I’m writing this from Hong Kong Disneyland, where I’ve come to check out their drone show called Momentous. Designed for the theme park’s 20th anniversary celebration, it’s more than just a drone show but rather a 360° spectacle that also incorporates illuminated water projections, choreographed water fountains, flames, lasers, theatrical lighting and pyrotechnics effects set against a backdrop of the castle.
It’s no secret I’m a huge Disney (and general theme park) fan. Perhaps it’s fate then that drones and theme parks go so well together. When it comes to drone light shows, theme parks offer something that one-off events don’t: a permanent, repeating performance schedule that demands reliability, night after night, in all weather conditions, in front of an audience that paid significant money to be there.
And with that, the production values (e.g. the integration with music, projections, water effects, and narrative storytelling) are typically far beyond what you’d see at a standalone public, one-off show.
If you have not yet seen a drone light show, you absolutely need to. And if you have seen a drone show before but are ready to see a really dang good one, maybe head to a theme park this summer.
Here’s a complete guide to the best theme park and attraction drone shows running in summer 2026:
The best theme park drone shows of 2026
- Disney Cascade of Lights — Disneyland Paris
- Momentous — Hong Kong Disneyland
- Dollywood Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration — Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Holidays in the Sky — Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana
- Six Flags Great America 50th Anniversary Celebration — Gurnee, Illinois
- Grant’s Farm Summer Nights — St. Louis, Missouri
- SeaWorld San Diego — San Diego, California (pending approval)
- Planning your theme park drone show visit
Disney Cascade of Lights — Disneyland Paris
When: Nightly (no specified end date).
Where: Disney Adventure World, Disneyland Paris.
Cost: Included with valid park admission; reserved viewing area available for purchase.
Disney Cascade of Lights takes place on Adventure Bay, which is the 3-hectare lake within Disney Adventure World (the second of the two Disney parks in Paris). The show combines aerial drones, aquatic drones moving across the lake surface and water screen projections into a production incorporating popular characters including Moana, Hercules and Mulan.
The aquatic drone component is particularly interesting. Dronisos, show company, developed the water drone capability specifically for this production in collaboration with Disney’s creative teams. It’s the first theme park show to choreograph motion across both air and water simultaneously as a single visual language.
And if you can’t make it out to Paris, there’s hope for more shows like this in the U.S. Dronisos is now actively expanding into the U.S. market, having recently hired theme park veteran Jeremy Pancoast as VP of U.S. Business Development, and has signaled that multi-vector shows combining aerial, water, and land-based motion are the direction it’s taking the technology next.
I consider this the most technically ambitious theme park drone show running anywhere in the world right now. I’ve documented the full history of Disney drone shows — from the secret tests at Golden Oak Ranch in 2016 through the Starbright Holidays show at Disney Springs and various international productions — and Cascade of Lights is the most sophisticated iteration of that decade-long journey.
DLP World recorded the full show, which you can watch below on YouTube:
Momentous — Hong Kong Disneyland
When: Nightly (no specified end date).
Where: Hong Kong Disneyland.
Cost: Included with park admission; reserved viewing area available for purchase.
Momentous uses the castle as its backdrop. The 28-minute show incorporates drones in combination with fireworks, fountain effects, and large-scale projections to tell a story about following your dreams through popular Disney names like Miguel from Coco, the characters from Moana, and Simba.
Pro tips: The castle hub fills up quickly. Arrive at least 45 minutes before showtime to secure a central viewing position.
You can watch the YouTube version of this show, shared by my friends over at Laughing Place:
And stay tuned — I’ll be reporting on this show, what it was like and tips for watching once I’m back in the U.S.
Dollywood Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration — Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
When: June 15 – August 2, 2026, nightly.
Where: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Cost: Included with park admission.
Dollywood has been one of the most enthusiastic regional theme park adopters of drone show technology, and the 2026 Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food City continues that trend as each night is capped with a fireworks and drone show sparkling against a backdrop of Smoky Mountain stars. The broader summer celebration includes the Gazillion Bubble Show, interactive fountains and foam play areas, a special nighttime dance party through Wildwood Grove, and rides including the award-winning Big Bear Mountain coaster.
Pro tips: Check Dollywood’s entertainment schedule for specific show timing each evening as the summer season progresses.
