SpectroMagic: The short term and long term future

Bill in Atlanta

Bill in Atlanta

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Was listening to the legendary SpectroMagic soundtrack today and got to thinking. Will we ever see the greatest parade to ever grace WDW grounds return? The post-pandemic return of parades in general would be as good a time as any.

But, assuming that doesn’t happen, will we ever get to see SpectroMagic again? It last ran in 2010 so I would think if it doesn’t come back in the next 5-10 years it may be gone for good.
 
brb1006

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Sadly Spectromagic will never comeback due to how poorly it was treated after the Summer 2010. Heck, I doubt modern Disney would ever make a parade like that ever again. PTN seriously pales in comparison to Spectromagic especially since Spectro was made with WDW in mind and never got cloned.
 
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peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
Bill in Atlanta said:
Was listening to the legendary SpectroMagic soundtrack today and got to thinking. Will we ever see the greatest parade to ever grace WDW grounds return? The post-pandemic return of parades in general would be as good a time as any.

But, assuming that doesn’t happen, will we ever get to see SpectroMagic again? It last ran in 2010 so I would think if it doesn’t come back in the next 5-10 years it may be gone for good.
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They would need to build a new one
 
TTA94

TTA94

Well-Known Member
brb1006 said:
Sadly Spectromagic will never comeback due to how poorly it was treated after the Summer 2010. Heck, I don't modern Disney would ever make a parade like that ever again. PTN seriously pales in comparison to Spectromagic especially since Spectro was made with WDW in mind and never got cloned.
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Nothing is impossible for a new version but not very likely either. Remember supposedly WDW did have new parade plans. Of course who knows what that would have looked like.
 
peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
mnelson3 said:
Nothing is impossible but not very likely either. Remember supposedly WDW did have new parade plans. Of course who knows what that would have looked like.
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I mean... they would need to build an entirely new spectromagic. I don’t think they are going to rebuild a parade from 1991 in 2021 or beyond. So while maybe a new parade someday might pay tribute to the name, the music, or certain design elements. I think it’s safe to say we will never see SpectroMagic in its previous form ever again.
 
Bill in Atlanta

Bill in Atlanta

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
lazyboy97o said:
Sitting in a landfill somewhere is probably a good indicator of being gone for good.
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Well that is sad. How did they resurrect the Electrical parade after its 21 year hiatus? Seems like the props would’ve been in pretty bad shape sitting for all that time.
 
TTA94

TTA94

Well-Known Member
peter11435 said:
I mean... they would need to build an entirely new spectromagic. I don’t think they are going to rebuild a parade from 1991 in 2021 or beyond. So while maybe a new parade someday might pay tribute to the name, the music, or certain design elements. I think it’s safe to say we will never see SpectroMagic in its previous form ever again.
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Oh yeah definitely not in its previous form. But they could build a new similar and modern version just like Tokyo did with Electrical Parade Dreamlights. But as we all Tokyo is ran very differently than WDW. I’d put more faith in Tokyo building a new SpectroMagic honestly. Nothing is stopping them from doing so.
 
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lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Bill in Atlanta said:
Well that is sad. How did they resurrect the Electrical parade after its 21 year hiatus? Seems like the props would’ve been in pretty bad shape sitting for all that time.
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Disney owned two versions of the parade (with Oriental Land Company owning a third). They were moved around, not just stored. The Walt Disney World version was sent to Paris and then Hong Kong Disneyland where it never ran. The versions that have “returned” to the Magic Kingdom are the Disneyland parade.
 
I

imthewalrus79

Active Member
I hope that when they bring a nighttime parade back to the Magic Kingdom that it's either an updated version of SpectroMagic (ala TDL's Electrical Parade Dreamlights) or it's a spiritual successor or it. I love Paint the Night. The whole mood of it fits the mood of Disneyland. But that mood wouldn't work for me in Florida. That regal music of SpectoMagic is perfect for the Magic Kingdom for me. So, I hope that's the direction a new nighttime parade would take for the Magic Kingdom.
 
Walter Elias Disney

Walter Elias Disney

Well-Known Member
The SpectroMagic floats were moved to the outdoor backstage storage area and sat in the blazing Florida sun(Heat, Humidity, and DailyThunderstorms) and were infested with termites. Unfortunately, SpectroMagic didn't receive the same TLC that the Electric Light Parade continues to garner. You are correct, there has been some smaller float unit out for marathons in the past. You can actually still find the Sebastian SpectroMagic animatronic prominently featured on the Ariel float of the Festival of Fantasy Parade. One of the all time favorites...sadly vanished.
 
DonaldDoleWhip

DonaldDoleWhip

Well-Known Member
I was too young to mourn the original losses of EPCOT Center, but SpectroMagic is one of those losses that stings. RoE and the Great Movie Ride are two others. These three experiences collectively embodied the soul of their parks during their respective eras, and their relacements (or lack thereof) feel hollow in comparison.

Didn't even stop to watch it that often, but the elegant waltz soundtrack was so uniquely fitting to MK. It screamed, "this is a special night" no matter how frequently it played. While MK's fireworks shows have consistently stepped it up, I don't think a single parade has suited the park like SpectroMagic, and I hope if the park ever receives a nighttime parade again, the soundtrack will pay homage to and sample it somehow. As much as it works for Paint the Night or MSEP, not every parade needs a modern, high-energy, electric feel.
 

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