Editing Main Street Electrical Parade (section)

==History==
===Inspiration===
The predecessor to the 1972 Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade was the [[Electrical Water Pageant]], a show consisting of fourteen 25-foot-tall (7.6 m) screens decorated with electrical lights and presented on [[Walt Disney World]]'s [[Seven Seas Lagoon]] from 1971 to the present. Not long after the Electrical Water Pageant debuted, [[Card Walker]] commissioned the development of what became the Main Street Electrical Parade to provide Disneyland with a similar nighttime visual spectacle.<ref name="MacDonald">{{cite news|last1=MacDonald|first1=Brady|title=How the returning Disneyland Electrical Parade went from 'absolute disaster' to beloved attraction|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-tr-disneyland-main-street-electrical-parade-20161212-story.html|access-date=December 14, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 14, 2016|location=Los Angeles|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161214164251/http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-tr-disneyland-main-street-electrical-parade-20161212-story.html|archive-date=December 14, 2016}}</ref> The parade's design used [[Nickel–cadmium battery|nickel–cadmium batteries]], which the Disney movie studio had recently started using, and Italian-made miniature bulbs that Disneyland staff had seen in light displays along [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] in Chicago, Illinois. Disney arranged for the parade's original floats to be constructed by Silvestri, the Chicago-based company responsible for those holiday displays.<ref name="MacDonald" />

Two months to deadline, Disney discovered the float contractor was far behind schedule and decided to finish the floats themselves in a backstage area at Disneyland. Disney brought on welders, electricians and other temporary workers to assemble the floats and hand-tint and install 500,000 bulbs.<ref name="MacDonald" /> The engineers who helped create the parade also created the first automated parade show-control program. This allowed the {{convert|2000|ft|m|adj=on}} long parade route to contain multiple radio-activated "trigger zones". Using radio-activated triggers as each float entered a zone, the audience would hear float-specific music through the park's audio system. Each zone was between {{convert|70|and|100|ft|m}} long, and the zoned system meant that every person watching the parade would experience the same show, no matter where they stood along the parade route.<ref>{{cite web| url =http://soundandcommunications.com/audio/2006_03_audio.htm
| title =Article describing the creation of MSEP audio technology | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623092228/http://soundandcommunications.com/audio/2006_03_audio.htm| archive-date=June 23, 2006}}</ref>

===Early years===
The first rehearsal was a "disaster";<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-tr-disneyland-main-street-electrical-parade-20161212-story.html|title=How the returning Disneyland Electrical Parade went from 'absolute disaster' to beloved attraction|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref> a float crashed into a building on [[Main Street, U.S.A.]], and some performers' costumes emitted sparks. Despite these obstacles, the parade successfully debuted on schedule on June 17, 1972.<ref name="MacDonald" /> The original parade floats featured the Blue Fairy, a large drum pulled by the [[Dumbo|Casey Jr.]] Engine, [[Cinderella (Disney franchise)|Cinderella]], a [[Chinese dragon]], and a [[Calliope (music)|circus calliope]]. Until 1977, some of the floats, such as the elephant train and the American flag finale, were flat screens on manually-pushed rolling platforms similar to the Electrical Water Pageant.

The Main Street Electrical Parade had counterparts of the same name and layout at [[Magic Kingdom]] in the [[Walt Disney World Resort]], which ran from June 11, 1977, to September 14, 1991. It was replaced by a similar parade called ''[[SpectroMagic]]'', which ran from October 1, 1991, to May 20, 1999, reopened on April 2, 2001, and ended on June 4, 2010. On April 12, 1992, the version from [[Magic Kingdom]] went to Disneyland Park at [[Disneyland Paris]] and ran there until March 23, 2003. It was then replaced by [[Fantillusion]], a nighttime parade from [[Tokyo Disneyland]] that had earlier replaced the Tokyo version of the Main Street Electrical Parade, which ran from March 9, 1985, to June 21, 1995.

