The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (209 page)

In June of 1972,
Disneyland
launched the original
Main Street
Electrical Parade
.  An extravaganza of Cast Members and enormous floats (some up to 100 feet long) encrusted with thousands of blinking lights, the parade glided along
Main Street
in synch with a chipper, then-innovative synthesizer score,
Baroque Hoedown
, originally crafted by
Jean-Jacques Perrey
and
Gershon Kingsley
.  The music was programmed to play in discrete segments as the parade tripped sensors during its journey, thereby providing each Guest with a seamless musical experience no matter where they were standing along the parade route.

The original
floats, though large, were simple flats. The parade ended in 1974 but was revived in 1977 with more elaborate floats and more
Disney
characters and themes.  At the same time the
Main Street Electrical Parade
was resurrected in
Disneyland
, an east coast version launched at
Walt Disney World
in
Orlando
,
Florida
, and ran until 1991.

Other than a hiatus in 1983 and 1984,
Disneyland
’s
Main Street Electrical Parade
ran until 1996.  Although the parade was popular, it was retired in 1996, and the little light bulbs that for decades had cast such a
magical
glow over enchanted Guests were sold off.  Some of the floats were sent to
Disneyland Paris
.  At
Disneyland
in
Anaheim
a glittering new show,
Light Magic
, opened in May 1997, not to raves, but to the chirping of crickets.  That is–it bombed.

Intentions had been good.  Plenty happened during
Light Magic
’s 20-minute show. 
Pixies
leapt about, Celtic music and songs from popular new
Disney
features played, images were projected from hidden equipment, and fiber-optic lights twinkled.  But technical foul-ups plagued the early shows, and, even worse,
Light Magic
just plain didn’t engage Guests the way the
Main Street Electrical Parade
had.

In September 1997,
Light Magic
bid Guests
adieu
, promising to return soon, with an even better show.  It never did, although once the bugs were smoothed out, the fiber-optics and projection technology developed for
Light Magic
were deployed to better effect in later
Disneyland
shows and events.

In 1999,
Disneyland
’s
Main Street Electrical Parade
vehicles were dusted off and fitted with new bulbs, not for a return to
Disneyland
, but for a visit to the
Magic Kingdom
in
Walt Disney World
. 
Orlando
Guests were treated to the parade as part of the resort’s
Millennium Celebration
until April Fool’s Day 2001, when the show was hastily broken down, transported to
Disneyland
and reassembled.  It premiered as
DCA
’s
Disney’s Electrical Parade
on July 3, 2001, giving the troubled new park a signature nightly parade.

At
DCA
, the
Electrical Parade
enjoyed a popularity that would last for nearly a decade.  Every evening, Guests swarmed the parade route from
Paradise Pier
to
Sunshine Plaza
, making pathways nearly impassable for the few Guests not interested in the parade.

Given the parade’s popularity,
Disney
invested in periodic enhancements to make the show even more enjoyable, such as the new
Tinker Bell
float added in 2008, and the repatriation of the
Pinocchio
and
Snow White Floats
that had been at
Disneyland Paris
since 1997.  Even as the
Blue Fairy
was retired, new high-tech lighting effects were added.  Thus, a glimmering, refreshed version of
Disney’s Electrical Parade
sparkled and shimmered through
DCA
on June 12, 2009.

Aside from better technology and more lights, in substance
the 2009 parade still resembled the show that closed at
Disneyland
in 1996.  Guests visiting
DCA
in summer 2009 heard the signature
Baroque Hoedown
and saw clever floats imaginatively limned with thousands of lights.  Cast Members clad as
Disney
characters rode on and walked beside the floats.  Guests saw fanciful, light-sculpted set pieces from
Alice in Wonderland
,
Cinderella
,
Peter Pan
,
Dumbo
,
Snow White
,
Pinocchio
, and
Pete’s Dragon
.

There’s no denying that
Disney’s Electrical Parade
was an incredible spectacle, and it’s easy to see why it was so popular for decades. The luminous
Pumpkin Coach
and fateful
Clock Tower
from
Cinderella
, the tempting glitter of
Pinocchio
’s
Pleasure Island
, the gleaming
Pirate Galleon
from
Peter Pan
,
Elliott
(the endearing dragon of
Pete’s Dragon
) breathing smoke–all these set pieces and more dazzled Guests.

F
or those who’d seen the parade before, however, and those who didn’t care for
Baroque Hoedown
, the parade’s jittery, twitchy synth score–even in its remixed, richer version–being in the vicinity of the parade was almost a nightmare.  During
Disney’s Electrical Parade
, the thoroughfares were clogged with thousands of Guests, and some secondary paths were cordoned off, so there was no escape from the crowds, the tune, and the dozens of floats crawling past at a glacial pace.

