News Main Street Electrical Parade and A Christmas Fantasy Parade to return

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
Man Disney really went all on the "Farewell Season" back in 1996.

There were billboards
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Farewell Merchandise
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A special VHS tape dedicated to Main Street Electrical Parade's final year, even a hours long news live news broadcast!


I even stumbled upon this video which recorded the parade's finale night. Look at how excited guests were during that evening. Heck, in this video you can actually see Mickey leaving the Drum Float to wave goodbye at the numerous floats and characters!


I once came across an old article from a guest who actually attended the final showing. He mentioned at one point, the entire parade paused to a series of applause from guests. After the parade was finished, guests all sung the "Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater" as a farewell tribute.


I am sure you are well aware that they fully intended to retire the MSEP back then in 1996 due to the new 'street spectacle' they wanted to roll out the following year - 'Light Magic'.
The feeling at the time was that 'Light Magic' was going to be such a upgrade and so spectacular that the MSEP wouldn't be needed anymore.
Thus the 'Glowing Away' campaign.
Seriously, there were big plans for the new show and it was heavily marketed as the 'next generation' of nighttime magic and entertainment.

Of course, history has shown 'Light Magic' was a tremendous hard flop that fell flat on its face even before Opening Night.
The AP Preview night response is legendary - Something even the video I have of the full showing and aftermath can't accuratly capture.
Yeah, it was not warmly embraced at Disneyland....to put it mildly!

No surprise then that fan favorite MSEP returned.
Imagine if 'Light Magic' went well and was a smash success....where would night time light parades be today....?

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Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
🙌🙌🙌🙌

Just might get an annual pass now. Lol. So what you want about MSEP but it has more charm than anything they ve done at DLR put together

Right on, bru.

I think we are the only two 'hardcore' MSEP fans here.
They just need to switch the soundtrack back to the original music.....and ditch the dippy 'recreation' of the music.
My only real issue with the current incarnation.

Thank the Tiki Gods they finally removed the 'cluttering' pixie dust overlay strands from the floats.

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brb1006

Well-Known Member
It has been my understanding that 'Paint The Night' was mothballed because it was very expensive to operate.
This has been talked about in the past, several times, on this very Forum.
A few years ago now, so perhaps things have changed.....but last I was aware :

PTN Parade costs a fortune in payroll and maintenance to operate.
I also recall talk back when it was first shelved that the costumes were in rough shape due to near constant use during Disneyland's 60th Diamond Anniversary.
Also some costume issues, which needed to be addressed.
Disney apparently just came to a point where they felt it was too costly to run, and it's been stored away since.
Thus why you keep seeing the 'less expensive to operate and maintain' Parade.

I love the MSEP, and will to my dying day.
I will never tire of seeing it on any given night.
But TP said it above and has a valid point - it has sadly been down sized over the years due to mishandling and operational reasons.
And the 'updated' recreation of the original soundtrack is annoyingly cheesy.
The original REAL synth soundtrack is far superior.
Perhaps they will switch it back next time out of the gate.

That said, I am pretty sure I will be back to Disneyland next year for my favorite Parade's golden anniversary.
Oh yes....
:)

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While I enjoy the current score for MSEP. I can understand why you found it cheesy. The current score borrowed the same score as Dreamlights but with minor changes. The original Dreamlights score actually worked since it was intended as MSEP of the 21st Century since the floats were more grander and transitioned to fully orchestrated by the finale. The Tokyo score in a way feels odd since the floats are much older.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I love the MSEP, and will to my dying day.
I will never tire of seeing it on any given night.
But TP said it above and has a valid point - it has sadly been down sized over the years due to mishandling and operational reasons.
And the 'updated' recreation of the original soundtrack is annoyingly cheesy.
The original REAL synth soundtrack is far superior.
Perhaps they will switch it back next time out of the gate.

Oh, gosh, I forgot they changed the soundtrack. I don't have much musical talent, so I don't have an ear for those sorts of things.

Heck, until 12 hours ago in that other thread I didn't even know where in Costa Rica the town of Turrialba (population 26,865) was located (Cartago province) or what it was known for (rafting, semi-active volcano, Rawlings baseball factory, depressed farming economy), so I'm very little help to anyone.

