Reviews
To celebrate the popularity of this film, there is a new Moana float featuring Moana and her boat detailing the events of the film. It is a great way to attract younger audiences into a parade with floats from mostly older films.
If there's any float to bring from Magic Happens into a night parade it is 100% the Moana float! It looks way better in the dusk performances of Magic Happens really allowing for the water aspects to look great! I agree that Moana is more recognizable than some of the other films such as Pete's Dragon. Overall a really solid and logical pick!
Pixar's Soul
Joe (who's face is animated through rear projection and black sweater equipped with twinkling LED lights) sits at a grand piano at the front of the float, his back to guests. As he speaks encouragingly to himself and intently plays some soulful jazz, a massive wave of blue, pink, and green lights flow out of the back of the piano, transitioning into the rolling hills of The Great Before, populated by a pair of (neon) Jerrys and a 22 figure (again, her face animated through rear projections) who speaks to guests as the float passes by.
Soul seems to be a huge hit amongst guests! There is a continual merchandising push for the film with new t-shirts being released a few weeks/months ago inspired by the film, and it seems like they're selling well as I've seen a few guests wearing them around. The float starts off small and simple with Joe and the piano however it acts as a clever and magical segue into The Great Before. This part of Soul was tailor made for a night parade with its vibrant colors, otherworldly atmosphere, and interesting characters.
The apartment building in Fix-It Felix Jr. is aglow with pixel-shaped lights, Ralph standing on top and Felix hard at work fixing any lights that might flicker or go out. On the back of the float, Sugar Rush's chocolatey peaks and frosting-covered valleys light up as little candy carts race around the float.
The interactivity between Ralph and Felix on the apartment building is a fun one while interpreting the basics of the Fix-It Felix Jr arcade game perfectly into night parade form. I'm not sure how Sugar Rush and the apartment will mesh together on one float as they're vastly different aesthetics. However on its own the world of Sugar Rush is great for a parade float given its vibrant colors, unique shape, and fun shapes. The mini carts racing around are a nice touch!
Try Zootopia
Take a night-time trip to the city of Zootopia, as Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps stand on a float modeled after the city's iconic streets lit up by lights, while dancers in tiger-print attire perform along to pop star Gazelle's hit single "Try Anything".
The concert scene from Zootopia is perfect for any nighttime entertainment offering with its loud colors, vibrant music, and energetic characters. The interpretation of Gazelle's dancers into nontigers was well handled helping make this more realistic in our world given it is much harder to dance in a full blown costume.
The Land Of The Dead
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This Colorful Float Illuminates The Land Of The Dead From Coco & Showcases Hector, Miguel, & His Colorful Spirit Dog I Forget The Name Of, With Festive Music Being Played From This Float.
"His Colorful Spirit Dog I Forget The Name Of", Dante
If Magic Happens taught us anything is that Coco would make for a great parade float! Many scenes from Coco are perfect for a night parade with the glow of the marigolds, the Land of the Dead, or even the various parties seen throughout the film. The Land of the Dead would work great under a blacklight given the glowing aspect of the alebrijes which are alone enough to excite and entice anybody to a Coco float!
Rapunzel's Floating Dreamlights
A wave-like formation of floating lanterns of all shapes, sizes, and colors that periodically bob up and down serves as the background for Rapunzel and Flynn Rider riding their boat, in this recreation of the iconic lantern release scene from the 2010 Walt Disney Animation Studios film,
Tangled. Accompanied by several Corona townsfolk walking on foot holding up lantern mobiles, the two lovers sing "I See the Light" amidst a spectacular display of light and magic and would even periodically "release" two lanterns into the air, similar to how the scene plays out in the film!
The first of a couple Tangled pitches this round! The lantern scene is a no brainer for a Tangled nighttime float. The variation in the variety of lantern shapes, colors, and sizes aid in helping this float stick out from the rest. Throw in the townsfolk on foot holding even more lanterns and I can just imagine the crowds of people weeping at the beauty of this float.
Take a trip under the sea with a brand new float inspired by the upcoming Pixar movie, Luca. With the help of special effects and some Disney Magic, you’ll be able to see as Luca and Alberto change from their human form to their colorful sea monster form, and they’ll illuminate your night in the process.
Going with an unreleased film is a risky film given we all have pretty limited knowledge on the film. With that said Luca is shaping up to be a film full of vibrant environments with the underwater portion seeming to be extra colorful! Setting the float underwater was a great move for the float allowing the characters to be in their colorful variants that help in making it much more colorful.
Inside Out
On an abstract parade float comes the characters of Inside Out with glowing memory orbs that move around in the float to be "collected". Following this parade float is the train of thought featuring Bing Bong.
Serious question, what happened to the float pictured above? It just kinda disappeared somehow? Was it a reskin of a Christmas float or something? With that said Inside Out is a logical property for nighttime entertainment given that the characters seem to actually glow and of course the memory orbs do glow! The possibilities of an Inside Out float is endless with plenty of vibrant scenes and ideas to pull from.
