Molly Ayala
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a beloved nighttime parade that first premiered at Disneyland in 1972 and has since become the longest-running parade in Disney history, performing at Disney Parks worldwide. The parade features floats and live performers adorned with over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights, creating a dazzling spectacle for audiences of all ages. With a synchronized soundtrack, including the signature theme Baroque Hoedown, the parade offers a unique blend of music and visuals. The original Disneyland version of the parade has had several runs, with the most recent one starting in April 2022, and the parade route typically begins near it's a small world and concludes at Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A.
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![Fantasmic: Good Clashes with Evil [Soundtrack] / Main Street Electrical Parade Fantasmic: Good Clashes with Evil in a Nighttime Spectacular; Disney-MGM Studios [SOUNDTRACK]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61nKdHkG2bL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
The parade's route
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a beloved attraction at Disneyland, featuring floats and live performers adorned with over 500,000 to 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights. The parade follows a 2,000-foot route, utilising radio-activated "trigger zones" to ensure that everyone watching experiences the same show, regardless of their position.
The parade typically commences from a gate next to "it's a small world," in Fantasyland, before snaking past the Matterhorn and skirting the hub. It then continues down Main Street, U.S.A., concluding at Town Square. This route was maintained during the parade's original run at Disneyland from 1972 to 1996 and subsequent limited engagements in 2017, 2019, and 2022.
The Main Street Electrical Parade has also ventured to other Disney parks worldwide, including Disney California Adventure Park, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Each iteration of the parade features unique elements, but all share the common thread of dazzling lights and enchanting music.
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a testament to Disney's creativity and innovation, captivating audiences of all ages with its vibrant spectacle and whimsical atmosphere. Its enduring popularity has made it a beloved tradition, with fans eagerly anticipating its limited engagements and returns to Disneyland.
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The music and soundtrack
The Main Street Electrical Parade, a nighttime parade that first premiered at Disneyland in 1972, has become the longest-running parade in Disney history. The parade features floats and live performers adorned with over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights.
The parade's soundtrack has undergone several changes over the years, with different versions being performed at various Disney parks worldwide. The original version of the underlying theme song, "Baroque Hoedown," was created by early synthesizer pioneers Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley and first appeared on their 1967 album "Kaleidoscopic Vibrations: Electronic Pop Music from Way Out." The parade's first iteration at Disneyland from 1972 to 1996 featured synthesizer music based on "Baroque Hoedown," with themes from Disney songs incorporated.
In 1977, an upgraded version of the parade was introduced, and the soundtrack was rearranged by Don Dorsey and Jack Wagner. They added an opening fanfare, a spoken introduction by Wagner, and new music loops for some of the parade units while retaining the original music for others. This upgraded version of the parade was also presented at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, with larger floats built to fit the wider version of Main Street, U.S.A.
The Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade, which ran from 1985 to 1995, featured a unique soundtrack with English and Japanese character voices, an orchestra, and adult and youth choirs, in addition to harmonies and synthesizers. The parade's return to Disneyland in 2017, 2019, and 2022 featured a soundtrack arranged, programmed, and performed by Gregory Smith, who also worked on music for other Disney shows and fireworks displays.
The Disneyland Paris "Disney Electrical Sky Parade" had a soundtrack produced, arranged, and scored by American music producer and Disney composer Rick McKee, featuring themes from classic and modern Disney films. The Main Street Electrical Parade has also inspired seasonal variations, such as the Christmas-themed soundtrack for the Electrical Parade at Tokyo Disneyland, which includes Christmas songs mixed with the theme music.
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The history and creation
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a beloved attraction at Disney Parks worldwide. The parade first premiered at Disneyland in California in 1972 and has since become the longest-running parade in Disney history. The parade features floats and live performers adorned with over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights, travelling a route of approximately 2,000 feet.
The idea for the parade came about when Ron Miziker, an entertainment producer and director at Disney, read about how people used to walk down the streets with lightbulbs when electricity was first introduced. The Electrical Water Pageant, a show consisting of fourteen 25-foot-tall screens decorated with electrical lights, also served as a source of inspiration.
The design of the parade utilized nickel-cadmium batteries and Italian-made miniature bulbs. Disney contracted the Chicago-based company, Silvestri, to construct the original floats. However, with the floats falling behind schedule, Disney brought in welders, electricians, and other temporary workers to finish the floats in-house.
