Cirque du Soleil Drawn to Life debuts at Walt Disney World

Nov 19, 2021 in "Cirque du Soleil"

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Drawn to Life show

Posted: Friday November 19, 2021 7:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney and Cirque du Soleil celebrated the opening of the new show 'Drawn to Life' earlier this evening at Walt Disney World's Disney Springs.

Gravity-defying acrobats are in constant motion during The Old Mill act in Drawn to Life

Drawn to Life, written and directed by Michel Laprise with Fabrice Becker as Director of Creation, is a live acrobatic journey telling the story of Julie, a determined girl who discovers an unexpected gift left by her Disney Animator father: an unfinished animation. As she dives into the inner world of animation guided by a surprising pencil, Julie embarks on an inspiring quest filled with her childhood Disney memories. Developed in partnership with Michael Jung, Executive Theatrical Development, Walt Disney Imagineering along with Walt Disney Animation Studios, the story is driven by 10 unique acrobatic acts alongside animation from beloved Disney films. In addition, the show features all-new animation created by Disney artists led by Animation Director Eric Goldberg, best known for characters such as the Genie in the Disney Animation classic “Aladdin.”

An all-female cast of acrobats take flight between two arcing swings in the celebratory finale of Drawn to Life

Drawn to Life is the 50th production created by Cirque du Soleil and its premiere coincides with the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary celebration. With an international cast of 62 artists, Drawn to Life will perform Tuesday through Saturday at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort.

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

Five playful unicyclists representing the Blue Fairy from the classic Disney Animation film “Pinocchio” appear to effortlessly float across the stage during Drawn to Life

Watch the video below for highlights from the show and a look at the acts you will see in Drawn to Life.

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WondersOfLifeAug 30, 2024

Possibly. But I certainly cant do that sh**. So its nice to watch people who can do that, do that. 👉

MisterPenguinAug 29, 2024

The original swings were a big miss for me. A swing -- powered by others pushing -- throws you into the air... you do a simple acrobatic flip/twist, and you land on super thick mats which the other ladies are holding up off the ground and let go when you land. And if they're going to land on the other swing, there's no timing. The other team holds the landing-swing up in place for you. I'm glad they're evolving the acts over time to make the weaker ones better.

WondersOfLifeAug 29, 2024

I swear to god i dont remember so many people being involved in the big swings act. Ive seen it done with 6 women. Then 9 women. All the men were new to me. Maybe it was a covid thing. I sweat the cast grew by double. But it was more exciting than i remember it being for sure.

TrainsOfDisneyAug 29, 2024

That was my favorite part - but I also love the Old Mill and was so happy they included a fairly obscure IP in that show. How is the finale act - the big swings? It was really lacking when I saw it.

WondersOfLifeAug 29, 2024

Just saw the show for an 8th time yesterday. I haven't seen it 8 times for myself. I have seen it 8 times to take people who haven't seen it. I think it's a great experience for people to have if they haven't seen it. After 8 viewings, my only complaint about the show are 2 things. 1). Some acts really overextend their interest. I thought the re-working of the lady being tossed in the air while integrating the cyclists and hoops and other things going on at the same time saved that scene... The rotating fan scene is the weakest scene in the show and a bit overdone in the 'cirque' industry. It would be fine if it wasn't so dang long. The show could use a half hour cut. But... For a first timer, it really is a fantastic show. After seeing the Vegas cirque shows, I definitely see where people are coming from on quality. But as someone who initially saw it with no previous Cirque du Soleil experience, I thought it was phenomenal. So that is what I assume most people going into this show will experience. And for that, it is worth it.

wdwmagicAug 29, 2024

Drawn to Life: Cirque du Soleil and Disney's 2025 Show Schedule Announced, Page to Stage Experience Expands to More Nights https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/cirque-du-soleil/news/29aug2024-drawn-to-life-cirque-du-soleil-and-disneys-2025-show-schedule-announced,-page-to-stage-experience-expands-to-more-nights.htm

DCBakerJul 01, 2024

There's a new offer out for Disney Visa cardholders: Take advantage of your perk early! Save up to 20% on tickets to upcoming performances of Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil and Disney at Disney Springs®. Tickets may be purchased at the Drawn to Life box office at Disney Springs® or online. Visit Cirk.me/WDWVisa and use your Disney Visa Card to purchase tickets today! More details via the Cirque link: Disney Visa Cardholder Offer is only valid for performances of Drawn to Life through 9/27/25 (subject to availability and blockout dates). Valid for seat categories Golden Circle, 1, 2 and 3. Limit eight (8) tickets per valid Disney Visa for the entire Offer period. Tickets must be purchased with a Disney Visa credit card and may be purchased online at cirk.me/WDWVisa or at the Drawn to Life Box Office at Disney Springs® area located at Walt Disney World® Resort. All tickets purchased online for the Disney Visa Offer must be picked up at will call at the Drawn to Life Box Office and the purchaser must show their valid Disney Visa to collect tickets. Tickets sold by Cirque du Soleil. Tickets are subject to taxes and fees. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. The Disney Visa Offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offers. Blockout dates apply, including 11/27/24-12/1/24, 12/18/24 - 1/5/25, 2/19/25-2/23/25, 3/14/25-3/23/25, and 4/16/25 - 4/20/25

TrainsOfDisneyMay 18, 2024

That sums it up well - Drawn to Life is honestly the type of show that should be in the parks. It’s good - but La Nouba was 100% Cirque. I’m actually quite nostalgic for the Downtown Disney that used to be…. Disney Quest, La Nouba, Pleasure Island, nightly fireworks…. There was alot to offer that is drastically different now.

Miss RoriMay 09, 2024

I do get the sense that La Nouba was far more popular at its height than Drawn to Life is now. Cirque hadn't overextended itself when La Nouba was new (there were only a handful of tours and two other "resident" shows, both in Las Vegas, in 1998), so there was more novelty, and the two times I saw it (2005 and 2015) it had a good-sized audience. But also, I think one thing that drove La Nouba's success was that it had nothing to do with Disney while still being family friendly; it was high-quality but in a more adult way than other stuff at the resort. The Unofficial Guide's writers regarded it as THE best thing at Disney World and they never received negative mail from readers over it, even getting comments like "it was the best money we spent". But it's telling they haven't done a review of the new show as yet.

wdwmagicMay 08, 2024

We Go Behind the Curtain with Cirque du Soleil's new VIP 'Drawn to Life' Experience https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/cirque-du-soleil/news/08may2024-we-go-behind-the-curtain-with-cirque-du-soleils-new-vip-drawn-to-life-experience.htm and more photos at https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/cirque-du-soleil/gallery/01may2024-page-to-stage-signature-experience-backstage-tour-at-drawn-to-life-by-cirque-du-soleil.htm