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

[Figments Friend]

Forgive me for not being up to speed on everything, but are they still working on WDW's 50th?

I ask because the WDW 50th anniversary is in six weeks. Walt Disney World opened on October 1st, 1971.

I haven't heard a peep about WDW's 50th since a couple years ago when they Tweeted a photo of some lightpost banners and a cupcake, but then I've only been watching San Diego TV stations the past few weeks. No one is talking about it out here. Is it a thing? Is something happening? On October 1st? Or did they delay it a year to 2022, like the Summer Olympics tried to do and then failed miserably.

Nothing Earth shattering has been announced thus far.
It has been fairly calm, with minimal 'announcements'.
Some evening when you have the time, and need some entertainment, you simply MUST stop by the thread that we have going on in the WDW section of this Forum.
Look for the title " The World's Most Magical Celebration'.....
It's all there.


In a nutshell - Thus far, the hype for the WDW 50th has been rather ...well, uneventful thus far.



( long description....so, take a drink first before reading )

Basically, over the last few weeks Disney Marketing has been slowly revealing images of the '50 Golden' statues of various Disney characters that will be displayed around the Resort starting October 1st.
Yeah, 50 statues of Disney characters.
Figment ! ( YES ! ) Orange Bird ! ( YES! ) Abu ! ( Huh? ) Edna Mode ! ( What!? ) Dante ! ( Who??)
Some of the choices though......why?

Also, there was a recent roll out of the first wave of 'WDW 50th Anniversary' merchandise.
Most of what has been revealed thus far is not all that exciting - just your standard current trends in Disney merch such as Minnie ear bands, expensive branded ladies bags/ small backpacks, and spirit jerseys.
A few cool 'retro WDW' reproductions of merch pieces from the past too.......but more is coming down the road for certain.
All part of the marketing campaign.

Anyway, besides the slow trickle of those things, two new nighttime spectacles will launch on the 1st for the 50th -
Over at the Park formerly beloved as EPCOT Center will be 'HARMonius' ( otherwise known as 'Mistake on the Lake' by Cast ..i kid you not ).
Over at Magic Kingdom, a 'clone' of Disneyland's 60th projection fest / fireworks presentation will launch called 'Enchantment'.
My hypothosis....not officially said to be a 'clone' of Disneyland's Show, but i suspect it to be very similar based on the Main Street projectors now installed in similar fashion at WDW.
Supposed to relate to the anniversary...we shall see.

'HARM' has destroyed the sight lines of World Showcase...now there are floating 'oil drilling platforms', 'burnt tacos', and 'Stargate time portals' 24/7 out on the lagoon.
Remember the beauty and novelty is seeing all the icons from the different 'countries' in World Showcase around the picturesque lagoon?
Not anymore....
The Show barges were built TOO DANG LARGE to move offstage as is the norm...so the ugly atrocities are out in full Guest view all day and night.
Yay thematic design !
( gets angry at stupid decisions behind the scenes )



But i digress.....

Getting back to the WDW 50th Anniversary now -

Disney has been slowly promoting this....but since this is a 18 month 'Anniversary Celebration', there will be more announcements on the horizon.
The Attractions that were supposed to be completed and open by now ( TRON Lightcycle Run, Guardians of Chapek's - Cosmic Rewind, etc. ) are being worked on at slow pace and will debut during the Anniversary period....at some point.
Yeah, the Covid Apocalypse has really messed up the time schedules for those projects...but they are coming along and will open eventually.

I think a lot of fans are anxious as thus far it seems a bit of a bust pre-kickoff wise.....but methinks Disney wants to draw this out over a long period of time to 'maximize' the promotional period ( and save a few bucks on the side...).

