Amid awe and cheers, Shanghai Disneyland launched a brand-new nighttime show, featuring Marvel characters and more, to celebrate its five-year anniversary.

The all-new nighttime spectacular "ILLUMINATE! A Nighttime Celebration" debuted on Thursday night with two performances. Shanghai's Enchanted Storybook Castle, the tallest castle of all Disney theme parks, sparkled with the help of complex projection mapping, breathtaking audio-visual elements and other cutting-edge technologies.

The show featured 80 Disney characters from over 40 films and franchises, ranging from classic characters from Micky Mouse, "Lion King," "Toy Story" to the more recent "Soul" and "Raya and the Last Dragon." The show also featured an immersive new experience throughout the Gardens of Imagination.

"The new nighttime spectacular leveraged the talent of over 70 Disney experts and consultants from eight countries, employed some of the world's advanced technologies, and incorporated some of our most beloved stories to create a truly immersive and magical conclusion to a day at Shanghai Disneyland," said Joe Schott, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort.

A particularly exciting segment for many Disney fans was the appearance of Marvel's heroes. This was the first time ever on any Disney castle in the world, a range of superheroes had appeared in a nighttime spectacular. "I hope you enjoy this very magical surprise," Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, said via a video in a presentation event on Thursday afternoon.

To create the incredible immersive effects for the show, 91 lighting fixtures, including eight giant new towers, 11 enhanced garden arbors, and 12 electronic lily pads were installed across 15 new locations throughout the park. 22,000 new LED lights were installed onto the new towers and arbors, adding to the 5,000 lights that were already in the garden, totaling 27,000 points of light for the new show, revealed Tom Williams, executive producer for Disney Live Entertainment.

The lighting effects also leverage synchronized lighting from the Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Fantasia Carousel attractions, as well as the parade route to further enhance the experience. A grand water display is presented in front of the castle, employing 38 static fountains, seven moving fountains, and one water screen, while 27 pyrotechnic devices and six lasers installed around the castle add pyrotechnic and lighting elements to the stunning experience.

The show was designed to provide entertainment while inspiring the audience to search for the light and dreams within, said Denny Newell, director of creative and production at Shanghai Disney Resort. Besides reimagined takes on Disney classic songs, there's also a new original song titled "Light Is in You."

The new show will officially replace the old iconic nighttime show which entertained millions of visitors over the past five years. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the park, there will also be new and updated parade floats, a lineup of exclusive fun activities and experiences, celebratory decorations and wide range of limited-edition merchandise.

Thursday was not only the beginning of Shanghai Disney Resort's fifth anniversary, but also the day when ten years ago, on April 8, 2011, The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group celebrated the groundbreaking of the resort and started construction. The resort officially opened on June 16, 2016 and has gone on to become one of the world's most visited tourism destinations.

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