Holidays in the Sky — Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana
When: June 20 – August 3, 2026, nightly.
Where: Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Indiana.
Cost: Included with park admission (one day tickets start at $45).
Holiday World is running a show of 500 synchronized drones, some of which carry onboard pyrotechnics, performing nightly for 45 consecutive nights.
The pyrotechnic-equipped drones are the standout detail. Rather than a drone show followed by a separate fireworks finale, Holidays in the Sky integrates the two into a single experience where the drones themselves carry the pyrotechnics into position. The show is part of a broader evening program that includes a DJ and dance party before the aerial finale.
Six Flags Great America 50th Anniversary Celebration — Gurnee, Illinois
When: June 20 – August 9, 2026, nightly.
Where: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois.
Cost: Included with park admission.
Six Flags Great America is marking its 50th anniversary with a season-long celebration that includes an all-new Nighttime Spectacular featuring a stage show, parade with new themed floats, and a drone show described as including “special effects unlike anything we’ve ever presented before.”
The broader 50th anniversary programming includes specialty food and beverage offerings inspired by five decades of park history, a Legacy Museum showcasing historic artifacts and memorabilia, and exclusive anniversary merchandise at the 50th Anniversary Legacy Store.
Grant’s Farm Summer Nights — St. Louis, Missouri
When: Fridays, Saturdays, and select Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day (5 PM – 10 PM, drone show at 9 PM).
Where: Grant’s Farm, 10501 Gravois Rd., St. Louis, MO.
Cost: Ticket start at $14 + tax per person.
Grant’s Farm is not technically a traditional theme park (it’s a historic wildlife preserve and entertainment venue on land once farmed by Ulysses S. Grant). These days, it’s operated by the Busch family (yes, behind the beer brand) and best known for its Clydesdale horses and free-roaming animals.
And its Summer Nights program has become one of the more charming drone show experiences in the Midwest, and the 2026 edition features a completely new drone show that’s 75% longer than last year’s.
The format is distinctly Grant’s Farm: start your evening with a tram ride through the deer park, settle into the Bauernhof Courtyard for live music and food, enjoy two complimentary beer samplings at the Anheuser-Busch Hospitality Bar, then watch “Grant’s Farm in the Sky: A Drone Show Spectacular” light up the night at 9 PM. It’s a more relaxed, social evening experience than a traditional theme park show — closer to a summer concert with a drone finale than a structured park event.
Related read: The biggest drone show companies in the world
SeaWorld San Diego — San Diego, California (pending approval)
When: TBD.
Where: SeaWorld San Diego, 500 SeaWorld Drive, Mission Bay.
Cost: TBD, expected to be included with park admission.
SeaWorld San Diego is seeking California Coastal Commission approval to introduce drone light shows at its park. If approved, it would bring up to 1,000 drones over Mission Bay and the SeaWorld leasehold
What is confirmed: SeaWorld has been developing and testing drone-based entertainment across its broader portfolio with strong guest response, and the San Diego location — with its waterfront setting and existing relationship with the surrounding community — is a natural fit for this kind of programming. SeaWorld San Diego Park President Tyler Carter has framed drone shows as “a natural evolution” for the park’s entertainment offerings. If the Coastal Commission approves, this would become one of the few drone shows operating over open water in California, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.
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Planning your theme park drone show visit
A few practical notes that apply across all of these experiences. Shows are weather-dependent — high winds, rain, or low cloud ceilings can force cancellations. All of the parks listed here communicate show status through their official apps or social media channels, so check on the day of your visit.
Arrive early for premium viewing positions, particularly at the Disney shows, where prime viewing areas fill up 30-45 minutes before showtime.
Oh, and don’t fly your own drone. Generally speaking, the airspace over theme parks is restricted, and attempting to fly your personal drone during or near a show is both illegal and dangerous.
And for photography: use a tripod, shoot in manual mode with exposures of 1-4 seconds to capture light trails, shoot in RAW for editing flexibility — but don’t spend the entire show looking through a viewfinder. These experiences are worth watching with your own eyes.
Know of a theme park drone show I missed? Contact me here and I’ll add it to the guide. For a broader look at all drone shows happening in 2026 — including free public shows, holiday events, and sports venue performances — check out The Drone Girl’s complete 2026 drone shows guide.
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