But you are right. They changed the soundtrack. When I think of the MSEP soundtrack I think of the original, that one from that old LP so many of us used to have. That one was more fun, more funky.

That said, I am pretty sure I will be back to Disneyland next year for my favorite Parade's golden anniversary.
Oh yes....
:)

Please don't give them any ideas. I mean, you should definitely come visit, but don't encourage TDA to make an entire post-Covid marketing campaign around that 50 year old parade! Just... don't. 🤣
 
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TP2000

Well-Known Member
I’d love to understand how Paint the Night is somehow more costly to run compared to MSEP.

Me too! We've heard that a lot. Paint The Night does have a lot of dancers and performers, but is that all? Is there some infrastructure cost or maintenance process that costs all sorts of extra money that poor, struggling TDA just can't afford?
 

TTA94

Well-Known Member
I’d love to understand how Paint the Night is somehow more costly to run compared to MSEP.

Paint The Night ran fine in Hong Kong. But I guess they could afford it. Now both sets of PTN are mothballed. Pandemic reasons for Hong Kong though, unless they choose not to bring it back.
 

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I don't deny that MSEP is cool but Spectromagic is the nighttime parade I'd rather see.
Just the thought of MSEP might put that music in my head for far too long. Its already creeping in.
Could they have a variety in the music.
 

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
Me too! We've heard that a lot. Paint The Night does have a lot of dancers and performers, but is that all? Is there some infrastructure cost or maintenance process that costs all sorts of extra money that poor, struggling TDA just can't afford?

I mean… the only thing I suspect is… labour cost?

Can a new parade really be a higher maintenance cost then MSEP? I can’t imagine.

I’d really need to sit down and calculate performers and drivers between the two parades.
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Oh, gosh, I forgot they changed the soundtrack. I don't have much musical talent, so I don't have an ear for those sorts of things.

Heck, until 12 hours ago in that other thread I didn't even know where in Costa Rica the town of Turrialba (population 26,865) was located (Cartago province) or what it was known for (rafting, semi-active volcano, Rawlings baseball factory, depressed farming economy), so I'm very little help to anyone.

But you are right. They changed the soundtrack. When I think of the MSEP soundtrack I think of the original, that one from that old LP so many of us used to have. That one was more fun, more funky.



Please don't give them any ideas. I mean, you should definitely come visit, but don't encourage TDA to make an entire post-Covid marketing campaign around that 50 year old parade! Just... don't. 🤣
Since MSEP changed the soundtrack and following Dreamlights for years now. It appears that most of the reused music was from the first incarnation of "Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights". Even the current Baroque Howdown score is missing notes from Dreamlights.

Such as reusing The Alice In Wonderland section only using the medley from the Giant Cheshire Cat Float (it's missing the rest of the notes from Tokyo's version), Captain Hook's float still using the first version of Tokyo's Peter Pan section (especially since the Peter Pan float got updated years ago with a new score), and the Elliot Float using the previous version of the "Brazzle Dazzle Day" (which also got update). Finally the Snow White section reusing the score for The Seven Dwarfs Mine section that's notably missing the electronic voice singing "Heigh Ho".

Here's the original version of Dreamlights before it's 2007 refresh for those familiar.
 

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
Okay I had time. This does not include the techs who walk the route, as I can’t really count those easily. This is an estimate, I may have made mistakes.

MSEP (2019 version)

Floats (aka drivers): 22 (counting smee and dopey here)

Performers: 81

Total performers and drivers: 103

PTN (2018 version)

Floats (aka drivers): 13

Performers: 75

Total performers and drivers: 88


So the question becomes, what makes PTN cost more to run? Is it a higher labour cost due to a higher premium for the performers? Is the equipment more costly to maintain?

It is a far more dance heavy production then MSEP.

Or is that just what people made up as the reason it isn’t run, and it’s something else causing the parade to be moth balled?
 

waltography

Well-Known Member
The fact that Magic Happens, a parade that only got the whole of two weeks before the shutdown, is passed over for another run of MSEP is criminal. MH is a great daytime parade that transitions into a serviceable nighttime parade with its lighting package; there's no reason why we're getting two parades long past their prime.

