Will Music Rain on Their Parade?

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.

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.