On June 14, 1997, a presentation of the Electrical Parade called the "Hercules Electrical Parade", ran on [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]] for the opening of Disney's [[New Amsterdam Theater]] and the film ''[[Hercules (Disney film)|Hercules]]''. Disney arranged for the lights to be all turned off on about eight blocks of Broadway up to the theater. All businesses complied, with the exception of Disney rival [[Warner Brothers]]. It was led by a custom Hercules title unit made for this one time only use. It was shown on national television on a one-hour promotional program featuring the music and making of Hercules.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gest |first=Emily |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/06/10/1997-06-10_disney_s_ready_to_roll_with_.html |title=Disney's ready to roll with Herculean labor |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |date=June 10, 1997 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510213158/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/06/10/1997-06-10_disney_s_ready_to_roll_with_.html |archive-date=May 10, 2009 |access-date=August 2, 2014 }}</ref>

===Later years===
The Main Street Electrical Parade closed at Disneyland on November 25, 1996, after a 24-year run. Light bulbs certified as having been part of the show were sold to collectors. The show's replacement, the [[Light Magic]] parade, opened in 1997 to disappointing results.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Korkis |first1=Jim |title=Secret Stories of Extinct Disneyland: Memories of the Original Park |date=2019 |publisher=Theme Park Press |isbn=978-1683902041 |chapter=Main Street, U.S.A.}}</ref> Disney quickly cancelled Light Magic but held off in bringing back the popular Main Street Electrical Parade. However, the parade was refurbished and appeared at [[Magic Kingdom]] on May 21, 1999, for a limited engagement, just in time for [[Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration]]. The parade ended its run at Magic Kingdom on April 1, 2001, and [[SpectroMagic]] was brought back the following day.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}

Back in Japan, the Tokyo version of the show would return as Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade - DreamLights on June 17, 2001, with much larger floats, more than 1 million lights, and a new G-major and orchestral version of Baroque Hoedown arranged by Gregory Smith, replacing the classic A-minor version of the song. This version of the parade gets updated with new units regularly and still performs at Tokyo Disneyland today, aside from a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Main Street Electrical Parade floats were then sent back to California for the parade's return to Disneyland. These plans changed after Anaheim management saw the poor attendance figures for the spring break season at Disney California Adventure and feared that the park would fail to attract large crowds during the crucial summer season unless they had a big draw. So Disney announced that the popular Main Street Electrical Parade would be coming to [[Disney California Adventure Park]] on July 2, 2001, in honor of the park's first summer. The name of the show was changed from the Main Street Electrical Parade to Disney's Electrical Parade, as Disney California Adventure has no Main Street. All of the 1996 parade floats returned, except for the Snow White diamond mine float and the Pinocchio unit, as they were sent to Disneyland Paris in 1997.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}

During the 2008 ''[[Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade]]'' special, Disney announced a new Tinker Bell float would join the parade to replace the Blue Fairy as the parade's leader. This would also mark the first new float in 20 years to be added to the parade.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} It was also announced in early 2009 that the Snow White diamond mine float and Pinocchio unit would be returning to the California version as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lighting Up The Night With New Shows And A New Glow! Disneyland Resort Celebrates Summer Nightastic!|url=http://www.disneylandnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=407| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090429011647/http://www.disneylandnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=407|archive-date=April 29, 2009|website=disneylandnews.com|publisher=Disneyland|access-date=October 7, 2015}}</ref> The parade then held its final performance in its original form on January 5, 2009, and closed for six months as it underwent a massive refurbishment. The parade then returned on June 12, 2009 with the Tinker Bell, Snow White Diamond mine, and Pinocchio units joining the show. The parade also saw an update to the lights, as they were all replaced with LEDs, and the introduction of the G-major version of Baroque Hoedown that was first used in DreamLights in 2001 at Tokyo Disneyland, but less orchestral. This update was done for Disneyland's "Summer Nightastic!" 2009 promotional package.

Disney's Electrical Parade then ended is run at Disney California Adventure on April 18, 2010, and was sent to [[Magic Kingdom]] as part of the [[Walt Disney World]] 2010 promotional package "Summer Nightastic!"  The parade was not modified from its Disney California Adventure run, with the drum still saying "Disney's Electrical Parade", but the name of the parade itself was changed back to The Main Street Electrical Parade. The parade returned to Magic Kingdom on June 5, 2010. While it was initially announced that the parade would run through August 14, 2010, Disney later announced in July 2010 that the parade would stay in Florida for the time being, and that it was on an "open-ended" run.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}} 

