Disney Research developed a haptic interface where you can feel a fireworks display

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

Watch a drone flight through a fireworks display

This video explores the history, construction, and preparation of modern fireworks displays, including creating gunpowder from scratch. Experimentation with fireworks underwater is also featured, but they require special materials to prevent water from infiltrating the fireworks shell.

Visualize the components of fireworks

This article provides animated diagrams depicting how different parts of fireworks function. The elements work together through timed mechanisms to produce desired effects.

Disneyland opened in 1955

Walt Disney teased the amusement park a year in advance through his ABC show, "Walt Disney's Disneyland." This episode was from the park's opening day, an event that necessitated a news-like live broadcast and walked viewers through the park's attractions and amenities. One in three Americans watched the broadcast, despite its numerous technical difficulties.

Disney World's Magic Kingdom includes utilidors—an underground system of tunnels and passageways—to hide the park's maintenance operations.

How Disney World keeps out mosquitos

Disney World may have been built on a swamp, but it's nearly free from the annoyance of mosquitos. That hasn't been an easy task; Disney has worked with engineers and pest specialists on minimizing the invasive bugs through a variety of different methods. This Reader's Digest article breaks down how they've successfully kept the park free from these unwanted guests.

Disney funded his first theme park by agreeing to host a weekly show on ABC

Walt Disney was determined to open a theme park, but had numerous issues with funding. A break came when ABC offered to cover a signifcant portion of the construction, though it came with a catch: Walt would host a weekly Disneyland TV show (and provide them part-ownership of the park).

'Silent' fireworks are not entirely noise-free

By using a reduced amount of flash powder—the ingredient responsible for the loud explosions that fireworks make—"silent" fireworks produce displays between 70 and 90 decibels, rather than the approximately 175 decibels heard in professional displays.

Fireworks make a loud booming sound after explosion due to air expanding faster than the speed of sound.

Disney World was originally known as the 'Florida Project,' an intentionally vague name intended to keep the theme park's plans secret.

Mixed reality devices can turn digital information into 3D experiences

Described as "wearing a theme park on your face," devices like Microsoft's HoloLens project images into users' eyes so that their brains believe virtual objects are actually there. The bulkiness and physical limitations of existing headsets are expected to lessen over time, mimicking the evolution of early headphones.

Watch a pyromusical display to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”

The same principles behind fireworks also power the types of pyrotechnic displays in some live events. Here, you can see an application of the technology in a pyromusical set to rock band AC/DC’s iconic song, “Thunderstruck.”

Disney World is largely mosquito-free, thanks to civil engineer Joe Potter

As a former governor of the mosquito-prone Panama Canal zone, Potter understood the danger of standing water. At Disney, Potter built ditches to reduce moisture, designed buildings to channel water away, and more. His efforts help visitors avoid bites, adding to the perceived magic of the magical kingdom.

'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' brought the books to life in theme parks

Opened in 2010 at Universal Orlando, the immersive attraction recreates Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Additional Wizarding World lands now operate at Universal parks in Japan, Hollywood, and Beijing.

Fireworks contribute to air, water, and soil contamination and disrupt wildlife

Fireworks displays have far-reaching environmental consequences, including acid rain from displays during storms and microplastic pollution in water supplies. Wildlife has also been seen abandoning sites during fireworks and never returning.

Firework or sparkler burns can have large effects on our hands' range of motion.

Everything Disney, from a regularly updated news source

WDWNT is a daily updated fan publication tracking news across Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, with its own podcast and a self-described mission to be the worldwide leader in Disney park news.

Immersive technologies are increasingly being used in medicine, retail, and education

More accessible devices and user-friendly tools have increased the adoption of these technologies, which provide interactive, 3D environments that facilitate natural human learning. In 2018, Walmart purchased 17,000 VR headsets to train over a million employees in areas such as customer service and Black Friday preparation.

