The Return of The Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland Park

Disneyland, October 1996

On October 8 (my birthday) and 15, 1996, I bid farewell to the original Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade, not knowing that it would have an extended run until November 25.  I thought this was the end of an era for Disneyland. The Main Street Electrical Parade would have a run from 1972-1996 with two 2-year hiatuses 1975-1976 for America on Parade and 1983-1984 for Flights of Fantasy and have over 3,000 performances.

Disneyland 1995 

Disneyland 1996, MSEP Farewell Season

Fast forward to 2001, I was a Disneyland Cast Member at Disneyland when I got the best news ever, the MSEP was returning but to the new Disney California Adventure Park as Disney’s Electrical Parade, minus a few units which were shipped to Disneyland Paris.  I was thrilled and when it premiered on July 4, the void that left in 1996 was filled with its original floats and sensational Moog/Synclavier soundtrack performed by Don Dorsey with a few 1972-74 tracks by Jim Christensen and the late Paul Beaver.  The parade looked and sounded great and I can’t tell you how many nights I spent after work at DCA having dinner/dessert and a showing of Disney’s Electrical Parade. 

All photos, Disney California Adventure 2004 and 2005
as Disney's Electrical Parad

Disney California Adventure 2004

Then in 2008, word got around that the Parade would have a new addition or shall I say a new lead float as the Blue Fairy would be replaced by Tinker Bell’s Pixie Hollow unit and original floats from the Disneyland version would be reinstated.  In addition, the music would be updated to a version similar to Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights (a sensational updated version) and new pixie dust effects to select units were to be added.  

Disney California Adventure 2009

This premiered in the Summer of 2009 and by Spring of 2010, the parade would leave DCA and move to Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom to replace SpectroMagic (another spinoff that is equally dazzling).  The reason being was the premiere of a new water and light spectacle, World of Color on the new Paradise Bay.

Disneyland 2015

The nights of the Disneyland Resort were dominated by Fantasmic! And World of Color in the meantime but the streets of Disneyland would dazzle again as part of Disneyland’s 60^th Anniversary would premiere a new parade titled Paint The Night Electrical Parade, a clone of the Hong Kong Disneyland parade sans the show stop.  Disneyland’s version would feature tributes to the long-running successor MSEP such as a Bass Drum pulled by Tinker Bell and exclusive units such as a float based on the new hit, FROZEN.  

The musical soundtrack featured songs from Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, Frozen, Cars, Monsters Inc. and a familiar melody that graced the MSEP, Baroque Hoedown and the Electric Fanfare.

Which comes to the present with the news that the 1-year old Paint the Night would end its run with the Diamond Celebration on September 5 while at Magic Kingdom, The Main Street Electrical Parade would end on October 9.  And then, MSEP would return home to Disneyland in early-

2017 for what is called a “limited engagement”.  Meanwhile, Paint the Night will perform on selected nights during the holiday season in the meantime and where it may go is a who knows?

All photos were taken by me during my many visits to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.