50 years ago today the iconic music of the Main Street Electrical Parade was first heard at Disneyland. For the first time, guests would hear, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Disneyland proudly presents our spectacular pageant of nighttime magic and imagination in thousands of sparkling lights and electrosynthomagnetic musical sounds. The Main Street Electrical Parade!”
5 decades later, the parade still lights up the night and guests’ hearts with the spectacular pageant of nighttime magic and the electrosynthomagnetic musical sounds. It has undergone multiple changes through the years, but at its heart, the Main Street Electrical Parade brings people together through the magic of its music, approximately 500,000 lights, its 22 floats, and characters.
The Baroque Hoedown, its iconic theme song, has continued to delight guests through the years as well. It was originally written in 1967 by Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. A few years later it was modified to suit the theme of the parade and Disney music was intertwined into its theme. In fact, this would be the first parade to have specific music arranged and synchronized with specific floats!
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Main Street Electrical Parade, Disney shared some photos from back in the day and today. Take a look at the similarities and differences found in these photos and see how the parade has evolved.
Currently, the Main Street Electrical Parade is being presented nightly for a limited run celebrating its 50th Anniversary. As has happened so many times before, the parade has been updated in between runs. This time, the grand finale was re-imagined with designs by Ashley Taylor that take inspiration from it’s a small world. The whole new grand finale can be seen here:
What is your favorite part of this iconic parade? Can you remember your first time seeing it? Share your thoughts, memories, and opinions in the comments below! Happy 50th Anniversary Main Street Electrical Parade!
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