Six years later, the parade would finally end its run at Magic Kingdom on October 9, 2016, in preparation for a limited-time return to Disneyland Park in California, which was scheduled to run from January 20 to June 18, 2017,<ref name="Heading to Disneyland for a Limited Time" /><ref name="August 11, 2016">{{cite news|title=Main Street Electrical Parade Moving Westward|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2016-08-11/walt-disney-world-pulling-plug-on-famed-electrical-parade|access-date=August 12, 2016|work=U.S. News & World Report|agency=Associated Press|date=August 11, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812182334/http://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2016-08-11/walt-disney-world-pulling-plug-on-famed-electrical-parade|archive-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> before being extended to August 20, 2017. A special ticketed premiere event, costing {{USD|95}}, occurred on January 19, 2017.<ref name="January 19, 2017">{{cite news|last1=Pimentel|first1=Joseph|title=Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade returns Thursday with iconic tune|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/parade-741299-music-disney.html|access-date=January 19, 2017|work=The Orange County Register|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119170034/http://www.ocregister.com/articles/parade-741299-music-disney.html|archive-date=January 19, 2017}}</ref> Disneyland restored the drum float to once again read "Main Street Electrical Parade" as well as "Disneyland Presents". Tinker Bell's float, added in 2009, was moved back to the Peter Pan unit and was altered for the 2017 run, making Casey Junior the new leader of the parade. On February 24, 2017, the pixie dust swooshes added to the floats in 2009 were removed, except on Tinker Bell's float, since Tinker Bell was no longer the parade's leader. On June 28, 2019, Disney announced that the Main Street Electrical Parade would return to Disneyland for a third run on August 2, 2019, and would run through September 30, 2019.<ref name="2019 Return" />
On July 22, 2019, to advertise the parade's new run, the official Disneyland Resort YouTube channel posted a slightly edited version of a commercial from two years prior.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8t_WHSwW4M A Disneyland Icon Is Back | Main Street Electrical Parade - YouTube<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The parade ran at Disneyland from August 2 through September 30 for its 2019 seasonal run. On September 28, 2020, one of the spinning snails of the Alice In Wonderland unit made a special live appearance for ''[[Tyra Banks]]''' opening entrance for the 2020 Disney Night of ''[[Dancing With The Stars]]''.

===50th anniversary and beyond===
One year later, on October 26, 2021, the Disney Parks TikTok released a video teasing the parade's return to Disneyland again, which was confirmed by Disney Parks chairman Josh D'Amaro at Destination D23 on November 20, 2021. A return date for the parade was later announced on February 22, 2022 to be April 22, 2022, and that it would be another limited return engagement in honor of the parade's 50th anniversary. Disney also revealed that the "To Honor America" finale had been redesigned to be more inclusive and now featured dolls from "it's a small world" that represent movies such as: [[Brave (2012 film)|''Brave'']], [[Hercules (1997 film)|''Hercules'']], ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'', [[Coco (2017 film)|''Coco'']], ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'', [[Moana (2016 film)|''Moana'']], [[Pocahontas (1995 film)|''Pocahontas'']], [[Frozen (2013 film)|''Frozen'']], ''[[Raya and the Last Dragon]]'', [[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|''The Jungle Book'']], [[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|''Aladdin'']], and ''[[Encanto]]'', as well as the return of the Blue Fairy. The parade soft opened on April 20, 2022, and finished its 50th anniversary limited time run on September 1, 2022. On July 14, 2022, when Disney announced the parade's end date, the Disneyland website updated the parade's info to include “leaving for the season after September 1”, suggesting the parade will likely return again in the future.
===Disney Electrical Sky Parade===
On October 7, 2023, Disneyland Paris announced that a new show called the '''Disney Electrical Sky Parade''' would premiere at Disneyland Paris as part of the '''Disney Symphony of Colours''' celebration in 2024. The Disney Electrical Sky Parade premiered at Disneyland Paris on January 8, 2024 and was created as a direct tribute to Disneyland Paris' Main Street Electrical Parade. The show used 500 drones, water effects, projections, and pyrotechnics on drones to recreate every unit from the iconic parade in the sky, including the Disneyland version's new "it's a small world" finale from 2022. The show was originally scheduled to end its run on September 30, 2024, but was extended to January 6, 2025. However, it was then extended again by a few days, with the show's final performance held on January 9, 2025. 

From October 2 to November 3, 2024, the show was updated for the [[Halloween]] season, with the "it's a small world" finale replaced by a Halloween finale. The Halloween finale pays tribute to Disney villains, including Dr. Facilier from [[The Princess and the Frog]], Mother Gothel from [[Tangled]], Ursula from [[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]], The Evil Queen from [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]], and Jafar from [[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]. The finale ends with a tribute to the Disneyland Paris attraction [[Phantom Manor]], including an electronic version of [[Grim Grinning Ghosts]].

From November 9, 2024 to January 6, 2025, the show was updated again, this time for [[Christmas]], with the "it's a small world" finale replaced by a Christmas finale.