WDW Daily News

Beginning Jan. 20, 2017, the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade will bring guests of multiple generations a sense of wonder, joy and–for some–warm nostalgia as it travels down the Disneyland Park parade route for a special encore performance through June 18, 2017. The iconic parade made its world debut on June 17, 1972, and later appeared at Disney Parks around the world. This spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination entertained guests at Disneyland until it “glowed away” on Nov. 25, 1996. Here’s a closer look at the legacy of the Main Street Electrical Parade, by the numbers.

• 600,000 lights sparkle in the parade’s nighttime journey from Small World Mall in Fantasyland to Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. (approximate number).
• 22 floats illuminate the parade route at Disneyland, nearly doubling the number of floats from the parade’s debut (12) in 1972.
• 7 films are represented in the parade: “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Pinocchio,” “Dumbo” and “Pete’s Dragon.”
• 27 beloved Disney characters perform throughout the show including Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Captain Hook and Tinker Bell.
• 80 parade performers (estimated number per night) bring the magic to light including 10 To Honor America patriots, 16 royal court dancers and the Seven Dwarfs.
• 35 dazzling, lighted costumes are worn by the parade performers.
• 8 jittering insect floats spin and dance for guests during the “Alice in Wonderland” sequence.
• At 18 1/2 feet high, the Clock Tower in the “Cinderella” sequence of the parade, is the tallest float.
• At 118 feet long, the To Honor America float is the longest float in the parade. It was added in 1979 after the success of the bicentennial tribute parade “America on Parade.”
• At 5,600 pounds, the massive Elliot float, added in 1977 for the release of “Pete’s Dragon,” measures 16 feet tall, 10 feet wide and 38 feet long.
• 2 composers, Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley, wrote the iconic synthesizer piece known as “Baroque Hoedown” in 1967, and the song was adapted for the Main Street Electrical Parade in 1972, interwoven with classic Disney themes to create the now iconic parade soundtrack.
• 6 different colors of light bulbs flash throughout the parade, in amber, blue, green, chartreuse, red and pink.
• 150,000 glowing amber lights are used in the production, the most of any color.
• 80 highly skilled cast members were involved in the creation of Main Street Electrical Parade, including 20 designers and 60 craftspeople.
• 5 Disney Parks have presented versions of the Main Street Electrical Parade including Disneyland, Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

Historical:

• Nearly 3,600 performances entertained guests at Disneyland from June 17, 1972 to Nov. 25, 1996.
• 900 miles is the approximate distance traveled by the Main Street Electrical parade during its original run at Disneyland, nearly the distance from Anaheim, Calif., to Seattle, Wash.
• In 2005, Main Street Electrical Parade creator and former director of entertainment Robert Jani was inducted as a Disney Legend.
• June 17, 1972, marked the debut of the Main Street Electrical Parade, and it returns for its encore performance 45 years later – Jan. 20-June 18, 2017.
• 500,000 hand-tinted white miniature bulbs twinkled each night in the early versions of the parade.
• 500 miles of wiring were used to light the floats during early years of the parade, enough to travel to the top of the Matterhorn and back nearly 9,000 times.
• Approximately 75 million guests viewed the Main Street Electrical Parade during its original run at Disneyland.

During Season of the Force at Disneyland® Resort, guests can transport themselves into a faraway galaxy filled with epic encounters and thrilling attractions.

On Hyperspace Mountain, guests can board the re-imagined Space Mountain attraction and join in a dogfight between Rebel X-wing fighters and the Imperial TIE fighters!

Then, they can step inside Star Wars Launch Bay to come face to face with some favorite heroes and villains from the saga. They can even explore replicas of movie props and models from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

If guests want to experience hyperspace and outrun the Empire, the y can hop aboard Star Tours – The Adventures Continue and fly through everyone’s favorite galaxy far, far away. And, young Padawans can really feel strong with the Force as they test their Lightsaber skills in an immersive show at Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple where they can face Darth Vader!

At the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, leisure and business travelers will find three Disney Hotel properties, each with a distinctive style: the luxurious surroundings and California Craftsman architecture of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the classic Disney magic and charm of the Disneyland Hotel, and the sunny California beachfront theme at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.

Offering a variety of accommodations, surroundings and amenities, all three hotels feature the famous Disney touch for quality, service and hospitality.

As part of the Disneyland Resort, these hotels are just steps away from the eclectic mix of dining, entertainment and recreational features of the Downtown Disney District.  Of course, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Parks are just a short walk away from any of the on-property hotels.

DISNEYLAND HOTEL

The reimagined Disneyland Hotel creates a fun, family destination that pays tribute to the early days of Disneyland. 973 rooms are spread across three themed towers that feature an energy-efficient sky-blue reflective glass exterior. The Fantasy Tower lobby showcases Mary Blair artwork, creating an instant connection to “it’s a small world.” The Frontier Tower features a scale model of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the lobby. At the Adventure Tower, guests will see Jungle Cruise characters incorporated into the design.

