Disneyland Resort Update: Nighttime Entertainment Returns
Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA
A few weeks ago, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure marked another step toward full, normal operations when they welcomed the return of nighttime spectaculars to both parks. I, however, was on vacation, so I didn’t get a chance to visit and catch the dazzling favorites until last Friday. So, today’s update is recapping what was hot news on April 22nd. It’s not a full update of what’s going on at the Disneyland Resort. Instead, it’s more eye candy for two shows and one parade that have been favorites for many Disney fans!
Main Street Electrical Parade Celebrates 50 Years
The Main Street Electrical Parade premiered way back in 1972. And two and a half decades later, it closed in 1996 to great sadness for Disney fans and great fanfare by Disney promoting the finality of its long and decorated run. Two decades after that, though, in 2017, Disneyland dusted off the parade to tap into people’s nostalgia, resurrecting this beloved favorite to great delight, promising that it was a limited and real last time. And then they did it again in 2019.
The Main Street Electrical Parade is back, and this time, the opening drum float includes a “50 YEARS” illuminated signage, in addition to the “DISNEYLAND” and the “MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE.”
So at this point for 2022, even though it’s a milestone year, and even though the Main Street Electrical Parade is an undoubted classic the hearts of many a longtime Disney fan, we can’t help but feel like the return of the parade is being made purely to easily get people in to the park to relive that nostalgia factor.
MAGA STANDS FOR MAINSTREETELECTRICALPARADE ALWAYS GLOWS AGAIN!
Fortunately, the parade does feature a new finale. The original concept art gave the impression that this was multiple vehicles in a row, but in reality, it’s mostly a repackaging of the old extended American Flag float (or as we like to call it… Patriotic bacon) but with a new lighting package, added lighting scenes on the sides, and new figures in the style of Mary Blair—ala It’s a Small World. There’s also a separate finale float that represents the iconic facade of the classic ride, light up in an array of color changing bulbs.
Patriotic Bacon is gone from the finale, instead repurposed into a lovely Mary Blair-inspired float celebrating Disney characters.
Is the MSEP nostalgic and evocative? Yes. Would I rather have Paint the Night back? Definitely. Is the parade sure to come back in ten years for a diamond anniversary? I’d be shocked at this point if it didn’t. But Disney does know how to lure people to its parks with “Limited Time Magic™,” and the Main Street Electrical Parade will certainly delight many guests this summer!
And there’s a float of It’s a Small World at very end too!
Disneyland Forever
In contrast to the Main Street Electrical Parade, Disneyland Forever is a much fresher and more recent show. Debuting in 2015 for the park’s 60th anniversary, this nighttime pyrotechnic extravaganza received surprisingly limited runs after the initial Diamond Anniversary celebration. In contrast to Remember… Dreams Come True, which played the better part of the decade following Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary, Disneyland Forever has had to share its nighttime runs with Mickey’s Mix Magic, no fireworks at all due to the pandemic, and even returns of Remember… itself!
Disneyland Forever is back. Though Main Street is the best vantage point for this show, there are also viewing areas along the Rivers of America and in front of It’s a Small World.
Unlike MSEP, Disneyland Forever is unchanged from its original version. In addition, it is only running Fridays through Sundays until “late spring” (which I’m assuming means Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional kickoff of the summer season). Once summertime comes around, it will run nightly, but for now, Mickey’s Mix Magic plays Mondays through Thursdays in projection mode only. But it’s great to have the show back. While I am still partial to Remember…, Disneyland Forever is still an excellent show with some great projections and effects to along with it and a fantastic soundtrack.
Fireworks show make sky kaboomies.
Especially the big finale at the end!
World of Color
Finally, over at Disney California America, World of Color returns with nightly showings on a permanent basis (compared to MSEP and Disneyland Forever’s “limited time” runs). Guests can enjoy two shows a night, at 9:00pm and 10:15pm. Guests who want to guarantee a spot in the viewing area at Paradise Park will need to use the Disneyland App to secure a virtual reservation, which takes the place of the old paper ticket reservation system over at Grizzly River Run that was in place before the pandemic. Those who can stick around for the later show will have an easier chance of getting a better spot. In addition, walk-up guests to the 10:15 show have an opportunity to be let into the viewing area even without a virtual reservation if there is capacity to allow it (which was the case last Friday).
World of Color is back and playing nightly!
Although there were a lot of infrastructure upgrades and maintenance in the months leading up to World of Color’s return, the show itself is the same as its most recent version. That means opening flourish, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, brief Fantasia 2000 Pines of Rome whale moment, Wall*E, Toy Story, The Firebird Suite from Fantasia, Pocahontas, Aladdin, The Old Mill, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lion King, and finale. The upgraded projects do seem a little sharper, though the fountain screens are never perfectly crisp, because they’re fountains. Still, the emotional resonance of this now-twelve year old show is high, and it’s become an ingrained favorite at DCA!
It includes wonderful, glorious, heart and body warming FIRE!!!!
The post-show is still the most photogenic part of the whole production.
Encanto Projection Show at It’s a Small World
One other recent addition to Disneyland has been a little ode to the Disney smash hit, Encanto, occurring at “random times” throughout the evening between 9pm and 11:45pm. Or, well, that was the story at first, with the times intentionally not identified when the show premiered last month to deter guests from just milling around and instead try to have the visual experience be more of a surprise. That backfired immediately, as guests camped out waiting around It’s a Small World instead of working to time a visit, so Disney has since published the projection show’s schedule: 9:15, 10:15, 10:45, and 11:30pm.
At these times, instead of the usual full quarter hour clock unveiling, the facade of It’s a Small World is turned into a charming and catchy projection show scored to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” and the ride facade seemingly comes alive in the manner of the Family Madrigal’s Casita home. It’s a nice little mini bonus that is a quick and easy way to strike on the popularity of the movie without having to go through a full show or attraction development!
That does it for today’s update, focusing on DLR nighttime entertainment. Once Saturday, May 28th rolls around, the line-up will be complete with fourth member of the line-up and other regularly-running evening show, FANTASMIC! Similar to World of Color, there’s been a lot of work happening at the Rivers of America. I assume that FANTASMIC! will also utilize a virtual queue, similar to World of Color, just as it had started implementing a reservation system to control crowds before the pandemic. And once that happens, Disneyland will have its longest active regularly running show back for guests to enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this bit of Disney park eye candy. As a Disney fan, I’m certainly glad to have these joyful productions to take in. Even with the Main Street Electrical Parade, though I’d prefer Paint the Night, I don’t think it’s specifically “bad” that the old classic is back. I just won’t catch is as often as I’d catch its successor.
Hope y’all have a great rest of your week. Glow bah!
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
