Why Disneyland Paris Is Removing Drones From Its Castle Show: Where Visitors Can See Drones Instead?

For many UK Disneyland Paris planners dreaming of their trip, the drone created images above Sleeping Beauty Castle as part of the night-time show Disney Tales of Magic is an iconic bucket-list experience. That experience is however about to change. From 1st April 2026, Disney confirms that the drones will be removed from the show.

The show will continue, albeit experiencing changes in the next few months, but the aerial drone sequences that have become a signature part of recent spectaculars will no longer appear above Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant.

Instead, it appears Disney is funnelling fans of its drone technology elsewhere in the Disneyland Paris resort as this change coincides with the opening of Disney Adventure World and the new Cascade of Lights show, featuring drones, that begins on 29th March 2026.

For UK visitors planning a Disneyland Paris trip, it’s simple: Cascade of Lights is the new night-time show featuring drones instead of Tales of Magic. Here, we’re taking a look at how this impacts your planning, where to go if you want that Disney drone magic Disneyland Paris is famous for, and what's changing.

What's Changing And When: Disney Tales of Magic

At Disneyland Park the night-time spectacular, Disney Tales of Magic, will continue to run each evening however there is a timeline of changes about to happen with this show:

• From 1st April the show will no longer feature drones

• From 4th May to the end of September the show will be adapted due to Sleeping Beauty Castle refurbishments

The show elements being removed:

• coordinated drones that once formed shapes and characters in the sky from 1st April

• Fountain effects will be removed between May and September but new pyrotechnics will be added.

Throughout the changes Disney state that the core will remain. These include:

• Projection mapping on Sleeping Beauty Castle

• Fireworks and lighting effects

• Music and storytelling scenes

But this will not be the night-time show you see on current YouTube videos, or the show that you might be dreaming of. It looks like Disneyland Paris is moving the focus of the big night-time show event to Cascade of Lights centred over Adventure Bay in Disney Adventure World.

Why Disneyland Paris Is Removing The Drones

The main reason behind the change seems to be a refocus to “projections and pyrotechnic effects” according to a statement shared by Disney and published in WDWNewsToday.

It would appear that Disneyland Paris only wants one show-stopping drone show, and with the design of Adventure Bay allowing for more viewing spots from all around it is perhaps to help with visitor experience. Drone shows also require a skilled team, and it is possible that Disneyland Paris cannot split technicians across the two parks. Either way the timing speaks volumes.

The refurbishment of the Sleeping Beauty Castle Bridge area will lead to changes to the show as projection mapping of the castle is used. A new sequence will be needed to maintain the visuals and avoid the area with construction.

Drones Aren't Disappearing: They’re Moving

Disneyland Paris has become famous amongst all the Disneyland resorts for it’s use of nightly drone technology which has wowed fans and added a spectacular layer of spectacle to night-time Castle shows. Interestingly, drones were first integrated into a night-show at Disneyland Paris to mark the 30th Anniversary. A 200 strong drone show debuted as part of Disney D-Light on 6th March 2022, the first drone show in a Disney Park. Drones have been part of night-time shows ever Sleeping Beauty Castle since then but that is changing in 2026.

Although the castle show is losing its drones, the technology itself is staying at the resort. Disney will use drones in a night-time spectacular, but this experience will now be in the resort's second park, the park currently being transformed into Disney Adventure World.

The upcoming show Disney Cascade of Lights is expected to feature hundreds of drones forming animated shapes above the park's new lagoon area as well as using ground-breaking aquatic drone technology. This show features yet another first in drone technology for night-time shows, also debuting in the month of March, 4 years after drone technology debuted in Disneyland Paris. Disneyland Paris has become a global leader in drone entertainment over the past few years, even setting records for the number of drones used in a Disney show.

So while the castle show is changing, the famous Disneyland Paris drone technology isn't going away: it's moving to a different location. The new show Cascade of Lights is being set-up to be the go-to night-time show this Spring and Summer in Disneyland Paris.

What This Means For UK Visitors Planning A Trip

For planners wanting that iconic Disney night-time drone show experience you will now need to head to Disney Adventure World from 1st April 2026. For UK visitors choosing one day, one park tickets this change will impact your planning most. If you want to catch the drone show, you will need to do so in Disney Adventure World not Disneyland Park.

Up until 31st March you will be able to catch Disney Tales of Magic as it is well known, featuring drones. Here is a look at the show:

If you are travelling from 29th March 2026, and into April and May expect Disneyland Paris to be very busy due to the rebranding of Disney Adventure World and opening of World of Frozen. Crowds are expected to be solidly high, which means the night-time show Cascade of Lights will also be very busy.

Magic in a Minute

Disneyland Paris is removing drone effects from its castle night-time show starting 1 April 2026. Disney Tales of Magic show will continue with projections and fireworks, while Disneyland Paris’ drone spectaculars move to Adventure Bay as part of Cascade of Lights in Disney Adventure World.