I finally had a chance to sit down and send them an e-mail about my recent trip in June. If you're looking for negativity, you'll find very little of it here. I really cannot convey in words how I felt while I was there.
Here's what I told them.
Here's what I told them.
Hello.
Let me preface this with saying that it is very rare for me to write to WDW Customer service. I have not done so since I was a very young boy. I am not the type who ever gives feedback for any kind of theme park, vacation, movie review, etc. But my recent trip to Walt Disney World really calls for me to let me feelings be known.
Despite the fact that some of my favorite attractions of all time have been traded up for less-fantastic and dull ones, I still call Walt Disney World “home” and I always thought that WDI did a fantastic job updating classic rides like Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, and Pirates of the Caribbean. When new attractions like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, Soarin’ and the Festival of the Lion King came along, they almost made up for the removal of attractions like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (But you've GOT to get that Yeti fixed on Everest!!) However, in all of my trips to WDW, there was one thing that I had still yet to experience. Everyone always tells me they feel like a kid when they are in Walt Disney World. Having been there 11 times in 23 years of my life, I had never really "felt" like a kid, except of course when I was an actual child. Having just completed my first year in the "real" world as a teacher and with some extra money, I decided to take another trip to my favorite place of all time and to bring my sister along with me. We arrived at WDW on a hot evening at the end of June, ready to be up at the crack of dawn the next day to take on the Magic Kingdom.
I'm not sure what it was, but something was different about this 12th and most recent trip. Maybe I had some extra pixie dust sprinkled on me when I wasn't looking, or perhaps Blue Fairy instilled some sense of being a "real" boy in me, but I felt very different going through those gates and immediately heading for Fantasyland that first day of my trip. For the first time I felt like a little like a kid, which is an experience I had yet to have. The cast members seemed friendlier than ever, and the attractions and rides were truly magical. Throughout that entire first day I really did believe that I was on a roller coaster in outer space or flying over Neverland or that there were 999 happy haunts that were dying for me to “hurry baaaaack.” I thought it couldn’t get any better. But then it did.
It was 9:00pm on the dot when it happened. The “Fanfare of Lights” blasted over the speakers as a familiar voice hit the air: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls..." There it was!! Jack Wagner's voice, just as I remembered it in 1989. I couldn’t believe it!! The announcement continued: "The Magic Kingdom proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination. In thousands of sparkling lights and electrosynthemagnetic musical sounds: The Main Street Electrical Parade!!!"
The lights went out! I cheered as loud as I could, along with the rest of the patrons on Main Street USA. “Baroque Hoedown” start pumping loudly throughout the park. It was absolutely magical and unreal.
Something happened that was so magical, it brought tears of joy to my eyes. For nearly 40 minutes, I bopped around in place to the beat of the song while clapping my hands and waving at every single float that went by. I caught myself shouting to Goofy as he drove the Casey Jr. Train past us. I blew kisses at Cinderella. Grumpy came over and stared me down for a bit. Captain Hook shook his hook at me! The Donkey Boys made me giggle like a little boy, and Pete’s Dragon was even more spectacular than I remembered it. I felt so proud to be an American as the "To Honor America" float ended the parade. As the massive eagle sailed down Main Street, Mr. Wagner's voice once again filled my ears as he announced the end of "The Magic Kingdom's Main Street Electrical Parade." The lights went up, and Don Dorsey's closing fanfare played to signify that the parade was over. It was the most beautiful experience I have ever had at Walt Disney World.
Now, I had been skeptical prior to seeing the parade. I knew they had changed the music from the original Don Dorsey arrangement of Perrey and Kingsley's "Baroque Hoedown" in favor of Tokyo Disneyland’s “Dream Lights” version. I heard that gone was Blue Fairy, in her place was Tink, and that the bass drum now said "Disney's Electrical Parade" instead of its former "Main Street Electrical Parade." But let me tell you, only the last of those three even registered in my mind while I was watching, and it didn't matter. I felt like I was 3 years old again watching the parade for the first time. I really cannot convey to you in an e-mail what an amazing feeling it was watching this thing go by. I had seen it in most recently in 2000 when it returned for the millennium, but only this time, in 2010, was I really moved. There really is something magical about The Main Street Electrical Parade being where I consider its “home” to be, on Main Street USA in The Magic Kingdom.
The rest of my trip was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the SummerNightastic! Fireworks, Tower of Terror updates, and everything else the parks have to offer. Though my sister and I enjoyed ourselves throughout our five day visit, nothing compared to seeing MSEP. We loved it so much, in fact, that we watched it three times! I hadn’t watched a parade at WDW that much EVER in my life.
I know this is a rather roundabout and long-winded way of saying it, but I wanted to thank the Walt Disney Company, WDI, all of the cast members of WDW, and even Team Disney Orlando! for making my vacation truly magical. In all of my 12 trips to see Walt’s greatest dream, this one was by far the most memorable. I also hope that someday in the future, the Main Street Electrical Parade stays at the Magic Kingdom for good! (It’s far better than SpectroMagic!) Maybe one day when I have a family, I will be able to take my own children to see the parade I loved as a child.
May God bless everyone over at WDW, and thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail. I really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Daniel Kitching
23-year old WDW enthusiast and child at heart
Thanks for the letter! I felt as if I was right there! 
