Disneyland PAINT THE NIGHT Parade Premieres for 60th Anniversary

It’s been years since Disneyland has had a nighttime parade, so when it was announced they’d be getting their own version of the Hong Kong Disneyland PAINT THE NIGHT parade for the upcoming 60th anniversary, excitement quickly grew to a fever pitch.  If you’ve ever seen the Main Street Electrical Parade and/or SpectroMagic, Disneyland Paint the Night feels like both of these have come together to create one SPECTACULAR parade! It hits the mark on all points, even down to the very catchy song (I already want the soundtrack!).

Tinkerbell sprinkles her pixie dust along the parade route (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Tink is followed by Peter Pan, who sits atop a giant float that introduces the Paint the Night Electrical Parade (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Peter Pan’s float continuously changes (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Adventures by Daddy contributor, Sarah Woloski shares a few fun fact for Disneyland Paint The Night:

• It’s the first-ever parade lit almost entirely by LED lights.
• Only 2 places can you find incandescent lights: the tip of Tinker Bell’s wand and in Rapunzel’s flickering lanterns
• Some lights are sewn into the costume fabric and some are sculpted pieces worn by the performers.
• Including the video screens, the parade contains more than 1.5 million sources of light.

When choosing the eight characters and/or stories represented in each of the Parade Floats, Sayre Wiseman, (Executive, Parades & Spectaculars, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment) assured us that they chose them based on the emotions represented and what makes a good story.

I’ve long wondered what happened to the giant illuminated puppets from the early days of World of Color. They’ve found new life in Paint the Night! (photo by Sarah Woloski)

Each door on the Monsters, Inc. float is a video screen. You never know who’ll be on the other side! (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Mack’s float is really impressive (photo by Sarah Woloski)

As Mack passes, you see his trailer is FILLED with little lights, and it’s like he’s carrying his very own dance club - complete with DJ on his back (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Each float is led by a group of performers on foot - these lovely coral ladies introduce The Little Mermaid float. (photo by Chrysty Summers)

The Little Mermaid (photo by Sarah Woloski)

A larger than life Belle introduces the princesses (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Rapunzel (photo by Sarah Woloski)

Cinderella (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Of course, any new Disney show wouldn’t be complete without Frozen (photo by Chrysty Summers)

Olaf gets to join the fun! (photo by Sarah Woloski)

Donald, Goofy, and Minnie lead in the final float on these spheres reminiscent of the Electrical Light Parade and SpectroMagic (photo by Chrysty Summers)

The grand finale features Sorcerer Mickey and pictures just cannot do it justice. It really should be seen in motion. (Photo by Chrysty Summers)

Of the three new shows introduced for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary, World of Color: Celebrate!, Paint The Night Parade, and Disneyland Forever, the Paint The Night parade is definitely my favorite.  It has a wonderful energy, blending classic Disney storytelling with an impressive, modern twist, and is sure to be a hit for years to come.

Sarah’s thoughts on the parade:

The Walt Disney Company has always been good at taking something nostalgic and bringing it to life in the present. This is exactly what PAINT THE NIGHT does. Even the parade song is an updated version of the very familiar Main Street Electrical Parade song. According to Scott Trowbridge, Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, bringing nostalgia to the present is why they chose the much-beloved Main Street Electrical Parade as a jumping-off point for PAINT THE NIGHT.

You can also listen to the full Skywalking Through Neverland Podcast episode all about Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration featuring sound clips from the show, Imagineer interviews, and so much more, click below.

Direct Link | iTunes Link

Which new show for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary are you most looking forward to?   For more family travel news, reviews, and trip reports, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.