But ya know, its been a interesting and for about three decades a glorious history at WDW....despite the recent mishaps.
Some of what Disney has done with the WDW Parks over the years i may strongly disagree with, but on October 1st it's time to party.
And i am hoping Disney has something special planned for the day.
( P.S. - i already know of some 'Disney Celebrities' that are supposed to be there....! )

I should add that i myself will BE at Magic Kingdom on October 1st, 2021 for the actual 50th.
Yes, i am a freak....but i have been saying for the last 20 years i 'need' to be there.
I turned 50 this year, too.....so....me n' the Property go way back.
It will be a insane day, with crazy crowds, and i will gladly give my full thoughts during and after the mayhem.

Looking forward to it!
No, really ! I AM !!
( Told you i was a freak )



-

 

[TTA94]

Nothing Earth shattering has been announced thus far.
It has been fairly calm, with minimal 'announcements'.
Some evening when you have the time, and need some entertainment, you simply MUST stop by the thread that we have going on in the WDW section of this Forum.
Look for the title " The World's Most Magical Celebration'.....
It's all there.


In a nutshell - Thus far, the hype for the WDW 50th has been rather ...well, uneventful thus far.



( long description....so, take a drink first before reading )

Basically, over the last few weeks Disney Marketing has been slowly revealing images of the '50 Golden' statues of various Disney characters that will be displayed around the Resort starting October 1st.
Yeah, 50 statues of Disney characters.
Figment ! ( YES ! ) Orange Bird ! ( YES! ) Abu ! ( Huh? ) Edna Mode ! ( What!? ) Dante ! ( Who??)
Some of the choices though......why?

Also, there was a recent roll out of the first wave of 'WDW 50th Anniversary' merchandise.
Most of what has been revealed thus far is not all that exciting - just your standard current trends in Disney merch such as Minnie ear bands, expensive branded ladies bags/ small backpacks, and spirit jerseys.
A few cool 'retro WDW' reproductions of merch pieces from the past too.......but more is coming down the road for certain.
All part of the marketing campaign.

Anyway, besides the slow trickle of those things, two new nighttime spectacles will launch on the 1st for the 50th -
Over at the Park formerly beloved as EPCOT Center will be 'HARMonius' ( otherwise known as 'Mistake on the Lake' by Cast ..i kid you not ).
Over at Magic Kingdom, a 'clone' of Disneyland's 60th projection fest / fireworks presentation will launch called 'Enchantment'.
My hypothosis....not officially said to be a 'clone' of Disneyland's Show, but i suspect it to be very similar based on the Main Street projectors now installed in similar fashion at WDW.
Supposed to relate to the anniversary...we shall see.

'HARM' has destroyed the sight lines of World Showcase...now there are floating 'oil drilling platforms', 'burnt tacos', and 'Stargate time portals' 24/7 out on the lagoon.
Remember the beauty and novelty is seeing all the icons from the different 'countries' in World Showcase around the picturesque lagoon?
Not anymore....
The Show barges were built TOO DANG LARGE to move offstage as is the norm...so the ugly atrocities are out in full Guest view all day and night.
Yay thematic design !
( gets angry at stupid decisions behind the scenes )



But i digress.....

Getting back to the WDW 50th Anniversary now -

Disney has been slowly promoting this....but since this is a 18 month 'Anniversary Celebration', there will be more announcements on the horizon.
The Attractions that were supposed to be completed and open by now ( TRON Lightcycle Run, Guardians of Chapek's - Cosmic Rewind, etc. ) are being worked on at slow pace and will debut during the Anniversary period....at some point.
Yeah, the Covid Apocalypse has really messed up the time schedules for those projects...but they are coming along and will open eventually.

I think a lot of fans are anxious as thus far it seems a bit of a bust pre-kickoff wise.....but methinks Disney wants to draw this out over a long period of time to 'maximize' the promotional period ( and save a few bucks on the side...).

But ya know, its been a interesting and for about three decades a glorious history at WDW....despite the recent mishaps.
Some of what Disney has done with the WDW Parks over the years i may strongly disagree with, but on October 1st it's time to party.
And i am hoping Disney has something special planned for the day.
( P.S. - i already know of some 'Disney Celebrities' that are supposed to be there....! )

I should add that i myself will BE at Magic Kingdom on October 1st, 2021 for the actual 50th.
Yes, i am a freak....but i have been saying for the last 20 years i 'need' to be there.
I turned 50 this year, too.....so....me n' the Property go way back.
It will be a insane day, with crazy crowds, and i will gladly give my full thoughts during and after the mayhem.

