Disney theme parks to introduce DRONE shows just in time for Christmas

  • Disney first applied to the FAA to use the cutting edge technology in 2014
  • The drones will create aerial displays using props like floating puppets 
  • The waiver requires drone operators to have remote pilot certificates

Visitors to American Disney theme parks this Christmas can look forward to a new kind of entertainment as the company has had its application to use drones in shows approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

A week after Walt Disney World was told it would be able to fly drones over the resort, it has released a new behind-the-scenes video of a test flight for a nighttime show.

The video was captioned: 'This holiday season, the idea of “wishing upon a star” will take on an even more magical meaning in the skies of Disney Springs.'

Scroll down for video 

Visitors to Disney parks in the States, such as the Magic Kingdom above, can look out for drones in the sky this holiday season

Disney has had its application to use drones in shows approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration 

The company has been planning this new addition to its entertainment for a while - it first applied to use the cutting edge technology in 2014.

The flying devices would be used to create aerial displays such as floating projection screens and marionettes held up by the contraptions.

In the application to the FAA, Disney said the drones would be controlled from the ground and carefully monitored to prevent them from colliding with each other. 

It is hoped the new technology will lead to a huge improvement in the way in which the puppets are orchestrated in the park's popular parades and shows. 

In the case of marionettes, a drone would be capable of carrying a blimp-sized character through the sky to simulate flight. 

Other puppets could even be animated by a flock of drones manipulating individual limbs.

The drones will be controlled from the ground and carefully monitored to prevent them colliding with each other 

The commercial use of drones had been banned by the FAA, but Disney argued the technology could solve a problem with aerial displays which have been 'limited in how easy it has been to alter the choreography and to provide a repeatable show'.

'This is a significant improvement over prior flying characters, which typically were provided in the form of parade or other blimps/balloons filled with hot air or other gases and that had little and/or awkward articulation of any movable parts,' the company said in its patent application. 

The FAA waiver is set for four years but it can be cancelled at any time.

The waiver requires that drone operators at Disney must have remote pilot certificates and allows the aircraft to be flown at night.

The waiver requires that drone operators at Disney must have remote pilot certificates and allows the aircraft to be flown at night 

It also says Disney has taken adequate steps to prevent any risks from drone-flying on its properties.

The machines, also called unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, have been mainly used used in war-zones and military operations until now, to provide an effective means of gathering intelligence and venturing into hostile areas without the need of a pilot. 

Drones were first used in WWII, but there have been significant developments in the technology since then.

Drones were first used in WWII, but there have been significant developments in the technology since then 

It has even been suggested that large mail order companies could develop UAVs to deliver their goods to customers in the future.

It was last year that the chief executive of Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, revealed the company had been testing unmanned drones to deliver goods.

The FAA is currently in the process of drafting rules for the commercial use of drones for everything from TV news coverage to package delivery to crop monitoring. 

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