Paint the Night: New Disneyland Parade Debuts

The fresh procession fetes the Magic Kingdom's Diamond Anniversary.

FERVENT FEELINGS: Ask any longtime Magic Kingdom maven to rhapsodize about a favorite element or ride or treat from the past, and you're likely to get a host of colorful answers. The PeopleMover, that wonder of Tomorrowland, will probably get a shout-out. Adventure Thru Inner Space, too (how did they make the riders so tiny?) often gets the love, too, as does the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train. But every serious Mouseketeer will, at some point in the nostalgia-laden conversation, say the words "Main Street Electrical Parade." The bulb-blinky, sweetly whimsical procession wended through the park after sundown, and its upbeat, hard-to-stop-humming theme song? Well, if you don't have it in your head, instantly, right now, we can only bet you're going to have to Google it at some point today.

SPARKLE SPECTACULAR: The glowtastic parade was retired at Disney California Adventure in 2010 -- well, before making its way to Walt Disney World -- but Orange County-based aficionados have been itching for a lively revisit. They're about to get it, though it is not the Electrical Parade from the past. It's Paint the Night, a "state-of-the-art" extravaganza "Honoring Disney's Electrical Parade Heritage." The introduction of the new evening spectacular is a big element in the theme park's big 60th anniversary celebrations, which officially kick off on May 22.

SPOT THE ROSETTE: Tinker Bell is one of the parade participants, and fans along the route are encouraged to keep an eye on her wand, which includes a pretty rosette straight from the Main Street Electrical Parade. A drum in Paint the Night also summons memories of an Electrical Parade component of yore. Want to see a behind-the-scenes-y peek before you head for the park and find your spot on the curb? Here's how a few details came together on the old-meets-new-meets-wow parade...

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