Main Street Electrical parade - trip planning

[icpscientist]

Ok, so when I was a kid, I loved MSEP, and I know it was a joy for my parents to see my sister and I enjoy the parade. The entire family was sad when they took it away.

We were equally thrilled to learn it had returned to WDW, and then saddened when we couldn't put a big family trip (my parents, my sister and her family, plus my family) together to relive the experience and let the kids/grandkids experience something so near and dear to us.

It turns out for all involved that a trip is not likely until summer 2012. While the trip itself would be fun and a great experience, the biggest draw and the biggest reason is that parade. Thus, while it wouldn't entirely be wasted money if the parade was gone by then, the expense of the trip is a harder sell.

I haven't gotten satisfactory answers when I've asked Disney about long-term plans for the parade. Since I can't get "official" answers, I turn to this community for unofficial ones.

Can any of you provide a peek behind the curtain? Do you know if Disney intends to keep the parade in WDW that long? If not, when is the deadline? Related question: it's a heckuva lot easier and cheaper to get everyone to DL - are there plans to have the parade return to that park? If so, we may table the WDW trip until the kids are older and make this multigenerational experience happen at DL.

Thanks for any and all help.

[Wizzard419]

It's on rotation with spectromagic (if I recall), so while it's running SM is being refurbished/branded. The reason they can't/won't give you a date is that the new parade is not announced yet so it's end date is still open.

[Len90]

I honestly have no idea what I going on with the MSEP and seriously doubt if many people know anything. I can say that we all pretty much predicted that MSEP would stay for a bit longer than last year's summer nightastic event. Te rumors circulating were that it would stay for two years as spectro goes down for a major refurb. Secondly, the parade was sent over to clear out backstage storage space and that DCA couldn't run a parade during the construction since the parade route was affected by the project. Again these were all the rumors around the move and nobody really knows for sure. No matter what happens Disney will run some sort of light parade, either spectro or MSEP!

I honestly think the end date will be announced once DCAs construction ends.

[mindflipper]

The main reason MSEP was moved to WDW MK was that DCA was in a major overhaul, making some of its route impassable. Wizz is right that while it's at WDW MK that Spectromagic is in mothballs, hopefully being refurbished/renovated (although I have seen nothing official that truely confirms such a refurbishment).

Disney loves to move parades around. It's done it for years. The original WDW MK MSEP was shipped off to EuroDisney when it opened. When TDL finished its first electrical parade, it shipped some unique floats over to DLP. Then when TDL finished with its second parade, Fantillusion, it shipped it off to DLP, taking its parade and then shipping it off to HKDL.

The question is: what will Disney do when DCA's overhaul is complete? Will they ship back the MSEP back to DCA? Or could they keep it there and ship out Spectromagic to DCA or Disneyland? There's no way to know. Disney upper management has plenty of time to decide what it will do, so therefore the lower ranks in Disney really can't answer that question as their superiors haven't answer that question to them.

Sorry, but you're going to have to wait to find out. Keep an eye out on the sights, but be careful as there will be many rumors abound on the net. Take them cum granis salis until you get a confirmed statement from Disney as to how these parades will be deployed in the future.

[Wizzard419]

I would say it's highly unlikely that we are going to get the parade back since it looks like they blew away the parade route for the new land and that would make one short parade if they did (the start might even be done before the end comes out the gates.

[mindflipper]

I would say it's highly unlikely that we are going to get the parade back since it looks like they blew away the parade route for the new land and that would make one short parade if they did (the start might even be done before the end comes out the gates.

Disney will never bring MSEP back to Disneyland because of their corporate pride: they won't admit they made a mistake by getting rid of MSEP in favor of Light Magic. MSEP made its farewell at Disneyland and is to never return. That's why it went to DCA when they brought it back to Anahiem. If it can't go to DCA, then I don't see it coming back to Anahiem. If not Spectromagic, then some other parade will be developed perhaps...some day...when they get around to it...

[Wizzard419]

That's what I meant, DCA won't get it back because it's not needed anymore. Night parades in general are trivial here since one park has 2 nightly shows and another has a large scale show that is right off the former parade route.

[blackfroggy]

I also haven't heard anything about the parade being moved anytime soon. I have a feeling it's going to stay for a while but no offical word either.

[icpscientist]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. It seems as though the real answer is no answer. Grrrrrr....

[mindflipper]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. It seems as though the real answer is no answer. Grrrrrr....

The liklihood may be "no", but nothing is yet official. All I can suggest is keep an eye out to see what officially Disney decides.

[Len90]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. It seems as though the real answer is no answer. Grrrrrr....

The only idea I have is to keep an eye on the disney operating schedule. It is usually up six months in advance so you might get some signs of what is going on. If they keep the parade going then it should continue to appear on the operating schedule.

[mindflipper]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. It seems as though the real answer is no answer. Grrrrrr....

The only idea I have is to keep an eye on the disney operating schedule. It is usually up six months in advance so you might get some signs of what is going on. If they keep the parade going then it should continue to appear on the operating schedule.

Always remember though the schedule is "subject to change"...

[Wizzard419]

and weather may alter the schedules as well, so you may want to avoid summer since that is the rainy season.

[Len90]

and weather may alter the schedules as well, so you may want to avoid summer since that is the rainy season.

In all honesty weather has never been an issue with me and I've been there in the summer time for most of my stays. The rains are usually in the afternoon and the night is dry for the most part. I've only once had major rains at 9:00 but I was in EPCOT and they still set off Illuminations as scheduled. Weather does affect the parades but those with show stops or shows that involve dancing are affected by wet grounds as well.

[mindflipper]

and weather may alter the schedules as well, so you may want to avoid summer since that is the rainy season.

In all honesty weather has never been an issue with me and I've been there in the summer time for most of my stays. The rains are usually in the afternoon and the night is dry for the most part. I've only once had major rains at 9:00 but I was in EPCOT and they still set off Illuminations as scheduled. Weather does affect the parades but those with show stops or shows that involve dancing are affected by wet grounds as well.

Sorry, Len90, but you're a bit "WDW-centric" in your thinking. As the question was concerning the idea of MSEP returning to either Disneyland parks in Anahiem, CA, Wizz's statement was focusing on the weather at Disneyland, not at Disney World. If it rains in the evening, then Disneyland does shut down the electrical parade, fireworks, fantasmic and I would presume the World of Color.