Today, Disneyland announced the return of four beloved nighttime spectaculars, and a new grand finale to the “Main Street Electrical Parade” for its 50th anniversary.
Let’s dig in…
On April 22, 2022, the “Main Street Electrical Parade” will return, but with a bit of a new look.
A guest favorite since its debut in 1972, “Main Street Electrical Parade” features cherished floats such as the classic train and drum unit, and Elliot the Dragon.
With an electronic musical score based on “Baroque Hoedown” by Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley, this parade was the first to play unique musical arrangements synchronized to each float unit.
To honor the milestone 50th anniversary of “Main Street Electrical Parade,” Disney Live Entertainment will introduce a new grand finale that celebrates the theme of togetherness, drawing inspiration from the original design of classic “Main Street Electrical Parade” floats and Mary Blair’s iconic art style on “it’s a small world.”
The seven-segment float stretches 118 feet in length and brings to life more than a dozen Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios films, making it one of the longest and grandest sequences in the parade’s history.
Guests along each side of the parade route will see different stylized scenes from classic and contemporary favorite stories such as “Encanto,” “The Jungle Book,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Aladdin,” “Coco,” “Mulan,” “Brave,” “The Princess and the Frog,” and more.
The finale also pays tribute to the parade’s heritage with the return of the Blue Fairy character from “Pinocchio,” and a unique, 19-foot-tall representation of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
These stories will be interpreted in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sound, with unique representations of beloved characters as animated dolls.
Also returning April 22 is the “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular, a street-to-sky celebration where Main Street, U.S.A., and a few other spots in Disneyland, become a magical canvas, transporting guests from an Anaheim orange grove into the worlds of timeless Disney and Pixar stories.
“Disneyland Forever” also features two original songs: the theme “Live the Magic” and the inspiring closing song “Kiss Goodnight,” written by Disney Legend Richard B. Sherman.
From April 22 to late spring, “Disneyland Forever” will perform Fridays through Sundays, and the “Mickey’s Mix Magic” projections-only show is scheduled Mondays through Thursdays. “Disneyland Forever” fireworks will then run nightly in the summer.
“World of Color” will also return to Disney California Adventure on April 22. The mega-scale spectacular is presented on a massive “stage” of water, color, and light that is bigger than a football field and encompasses all of Paradise Bay.
Combining music, fire, fog and laser effects with memorable animated sequences, “World of Color” floods the senses and immerses audiences in some favorite Disney and Pixar stories, including scenes like WALL-E and Eve zipping through the cosmos, Pocahontas exploring just around the riverbend, and Jack Sparrow battling on the sea.
The inspiration for the show came from Walt Disney himself, and “World of Color” is tied together by a soaring musical score that includes familiar Disney melodies and a contemporary version of the 1960s television theme for “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” originally composed by Richard B. and Robert M. Sherman, the Oscar®-winning composers of “it’s a small world,” “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room,” and many other iconic songs for Disney.
But that’s not all…”Fantasmic!” will return to delight audiences beginning May 28.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary at Disneyland in 2022, “Fantasmic!” is an extravaganza of colorful Disney animated film images, choreographed to an exciting musical score and highlighted by the 45-foot-tall, fire-breathing Maleficent dragon.
The waters of the Rivers of America at Disneyland Park come alive as Mickey Mouse dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and faces some of Disney’s most dastardly villains, using the power of his imagination to save the day.
Along the way, fantastic events and images as seen in Disney films like “Fantasia,” “The Jungle Book,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and more come to life with live performers, character appearances, enhanced special effects, and pyrotechnics.
Disneyland says both “Main Street Electrical Parade” and “Disneyland Forever” will be available for a limited time, but are not giving an end date for either. “World of Color” and “Fantasmic!” will return to their regular schedules upon reopening.
The return of these shows is a great incentive to visit the Disneyland parks. Which show are you most excited to see again? Let us know in the comments!