{Consideration provided by The Disneyland Resort}
My earliest memories at The Disneyland Resort can be seen through photos…a three-year-old girl donning her first set of Mickey ears. Our family has shared many memories over the years and we’ve seen the resort transform into a magical destination with two theme parks, three on-site hotels, and an expansive selection of casual, formal, and themed dining venues. Because I grew up at the park, I remember riding Space Mountain with my father for the first time, running through the Swiss Family Treehouse, and being mesmerized by the lights and sounds of the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Despite the resort’s familiarity, there is always something new to discover at Disneyland. I can honestly say that I still have yet to see and do everything at the resort. And while shows and attractions sometimes come and go, the nostalgia and excitement at what’s to come compels me to visit with my kids any chance we can get. 2017 will usher in exciting new changes to the resort. The start of the Lunar New Year begins with a joyous celebration honoring the year of the rooster and the return of Disney’s most popular parade.
The Main Street Electrical Parade – The Main Attraction
The Main Street Electrical Parade made it’s debut at Disneyland in 1972 and has traveled across the globe, including Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. The Parade closed in 1996 and then returned to Disney California Adventure in 2001 for an additional 9-year run. Seen by more than 75 million people during it’s original run at Disneyland, The Main Street Electrical Parade is back…but only for a limited time so you must plan to see it before it closes on Sunday June 18th, 2017.
As we sat awaiting the arrival of the first float, the iconic music began to play and I felt a wave of excitement and nostalgia. So much of the Parade and its floats are mostly unchanged and tell Disney’s cherished stories through lights, sound, music, and your favorite characters. The Parade begins with the return of the original Main Street Electrical Parade float. A whimsical train pulls a giant drum that reads “Disneyland Presents…Main Street Electrical Parade.” Mickey, Minnie and Goofy greet guests at the outset of the Parade and thus unfolds the stories of Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White, Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland.
The Parade boasts 22 floats covered in more than half a million twinkling lights. Most noteworthy are the 18 1/2 foot tall Clock Tower that looms over Cinderella’s Ball, Elliot the smoke-breathing, tail-wagging Pete’s Dragon, weighing in at over 5,600 pounds and standing at 16 feet tall, and the 118 foot finale unit which honors America with a red, white and blue tribute. The parade will also feature Disney’s beloved Baroque Hoedown synthesize soundtrack.
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a wonder, the brilliant ingenuity of the late Bob Jani. Even with our front and center viewing of the Parade, with floats so close I could touch, I still found myself perplexed. Over half a million electronically-controlled lights cover the 22 parade floats and their accompanying performers.
As you begin to plan your visit to the Disneyland Resort to view this limited-time encore performance of The Main Street Electrical Parade, here are 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Main Street Electrical Parade!
- The Main Street Electrical Parade was inspired by Walt Disney World’s Electrical Water Pageant, which featured fourteen 25-foot tall screens with electrical lights which were then placed on a string of seven barges to travel around the Seven Seas Lagoon.
- The Parade’s initial design used Italian-made miniature bulbs seen by Disneyland staff in light displays in Chicago. Disney arranged for the Parade’s original floats to be constructed by the company who crafted the holiday light displays
- A team of 80 skilled cast members (20 designers and 60 craftspeople) were involved in the creation of the Main Street Electrical Parade.
- Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley wrote the iconic accompanying synthesizer piece called “Baroque Hoedown” in 1967 which was then updated and arranged by Don Dorsey and Jack Wagner for the Main Street Electrical Parade. It is interwoven with classic Disney themes to create the Parade’s soundtrack, which features 11 synthesizers.
- The engineers who helped with the creation of the Parade developed the first automated parade show-control program. This allowed the route to feature multiple radio-activated “trigger zones” so that every person watching the parade along the 2000-foot route would experience the same show.
- The original Parade featured The Blue Fairy, a large drum pulled by Casey Jr., Cinderella, a Chinese dragon and a circus calliope. The Blue Fairy was removed in 2009 after the Parade left Disney California Adventure Park and was replaced at the front of the parade by Tinker Bell.
- After the Main Street Electrical Parade closed at Disneyland in 1996, light bulbs that were certified as having been part of the show were sold to collectors.
- The Main Street Electrical Parade is the longest running parade at Disneyland at 24 years. It was been seen by more than 75 million guests during 3600 performances.
- Seven films are represented throughout the parade including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Pete’s Dragon.
- The Parade is brought to life nightly through 22 floats that illuminate the parade route, 27 of Disney’s most beloved characters, and 80 parade performers.
The Main Street Electrical Parade performs nightly at Disneyland Park through June 18, 2017. To enhance your experience, visit Disneyland.com for Main Street Electrical Parade Dining Packages which include reserved viewing for the parade and a 3-course prix fixe meal at Blue Bayou Restaurant. If you’re short on time, you can also opt for a Grab & Go Meal at Aladdin’s Oasis which includes a voucher for a preferred viewing area.
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