Magic Kingdom: Main Street Electrical Parade extended indefinitely
Dewayne Bevil, Featured, Things to do — By Dewayne Bevil on July 29, 2010 at 10:42 amThey’re leaving the lights on at Walt Disney World. The return of the Main Street Electrical Parade to the Magic Kingdom has been extended indefinitely, WDW announced Thursday.
The parade began its current gig on June 6 and was scheduled to end its run on Aug. 14 with the rest of the Disney parks’ Summer Nightastic programming. The other elements, such as the Summer Nightastic Fireworks Spectacular and the drop sequence at the Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, still remain scheduled to wrap on Aug. 14.
The Electrical Parade has a long history with Disney, debuting at Disneyland in 1972. Versions of it ran in Florida from 1977 to 1991 and then from 1999 to 2001.
Magic Kingdom vice president Phil Holmes called the 2010 return an overwhelming success.
“Guests begin cheering as soon as they hear the opening fanfare,” he says.
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Tags: Disney World, Magic Kingdom, Main Street Electrical Parade
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18 Comments
I don’t remember the Electrical Parade. I must have seen it growing up, but my more prevalent memories are of Spectro. Does anyone know what end the parade starts on? The Main Street end or the Frontierland end? We’re going in November & if it’s still there I need to plan accordingly
The original run started at the Top of Main Street near the train station. I am 99% sure it is the same today.
It starts at the Firestation goes around the hub and diown Main Street into Liberty Square and exits Frontierland near Splash Mountain.
It varies. Sometimes it starts at the pathway next to Splash Mountain and other times it can start at the area next to the firestation or the area across the street from the firestation, so there are actually three starting areas. Unfortunately, it is at the discretion of the park as to which one they will use.
Awesome. Now I can see it anytime.
Great news. Most vivid childhood memories of Disneyland were of the Main Street Electrical Parade, the ‘burning cabin’ on Tom Sawyer Island (sadly gone now), the magic shop on Main Street and the Blue Bayou Restaurant.
I’ve never once seen any night parade (MSEP or Spectromagic) run from frontierland to mainstreet and I’ve been going there for over 30 years. The parade will be starting at Main Street and finishing up in Frontierland.
To be specific, you’ll always see the parade start at the firehouse, work around past the train station, down Main Street to the hub, turning right then going past the castle, down the bridge to Liberty Square, then up through Frontierland exiting next to Splash Mountain. There is no backstage way to move the floats from that point to the other side of Main Street so the parades will always start on this side of the street so that they can loop them back for the 2nd running of the parade (if necessary.) Disneyland however DOES start their parades on the other side across from the fire house.
SpectroMagic just isn’t fun. It’s majestic, I suppose, but I go to Disney for fun, not majesty. You want majesty, hit the freakin’ Bolshoi.
MSEP, though–that’s FUN!
Saw SpectroMagic parade and would love to see this one!
I feel that Spectromagic is better than Main Street Electrical Parade . In fact, Spectromagic replaced after several years of Main Street Electrical Parade .The music has no comparison, Spectromagic is much more romantic than the strident ofElectrical Parade. The floats, change color to white and Spectromagic effects, are amazing.
Main Street Electrical Parade to continue at Magic Kingdom,I would not be much longer…
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
Cast a spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carouselling
‘Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
Electrical Parade is long, it’s nonsensical, the music is annoying and a little creepy to me, and even though it has a touch of nostalgia it just pales in comparison to Spectromagic. I am so disappointed!
This is good news I just wish they would return the ORIGINAL music too. The new soundtrack is SO HOKEY. Before ti was the only parade where people clapped the whole way through, this time the crowd hears the music and then they clap for about 90 seconds and stop, the spirit is not there anymore, its like a sound track to a kindergarden show.
Yay! I was there for the passholder preview the first night, and people LOVE this parade. I definitely like it more than SpectroMagic, but maybe just because it was something new? I’d never seen the original, but just sitting on the parade route with so many PASSIONATE people was lots of fun. I’m glad it’s sticking around. Now if they will just keep the fireworks around a bit longer… I’m not ready to go back to Wishes yet.
I have seen Main Street Electrial Parade both in Florida and California. The Cal. parade is on 8mm film it is that old. I have seen the parade run both ways in Florida. I was told at guest relations that a study was done. They found that when the parade started in Frontierland, that the crowds following the parade would overwelm the transportation system. So now they start it on Main Street because the crowds are smaller and leave as the parade is over, easing the transpotation problem.
Also, I was told that they changed from MSEP to Spectromagic because it was to difficult to add new movie floats to the parade quickly, so they used computer programming and Spectromagic was born. So everyone enjoy Main Street Electrical Parade while it last.
LOVE The Main Street Electrical Parade
So glad we will be able to see it in October
Im glad they finally announced the MSEP was remaining longer! Now if only they would bring the Disneyland Tiki Room show back (its the original Tropical Serenade for the most part) to WDW well that would be wonderful IMHO!
I have to agree on the music. I am a HUGE fan of the parade, and the new music – while still the exact same tune, just doesn’t have the same ’spirit’ as the old music. It sounds too polished now, too cleaned up, and to me it’s not as fun. I still love the parade – but I was so disappointed when I heard the new music!!
Also not sure how I feel about Tink opening the parade. It’s a gorgeous float…but the parade REALLY starts with the train. That’s just how it is!!
Completely agree about the music after watching youtube of the “new” MSEP. Why is it an original creation can’t be left alone and appreciated?
Wish Disney would consider running the original soundtrack for us old folks and young kids that won’t care about tacky old soundtracks at 8 and then doing they’re “cooler” new soundtrack at 10.