Does anyone remember the evening parade?

[Kingtut]

Why internalise the nasty mean-spiritedness of TWDC?

Yes there is a reason to spend money on a nighttime parade: the park is full of guests, who paid up to $159 for a Disney experience. Many of whom remember this entails more than a hard liquor booth every twenty meters plus a limited edition Woody cupcake.

I thought the cupcake was an additional cost?

 

[Den Carter]

for what it’s worth, i miss the epcot parade too. it would be nice if MK brought back a nighttime parade though.

Every day’s a school day! I’ve had 18 WDW vacations over the last 29 years, and consider myself a bit of a Disney parks geek, but I never knew Epcot had ever had a parade. Just had to Google it! Seems there were parades there between 1998 and 2003, whereas my biggest gap between trips was 1997 to 2005, so that explains why. But wow! An Epcot Parade would be epic!

On topic, Spectromagic is one of my biggest and most beloved childhood memories, and MSEP and PTN make my heart sing too. Hoping for a nighttime parade announcement at D23.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I'm in the minority and never cared for Spectro, but PTN and MSEP were must see things for us. I really hope they bring something back (or create something new) for the 50th. DLR went without an electrical parade for a number of years before PTN was added for the 60th, so I'm hoping they're doing the same for WDW.

 

[Po'Rich]

Who knows at this point.

Martin knows. Martin always knows

 

[twosoups]

Spectromagic was the nighttime parade during all my visits as a kid, so I won't discount the nostalgia factor at play but it felt so magical to me. The soundtrack, especially — MSEP's is charming and zippy (and I know it was revolutionary at the time of its debut), but the grand, sweeping, larger-than-life feeling Spectromagic had in both music and lyrics has stayed with me. I miss it lots.

I hope there's a new nighttime parade coming for the 50th, and I hope they have a soundtrack that goes for that magical feeling. (For reference, my favorite daytime parade song was Celebrate a Dream Come True.)

 

[Phil12]

The parades interfere with guest use of the park. Also invariably, some people plop themselves down to save their parade viewing spot long before the parade starts. They really need to eliminate the parades at MK as they did years ago at Epcot.

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

I truly miss the parades...it was great to hit up all the rides with no wait time while everyone was at the parade.

 

[MinnieWaffles]

I have fond memories of the MSEP and miss it for sure. It would be lovely to see it return, or perhaps a new parade all together.

 

[ml123_9]

MK definitely needs a nighttime parade. The place doesn't seem right without. But with HEA needing to mainly viewed from the hub, I'm not sure it's feasible to have a parade. If they do, it would probably have to end 2 hours before HEA. Hopefully we hear something in the future about a new parade.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

The evening parades used to be so cool! And I'm not really one for parades (let alone repeat performances). The magic of the Magic Kingdom kicks into high gear at night and the parade just puts it in overdrive.

Man, it's been ages since I remember watching one. Go figure, my strategy was to always run the opposite direction to get on (now) emptier rides!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

There is something magical, especially when you are a kid, about walking around the Magic Kingdom at night. Spectromagic captured that just utter "neatness" vibe for kids. The music, the lights, the characters it was perfect for a child.

It was Disney at its finest followed right after about a half hour later with the fireworks usually. Hard to find a better and more magical hour in the parks than that. They honestly need this back, it was so lovely and what a way to cap off the night.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Why internalise the nasty mean-spiritedness of TWDC?

Yes there is a reason to spend money on a nighttime parade: the park is full of guests, who paid up to $159 for a Disney experience. Many of whom remember this entails more than a hard liquor booth every twenty meters plus a limited edition Woody cupcake.

Not only that, but I always thought parades were a way to alleviate lines at rides and food vendors. You can watch the parade or do some rides, win, win, the bigger the crowds the more important a parade

 

[Fable McCloud]

I miss the night parades, both of them. They were a good reason to hang around the hub. You lined up for the parade and then they immediately did the fireworks, so it wasn't just a hour or more of sardine squishing into the hub.

 

[JustAFan]

I have to be emotionally-prepared to listen to Spectromagic's music. Main Street Electrical just didn't have the same magic. So it's been a looong time...

Really? That's interesting. I loved the Electrical parade and was sad to see it go. I never got to see Spectromagic in person, so I can't compare. Either way, I hope they bring an evening parade back to MK soon! I would love to see something like DCA's Paint the Night. That's pretty amazing.

 

[NickMaio]

MK needs a nighttime parade - - - - It provides such wonder and fantasy to those young and old(er).
My best memories are the parades - - - so magical !!!

Roller coasters are everywhere - - -Night parades (were) quintessential WDW!

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

No exaduration the parks atmosphere is completely different without the light parade, that was kind of one thing I always had on the back of my mind all day at the Magic Kingdom. The biggest part of the day for me there was Spectromagic and MSEP cut it for me as well and Wishes just topped it off. Besides my 3 favorite mountains, Frontierland and Tom Sawyer Island I just don’t even care to go there any more. Last time I was upset that I went because I lost a perfectly good day at the resort and could have gone fishing or just as bad, an extra day at Epcot.

 

[belledream]

Really? That's interesting. I loved the Electrical parade and was sad to see it go. I never got to see Spectromagic in person, so I can't compare. Either way, I hope they bring an evening parade back to MK soon! I would love to see something like DCA's Paint the Night. That's pretty amazing.

To me, MSEP is catchy for a little bit, but it wears off/gets drowned out. Spectromagic captivates me the entire time and tugs at the heartstrings. But to each his/her own!

I would love to see any nighttime parade return, that’s for sure!

 

[bubbles1812]

Not to incite a riot here, but, I thought MSEP was wonderful, upbeat and a melody that you were humming the rest of the evening. Spectro, on the other hand, was a funeral march, depressing, disturbing and scary. I'll let you guess which one I liked the best.

To each their own! I adored Spectromagic and still love the music to this day. The floats were lovely and I even liked the masked men on the balls Your comparison to a funeral march seems quite extreme.

MSEP on the other hand... Music is fine but I thought the parade showed its (quite) old age. It just seemed so much more cheesy to me. Especially the floats toward the end. I did like seeing Eliot.

That being said... I’d take either back now.

 

[brb1006]

Really? That's interesting. I loved the Electrical parade and was sad to see it go. I never got to see Spectromagic in person, so I can't compare. Either way, I hope they bring an evening parade back to MK soon! I would love to see something like DCA's Paint the Night. That's pretty amazing.

I hope PTN doesn't come to WDW, it doesn't have the same charm as Spectromagic did.

 

[brb1006]

To me, MSEP is catchy for a little bit, but it wears off/gets drowned out. Spectromagic captivates me the entire time and tugs at the heartstrings. But to each his/her own!

I would love to see any nighttime parade return, that’s for sure!

Helped that Spectromagic had different versions of the parade theme between different sections of the parade while using some medleys from some movies that are represented.