Disneyland Resort will be creating more magic this year with the return of four nighttime spectaculars, of which include a new finale for ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’. The ‘World of Color’ at Disney California Adventure Park and ‘Disneyland Forever’ fireworks spectacular at Disneyland Park returns on April 22nd. ‘Fantasmic!’ returns May 28th at Disneyland Park.
Since Disneyland reopened in April 2021, guests have been able to enjoy the original magical entertainment offerings, such as Jambalaya Jazz in New Orleans Square at Disneyland, as well as new experiences, such as the Raya encounter in Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and Celebrate Soulfully entertainment throughout the month of February.
Spectaculars Returning April 22nd
A fan favorite since 1972, “Main Street Electrical Parade” will finally make its return with its original classic floats, such as Elliot the Dragon. With an electronic musical score based on “Baroque Hoedown” by Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley, it was the first to play unique musical arrangements synchronized to each float unit. The lineup of floats has changed throughout the years, and Disney parks all over the world present different versions of this parade.
To honor the milestone of the parade’s 50th anniversary, Disney Live Entertainment will introduce a brand-new finale that will celebrate the theme of togetherness with a new float. This theme is reflected from drawing inspiration from the original design of classic “Main Street Electrical Parade” floats and Mary Blair’s iconic art style of “it’s a small world”. The float will be seven segments and will stretch 118 feet in length and will bring to life more than a dozen Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios films. Guests on each side of the parade route will see different stylized scenes from classic and contemporary favorite stories, such as “Encanto”, “The Jungle Book”, “Raya and the Last Dragon”, “Aladdin”, “Coco”, “Mulan”, “Brave”, “The Princess and the Frog”, and more. The finale will also pay tribute to the parade’s heritage with the return of the Blue Fairy character from “Pinocchio” and a unique, 19-foot-tall representation of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.
“World of Color” at Disney California Adventure brings animation to life with fountains that create a giant screen of water. Combining music, fire, fog, and laser effects with beautifully animated sequences, “World of Color” immerses audiences in some favorite Disney and Pixar stories, of which include WALL-E and Eve zipping through the cosmos and Pocahontas exploring just around the Riverbend. This spectacular is presented on a massive “stage” of water, color, and light that is bigger than a football field and encompasses all of Paradise Bay.
The inspiration for the show came from Walt Disney himself, and “World of Color” is tied together by a soaring musical score that includes classic Disney melodies and a contemporary version of the 1960s television theme for “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color”, originally composed by Richard B. and Robert M. Sherman, the Oscar-winning composers of “it’s a small world”, “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” and many more iconic songs.
“Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular is a street-to-sky celebration filled with sparkling pyrotechnics and immersive projections that bring guests on a wonderful journey with special effects. Main Street, U.S.A., and a few other spots in Disneyland become a magical canvas, transporting guests into the worlds of Disney and Pixar stories. It also features two original songs: the theme “Live the Magic” and the inspiring closing song “Kiss Goodnight”, written by Richard B. Sherman.
“Main Street Electrical Parade” and “Disneyland Forever” will be available for a limited time at Disneyland, from April 22nd to late spring. “Disneyland Forever” will perform Fridays through Sundays, and the “Mickey’s Mix Magic” projections-only show is scheduled Mondays through Thursdays. “Disneyland Forever” fireworks will then run nightly in the summer. “World of Color” will return to its regular schedule upon reopening.
Fantasmic!, Disney’s longest-running nighttime show, will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in Disneyland in 2022. Fantasmic! is an extravaganza of colorful Disney-animated film images, choreographed to an exciting musical score and highlighted by the 45-foot-tall, fire-breathing Maleficent dragon. Audiences watch as Mickey Mouse dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and faces some of Disney’s most classic villains, using the power of his imagination to save the day. Along the way, images are seen from Disney’s films, such as “Fantasia” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” come to life with live performers, character appearances, special effects, and pyrotechnics.
Fantasmic! will make its triumphant return to its regular schedule beginning May 28th.
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Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter @iamcg83