Looking forward to it!
No, really ! I AM !!
( Told you i was a freak )



-

I think the only two major things missing at MK for the Anniversary is a castle stage show and a Anniversary parade… hopefully night. I think it’s safe to say at this point that will be a Spring or Summer 2022 thing if at all.

 

[brb1006]

Nothing Earth shattering has been announced thus far.
It has been fairly calm, with minimal 'announcements'.
Some evening when you have the time, and need some entertainment, you simply MUST stop by the thread that we have going on in the WDW section of this Forum.
Look for the title " The World's Most Magical Celebration'.....
It's all there.


In a nutshell - Thus far, the hype for the WDW 50th has been rather ...well, uneventful thus far.



( long description....so, take a drink first before reading )

Basically, over the last few weeks Disney Marketing has been slowly revealing images of the '50 Golden' statues of various Disney characters that will be displayed around the Resort starting October 1st.
Yeah, 50 statues of Disney characters.
Figment ! ( YES ! ) Orange Bird ! ( YES! ) Abu ! ( Huh? ) Edna Mode ! ( What!? ) Dante ! ( Who??)
Some of the choices though......why?

Also, there was a recent roll out of the first wave of 'WDW 50th Anniversary' merchandise.
Most of what has been revealed thus far is not all that exciting - just your standard current trends in Disney merch such as Minnie ear bands, expensive branded ladies bags/ small backpacks, and spirit jerseys.
A few cool 'retro WDW' reproductions of merch pieces from the past too.......but more is coming down the road for certain.
All part of the marketing campaign.

Anyway, besides the slow trickle of those things, two new nighttime spectacles will launch on the 1st for the 50th -
Over at the Park formerly beloved as EPCOT Center will be 'HARMonius' ( otherwise known as 'Mistake on the Lake' by Cast ..i kid you not ).
Over at Magic Kingdom, a 'clone' of Disneyland's 60th projection fest / fireworks presentation will launch called 'Enchantment'.
My hypothosis....not officially said to be a 'clone' of Disneyland's Show, but i suspect it to be very similar based on the Main Street projectors now installed in similar fashion at WDW.
Supposed to relate to the anniversary...we shall see.

'HARM' has destroyed the sight lines of World Showcase...now there are floating 'oil drilling platforms', 'burnt tacos', and 'Stargate time portals' 24/7 out on the lagoon.
Remember the beauty and novelty is seeing all the icons from the different 'countries' in World Showcase around the picturesque lagoon?
Not anymore....
The Show barges were built TOO DANG LARGE to move offstage as is the norm...so the ugly atrocities are out in full Guest view all day and night.
Yay thematic design !
( gets angry at stupid decisions behind the scenes )



But i digress.....

Getting back to the WDW 50th Anniversary now -

Disney has been slowly promoting this....but since this is a 18 month 'Anniversary Celebration', there will be more announcements on the horizon.
The Attractions that were supposed to be completed and open by now ( TRON Lightcycle Run, Guardians of Chapek's - Cosmic Rewind, etc. ) are being worked on at slow pace and will debut during the Anniversary period....at some point.
Yeah, the Covid Apocalypse has really messed up the time schedules for those projects...but they are coming along and will open eventually.

I think a lot of fans are anxious as thus far it seems a bit of a bust pre-kickoff wise.....but methinks Disney wants to draw this out over a long period of time to 'maximize' the promotional period ( and save a few bucks on the side...).

