Intel to create 300-drone holiday show over Walt Disney World resort

Intel and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts are collaborating on a drone-based holiday show that will debut today at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Drones are a big part of Intel’s strategy to create cool uses of technology with Intel’s components. Using all-new Intel Shooting Star drones, the “Starbright Holidays” show will paint colorful images across the sky over the Disney Springs shopping, dining, and entertainment district.

“Starbright Holidays” marks the first time a show-drone performance of this scale has ever been performed in the United States, Intel said. It will feature 300 Intel Shooting Star drones in a choreographed aerial performance set to holiday-themed music.

The show also marks the U.S. public debut of the Intel Shooting Star drone — a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specifically designed for entertainment purposes such as festivals and air and light shows.

“When Disney set out to create an all-new holiday experience at Disney Springs, we realized there was a great opportunity to collaborate on the project to deliver a fresh and innovative approach to its world-renowned light shows,” said senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s New Technology Group, Josh Walden, in a statement. “Together, we worked to tackle the new frontier of animation, picturing the sky as our canvas and flying lights as ink.”

The “Starbright Holidays” light show will invite guests at Disney Springs to look up to the sky this holiday season and make a special wish. Overhead, an aerial ballet of dazzling holiday-themed animations using Intel Shooting Star drones will sparkle in the night sky. The performance will be accompanied by a fully orchestrated score of seasonal classics. It’s the musical bow on this holiday gift that is free to Disney Springs guests.

The “Starbright Holidays” show is scheduled to run nightly from Nov. 20 through Jan. 8. Preview shows will begin on Nov. 16.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Intel on this exciting entertainment experience,” said Jon Snoddy, Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development studio executive, in a statement. “By combining our technological capabilities, we will be able to light up the sky this holiday season.”

Designed to be lightweight, the Intel Shooting Star drone is composed of a Styrofoam body and plastics and weighs in at just 280 grams, or less than the weight of a volleyball. The purpose-built quadcopter show drone is also equipped with LED lights with over 4 billion color combinations and is easily programmed for any animation.

All 300 show drones can easily be controlled by one computer.