As an infant, my parents gave me a plush Mickey Mouse and hung a Disney poster in my nursery over my crib. When I was around 2 years old they finally went to the movie theater to see a certain sci-fi/fantasy epic with their infant son in tow. The rest, as they say is history.

So it is that while 2005 gave us the release of Star Wars Episode III, it also commemorates the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. I remember going on Star Tours when the ride was almost brand new in the summer of 1988. Upon returning home, I could barely contain my excitement in telling my friends about how amazing this ride was. I thought it was so cool to fly through a comet just like Han Solo did and making the Death Star Trench run in an effort to destroy the battle station. And to top it all off, R2-D2 and C-3PO were up close and personal while waiting in the queue to experience Star Wars.

Now, in 2005, Star Tours has long been a part of Disneyland's history. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, Disneyland developed a brand new fireworks show that pays tribute to some of Walt Disney's legendary films and some of the park's famous attractions. The Haunted Mansion comes alive with ghosts on Sleeping Beauty Castle. Through the magic of fire, the night sky stretches just as the room in the mansion itself does. Pirates of the Carribean comes alive with a pirate battle taking place in the skies over the castle. Flames alight for Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

But none of that could prepare me for the moment when the fireworks show works it's way into Tomorrowland. That portion showcases Space Mountain and some rides of the past, but it blows you away after Rex tells R2 "lightspeed to Endor." At that moment, the Star Wars theme blares through the loudspeakers and the sky lights up in spectacular fashion. With lasers dancing all over the castle, the call soon comes over the conn. We're going in for the trench run. As the Starspeeder 3000 and X-Wings fire those fateful shots, the Death Star explodes into light so bright that Sleeping Beauty Castle appears fully lit as if it was a sunny afternoon.

In many ways, the Star Wars music was made for fireworks. It's difficult to describe the thrill of seeing fireworks synced to the music I've come to love so much. It's really something else to see the destruction of the Death Star performed only with fireworks and music. In the end, I'm glad I was able to see this. Maybe someday someone will do a full fireworks show set to Star Wars music.