What was missing so that the Disneyland parks felt as if there had never been a pandemic arrived a few days ago: the fabulous parades of lights, the fireworks with the laser show and –the most longed for by the fans of these parks– the hugs from Mickey Mouse and his friends.
“It already feels a little more formal,” said Mirna Hughes, Disney parks synergy manager. “We are returning to things that feel familiar […] It already feels like home.”
Some experiences in the resort parks had been canceled or restricted, such as the physical approach between guests and Disney characters. Since the parks reopened a year ago, it was only possible to interact with Mickey and his minions from several feet away, as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
With the drop in the infection rate in California, entertainment at the resort has been gradually reintegrated. At the end of April, three of the most iconic attractions returned to the program that existed before the pandemic with the hope that everything will continue indefinitely.
One of the events that caused more revelry with its return was the Main Street Electrical Parade, or Main Street Electrical Parade, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. To celebrate, a float was added to the end whose design was inspired by the art style of the attraction known as “It’s a small world”.
The float, which carries a message of unity, has seven segments that together measure 36 meters long and carries a dozen stories from the Walt Disney Animation and Pixar studios. It is one of the longest and largest sequences in the history of the parade and features dolls representing various characters from films such as “Charm”, “The Jungle Book”, “Coco” and “Mulan”. The parade continues its presentations until the end of the summer.
Disneyland Forever is also back at Disneyland, the fireworks and laser shows that had been relegated since the reopening of the park. This attraction, which debuted in 2015 during the Disney Resort Diamond Celebration, brings to life not only the fireworks, but the multidimensional projections on Main Street USA, Sleeping Beauty’s castle and other locations in the park. Disneyland Forever takes place from Friday to Sunday in the spring; in the summer it will be held every night.
“This show is literally from the street to the sky,” Hughes said. “There are projections that surround visitors and take them through the history of when this place had orange trees, since Walt Disney had the vision to create the park.”
The third attraction to return is World of Color, Disney California Adventure’s nightly water fountain show that combines music, fire, mist and laser effects with animated sequences. And on May 28, but at Disneyland, Fantasmic! will be revived, a similar show – with its own theme – that celebrates 30 years of existence. In it, Mickey Mouse creates events and images similar to those in films like ‘Fantasia’, ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’.
“This is also a classic, with the music of ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,'” the spokeswoman said. “All of this makes a visit to the park perfect.”
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