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Writer's pictureVIP Coordinator

Disney Parks After Dark: ‘Mickey’s Mix Magic’ over King Arthur Carrousel at Disneyland Park

by Joshua Sudock, Disneyland Resort Chief Photographer

Mickey's Mix Magic Over King Arthur Carrousel
Mickey's Mix Magic Over King Arthur Carrousel

In tonight’s Disney Parks After Dark post, “Mickey’s Mix Magic” fireworks light up the sky over King Arthur Carrousel in Fantasyland at Disneyland park. Prime viewing locations for this high-energy nighttime spectacular can be found along Main Street, U.S.A., around the Rivers of America and “it’s a small world.” Each site marries the toe-tapping soundtrack to projections, lasers, and occasional pyrotechnics with other surprise show effects. But one of the many things I love about Disneyland park’s evening spectaculars is that you can often find breathtaking vantage points all over the resort.

King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel

King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel

King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel

King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel

King Arthur Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel

This is a series of relatively long exposures. I played with exposure duration for the first few minutes – finding the sweet spot at somewhere between 10 and 15-seconds, which results in several bursts or blasts overhead, nice illumination on the ground and smooth, appealing motion blur from the carousel and passing guests. My ISO varied between 100 and 400 as I manipulated exposure duration, but I did opt to keep the aperture locked at f/16 and white balance set to automatic. I selected a 15mm lens for this shoot (yes, I corrected for distortion in post) and used King Arthur Carousel as my focus point. The shutter was fired manually using a cable release and, naturally, the camera was mounted to a tripod for stability.


I really enjoy the multiple layers of elements that stack to make each of these frames something unique to look at. From the large floral arrangement to the sword in the stone, lights, passersby, the whirling carousel, and, yes, fireworks, I look at these pictures and think: whimsical, magical, iconic, and super-satisfying.


Consult your guide map or the Disneyland app for “Mickey’s Mix Magic” showtimes and find a day or two to Get Your Ears On during the biggest celebration of Mickey and Minnie in Disneyland history – happening now!

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