Dronisos, the Bordeaux-based drone show company behind major theme park productions including Disney Cascade of Lights, the record-breaking Mickey Mouse display at Disneyland Paris and the Disney Electrical Sky Parade, seems to be making a serious push into the U.S. market.
The company has appointed Jeremy Pancoast as Vice President of U.S. Business Development. Pancoast brings more than 20 years of executive experience at Merlin Entertainments (the company behind Legoland Resorts North America) and United Parks & Resorts (the company behind SeaWorld and Busch Gardens). This hire all seems to suggest that Dronisos has big ambitions to put more drones in more theme parks.
I sat down with Jeremy to talk about Dronisos’ U.S. ambitions, what makes the company different from other drone show operators, and where he thinks drone entertainment is heading.
The Drone Girl: You spent more than two decades in themed entertainment at some of the biggest names in the business including Legoland, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. What drew you to a drone show company?
Jeremy Pancoast: What excited me most is the company’s ability to combine high-quality, reliable aerial drone productions with a scalable technology ecosystem that can adapt to each partner’s vision.
Coming from theme parks, I know what it means to deliver a show that has to work perfectly every single night, in front of thousands of guests, in any weather. That’s an incredibly demanding environment. And Dronisos has already proven they can operate at that level. Disneyland Paris doesn’t partner with companies that can’t execute. That operational credibility was a big part of what drew me here.
TDG: Dronisos already has roots in the U.S. through parks including Dollywood and Legoland Resorts. From there, what are your U.S. expansion plans?
JP: We already have a meaningful U.S. presence. Roughly one-third of our activity is tied to the U.S. market today. But the goal is to make the United States one of our largest markets, and we’re building the foundation to support that.
That includes an operational team of project managers, pilots, and on-site teams headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and a dedicated test and training field outside Orlando for show development and operational readiness.
My role is focused on building the right relationships across the industry — not just closing deals, but helping partners think through where technology can elevate their storytelling in ways that are also scalable, safe, and operationally sound. That’s where my background as both an executive producer and an operator is useful. I’ve been on both sides of that conversation.
TDG: Theme parks are the obvious first market. Where else is Dronisos looking?
JP: Anywhere large audiences gather and where storytelling and spectacle can elevate the experience. That’s destination resorts, mixed-use entertainment districts, cruise destinations, sports venues, tourism landmarks and major festivals.
Walt Disney Studios has used Dronisos for aerial storytelling moments tied to major film releases — Fantastic Four and Avatar: Fire and Ash.
We’ve worked with Carnival Cruise Line, where drone technology enhances their indoor shows. And events like the Tour de France, where aerial choreography becomes part of both the live experience and the broadcast. Those are very different contexts from a nightly theme park show.
TDG: Speaking of versatility, the aquatic drones in Disney Cascade of Lights were something genuinely new. Was that a Dronisos innovation, or has water-based technology been part of the platform for a while?
JP: The water drones in Cascade of Lights are a great example of the collaborative innovation that defines how Dronisos works with partners. Working closely with the creative teams at Disneyland Paris, a shared vision for a new type of nighttime spectacle evolved through our research and development process into a fully realized production that blends aerial and aquatic choreography as one visual language.
TDG: I always think of drones as just being air! This made me realize there is far more to drones than flying in the sky.
JP: As we often say: anyone can put lights in the sky. At Dronisos, we orchestrate motion across air, water, and land to create an entirely new language for live entertainment.
TDG: Soooo…will we see that aquatic technology deployed in the U.S.?
JP: That’s something we’re actively exploring as part of our U.S. partnerships. I can’t share specifics yet on what’s in development, but the technology has been proven in production now, and the appetite for immersive nighttime experiences is absolutely there in the U.S. market. Venues with water features — and there are many of them — are a natural fit for what that multi-vector approach makes possible.
TDG: The U.S. regulatory environment for large drone shows is famously complex. How does Dronisos navigate FAA requirements compared to Europe?
JP: Our teams regularly secure permits and authorizations in more than 25 countries worldwide, so working within regulatory frameworks is simply part of how we operate. In many ways, the U.S. FAA process is consistent with what we already manage globally.
TDG: Theme park drone shows are interesting because in many of these, you’re flying quite close to epople.
JP: Dronisos has extensive experience operating in highly regulated environments — particularly within theme parks where reliability, precision, and safety standards are exceptionally high. We work closely with authorities, local partners, and venue operators to make sure every production meets the highest standards. That’s not a constraint we’re working around; it’s how we build trust with partners and communities.
TDG: Of course it’s not just the FAA. I know many people also have their eyes on that FCC ban.
JP: What I’d say to any potential partner who worries about this: regulation is not a barrier to innovation, it’s part of delivering it responsibly.
TDG: Where do you see U.S. drone entertainment in five years? And where does Dronisos fit in that picture?
JP: The trajectory is clear. Drone shows are moving from novelty to a standard component of major entertainment experiences.
TDG: It’s so true! Previously you had to work hard to seek out a drone show, but now I feel like I just accidentally stumble upon them at baseball games and county fairs!
JP: What used to be a remarkable one-off is becoming an expectation. Venues and brands that haven’t incorporated drone entertainment yet are starting to ask serious questions about how to do it.
TDG: Yeah, it’s starting to feel like drone shows are just as essential as hot dogs and beer at baseball games these days! So how can drone show companies stand out in what’s becoming a busier space?
JP: What’s going to separate the leaders from everyone else is not just the technology, but the ability to deliver it at scale, safely, night after night, in ways that serve a specific storytelling vision. That’s what Dronisos has built over years of operating at Disneyland Paris and other demanding environments. My job is to bring that capability to the U.S. partners who are ready to use it.
Dronisos is headquartered in Bordeaux, France with U.S. operations based in Orlando, Florida. For more on Dronisos’ work with Disney, check out The Drone Girl’s full preview of Disney Cascade of Lights and the complete history of Disney drone shows.
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