by JollyFrogger Diva
Nighttime is by far my favorite time in the Walt Disney World parks. There is something about seeing the parks come alive at night with all the twinkling lights and special effects that transform ordinary daytime attractions into an extra magical experience at night. I guess it’s only natural that since I am such a fan of night at Walt Disney World, the firework spectaculars and nighttime parades rank among favorites as well. There is nothing better in my opinion than ending my day standing on Main Street, seeing Wishes light up the night sky behind Cinderella Castle, followed by a parade of beautiful lights. My favorite nighttime parade will always be SpectroMagic (you can read my Throwback Thursday article here) because the soundtrack and lights combined into an experience that I’m not sure Disney will ever be able to duplicate. However, I also have a great fondness for Main Street Electrical Parade. Although I’m not a huge fan of the repetitive music that accompanies this parade, I still love the lights and magic. Main Street Electrical Parade is the only nighttime event my daughter has ever seen, and it’s probably the one my family has seen the most during our numerous trips to Walt Disney World over the years.
While planning our upcoming trip, I began to come across rumors that Disney would be ending this long running parade in the very near future. Shortly after, Disney made an official announcement that the lights of Main Street Electrical Parade would go dark after the final performance on October 9th at Walt Disney World (it will run at Disneyland for a “limited-time encore engagement”, the dates of which were unannounced when this article was written). Thankfully, we had scheduled our trip earlier than normal this year and our travel dates fall about three weeks before the last performance is slated. I was definitely excited because this means that unlike with SpectroMagic’s rather sudden departure, I will have a chance to see Main Street Electrical Parade one last time. Due to visiting during a time that’s less busy and also includes a full schedule of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party nights, Main Street Electrical Parade is only running one night during our visit. I will definitely be crossing my fingers that the weather cooperates long enough for us to enjoy this its final run. The plan is to stake out a place on Main Street earlier than usual so we’ll have a great viewing spot. Being an avid photographer, I’ll also be sure to have a fresh camera battery and empty memory card so I can forever preserve Main Street Electrical Parade for posterity.
I’ll be sad to see Main Street Electrical Parade end, but I’m also excited to see what sort of nighttime spectacular Disney comes up with to fill it’s shoes. I know there may be a bit of a wait before something new comes along, but I know whatever they create will be amazing.
Want to book one last final trip to see The Main Street Electrical Parade before it closes? Or are you ready to book your next vacation and see what will take its place? Contact our very own Disney Diva Travel Agent Patricia from All for Dreams Travel for a free quote!
