Advertisement

Will Music Rain on Their Parade?

Share via
E. Scott Reckard covers tourism for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7407 and at scott.reckard@latimes.com

The soundtrack for a new Disneyland parade debuting next month is Sir Edward Elgar’s stately “Pomp and Circumstance,” a composition that, at the request of Disney boss Michael Eisner, also was used in a segment of Disney’s animated movie, “Fantasia/2000.”

Floats with Disney characters atop cloud banks were rolled out this week for filming a commercial. The music, associated with graduation processions, played over and over.

A peppier backup soundtrack is on hold and will replace “Pomp” if the Elgar piece proves too sluggish to be popular with an amusement park audience, a source inside the park reported.

Advertisement

Park aficionados may recall how Light Magic, a pricey high-tech 1997 street extravaganza, bombed as a replacement to Disneyland’s long-running Main Street Electrical Parade. The “45 Years of Magic” parade is designed by Jean-Luc Choplin, who created the more traditional and generally well-received “Mulan” parade two years ago.

The “Magic” parade, an elaborate new fireworks show and an updated “Autopia” ride are this year’s added attractions as Disneyland celebrates its 45th anniversary.

Advertisement