Drawn to Life Presented by Cirque du Soleil and Disney Opens at Walt Disney World Resort

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The highly anticipated new collaboration from Cirque du Soleil and Disney, Drawn to Life, premiered Thursday night at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort to a full house of enthusiastic fans (including ThrillGeek) who demonstrated their appreciation with a lengthy standing ovation. The grand opening event featured a surprise appearance by the one and only John Stamos, who gave a heartfelt speech about the new show.

The show is a love letter to Disney Animation interpreted through Cirque du Soleil’s acrobatic performances, dazzling choreography, innovative design, and eclectic costuming alongside all-new characters created by Disney Animation artists and an original score inspired by timeless Disney music. It marks the first-ever theatrical collaboration of three creative icons: Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Imagineering.

“This show has been in the works for years and to finally share it with the world is a dream come true,” said Daniel Lamarre, President, and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. “This collaboration has been unlike anything we’ve done before. We hope it will mean as much to our fans as it has to us – it’s not just our show now, it’s theirs too.”

“Seeing a Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs has long been a cherished experience for our guests,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “Combining the rich legacy of Disney Animation with the incredible artistry of Cirque du Soleil, Drawn to Life is pure magic.”

Cirque du Soleil acrobatics and characters from classic Disney animation films blend throughout Julie’s journey. Along the way she encounters rhythmic gymnasts interpreting pages of drawings in a continuous sequence, a pair of human trapeze artists moving as paintbrushes to create a kaleidoscope of colors, teeterboard artists displaying the squash and stretch principle of animation, and beloved Disney Animation characters from across eras.

Years in the making, the show was researched through extensive visits Cirque du Soleil teams made to Disney theme parks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Research Library, Walt Disney Archives, and The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. As a result, the show pays homage to classic Disney Animation techniques and many trailblazing Disney Animation artists including Mary Blair, Ollie Johnston, and Frank Thomas.

The show is an immersive production featuring an all-original score of new music pixie-dusted with playful snippets of melodies from Disney’s classic animated feature films; makeup that reflects animation principles like exaggerated lines, highlights, and shadows; larger-than-life costumes and props that are more than meets the eye; and a set that envelops the audience in sketch pages and an animator’s drawing table.

Originally slated for a March 2020 opening, but delayed due to the pandemic, the show played to an electric theater of excited guests. Among those in attendance were Lamarre, Vahle, Goldberg as well as other top Cirque du Soleil and Walt Disney World executives.

For more information on show tickets, dates, and pricing, visit cirquedusoleil.com/drawntolife.

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