A Disneyland firework lit up the sky this weekend—but not in the way anyone expected.
On Saturday night, just as the park’s nightly fireworks show was reaching its dazzling finale, a shell appeared to malfunction and fall out of the sky. It didn’t explode. It didn’t dissolve into a glittering display. Instead, it landed—lit and burning—directly onto Interstate 5, just outside Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
Even more unnerving? It landed right in front of a moving SUV. The incident was caught on video by TikTok user @aubzbri, who happened to be filming the fireworks from outside the park when the shocking moment occurred.
@aubzbri Disneyland Fireworks 🎆 #jet2holiday #disneyland #disneyfireworks #disneyworld #disneylandcalifornia
The clip, which quickly gained traction on social media, shows the projectile descending rapidly and striking the freeway just feet ahead of a southbound vehicle. The SUV drove through the smoke and sparks without visibly swerving or stopping, but the entire moment looked—and felt—like a scene out of a disaster movie.
For regulars familiar with Disneyland’s pyrotechnic shows, the footage has sparked major concern—and a lot of questions.
How Did This Happen?
Disneyland’s fireworks shows are known for their precision. Most guests aren’t aware that the resort’s shells are launched using compressed air cannons, not traditional gunpowder mortars, and each shell contains a microchipprogrammed to trigger an explosion at an exact moment in the sky.
According to one TikTok commenter identifying themselves as a pyrotechnic hobbyist, that system may have been at the heart of what went wrong.
“Disneyland firework shells each have their own chip in them so they go off at a programmed millisecond. For some reason, this one only got launched by the air canon but it never gave the signal to ‘go off’ like the others. It looks like it just burned up on its way down. Wind played no factor.”
This would explain why the shell appeared to “fizzle” rather than explode in mid-air—something many assumed was due to wind, until this clarification circulated online.
It’s worth noting that Disney often issues warnings about “high elevation winds” before canceling pyrotechnic elements in their nighttime shows. On this night, no such cancellation occurred.
Where Did It Land?
The firework landed squarely on the southbound side of Interstate 5, the major freeway that runs directly alongside Disneyland. The video shows the shell touching down just ahead of an SUV driving in the far-right lane.
What’s most unsettling is that the SUV kept moving forward—driving through the sparks and smoke without swerving, stopping, or showing signs of impact. That restraint may have prevented a multi-car accident.
One comment on TikTok reads:
“Mad props to the driver for not swerving and causing an accident. This could’ve been so much worse.”
Others were more alarmed by what could have been:
“I hope the driver of that SUV finds and saves this footage and does what they need to do… because emotional damage.”
Not an Isolated Incident?
While this kind of event might seem like a freak accident, longtime locals and Disney followers have shared that it may not be entirely unprecedented.
Multiple TikTok users claimed they’ve seen, or experienced, similar incidents:
“Not the first time. Won’t be the last. It’s fallen in my yard many times.”
“We indeed got hit by a shell about a decade ago on the 5. It was wild.”
While those accounts are anecdotal, they raise concerns about whether firework debris from Disneyland regularly makes it outside the boundaries of the resort.
Legal and Safety Implications
Disney hasn’t made a public statement about the firework misfire, and as of now, there are no reports of injuries or official investigations related to the freeway incident.
However, there is legal precedent that raises the stakes.
In 2023, a lawsuit was filed after a 7-year-old boy at Disney World in Florida was reportedly struck in the eye by a red-hot ember during a fireworks show. His family’s attorney claimed the incident caused lasting damage, including permanent scarring and vision problems. The lawsuit alleges Disney failed to account for weather conditions or safe distances from pyrotechnic fallout.
Back in 2014, another guest—this time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios—claimed a shell fragment caused permanent blindness in one eye. That case was settled privately.
Florida law only requires theme parks to publicly report injuries if the person is hospitalized for more than 24 hours, meaning many lesser incidents may never make it into official records.
What Happens Next?
At the time of this writing, no legal action has been announced regarding the I-5 firework incident. But the viral nature of the video—and the clear evidence it provides—has people wondering if that could change.
One TikTok commenter speculated:
“I would be suing Disney so fast if I was driving that car. Wheeeeeeew.”
Others called the footage “proof” that Disneyland’s firework radius may be too close to public roads.
While Disney is known for investing heavily in safety protocols, even the most advanced systems have failure points. This incident could spark a deeper review of how Disneyland manages its fireworks trajectory, particularly on nights with denser freeway traffic or unpredictable technical variables.