Also, that PTN is mothballed is a damn shame.
 

waltography

Well-Known Member
So the question becomes, what makes PTN cost more to run? Is it a higher labour cost due to a higher premium for the performers? Is the equipment more costly to maintain?
I'm sure part of it is the maintenance - a blown out lightbulb on chicken wire isn't as noticeable as an entire LED panel not lighting up in the Beauty and the Beast float.

Also, I remember from PTN's initial run that lots of performers were getting injured because of the costumes (a lot of the complaints again clustered around the Beauty and the Beast float costumes and also the Mermaid costumes). I can't remember if they ever modified the costumes or dances, though I don't think they ever did.
 

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
I'm sure part of it is the maintenance - a blown out lightbulb on chicken wire isn't as noticeable as an entire LED panel not lighting up in the Beauty and the Beast float.

Also, I remember from PTN's initial run that lots of performers were getting injured because of the costumes (a lot of the complaints again clustered around the Beauty and the Beast float costumes and also the Mermaid costumes). I can't remember if they ever modified the costumes or dances, though I don't think they ever did.

Perhaps they just aren’t willing to take on the cost to redesign the costumes… hmm.
 

DrAlice

Well-Known Member
The fact that Magic Happens, a parade that only got the whole of two weeks before the shutdown, is passed over for another run of MSEP is criminal. MH is a great daytime parade that transitions into a serviceable nighttime parade with its lighting package; there's no reason why we're getting two parades long past their prime.

Also, that PTN is mothballed is a damn shame.
This. I never had a chance to see either of these due to their short runs and timings of my trips.

Unpopular opinion: How about NO nighttime parades at all? Have a solid daytime parade and leave the night to fireworks, fantasmic, Tomorrowland Terrace and WOC. I hate that Main Street becomes a big mess at night with the constant barrage of people waiting to see one entertainment thing after another. 🤷‍♀️
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Okay I had time. This does not include the techs who walk the route, as I can’t really count those easily. This is an estimate, I may have made mistakes.

MSEP (2019 version)

Floats (aka drivers): 22 (counting smee and dopey here)

Performers: 81

Total performers and drivers: 103

PTN (2018 version)

Floats (aka drivers): 13

Performers: 75

Total performers and drivers: 88


So the question becomes, what makes PTN cost more to run? Is it a higher labour cost due to a higher premium for the performers? Is the equipment more costly to maintain?

It is a far more dance heavy production then MSEP.

Or is that just what people made up as the reason it isn’t run, and it’s something else causing the parade to be moth balled?
Didn't PTN move to DCA a few years back?
 

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
The fact that Magic Happens, a parade that only got the whole of two weeks before the shutdown, is passed over for another run of MSEP is criminal. MH is a great daytime parade that transitions into a serviceable nighttime parade with its lighting package; there's no reason why we're getting two parades long past their prime.

Also, that PTN is mothballed is a damn shame.

I feel if they bring a night parade back they’ll also do Magic Happens.

I’m not sure how Disneyland works, but at MK many of the cast would be in the day parade and the night parade.

But it may mean MH happens early 2022 after Christmas parade ends.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
But you are right. They changed the soundtrack. When I think of the MSEP soundtrack I think of the original, that one from that old LP so many of us used to have. That one was more fun, more funky.

Whaddaya mean 'used to have'...?
🤨

I still own my original 1980 LP !
Here is a photo i just snapped, as i enjoy this fine afternoon at home listening to this classic album on vintage 1960s 'Stereophonic' equipment.
I know a fine gentleman like yourself TP can appreciate the finer things in life, and nothing is finer then vintage old technology to play vintage 'old' music on.

LONG LIVE the 'Original' MSEP MUSIC !!!
( Hums along.....)

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1980 Disneyland LP.jpg


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Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
I’d love to understand how Paint the Night is somehow more costly to run compared to MSEP.

Staffing/Cast required to operate.
This Parade has a lot of performers and dancers.
Complexity of, and the costs involved in maintaining the floats.

Or so it was explained to me, a few years ago when it went back into storage.

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Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
Staffing/Cast required to operate.
This Parade has a lot of performers and dancers.
Complexity of, and the costs involved in maintaining the floats.

Or so it was explained to me, a few years ago when it when back into storage.

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I did the math in another post, and MSEP has way more drivers / performers involved. So it can’t be due to that number.

I can only guess it’s due to tech maintenance, but you’d think as a new parade it wouldn’t need a lot…
 

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