MK All-New Nighttime Parade Disney Starlight Set to Debut at Magic Kingdom in 2025

[Starship824]

I should clarify this was work along the parade route for Starlight updates. But not exactly lighting

Audio upgrades?

 

[Squishy]

Is it safe to assume there will be no new parade route lighting? Whether that talk was ever true to begin with, or maybe it was cut?

Going off what's visible to the public eye I'm wondering if that was cut last minute, mounting equiptment for LED pars was installed on 2 liberty square light poles and even contains mounting screws. The boxes installed house new communication equiptment thats now being used for cavalcades & FoF.

Also during the 4th of july DJ party in frontierland 2 of those seasonal parade route light poles returned and have not came back down yet so I assume they are all going to return for the party season this year.

 

[doctornick]

"Whimsy" seems to be miss. Like what's the point? If just a train with a face why not use Casey Jr? If the character itself morphs into other shapes, why not Morph, or that magical star thing from Wish or even Figment. A Figment float would be highly appropriate here. Not sure I really get the need for this rando character addition. Unlike say Hollywood Studio's Ollie, which felt more like an authentic, organic addition.

Still early yet, but I guess I don't get it. Is Whimsy's presence being woven throughout the Starlight parade?

We (collectively) can’t complain that there isn’t stuff made specifically fit the parks and then complain when they make original things instead of pre existing IP.

Personally I love that they made something specific for the parade.

 

[jrhwdw]

We all know this but YAY!!!

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Next piece of the puzzle is the castle projection show. Is OUAT returning?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Audio upgrades?

Perhaps the GPS tracking for audio/lighting synchronization?

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

If there's a preshow announcement with Jiminy and the bBue Fairy like Wishes I'm gonna cry

That’s it I’m gone of that happens, I’m gone I’ll “ have to pee” no one can see a grown man loose it in the Magic Kingdom.

 

[FerretAfros]

The Imagineering videos are not meant to be comprehensive previews. They're focused on the engineering. Thus, these videos will never show 'everything.'

It's kinda odd that anyone would expect them to, let alone deduce things not shown are 'cut.'

The Imagineering videos are hardly focused on engineering. Engineering is the "how" (and occasionally "why") decisions are made to get to the finished product; this latest video mainly focused on the "what" was being created, showing the nearly-finished products. There was no meaningful discussion of the technical requirements of building floats, synchronizing light sources, creating durable props and costumes that can withstand daily use in a variety of weather conditions, selecting commercially-available products and creating custom-made ones to fit unusual needs, or mixing and synchronizing sound along a half-mile long corridor.

The only remotely-technical information we got from this video was:

• Stating that DLP's drones have to re-download the show program before each performance, for some unexplained reason
• Saying all the moving parts on HKDL's Encanto float were challenging, without explaining why they were challenging or how those challenges were overcome
  • A mention that the float had to collapse to fit under the bridge, without explaining how they do it, or mentioning that many floats in Disney's parades around the world have similar constraints to fit in their respective storage barns
  • An even-briefer clip showing the tree on the Duffy float folded in half to fit under the bridge with no discussion of it
• Saying it can be difficult to decide which speakers to place where along the parade route and floats, without any specific examples of what they actually did
• Mentioning that the lights in the costumes are individually-placed and will be synchronized to the music, with no discussion of any of the challenges associated with remote-activated electrically-embedded wearable garments

What the video did focus on was:

• The personal backstories of the people who create the productions (including a lovely lady who seemed to be coming to terms with Starlight likely being the last major project of storied four-decade-plus career with the company)
• Showing colorful rehearsal footage to get people excited about what's new in the parks
• Bending over backwards to avoid mentioning the names of shows that have closed, including Illuminations: Reflections of Earth and TDS's Out of Shadowlands (in fact, they avoided mentioning a resort in Tokyo at all)
• Awkwardly staged faux conversations between designers that would have felt much more natural as traditional documentary-style interviews
• Lots of footage of the previously-unseen Starlight floats ahead of their public debut next weekend

Like all the other We Call It Imagineering videos, it nominally focused on a certain aspect of things that WDI does, conveniently focusing on something that's about to open in the parks. They're highly produced previews for upcoming attractions, and there's nothing wrong with that. Most people were hoping for a preview of the new parade, and that's exactly what we got.

But a discussion of the engineering behind it, these are not.

I should clarify this was work along the parade route for Starlight updates. But not exactly lighting

My guess is some sort of projections along the buildings, likely stardust swirls with various characters floating by. If not, they spent way too long focusing on the Jiminy Cricket animation for it to only briefly appear on a screen on (the back of?) the final float.

There was also a mention that would imply the audio will cut out between units, which seems like an odd creative decision.

 

[jrhwdw]

We (collectively) can’t complain that there isn’t stuff made specifically fit the parks and then complain when they make original things instead of pre existing IP.

Personally I love that they made something specific for the parade.

I'm not complaining but I'm not sure a Train Original Character was Needed? Also It shouldn't be Casey Jr. That is SO MSEP and MSEP isn't returning in 8 Days....

 

[AxolotlTales]

Next piece of the puzzle is the castle projection show. Is OUAT returning?