But ya know, its been a interesting and for about three decades a glorious history at WDW....despite the recent mishaps.
Some of what Disney has done with the WDW Parks over the years i may strongly disagree with, but on October 1st it's time to party.
And i am hoping Disney has something special planned for the day.
( P.S. - i already know of some 'Disney Celebrities' that are supposed to be there....! )

I should add that i myself will BE at Magic Kingdom on October 1st, 2021 for the actual 50th.
Yes, i am a freak....but i have been saying for the last 20 years i 'need' to be there.
I turned 50 this year, too.....so....me n' the Property go way back.
It will be a insane day, with crazy crowds, and i will gladly give my full thoughts during and after the mayhem.

Looking forward to it!
No, really ! I AM !!
( Told you i was a freak )



-

So far one of the few 50th Anniversary merchandise that caught my interest was plushies of Mickey and Minnie who are not only wearing their old school outfits. But both are them are designed like older stuffed animals of Disney Character between the 1970s and 1990s era.

I do love the "Beacons of Light" idea, but especially for SSE where they gave the entire building a brand new lighting package.

They gave a glimpse at the new lighting today.

Does the "Drawn To Life" show at Disney Springs technically count since it will debut in November of this year?

 

[Little Green Men]

So far one of the few 50th Anniversary merchandise that caught my interest was plushies of Mickey and Minnie who are not only wearing their old school outfits. But both are them are designed like older stuffed animals of Disney Character between the 1970s and 1990s era.

I do love the "Beacons of Light" idea, but especially for SSE where they gave the entire building a brand new lighting package.

They gave a glimpse at the new lighting today.

Yes all this plus a refresh of many mk attractions (mostly fresh paint) like reverting IASW back to its 70s color palette.

Epcot will have the France expansion with Ratatouille and new Creperie as well as the opening of Space 220 restaurant.

 

[Californian Elitist]

At this point, I might consider donating money to any cause dedicated to creating a new Christmas parade for Disneyland. I don’t think I’ve ever cracked a smile or even a smirk while watching Christmas Fantasy. While they’re at it, Believe in Holiday Magic can also retire ASAP. Both must go.

Give us back Paint the Night.

 

[smooch]

Thanks!
I'm a record fan and took care of my LPs.

I highly recommend tracking one of these down.
They should be fairly common as it was re-pressed / re-issued many times over the years.
Finding one in great shape might be challanging...but go for it!

Another one worth finding that will compliment the two Park related albums you already have is the original 1970s 'Country Bear Jamboree' LP.
Great packaging, fun artwork within the built in booklet, and of course the entire Show audio on side one!
Side two has some great ol ' knee slappin' tunes from the former watering hole The Mile Long Bar ( now, Pecos Bill's )



-

That's been my challenge, trying to find copies in good shape. My few DLR records I have are from my local record shop in decent condition but any copies of DLR I see online are usually pretty beat up even for an older record.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

But ya know, its been a interesting and for about three decades a glorious history at WDW....despite the recent mishaps.
Some of what Disney has done with the WDW Parks over the years i may strongly disagree with, but on October 1st it's time to party.
And i am hoping Disney has something special planned for the day.
( P.S. - i already know of some 'Disney Celebrities' that are supposed to be there....! )

I should add that i myself will BE at Magic Kingdom on October 1st, 2021 for the actual 50th.
Yes, i am a freak....but i have been saying for the last 20 years i 'need' to be there.
I turned 50 this year, too.....so....me n' the Property go way back.
It will be a insane day, with crazy crowds, and i will gladly give my full thoughts during and after the mayhem.

Looking forward to it!
No, really ! I AM !!
( Told you i was a freak )



-

Aww, well spoken and I can so relate to the sentiment.

Be there for me, just a second. Give the park a kiss, give the World a kiss, salute Roy.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

As for MSEP, I don't care what anybody says, if they bring it out again I'm on a plane!

 

[Figments Friend]

Aww, well spoken and I can so relate to the sentiment.

Be there for me, just a second. Give the park a kiss, give the World a kiss, salute Roy.

Roy and me have a date on October 1st.
You better belevie I will be sitting next to him and whispering some sentiments into his ear....

If I find my boy Tony in the crowd, I will do the same.



