By Courtney Potter
It’s the biggest celebration of Pixar to ever come to Disney Parks, and it buzzes to life this spring! Pixar Fest, bringing together guests for a celebration of friendship and beyond, begins April 13 at the Disneyland Resort—and with it comes a brand-new fireworks spectacular; Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular will light up the skies over Disneyland park, connecting folks like never before to all the iconic adventures and characters they’ve come to love…
The stories of Together Forever will come to life through dazzling pyrotechnics, memorable music, and amazing projections on several legendary park locations: Sleeping Beauty Castle, the water screens of the Rivers of America, the façade of it’s a small world, and even the buildings of Main Street, U.S.A. And in the grand tradition of everyone’s favorite resident of Pixie Hollow, Tinker Bell, flying over the castle, Together Forever will feature a flyover by Buzz Lightyear himself… and—incredibly—the house from Up!
Just last week, D23 had the infinitely amazing opportunity to not only catch a sneak peek of Together Forever, but to also hear from the spectacular’s creative director, Susana Tubert. A theater veteran with multiple Off-Broadway credits, Susana was tasked with helping create an emotional journey told with light, music, and magic—one that begins with the meeting of unlikely pals and follows along as they overcome obstacles and form lasting relationships.
“Together Forever is the crown jewel of Pixar Fest,” says Susana. “In creating the show, the team and I decided on a format that reflects this idea of a ‘visual symphony’ or journey through the five stages of friendship. We have the first movement, called ‘Chance Encounters’; the second movement [is where] the characters fall ‘in like’ and go on adventures; they overcome adversity together; they forge everlasting bonds; and then we have the finale, which is a celebration of all the Pixar friendships.”
The idea of beginning the show with a true Pixar icon was a no-brainer for Susana and her team. “We’ve started so many of our fireworks with Tinker Bell, and then we’ve had Dumbo before. It just seemed appropriate that we should find an icon that was very Pixar… Buzz Lightyear, and also Sheriff Woody, represent so much of what Pixar Fest is about… and then the house from Up just [illustrates] the emotion of so many Pixar films, right? It was very important for us to provide an emotional experience… The little house became emblematic of that everlasting relationship between two characters.”
Several recent Disney Parks fireworks spectaculars have utilized state-of-the-art projection mapping technology to make locations like Sleeping Beauty Castle and Main Street, U.S.A., come alive—and Together Forever is no exception… but this time, there’s an exciting new twist. “We’re taking Main Street and doing something slightly different,” Susana explains. “We’re showcasing the ‘sweet spots’—where things look great—with what’s happening at the castle… [The characters from] Cars are going to be racing around you on Main Street; Wall•E and Eve will be flying around you.” And don’t worry, Disney•Pixar’s latest Oscar® winner gets special Together Forever treatment too: “We’re going to take [both] Miguel and our guests from the Land of the Living to the Land of the Dead,” admits Susana. Yes, the rooftops of Main Street, U.S.A., will become the colorful, skeleton-filled bridge from the film! “It’s really quite lovely to be able to feel like you are inside the story with this new approach,” she explains.
“This show is about emotion,” she continues. “We finish with a big bang… using the metaphor of the Inside Out memory orbs to of bring it all together. These are memories we all hold dear in our hearts. It’s not just friendships among themselves, but also our friendships with these memories—with these films.”
Don’t miss Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular, debuting at Disneyland park on April 13!