Most likely not. Before the shutdown it ran at the :45 time slot after HEA and with Starlight have 2 performances around HEA, I doubt there would be space or time to squeeze in a 15 minute projection show

 

[Starship824]

Perhaps the GPS tracking for audio/lighting synchronization?

Perhaps but I'm not really sure what's new about that. Haven't they been doing that for all parades since the original Main Street electrical parade? Or is it that now they just have it more advanced to be able to do it on its own? I'm not sure how that was new but what do I know.

 

[Starship824]

My guess is some sort of projections along the buildings, likely stardust swirls with various characters floating by. If not, they spent way too long focusing on the Jiminy Cricket animation for it to only briefly appear on a screen on (the back of?) the final float.

There was also a mention that would imply the audio will cut out between units, which seems like an odd creative decision.

That is certainly a possibility but does that then mean they're going to add projection mapping to Liberty square and frontierland? I don't think so.

 

[jrhwdw]

The Imagineering videos are hardly focused on engineering. Engineering is the "how" (and occasionally "why") decisions are made to get to the finished product; this latest video mainly focused on the "what" was being created, showing the nearly-finished products. There was no meaningful discussion of the technical requirements of building floats, synchronizing light sources, creating durable props and costumes that can withstand daily use in a variety of weather conditions, selecting commercially-available products and creating custom-made ones to fit unusual needs, or mixing and synchronizing sound along a half-mile long corridor.

The only remotely-technical information we got from this video was:

• Stating that DLP's drones have to re-download the show program before each performance, for some unexplained reason
• Saying all the moving parts on HKDL's Encanto float were challenging, without explaining why they were challenging or how those challenges were overcome
  • A mention that the float had to collapse to fit under the bridge, without explaining how they do it, or mentioning that many floats in Disney's parades around the world have similar constraints to fit in their respective storage barns
  • An even-briefer clip showing the tree on the Duffy float folded in half to fit under the bridge with no discussion of it
• Saying it can be difficult to decide which speakers to place where along the parade route and floats, without any specific examples of what they actually did
• Mentioning that the lights in the costumes are individually-placed and will be synchronized to the music, with no discussion of any of the challenges associated with remote-activated electrically-embedded wearable garments

What the video did focus on was:

• The personal backstories of the people who create the productions (including a lovely lady who seemed to be coming to terms with Starlight likely being the last major project of storied four-decade-plus career with the company)
• Showing colorful rehearsal footage to get people excited about what's new in the parks
• Bending over backwards to avoid mentioning the names of shows that have closed, including Illuminations: Reflections of Earth and TDS's Out of Shadowlands (in fact, they avoided mentioning a resort in Tokyo at all)
• Awkwardly staged faux conversations between designers that would have felt much more natural as traditional documentary-style interviews
• Lots of footage of the previously-unseen Starlight floats ahead of their public debut next weekend

Like all the other We Call It Imagineering videos, it nominally focused on a certain aspect of things that WDI does, conveniently focusing on something that's about to open in the parks. They're highly produced previews for upcoming attractions, and there's nothing wrong with that. Most people were hoping for a preview of the new parade, and that's exactly what we got.

But a discussion of the engineering behind it, these are not.

My guess is some sort of projections along the buildings, likely stardust swirls with various characters floating by. If not, they spent way too long focusing on the Jiminy Cricket animation for it to only briefly appear on a screen on (the back of?) the final float.

There was also a mention that would imply the audio will cut out between units, which seems like an odd creative decision.

Main Street looked Complete Black, like MSEP/Spectro to me... Unless the Intro/Outro includes Route Lights?

Along with Float Music, there should be an Underliner Track correct?

 

[jrhwdw]

Perhaps but I'm not really sure what's new about that. Haven't they been doing that for all parades since the original Main Street electrical parade? Or is it that now they just have it more advanced to be able to do it on its own? I'm not sure how that was new but what do I know.

Tink's Pixie Trail was controlled in MSEP 2009-early 2017. IDK of that was Float Controlled or GPS.....

 

[AxolotlTales]

Projections during the parade aren't too far-fetched. Disneyland did it during the new Small World unit in MSEP when it re-opened again in 2022.

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

This morning, Disney Starlight hit its biggest milestone yet: two full rehearsals through Magic Kingdom!

 

[jrhwdw]

This morning, Disney Starlight hit its biggest milestone yet: two full rehearsals through Magic Kingdom!

Alright!!!!!!!

8 DAYS!!!!!!!!

 

[Starship824]

Here’s a look at the extent of the walls from today:










Couple photos of the water lever:

This is from the car's thread, doesn't look like the water will be there by the time Starlight comes if they're already draining it right now

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Most likely not. Before the shutdown it ran at the :45 time slot after HEA and with Starlight have 2 performances around HEA, I doubt there would be space or time to squeeze in a 15 minute projection show

They used to do the MSEP, the projection show, and Wishes on the same night. Often with multiple showings of the parade and the projection show.

 

[TTA94]

Projections during the parade aren't too far-fetched. Disneyland did it during the new Small World unit in MSEP when it re-opened again in 2022.

Projections like swirls would be a cool effect. The problem is they would have had to add projectors to Town Square, Liberty Square and Frontierland. I think projectors would have been noticed by now?

@Drew the Disney Dude If you can say have you heard anything about projections or any type of pre parade lighting?