Fantasmic at Disneyland Returning Soon
Disneyland Resort just got serious about fleshing out its 2022 calendar.
The parks announced the returns of several beloved attractions. Here’s what we just found out about them.
The New Main Street Electrical Parade
You should mark April 22nd on your calendars, as that’s when many of your favorites finally return after a two-year absence.
The Main Street Electrical Parade will return at Disneyland Park on that date. Better yet, Imagineers have updated the beloved parade for its 50th anniversary.
The new version will follow the recent Disney trend of leaning heavily into modern intellectual properties.
As you know, Encanto has recently emerged as Disney’s hottest new movie since Frozen.
So, the Main Street Electrical Parade will add an Encanto float starring Mirabel and Antonio. Note that there’s no talk of Bruno.
Disney has also introduced elements from Aladdin, Brave, Coco, Jungle Book, Mulan, The Princess and the Frog, and Raya and the Last Dragon.
Interestingly, the new floats will possess dual sides. You’ll find different characters on each side.
For this reason, you’ll want to watch it twice to appreciate all the new stuff.
Obviously, the Main Street Electrical Parade has always stood out as Disney’s most patriotic exhibition.
This new version will dial down that aspect in favor of Disney characters who have captured the public’s adoration during the 21st century. It’s part of Disney’s overall shift toward modernization.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Disney has even dropped the stars-and-stripes/American flag float at the conclusion, along with the bald eagle.
Now, the unquestioned star is Disney entertainment, not 8-bit American history or 1970s nostalgia.
On the plus side, Imagineers have styled the new float elements after the art of Mary Blair, the iconic Disney illustrator. I’m looking forward to seeing that.
Also Coming in April
Disneyland Resort isn’t stopping with the Main Street Electrical Parade, either. Two other nighttime presentations will return on April 22nd, as well.
Yes, one of them is World of Color! The beloved Disney California Adventure presentation last ran in March of 2020. Now, it’ll come back in less than two months.
Reports suggest that cast members are working hard on the projection towers in Paradise Bay at Disney California Adventure.
Otherwise, the exhibition will closely resemble the one you remember. Here’s a quick reminder about World of Color’s colorful brilliance:
On that same date, Disneyland Forever finally comes back as well. Here’s a video from its opening night in 2015:
This one’s a bit of a surprise in that Disneyland Forever was ostensibly a 60th-anniversary exhibition.
You may recall that Disney announced a final date for Disneyland Forever in September of 2019.
Disney wants to prove that it has fully recovered from the pandemic, which recent attendance confirms anyway. So, it’s readying all its nighttime events. And there’s one more to come!
Fantasmic!
We’ve already discussed three presentations, each of which stakes a claim as the best of Disneyland Resort’s nightly events. In May, another returns.
Yes, on May 28th, Fantasmic! will appear again at the Rivers of America.
Frankly, I’m surprised by that date, as it reflects a missed opportunity for Disney.
May 13th marks the 30th anniversary of Fantasmic!. So, I’d operated under the assumption that the show would come back before then.
The explanation for Disney missing that date makes sense, though. Cast members are currently working on the water screens for Fantasmic!.
That project has taken many months already and apparently isn’t close enough to completion to make the 30th-anniversary date.
Still, you should expect Disney to commemorate Fantasmic!’s birthday on May 13th and probably May 28th as well.
So, by the start of Memorial Day weekend, all four of these exhibitions will be back on the menu at the Happiest Place on Earth!
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