Centered around the Mystery Shack, this float has Mable and Dipper searching for monsters that are present on the float like the Gobblewonker, gnomes, and the Liliputtians. Occasionally the lights go out inside the mystery shack revealing a giant portal inside along with Bill Cipher!
Gravity Falls is a surprising yet delightful pick! Didn't expect a show to be represented, but it is a very popular show that has a strong following! The various monsters on the float definitely add to the visual diversity on the float! The surprise of the giant portal and Bill Cipher is a neat one that is sure to delight fans!
Premiering for Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade: Dreamlights, the Big Hero 6 float is proceeded by Go-Go (live actor on roller skates) racing around human-sized towers of micro-bots (actors in costumes) who swipe at her, and attack when a stalking Yokai (live actor) shouts: "This ends now!"
The actual float is an oversized illuminated Baymax in battle gear with Hiro (live actor) riding on his back who shouts instructions up to Honey Lemon riding a top a coloring changing mound of foam, over to Wasabi whose blades crackle with lights (resembling electricity), and to Fred who breathes fire intermittingly while spinning light up signs.
This is how you do an action packed float! The more action is explained with the roller skates, costumed actors and more allowing for an easier time in visualizing this parade functioning! The approach for the actual float is reminiscent of other floats in the past namely Elliot from Pete's Dragon making it rather realistic. Furthermore giving each of the sidekicks their own gimmick in the float adds to the vibrancy and action of the float making it a believable fight scene!
AHTOHOLLAN: RIVER OF MEMORIES
Where the north wind meets the sea, there's a river full of memories, Ahtohollan, brought to life through a thousand twinkling lights like frozen fractals; led by the Northuldran tribes, the mighty glacier has moments from the
Frozen films projected on its slopes, as Elsa rides the Nokk at the front of the float, whilst Anna and Olaf play further back with Gale and Bruni, whilst one of the earth giants snoozes in a pile of snow behind the glacier.
Frozen is prime for nighttime entertainment! It has so much potential with so many elements from both films possible for wondrous and illuminating floats. This float works really well incorporating many elements from Frozen 2 in a well done way taking full advantage of the ice walls from the film along with the vivid imagery from the various nature spirits!
Rapunzel’s Floating Lanterns Float
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Recreating one of the most majestic and emotional scenes Disney has ever produced, this float features Rapunzel and Flynn, surrounded by flowers, in a rowing boat that is actually floating on water! Dozens of lanterns float along with the pair, attached to the float via wires which allow the lanterns to gently change altitude while the float is in motion. The accompanying song is of course, “I See The Light.”
Another Tangled based float! While similar in concept to
@montydysquith-navarro it differs enough to stand on its own feet. The flowers and water add a special nod to the scene that this based off of. The realism of the lanterns is a nice touch, and helps to guide the mind in what to expect with the float. Unfortunately this is three sentences so it would be unfair to others who kept within the boundaries. For point and placement consideration only the first two sentences will be taken into account.
Lava Float
Based on one of the best Pixar shorts of the last decade, this charismatic couple will be lit but their volcanic ashes and brightly lit lava as they sing in harmony.
An unexpected approach and property, but a welcome change of pace! It is not often on these forums that one sees a short film get representation, but when it happens it's great! For some reason this concept just works really well and I could totally see this existing in the Main Street Electrical Parade it's just such a natural and perfect fit! The ash and lava being additional lighting are igneous ideas
DAY AND NIGHT COME TO LIGHT
Pixar’s delightful short film makes an unexpected return in the Main Street Electrical Parade, as anthropomorphic representations of Day and Night dance arm-in-arm, spinning around a darkened float base. Shifting & changing colors in their bodies (a technique pioneered by Genie in Tokyo’s Electrical Parade) light up the parade route, with crowd-pleasing highlights including Day’s rainbows and Night’s fireworks!
I'm not going to lie when I posted the prompt I wasn't expecting a short film to get a float, let alone two! I think this is a really neat concept for a float and a great representation of the characters shown in this short film! In the two sentences you explained how they would look in the parade and mentioned how their special effects would work. Very creative!
(Does TRON: Legacy count as a seperate franchise from the original TRON, or must I have this connect to the reboot/Tron: Ares?)
TRON Cyberscape
Coinciding with the upcoming TRON Lightcycle Run coaster in Tomorrowland, the digital world of TRON: Legacy makes its way to the Main Street Electrical Parade; with two Light Cycles riding past (one blue, one orange), with a main float, shaped like a large structure from the movie with Sam, Quorra, Tron & new character Ares on it as Daft Punk's "The Grid" plays.
Honestly this was really well written and a great concept for a float! TRON is a great pick for a night parade with its iconic lighting scheme and music. All the makings of a great float are here even tying into the upcoming TRON film! However like previously mentioned this project unfortunately will not count for points this round, but I hope this does not discourage you from continual participation in future rounds as this is a really great and fun concept!