Disney Has a Bright Idea for Fund-Raiser

Who’d pay $10 for a used lightbulb?

Disneyland is aiming to find out with a charity fund-raiser connected to the Main Street Electrical Parade, which is set to flicker out this fall after 25 seasons.

Rather than scrap the half-million-plus lightbulbs on the parade floats, Disneyland brass came up with the bright idea of hawking them to raise money for local children’s causes. Disneyland President Paul Pressler is expected to announce the fund-raiser tonight at the park, just prior to the 8:45 p.m. start of the parade.

Disney hopes to raise more than $1 million by capitalizing on visitors’ nostalgia for the venerable procession, according to Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato.

“It’s a chance for people to get a piece of history,” he said.

The park will begin taking orders for the bulbs tonight, but buyers won’t receive them until after the parade’s final run Oct. 15 to prevent the show from looking like a burned-out Las Vegas billboard.

Most orders should be filled in time for the holiday season, but if you’re longing for a piece of a particular float, forget it. For a mere 10 bucks, the Disneyland demolition crew members aren’t going to track the genealogy of your bulb, but they do promise to put it in a display-quality container.

Order forms for the lightbulbs will be available at Disneyland or by calling Guest Relations at (714) 781-4565.