Not long after they respectively announced plans for light shows comprising fleets of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), Intel and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts have confirmed that they are collaborating on a holiday show that will be made up of 300 Intel Shooting Star drones in a choreographed performance.
Dubbed “Starbright Holidays – An Intel Collaboration,” the event will take place at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. According to the companies, the show will paint colorful images across the sky at the Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment district. The performance will be accompanied by an orchestrated score of holiday classics.
The companies say the event will mark the first time a drone performance of this scale has ever been performed in the U.S. In addition, it will be the first U.S. public debut of the Intel Shooting Star drone – Intel’s new UAS designed specifically for entertainment purposes.
“We are excited to work with Walt Disney Imagineering to bring a fresh and innovative approach to its world-renowned light shows,” says Josh Walden, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s New Technology Group. “Together, we worked to tackle a new frontier in entertainment: picturing the sky as our canvas and flying lights as ink.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Intel on this exciting entertainment experience,” adds Jon Snoddy, Walt Disney Imagineering’s research and development studio executive. “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 is also equipped with LED lights that can create over 4 billion color combinations, says Intel, adding that a light show can be created within a matter of days and controlled by one computer. 