The parade's synchronized soundtrack features the signature theme "Baroque Hoedown," composed by Jean-Jacques Perry and Gershon Kingsley in 1967. The piece was adapted for the parade in 1972, weaving in classic Disney themes to create an iconic parade soundtrack.
The Main Street Electrical Parade has undergone several iterations and has been presented at various Disney Parks, including Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. The parade has captured the hearts of adults and children alike, becoming a beloved tradition and a spectacular pageant of nighttime magic and imagination.
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Viewing and dining experiences
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a beloved attraction for adults and children at many Disney theme parks worldwide. It is a nighttime parade that first premiered at Disneyland in 1972 and has since become the longest-running parade in Disney's history.
The parade features floats and live performers covered in over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights. The parade route is 2,000 feet long and is filled with multiple radio-activated "trigger zones". Each zone is between 70 and 100 feet long, ensuring that everyone watching the parade will have the same experience, regardless of their position.
The parade's signature song, "Baroque Hoedown", was composed by Jean-Jacques Perry and Gershon Kingsley in 1967 and was adapted for the parade in 1972, interwoven with classic Disney themes. The To Honor America float, added in 1979, is the longest in the parade at 108 or 118 feet long.
The Plaza Inn Dining Package offers a unique viewing and dining experience for the parade. The package includes lunch or dinner, a drink, and a voucher that provides access to the parade's reserved viewing area. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online or through the Disneyland app. The viewing area is located across from the Train Station, separate from the dining area.
For those who want to enjoy a snack during the parade, the Town Square popcorn cart sells Electric Pop-colored kettle corn and buckets. These buckets can also be purchased in Frontierland. Various other merchandise, such as parade pins, Whishables, plush toys, and light-up necklaces, are available in both parks.
The Main Street Electrical Parade has entertained guests at Disneyland and other Disney parks worldwide for generations, offering a spectacular pageant of nighttime magic and imagination.
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Float and performer details
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a nighttime parade that first premiered at Disneyland in 1972 and has since become the longest-running parade in Disney history, performing at Disney Parks worldwide. The parade features floats and live performers covered in over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights.
The original parade at Disneyland in California ran from 1972 to 1996 and returned for limited engagements in 2017, 2019, and 2022. The parade has also spawned several other versions that ran or continue to run at Disney parks around the world. The neighboring Disney California Adventure Park hosted the parade between 2001 and 2010. Another version, at Magic Kingdom in Florida's Walt Disney World Resort, ran from 1977 to 1991, 1999 to 2001, and 2010 to 2016.
The parade's design used nickel-cadmium batteries, which the Disney movie studio had recently started using, and Italian-made miniature bulbs that Disneyland staff had seen in light displays along Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Disney arranged for the parade's original floats to be constructed by Silvestri, the Chicago-based company responsible for those holiday displays.
The parade features floats and live performers covered in over 500,000 to 600,000 electronically controlled lights. Six different colours of light bulbs flash throughout the parade, in amber, blue, green, chartreuse, red, and pink. 150,000 glowing amber lights are used in the production, the most of any colour.
The parade uses a synchronized soundtrack featuring a signature theme, Baroque Hoedown, which is arranged to complement each float. The parade's synthesizer music was based on the piece "Baroque Hoedown", with themes from Disney songs worked in. Two composers, Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley, wrote the iconic synthesizer piece known as "Baroque Hoedown" in 1967. The song was adapted for the "Main Street Electrical Parade" in 1972, interwoven with classic Disney themes to create the now-iconic parade soundtrack.
The To Honor America float, added in 1979, is the longest in the parade at 108 or 118 feet long. The massive Elliot float, added in 1977 for the release of "Pete's Dragon", measures 16 feet tall, 10 feet wide, and 38 feet long. A special unit reproducing Sleeping Beauty Castle was added to the parade in 1980 for the park's 25th anniversary.
A Tinker Bell float was created to lead the parade at Disney California Adventure in 2009. The Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights were updated in 2011 and 2015, showcasing unique lighting displays not possible in the original parade.
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Frequently asked questions
The parade starts at Small World Mall in Fantasyland.
The parade finishes on Main Street, U.S.A., at Town Square.
The parade route is 2,000 feet long and includes the Small World Mall in Fantasyland, past the Matterhorn, skirting the hub, and then down Main Street, U.S.A., to Town Square.
The parade first premiered at Disneyland in 1972 and has since become the longest-running parade in Disney history.
The Main St Electrical Parade is a nighttime parade featuring floats and live performers covered in over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights. The parade takes place at Disney Parks worldwide.
