Now, the cherished entertainment spectacular is being extended by popular demand, Walt Disney World announced today.

“The return of Disney’s ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’ to the Magic Kingdom has been an overwhelming success,” said Magic Kingdom Vice President Phil Holmes.  “Guests begin cheering as soon as they hear the opening fanfare and see those fantastic floats covered in lights.  The parade is a magical part of a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort, so we’re thrilled to be announcing we’re leaving the lights on.”

Fronted by a new lead float starring Tinker Bell, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” officially bowed at Magic Kingdom June 6, 2010.

Beloved by generations, the parade anchors Disney’s multi-park “Summer Nightastic!” entertainment extravaganza of attractions and events.  Once “Summer Nightastic!” draws to a close on Aug. 14 as previously announced, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue an open-ended run.

The iconic pageant of illuminated floats dates to 1972 when it first debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and became an instant hit.

Prior to its current run in Florida, the parade last performed at Walt Disney World Resort from 1999 into 2001.  This summer, Magic Kingdom guests have been treated to all-new elements that continue in the encore phase of the run:

• Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
• Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
• There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.

Beloved floats like the Honor America finale display – featuring the American flag and giant American eagle – are among parade favorites, along with popular characters such as Alice, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

Especially Good News for Florida Residents

The extension will enable Florida Resident Seasonal and Weekday Select Passholders to experience the parade on their passes. And with the ability to sign on for a new monthly payment program, Florida Resident Passholders can enjoy the parade and so much more Disney theme park magic for as little as $16 a month, after an initial down payment. The payment program is available only online and complete information is available at www.disneyworld.com/payments.

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• Magic Kingdom – “Celebrate America Fireworks” will fill the sky at 9 p.m.  After the fireworks, guests can enjoy Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” of lights, music and magic at 10 p.m. and midnight.  Park hours are 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Special fireworks set to a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack will be presented at 9:50 p.m., providing guests with a bonus nighttime entertainment extravaganza to complement “Fantasmic!” (which will be at 9 and 10:30 p.m.).  Park hours are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Epcot – “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” which features dazzling special effects, colorful lasers, brilliant fireworks and fiery torches all choreographed to a musical score, becomes even more dynamic on July 4 as the normal show is supplemented with a patriotic finale.  The performance begins at 10 p.m.  Earlier in the day, guests will be treated to the Voices of Liberty 4th of July Concert – featuring an expanded cast of singers plus the Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps and Disney characters – at 12:30, 1:45 and 3 p.m. on the America Gardens Theatre stage.  In addition, Betsy Ross will be engaging guests inside The American Adventure with storytelling, while Ben Franklin will be making appearances on the promenade near the attraction.  Park hours are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Guests can enjoy all the regular attractions and shows from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

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To read Part 1 of the Summer Nightastic Series click here.

When the “Main Street Electrical Parade” returns to Magic Kingdom for a limited engagement this summer, the cherished Disney nighttime spectacle will have a new glow. Tinker Bell will sprinkle her pixie dust to illuminate the classic parade. The parade’s highly recognizable musical theme will be brightened by new technology.

Tinker Bell leads the procession on an all-new float, and her trail of pixie dust enchants all the parade floats with new beauty along the way. The popular pixie waves from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering with fairy light.

In addition, enhanced versions of two classic favorites will return to the lineup after a 13-year hiatus – the shimmering diamond mine of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the Pleasure Island haunts of Pinocchio.

The parade twinkles with approximately half a million lights. Of those, nearly 10,000 are new “pixie dust” lights spread over the 23 parade floats. The new LED lights use one-quarter of the power of incandescent lights. The Tinker Bell float alone has more than 25,000 points of light and 75 percent are powered by an LED source. A new control system makes it possible, for the first time, for each light to be programmed individually. One example is the new Tinker Bell float, which has 160 dimmers, by far the most of any parade float, to control the lighting. Programming for this parade took approximately two months.

The unforgettable musical theme of the “Main Street Electrical Parade,” which has inspired several generations of Disneyland Resort guests to clap along, was adapted from a synthesizer piece known as “Baroque Hoedown,” written in 1967 by Gershon Kingsley and Jean-Jaques Perrey. Disney themes are superimposed over the original piece. For “Summer Nightastic!,” the distinctive “electro-sytho-magnetic” “Baroque Hoedown” has new audio technology that gives it a richer, fuller sound.

I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes video I shot at the May 26, 2010 Sneak Peek.

The parade will step off nightly beginning Sunday, June 6, and continuing through Saturday, Aug. 14, in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

The post Summer Nightastic Sneak Peek Part 2 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Summer nights at Walt Disney World Resort will enchant theme park guests when glittering light magic, high adventure, dance fever, thrills and chills set the after-dark scene. From June 6 through Aug. 14, “Summer Nightastic!” lights up the entertainment experience at the Vacation Kingdom with a megawatt parade, a fireworks extravaganza, a rockin’ dance party, concerts and other surprises.

Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot all present special events designed to add summertime energy to the after-dark theme-park experience. At Magic Kingdom, thousands of tiny lights illuminate the return of the beloved “Main Street Electrical Parade,” and the elaborate new “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” paints the night sky more brightly than ever.

“There’s a special energy in the parks at night,” says Chris Oyen, show director for the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular.” “It’s all about the magic and the sense of adventure and mystery that nighttime possesses in the Magic Kingdom.”

Summer nights at Walt Disney World Resort will enchant theme park guests when glittering light magic, high adventure, dance fever, thrills and chills set the after-dark scene. From June 6 through Aug. 14, “Summer Nightastic!” lights up the entertainment experience at the Vacation Kingdom with a megawatt parade, a fireworks extravaganza, a rockin’ dance party, concerts and other surprises.Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot all present special events designed to add summertime energy to the after-dark theme-park experience. At Magic Kingdom, thousands of tiny lights illuminate the return of the beloved “Main Street Electrical Parade,” and the elaborate new “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” paints the night sky more brightly than ever.“There’s a special energy in the parks at night,” says Chris Oyen, show director for the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular.” “It’s all about the magic and the sense of adventure and mystery that nighttime possesses in the Magic Kingdom.”

I have so much to share I’m going to break it up into several posts over the next few days…leading up to June 6th-when my family and I will be at the premiere of Summer Nightastic at the Magic Kingdom!

At yesterday’s event we spent the morning in a backstage warehouse that was set up with several of the “Main Street Electrical Parade” floats. After some opening announcements we were able to visit the floats, touch the floats and even get in some of them! The Disneyphile in me was totally geeked to get to ride on the vehicle that is inside the spinning turtles, bugs and butterflies that are a part of the parade.

The “Main Street Electrical Parade”, a classic pageant of illuminated floats goes all the way back to 1972, when it first debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. With 23 floats, more than half a million tiny colorful lights, 80 performers, synthesizer music based on “Baroque Hoedown,” and Disney theme songs woven in, the parade returns to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time since 2001. A nostalgia trip for many, this “crown jewel of summer” kicks off the season with lighting effects, floats and characters new to Walt Disney World Resort. The “Main Street Electrical Parade” Is my absolute favorite of all of the Disney parades I have seen over the years and I am so excited that it is back in Florida for the summer of 2010!

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