The AAA Four Diamond hotel is also home to a unique collection of themed suites immersing guests in a way only Disney can, including the Mickey Mouse Penthouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, Adventureland, Big Thunder and Fairy Tale suites.

Guests of all ages will enjoy an immersive water play area and courtyard. With a nod to the iconic original park signage, a replica of the original Mark 1 Monorail Car sits at the entrance of two water slides, paying tribute to nostalgic Disneyland. No tickets are required at the D-Ticket and E-ticket pools, which draw their names from the iconic ticket books that were used in the early days of Disneyland to experience attractions. The area also features a Minnie Mouse-themed outdoor spa. In addition, six cabanas are available; each features a flat screen TV, refrigerator, safe, phone, and ceiling fan.

For dining experiences, Tangaroa Terrace features Island-inspired fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals are prepared to order and delivered to their tables either inside or on the large outdoor patio.

Trader Sam’s – Enchanted Tiki Bar, named after Trader Sam, Disney’s Jungle Cruise “head salesman,” features interactive special effects blended with classic Disney storytelling. Trader Sam’s serves a mix of creative appetizers and signature cocktails like the “Uh Oa!” (light and dark rums with orange, passion fruit, guava and grapefruit juices) or the “Shipwreck on the Rocks” (bourbon, lemon, mint and organic agave nectar). Live music performed on the patio in the evening adds to the fun environment.

For families or individuals preferring a high degree of service, the Disneyland Hotel features concierge-level rooms with upgraded in-room amenities and complimentary access to the exclusive concierge lounge.  Meetings are easily accommodated within the hotel’s 136,000-square-feet of function space, and a business center provides a variety of services.

DISNEY’S GRAND CALIFORNIAN HOTEL & SPA

Capturing the spirit of early California through inspiring design and daring architecture, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is a deluxe 948-room resort hotel property, offering a premium option for business or pleasure visits to the Disneyland Resort.

This AAA Four Diamond hotel is the first Disney resort hotel in the world to be located inside a theme park – Disney California Adventure – making stays at the deluxe hotel a uniquely themed experience.  The Grand also is home to the first Disney Vacation Club Villas on the West Coast.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa celebrates the romantic Arts & Crafts movement of early 20^th century California.  Designed to capture the artistic exploration of California’s coastlines with its Monterey pines and redwood forests, the hotel is layered with the memories of the arroyo craftsmen, the mission pioneers and the Plein Air school of painters.

Among the deluxe guestrooms are standard rooms, artisan suites, two vice presidential suites and two presidential suites. In addition, the Resort offers more than 20,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, ranging from the 12,000-square-foot Sequoia ballroom to smaller conference rooms and a sophisticated boardroom.

The deluxe hotel features 24-hour room service, its own entry gate into Disney California Adventure, and rooms that overlook both the theme park and the exciting Downtown Disney District.  For corporate meeting guests, the hotel features meeting planner offices, a business center and separate meetings and conventions check-in facilities.

Food and beverage facilities include the AAA Four Diamond restaurant Napa Rose, as well as Storytellers Cafe and Hearthstone Lounge.  Guests will enjoy two heated pools and a themed water slide, two whirlpools, a children’s pool, and a concierge level with upgraded amenities and services.

DISNEY’S PARADISE PIER HOTEL

Guests return to the heyday of California beachfront boardwalks at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.  Loaded with special Disney touches, this seaside-themed hotel overlooks Paradise Pier, one of the most colorful sections of the Disney California Adventure, making its name and theme a natural fit.

This hotel offers charming facilities and superb service, with a fun California beachfront theme including recently remodeled seaside-themed rooms.  The hotel is festively painted and decorated to reflect the theme, and some guests enjoy a view of the colorful Paradise Pier district of the park right from their room, along with the “World of Color” nighttime water spectacular.

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel takes pride in being one of the finest hotels in its class.  The 15-story, high-rise structure features 481 guest rooms, including remodeled suites and a recently renovated rooftop pool and whirlpool, a fitness center, lobby bar and coffeehouse, poolside bar, gift shops and game arcade.

In Disney’s PCH Grill, guests can take a trip along California’s famous Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), for a celebration of the state’s culinary diversity and fresh spirit.  Offered daily, “Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends,” is a lively character dining experience where families can snap photos, practice hula hooping and learn how to ride a wave with Mickey Mouse and other favorite Disney characters. Disney’s PCH Grill also offers the Beach Side Bonfire Dinner Buffet, where guests can enjoy a taste of the picnics, barbecues and bonfires that often happen along the Pacific Coast Highway beaches.

For hotel reservations, call (714) 956-MICKEY or contact a travel representative.  For information on group rates and meeting accommodations, call the Disneyland Resort sales office at (714) 956-6556.   For general Disneyland Resort information, call (714) 781-4565 or visit www.disneyland.com.