I was foolish enough to be in
Paradise Pier
numerous times during the parade, and it was always a journey of epic proportions trying to navigate the dark park all the way to the exit, blocked at every turn by knots of Guests, Cast Members explaining that streets was closed, and that endless stream of blinking electric lights.

When
ever I finally stumbled into
Sunshine Plaza
and then stumbled through the exit turnstiles, I felt as if I’d endured a life-changing journey.  I always vowed “never again,” but somehow always got myself entangled once again in the parade route during the parade!

Many
Guests, however, my brother and aunt among them, love the parade, and are happy to watch it over and over again.  These Guests were sad when it left
Disneyland
in 1996 and elated when it was adopted by
DCA
in 2001.  Fans who were locals with
Annual Passes
made a point of watching the parade frequently.

Disney’s Electrical Parade
always inspired plenty of speculation and buzz. A rumor that the parade would be retired after it concluded its summer run in August of 2009 proved to be wrong. 
Disney’s Electrical Parade
returned to entertain Guests throughout
DCA
’s 2009 Christmas season and then continued during early 2010.  However, after April 2010, the entire
Disney’s Electrical Parade
was packed up, lock, stock, barrel, and light bulbs, and transported to
Walt Disney World
in
Orlando, Florida
.  Renamed the
Main Street Electrical Parade
, it debuted in June 2010 and will remain at
WDW
for the foreseeable future.  With the
Electrical Parade
’s departure from
Anaheim
, what will
DCA
Guests enjoy at night?  New
Paradise Pier
extravaganza
World of Color
which debuted in June 2010 to universal rave reviews. 
Did You Know?
  The popular
Electrical Parade
has been spun off to other
Disney Theme Parks
including
Disneyland Paris
(1992 – 2003), the
Magic Kingdom
(
WDW
) (1977 – 2001; 2010 and ongoing), and
Tokyo Disneyland
(1985 – 1995). 
FastPass:
  No.  A parade that ran at scheduled times,
Disney’s Electrical Parade
didn’t lend itself to the
FastPass
system.  Guests gathered along the parade route as much as a couple of hours prior to the parade to ensure a good view, especially at key points like
Sunshine Plaza
.  Prepared Guests fetched blankets or towels from lockers so that they and their little ones had something comfortable to sit on while waiting for and watching the parade.  They also had jackets to ward off cool evening temperatures, bottles of water, and snacks, and games or activities to pass the time.  As with
Disneyland
parades and fireworks, you didn’t
have
to stake out a spot hours early to see
Disney’s Electrical Parade
; you could try to find a spot just as it began.  However, especially during peak seasons, if you waited until
Disneyland Resort
parades started to claim your viewing spot, you ended up with a legion of tall Guests, and Guests with kids on their shoulders, blocking your view. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  I didn’t really care much for it, I think because I only got to see the middle of it, but it was still a good parade.

High School Musical 3:  Senior Year:  Right Here!  Right Now!
(Closed Autumn 2010)

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.  Presented here as a piece of
DCA
history.
]

When the first
High School Musical
aired as a
Disney Channel Original Movie
(
DCOM
) in January of 2006, it was instantly the
Disney Channel
’s biggest hit.  Although set in a high school, the movie was really written for a younger demographic, tweens and small children, and it was upon them that the movie exerted its profound, almost
magical
power.

During the winter of
2005-2006 my sister was working at the
Disney
-owned
El Capitan Theatre
in Hollywood.  My niece was on school break, and I watched her whenever I had a day off and my sister had to work.  We’d meet in the early morning hours just outside the beautiful old
El Capitan
building, across the street from the Kodak Center (now the Dolby Center) at Hollywood and Highland.

My niece was then only six years old, and Hollywood was all new to her.  We visited the Kodak Center, the Hollywood Wax Museum
, and the Guinness World of Records Museum–all the Hollywood tourist sites right around the
El Capitan
.  We visited the
El Capitan
, too.  Those winter weekends were a delight, a special time that built memories that will last forever.

One of my most distinct memories of December
2005 was the
High School Musical
poster at the Kodak Center.  Every time we passed it, my niece lit up like a Christmas tree.  “That’s
High School Musical
,” she told me excitedly every time we saw it.  “That’s going to be so great!  I can’t wait to see it!”

She’s a lively soul, but I’d never seen her so worked up about
a film.  What was it that had her so eagerly anticipating this movie, which was to air in January?  And it wasn’t just her; it was a whole legion of kids, a generation of children across the country.

Yes,
Disney
had done its usual phenomenal job of pre-selling the movie through various media, not least through repeated plugs on the
Disney Channel
, but
Disney
always markets its products well.  The unprecedented anticipation for
High School Musical
couldn’t be credited to marketing alone.