The time has finally come. The Main Street Electrical Parade is leaving the Magic Kingdom for the third time in its historic run. The parade debuted at Disneyland in 1972 and periodically appeared in the park until 1996, dazzling audiences no matter what version of the parade they saw for generations. The parade began its illustrious stroll through the Vacation Kingdom of the World in 1977 and was instantly received with rapturous acclaim and admiration. In 1991, it was shipped to Euro Disneyland to help with the initial debacle across the Atlantic with poor attendance reports and terrible critical and fan response. However, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Main Street Electrical Parade (henceforth referred to as MSEP) came back with vengeance to the Magic Kingdom in 1999, but was soon yet again taken away in 2001 to ironically help with another struggling new Disney park, in this case being Disney's California Adventure. When the MSEP left the Magic Kingdom in 2001, it seemed as if it would never return to the park again. I mean, you can bring something back once, but not twice, right? Nostalgia can only go so far, correct?
Disney would unfortunately beg to differ because in 2010, the MSEP made yet another triumphant return to the Magic Kingdom for what was originally scheduled as a limited engagement probably to suffice diehard Disney fans and retro fanatics. However, in 2012, that limited marking was removed and the parade became a staple for the nightlife at the Magic Kingdom, and at the time of this writing, the MSEP has officially concluded its third run at the Magic Kingdom and will soon be shipped back to Disneyland for one last running in 2017 (side note: I hope one of the floats has a 'return to sender' tag on it because why not?). It is a rather sad time for Disney fans around the world because many hold the MSEP in such high regard and it has a very special place in their heart and it always will.
For me, while I respect the MSEP's historical and retro place in the grand scheme of the Magic Kingdom, it's time to say goodbye once and for all to the parade that should have retired for good twenty years ago.
Now, don't misunderstand my position. I like the MSEP, I really do (even though my co-hosts on The Mouse Knows Best Podcast might beg to differ), and I am most definitely a huge fan of Disney history and believe there is no better Disney World than retro Disney World. However, the outrage and depressing nature surrounding the conclusion of the MSEP's third run at the Magic Kingdom is emblematic of a major problem a lot of Disney fans possess (myself included, on occasion). If you're like me and have been a Disney fanatic for your entire life, you become emotionally invested and attached to certain attractions. Quite a bit of people feel this way about the MSEP because they probably first experienced the parade as a child and it was absolutely spell-binding, and as time wore on, it only became more enchanting and magical. Due to this high regard we place certain aspects of Disney World in, if retirement, overlaying, removal, or something along those lines threatens that attraction or show, we feel as if we have somehow been personally violated, believing that Disney has infringed upon our rights by failing to consult us on their decision to do what they want to do with their properties.
Unfortunately, this feeling sadly leads to completely ignoring the potential validity of the succeeding replacement. The perfect example, to venture outside of the MSEP discussion for a moment, is the controversy currently surrounding the Guardians of the Galaxy overlay of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure. The Tower of Terror is a glorious attraction in its original form. There is simply no denying that fact, but upon the first break of news that Star Lord and company would soon be replacing Rod Serling, Disney fans worldwide were immediately up in arms and sent into an irrational frenzy. Before the first change was ever made to the Tower, fans were already writing off the possible success of Guardians: BREAKOUT (yeah, that name is strange, I know. And what's with the all caps? But I digress). This is totally unfair to the Guardians attraction, and I understand that everyone has a right to their own opinion and I am by no means telling anyone that their opinion is irrelevant because it most certainly is relevant, but this notion that an attraction is doomed from the start simply because it is replacing a beloved current attraction is absurdity to me. Now, this new Guardians attraction could be a complete and utter disaster, but we have no idea of knowing that until we actually experience the attraction, which won't occur for another half year at best.
Bringing it back to the MSEP, while Disney has yet to announce a replacement for the classic nighttime spectacular (or if they will even replace it in the first place), I fear Disney fans have already resigned themselves to the thought that whatever is next is destined to fall short of the MSEP's standard. Read this carefully: just because something is new doesn't meab that it won't be great in its own right. We need to stop comparing attractions, shows, parades, and so forth while determining which is superior. We must instead focus on what makes those experiences so memorable in their own unique way. Take, for example, the debate all Disney fans have at some point: which Magic Kingdom mountain is the best? In an effort to justify your selection for this question, we end up splitting hairs and finding faults with the other two mountains in order to boost your case for your pick for the best. To me, while I certainly have a favorite mountain in this case (my selection is satisfactual, after all), I admit that they are all equally great, classical, and quite perfect as well. Whatever Disney decides to replace the MSEP with will inevitably be compared to it just as SpectroMagic was initially compared to the original MSEP in the early 2000's. I implore you to keep an open mind about these things. By doing so, who knows...you might find yourself concluding that the MSEP's replacement is actually better than the spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination.
When you take a look at what Disney has done with other nighttime parades (the aforementioned SpectroMagic and Disneyland's Paint the Night in particular, for the sake of this conversation), there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic about nightlife in the Magic Kingdom post-MSEP. SpectroMagic was the far superior Magic Kingdom nighttime parade (and no, that's not unfairly comparing MSEP with Spectro...that is a blatant fact), and Paint the Night is a visual and audible extravaganza that will delight and enthrall even the hardest of hearts. Whatever Disney comes up with next will undoubtedly be something that will be beloved and well-respected for years to come (and even more beloved and well-respected upon its third return to the Magic Kingdom, probably). The current attitude towards the MSEP's departure is a prime example of nostalgia gone wrong. It is totally normal and completely acceptable to long for the Disney of yesterday, but no matter how much you and I want that Disney to return, it's simply not happening. The past is the past, and we cannot do a thing to change that, for better or for worse. We can only live in the here and now while looking forward to the great big, beautiful tomorrow. The MSEP had its time and place, but now is the time to say goodbye. We had six years to celebrate its place in Disney history and storied legacy, but we must now move on. Don't beg Disney to bring back the MSEP for a fourth time (please, for the sake of my sanity, don't do that); instead, let's look ahead and look forward to whatever Disney has up their sleeves next because odds are that it will be just as great as the MSEP.
President John F. Kennedy once said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future." I more than welcome you to revere and remember the past, especially when it comes to Disney history. I try to do that every single day, but there comes a time when we must realize that sometimes, we have to say farewell to something even when it is rather difficult and we would like nothing more than to not say farewell at all. Change is inevitable, so for me, while I respect the fool out of you, MSEP, so long and good riddance. Maybe now, nighttime at the Magic Kingdom can get a much needed update into the twenty-first century.
-Cody Fleenor
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