It is hard to explain why the Memorial Day weekend was so highly anticipated thirty years ago at Disneyland. It not only kicked off the summer season, it also marked the annual return of fireworks, which were offered only during the summer months. You read that correctly. From 1956 until 2005, Disneyland offered fireworks only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There was a special show on New Year’s Eve, and some years for Christmas.

I can remember gathering in the hub, waiting for that first appearance of Tinker Bell after she had flitted away the previous first Monday in September. (Look closely in the attached image. She’s up there!)

After her one-way flight across the castle, the fireworks would begin.

And in short order, the sky would once again bloom with bursting shells, as Sleeping Beauty Castle provided the perfect foreground.

In those days before heavy theming and digital projection, guests were entranced by simple lighting effects and synchronized music. Fantasy in the Sky would not see a truly themed production until the 45th anniversary show in the summer of 2000, with Believe… There’s Magic in the Stars. 2005 would introduce year-round fireworks.

The other summer delight that appeared around Memorial Day was the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade. At nearly 25 years old, the parade’s Blue Fairy lead float had become nearly as much a symbol of the park as Sleeping Beauty Castle. The train engine and drum that followed were just as iconic.

Minnie was the passenger on the front of the drum…

… as Goofy drove the engine. Of course, the big cheese himself was up on top of the drum.

Here’s Mickey! And the big drum, lighting up the night with the sparkling words “Main Street Electrical Parade,” was complemented by the infectious electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds of Baroque Hoedown.

The words on the big drum alternated with the corporate logo for General Electric, the sponsor of the parade, and a benefactor of all its electricalness.

Next up were the crowd-pleasing whirly bugs, friends of Alice in Wonderland, who could be spotted high atop a mushroom in a “world all her own.”

Another mushroom, another character. The Blue Caterpillar asks the crowd, “Who aaaare you?”

Did I mention how much everybody loved those whirly bugs? And the turtle, too.

Cinderella in her pumpkin coach lead off a whole ballroom scene, with formally gowned dancers marching in procession. A clock tower chiming midnight ended the sequence, setting the stage for the next unit.

Peter Pan and Captain Hook really are on the deck of that lighted pirate ship, engaged in a furious duel.

Meanwhile, Mr. Smee patiently propels himself along, unaware that his rowboat is being pursued (at something of a distance) by one of the parade’s larger units.

That green hippo, glimpsed in the previous image, is pulling a calliope played by King Leonidas from Bedknobs and Broomsticks. For some reason, this is the first character we see in the circus unit, starring Dumbo.

Between the “rings” of the circus a bear, balanced on barrels, in turn balanced a pot of honey on his head. (If it had been Winnie the Pooh, it would have been hunny.)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfes were represented by a sparkling mine, with the dwarfs hard at work inside.

Dopey brought up to the rear of the unit, piloting a string of mine cars loaded with glowing gems.

Another large unit in the Main Street Electrical Parade was devoted to Pinocchio, where the terrors of Pleasure Island were vividly brought to life.

This float, carrying Pinocchio and depicting the allure of tobacco in many forms, is no longer included in any version of the Electrical Parade.

Accompanying this float were the very naughty donkey boys, here seen cavorting in the street. The boy to the right has just offered a glowing “cigar” to one of the children on the curb. If the child reached out for it, the donkey boy would taunt him by pulling it away with a loud “Hee haw!”

Regulars knew that Pete’s Dragon was the penultimate float of the parade, ushering in the finale.

Pete himself can be seen riding atop Elliott and exhorting the crowd to shout, “Brazzle dazzle!”

The finale, To Honor America, was a patriotic tribute, complemented by excerpts from patriotic songs, woven into the parade’s main theme.

It is plain to see why this float was affectionately dubbed “The Bacon.”

And then, it was all over. At least it was over until the next performance, or the next night, or the next May, when it would start all over again. At least, this had been true for nearly twenty-five years. This year, though, something was different…

A banner on the guide maps proclaimed “Main Street Electrical Parade/Farewell Season/1972-1996.” Regular guests may have found this perplexing, but for most visitors, it was hardly worth a moment’s notice, on those lovely summer nights, thirty years ago at Disneyland.