Disneyland to Pull the Plug on Electrical Parade in 1996
After 23 years of lighting up summer nights on Main Street, Disneyland has announced that its famed electrical parade will be replaced by a high-tech extravaganza in 1997. The new attraction will feature lasers, fiber optics and projections, according to executives.
“Walt [Disney] always said Disneyland would not be complete without imagination,” said Mike Davis, vice president of entertainment of Disneyland. “After 20 years-plus it’s time to move on.” Davis estimates that more than 75 million visitors have watched the procession since its first run in 1972.
The traditional Main Street Electrical Parade, which displays costume dancers among more than 500,000 tiny colored lights in 30 floats, will begin its final season next March and continue through October, officials said. The new parade will spotlight the theme park’s classic characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto, Davis said.
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