-

 

[Runbevo83]

I for one love the parade. It's nice to see new ones too though

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I would 100% support the return of the MSEP if it included the Return to Oz unit.

 

[RollerCoaster]

Main Street Electrical Parade is ICONIC. It should never have been retired in the first place.

I completely disagree. It was iconic in the 80s and 90s, but its end in 1996 was appropriate. It's no longer iconic in 2021. It's dated, tired, and reflects bad decision-making at Disney.

Bring back Paint the Night. That parade is up-to-date and a worthy replacement.

 

[RollerCoaster]

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 was there on the final night, saw both parades, and followed the floats from Main Street to It's A Small World like thousands of others did. All of what you say happened.

However, a few weeks after I thought I saw the last of it I got to see the MSEP again. it wasn't technically the last parade. During the Disney Cast Member Christmas Party the MSEP ran again. Even the ending in 1996 was a fraud.

 

[PiratesMansion]

While I wasn't there in person, I feel obligated to post this video of the final performance of the original run of MSEP at Disneyland.

Obviously its from 1996, video quality not perfect, etc.-but the crowd reaction is wild. So much so that I've returned to this video several times over the years. I can't determine precisely if the level of enthusiasm from the crowd is touching or alarming. But it certainly makes it easier to understand why certain executives just *can't* stop bringing it back.

 

[TP2000]

While I wasn't there in person, I feel obligated to post this video of the final performance of the original run of MSEP at Disneyland.

Obviously its from 1996, video quality not perfect, etc.-but the crowd reaction is wild. So much so that I've returned to this video several times over the years. I can't determine precisely if the level of enthusiasm from the crowd is touching or alarming. But it certainly makes it easier to understand why certain executives just *can't* stop bringing it back.

I remember that reaction. I remember sitting on the curb in front of Mr. Lincoln in the summer of '96 with toddler nieces and nephews who have all now graduated from law school and medical school and gotten married and are expecting their first children. The crowd went wild when the intro music played. We bought commerative sweatshirts and light bulbs and coffee mugs.

Why? Because we actually believed Disneyland when they told us it was "Glowing Away Forever". We were idiots now, I fully acknowledge that. But at the time, we were more innocent and we believed Disneyland.

We honestly thought it was the last time we'd see that old parade. TDA continues to prove how idiotic we were, and how gullible we are that some of us still applaud as they trot out a downsized, understaffed, and shortened version of that parade 25 years after it "Glowed Away Forever" that was 24 years after its original debut.

Next summer that tired old parade will be 50 years old. Half a century. And I bet they'll drag it out of the closet looking as raggedy and cropped and edited as it did a few years ago and pretend it's AMAZING! and just as entertaining as when Richard Nixon was in the White House.

 

[brb1006]

I remember that reaction. I remember sitting on the curb in front of Mr. Lincoln in the summer of '96 with toddler nieces and nephews who have all now graduated from law school and medical school and gotten married and are expecting their first children. The crowd went wild when the intro music played. We bought commerative sweatshirts and light bulbs and coffee mugs.

Why? Because we actually believed Disneyland when they told us it was "Glowing Away Forever". We were idiots now, I fully acknowledge that. But at the time, we were more innocent and we believed Disneyland.

We honestly thought it was the last time we'd see that old parade. TDA continues to prove how idiotic we were, and how gullible we are that some of us still applaud as they trot out a downsized, understaffed, and shortened version of that parade 25 years after it "Glowed Away Forever" that was 24 years after its original debut.

You don't see reactions like that Disneyland or Walt Disney World anymore.

 

[VJ]

Well, Christmas Fantasy has been confirmed. Will the other shoe drop? And when?

 

[TTA94]

To bad WoC isn’t coming back for the Holidays. And what about Mickeys Happy Holidays?

 

[Nland316]

DLP is getting a beautiful new Christmas parade. When is our turn?

 

[brb1006]

DLP is getting a beautiful new Christmas parade. When is our turn?

Christmas Fantasy is long overdue for a replacement parade