Variations in rapidly expanding gas and mechanical elements produce fireworks sounds

Chemical compounds designed to vibrate rapidly when ignited produce whistling, screeching sounds, while crackles and pops are created by small star pellets inside the firework, which explode one after another quickly. Fluttering and chirping sounds are produced by spinning elements that rotate rapidly as the firework ascends.

Walt Disney's visit to a Ford factory helped inspire the layout for Disneyland

Walt Disney visited Henry Ford's Greenfield Village and the Ford Motor Company's River Rouge manufacturing plant on a trip to the 1948 Chicago Railroad Fair. The layout of Greenfield Village inspired the different, distinctly themed sections of Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon was the first crewed spacecraft piloted by touchscreen

In May 2020, NASA astronauts flying SpaceX's Crew Dragon to the International Space Station used touchscreen controls instead of traditional switches and dials, a significant shift for astronauts and how they pilot and interact with spacecraft. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Walt Disney World essentially ran its own local government for more than 50 years

Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District granted the company county-level authority to construct roads, issue bonds, and self-regulate for decades. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dissolved the arrangement in 2023 after a public dispute with the company.

Pyrodrones combine fireworks with millisecond-accurate drone choreography

Drones are outfitted with fireworks and positioned using 3D software to ensure perfect timing and safe spacing during shows. A single GPS error during planning can ruin the show, as happened in 2024 when a drone crashed and injured a spectator due to programming failures.

Disney's IP problem, according to industry experts

Disney seems to be an unstoppable force in the entertainment industry, but after an unprecedented high point in 2019, the company began losing money. In this podcast, two industry veterans discuss what they see as Disney's existential problems: an overreliance on preexisting material and an inability to innovate as it once did.

Watch Walt Disney's early innovative film, 'Alice's Wonderland,' which innovated the use of animated characters in the real world.

What killed the Disney Renaissance

Disney aficionados consider the late 1980s and 1990s to be the Disney Renaissance, a period that found the House of Mouse returning to its roots: animated musicals aimed at children and their families. This in-depth video essay argues that the end of the company’s most popular period was caused by shortsighted business decisions and changing technologies.

At Disney World, glass bottles and jars are pulverized into the smooth gravel and sand used in greenhouses that grow the flowers for the parks and resorts.

A 1992 failed parachute test provided the hardware for the first mixed reality system

The Virtual Fixtures platform was developed to improve human dexterity by merging physical and virtual objects with haptic feedback from an upper-body exoskeleton. Tight budgeting and significant equipment needs nearly canceled the project, were it not for salvaging and repairing cameras and sensors from a smashed experimental parachute rig.

A Disney architect designed Epic's headquarters

Epic Systems provides electronic medical records in the US—but its offices are far from bland. The HQ has five different campuses that are inspired by "Harry Potter," "The Wizard of Oz," and "Alice in Wonderland."

Brain-reading devices are helping paralyzed people to touch

In clinical trials, implanted brain-computer interfaces are allowing dozens of individuals with paralysis to control prosthetics that are restoring a range of skills, including drinking coffee and feeding oneself. One area of related prosthetic research is creating a synthetic sense of touch—coupling the brain implant with pressure sensors in prosthetic robotic fingertips to enable an approximation of a sense of touch.

Fireworks' chemical composition and internal layout produce their unique displays

The burning of different metal compounds, facilitated by combining fuel with oxidizers, results in explosions of varying colors. The timing and pattern are engineered through the arrangement of pellets and fuses.

Disney movies pulled in over $5B in 2024

2024 was a banner year for Disney, with the global film studio finding success with "Inside Out 2," "Moana 2," and "Deadpool & Wolverine." While Disney has faced criticism for its reliance on sequels, reboots, and offshoots, the 2024 numbers suggest the public is still eager for its content.

Beyond burns, fireworks can harm respiratory, auditory, and visual health.

Using brain implants to restore vision

Several companies are attempting to create brain-computer interfaces that skip over retinas and optic nerves to allow visual input to go straight to the brain, potentially restoring some sight to the blind. Clinical trial findings suggest restored sight is sparse and manifests differently than a sighted person might expect, appearing as specks of "light" clusters called phosphenes to help differentiate one's surroundings.

Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Gram Studio featured his earliest innovations in animation

Before he founded his iconic film company, Walt Disney was a young animator in Kansas City, Missouri. After scoring a contract to create animated newsreels for local movie theaters, Disney formed Laugh-O-Gram Studio, where he created innovative animated shorts that set the path for his later work.

How do touchscreens work?

Touchscreens have revolutionized digital interactions, but how they work widely varies depending on the device. Explore the history and workings of the most common types—capacitive and resistive—and new interaction methods incorporated into foldable screens and touchless interfaces.

Fireworks usage on Independence Day comes from their celebratory use in ancient China

Burning bamboo stalks produces a small explosion that was believed to ward off evil spirits. As knowledge of fireworks, which initially used these stalks, carried over into other cultures, so did their use to promote good luck and celebration.

Disneyland's drinkers once had their own unofficial mascot

Disney has countless subcultures and unofficial fan clubs, including D3, also known as the Disney Day Drinkers. Founded in 2021, the club began informally meeting near a trashcan, nicknamed Binny, in Disney World’s Epcot park … until it mysteriously disappeared in 2023.

Immersive technologies include virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality

Virtual reality relies on technologies that use screens to generate every pixel, immersing a user in an entirely digital world. In contrast, augmented reality overlays digital content onto views of the real world. Mixed reality combines both to allow real-time interaction with virtual objects.

See Walt Disney's corporate strategy document from 1957, complete with a plethora of Mickey Mouse illustrations.

Watch a pyrotechnician answer questions about fireworks

Professional pyrotechnician Patrick Cyrana answers the internet’s most curious questions about fireworks, from designing ghost effects and exploring how electronic firing systems work to explaining what it takes to create displays in the rain.

Biggest moments that defined Disney

Walt Disney’s first studio went bankrupt, but he and his brother Roy started over in 1923, eventually building an entertainment empire. From "Snow White" to "The Little Mermaid," Disney shaped animation and expanded into TV, theme parks, and major acquisitions like Pixar and Marvel.

How Walt Disney's life impacted his business

Walt Disney has a legacy of ingenious innovation and undying creativity. This podcast walks listeners chronologically through the major events of his life, as reported in Neal Gabler's biography "Walt Disney: the Triumph of the American Imagination," and explains how they led to his groundbreaking work in film, storytelling, and business.

IMAX uses laser projectors, large-format cameras, and custom processing tools to create a more vivid, immersive viewing experience.

Disney was saved by 'Cinderella,' which brought the company out of debt

Producing war propaganda and training films helped the company towards solvency, but the military content wasn't a cure-all. Disney wasn't in the clear until 1950's "Cinderella," a much-needed hit. The movie's success was largely due to the return of the company's best writers and the work of Mary Blair, a watercolor artist who brought a more whimsical style to the film.

Disney chipped away at its debt by creating propaganda during World War II

Disney began producing training videos for the Navy and propaganda films for US involvement in World War II, including the shorts "Der Fuehrer's Face," "The Spirit of '43," and "Donald Gets Drafted." The effort provided a much-needed cash injection, allowing Disney to continue producing films.

Understanding the Disney adult phenomenon

Disney isn’t just for kids, at least according to Disney adults, who dress up as their favorite characters and make pilgrimages to the company’s parks. They’re often considered immature, unrefined, or worse, but the members of this subculture don’t see anything wrong with their passionate devotion to Disney. This article explores the phenomenon through interviews with actual Disney adults, offering a more nuanced take on the reasons behind the much-maligned trend.

Fireworks-related ER visits in 2024 increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

By igniting flammable gas in a tube filled with holes and playing music into it, the fire will take the shape of the sound waves, enabling the visualization of audio.

The Walt Disney Co. has existed for over 100 years

October 16, 2023, marked the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Co. In that time, it has evolved from a modest animation studio called the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio to a massive, billion-dollar conglomerate.