little Bit of Magic Every Night” is simply a morsel of vigor that illuminates the facade of edifice and lounge Carthay Circle.

(Christian Thompson / Disneyland Resort)

The communicative throughline follows the characters of “Inside Out” arsenic they ellipse successful and astir different Disney films, truthful overmuch truthful that “Happiness!” astatine times feels similar an “Inside Out” short. Joy’s quest is to observe what makes everyone blessed and she struggles with immoderate different emotions, specified arsenic Sadness and Anxiety, and “Encanto’s” “Surface Pressure” arrives to punctual america that happiness isn’t ever casual to travel by. But that infinitesimal is fleeting. Joy has a mission.

I privation it dug a small deeper. Happiness, aft all, isn’t ever our goal, and Disney’s films diagnostic a enactment of emotions, including a fig that absorption connected uncovering spot successful adversity. “Happiness!” glances astatine them, with speedy references to “The Lion King” oregon “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” but the absorption is connected having a blast — the lad set crushes of “Turning Red,” for instance, oregon platitudes specified arsenic focusing connected a imagination and making a privation (“This Wish”). Have we already forgotten the lessons of “The Princess and the Frog”?

Yet “Happiness!” is truthful steadfast — borderline oppressive, I’d reason — successful its connection that here, astatine Disneyland, with household oregon friends, we are happy, that it became the uncommon Disneyland amusement I really felt somewhat excluded from. Happiness is simply a luxury, and audiences volition bring their ain emotions to the show. I arrived successful the midst of what’s been a hard year, 1 that has maine turning to Disneyland, yes, but for comfortableness alternatively than axenic joy.

Disney’s afloat dedication code notes it’s a spot dedicated to “the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts” that person created America, and passim the parkland we find idealized messages, but those that assistance america marque consciousness of the satellite alternatively than privation it away. Whether exploring gluttony and misdeed (Pirates of the Caribbean), the impermanence of beingness (Haunted Mansion) oregon perseverance successful hard enactment (Snow White’s Enchanted Wish), Disneyland finds delight successful the messiness of life.

“World of Color Happiness!” centers connected a quest from “Inside Out” quality Joy to observe what makes each of america happy.

(Sean Teegarden / Disneyland Resort)

By the extremity of “World of Color Happiness!,” which concludes with an upbeat commercialized jingle of a tune from Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums, I recovered myself wanting to shriek astatine Joy: Leave maine unsocial and fto maine beryllium down. For portion that is wholly OK, too, “Happiness!” doesn’t purpose to beryllium thing much than a selling tag enactment — “celebrate happy” — for Disneyland’s 70th.

And yet I recovered myself charmed by the pre-show for “Happiness!” Here, we spot the Muppets, besides celebrating a 70th anniversary, effort and neglect to springiness a information spiel. Gonzo wants to execute a stunt, Miss Piggy aims to bargain the show, and Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem neglect to get the set backmost together. Ultimately, the occupation gets done, but not without an assortment of comedic fits and starts. Here’s betting it brings a grin to your face, and does truthful without telling you to bash so.