Electrical Parade in October 2008?

[Catgyrl]

In preparation for my upcoming October trip, I was checking out the October 2007 schedule on laughingplace.com, and I didn't see any performances of the Electrical Parade for that month. (I checked there since Disney doesn't have this coming October's schedule up yet.) Do they stop this at the beginning of September and resume it in December? As many times as I've seen this parade, I will be a bit bummed if I can't see it again. Thanks!

 

[DangerMouse]

The DEP goes dark after Labor Day and doesn't return until its short run during peak Christmas time. Then it goes dark again until Spring Break peak and runs weekends until Summer, when it begins running daily.

So sorry, you won't be seeing it in October.

 

[Catgyrl]

Thank you so much, DangerMouse! One to scratch off my list.

 

[trodrigue]

What about president's week in Feb? TIA

 

[DangerMouse]

What about president's week in Feb? TIA

Nope, not running then, either. Sorry.

 

[Sy-]

Well that sux... I really wanted my 2 year old DS to see it when we go for his first visit in Oct. Hope they have some other good parades available.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Gotta go during the peak seasons if you want to see all the shows and parades. If you're lucky to get low crowds, you are trading that for not having the shows/parades running and more rides being down for rehab.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Actually, when we there in January (this year) the Electrical Parade was runing on weekends (this was mid January, well after the Christmas season). I looked on laughinplace just now, and it seems that in Feb, March, April and May, it was also running on weekends. So maybe they won't completely darken it after Labor Day as they have before. I just know that after Christmas of 2007, it would appear they ran it most if not all weekends and then after Memorial Day started it nightly again. On that calendar, the first two weeks of February had no information listed for DCA entertainment, so not sure if it was running those two weekends or not but it was the weekends after that.

So maybe those of us visiting in the fall this year will luck out. So far the September schedule for Disneyland doesn't have it listed, but its early yet. I am going to keep my fingers crossed, just on the off chance!

 

[DangerMouse]

Actually, when we there in January (this year) the Electrical Parade was runing on weekends (this was mid January, well after the Christmas season). I looked on laughinplace just now, and it seems that in Feb, March, April and May, it was also running on weekends. So maybe they won't completely darken it after Labor Day as they have before. I just know that after Christmas of 2007, it would appear they ran it most if not all weekends and then after Memorial Day started it nightly again.

So maybe those of us visiting in the fall this year will luck out. So far the September schedule for Disneyland doesn't have it listed, but its early yet. I am going to keep my fingers crossed, just on the off chance!

The reason the schedule was different at the beginning of this year is because they removed Block Party Bash right after the Christmas season to move it to WDW. So DCA would have been without a parade completely, so they left the DEP in place until the new Pixar Play Parade was unveiled in March during Spring Break. Traditionally, over the years, the DEP has kept the same schedule, only varying for situations like I just mentioned.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Well that makes sense. I know that during most (if not all its been awhile) of 2004, until Disneyland had fireworks again (after they canned Believe but before they had Imagine) they had the Electrical Parade on the weekends at DCA to sort of compensate. I really wish they would run it weekends again the fall, that was so nice when we went in January. It never hurts to hope I guess!

I have to add, some cm at DCA last January told my husband that they were going to test having it on the weekends during the offseason to see if they could pull some of the crowds out of DL and into DCA after dark. But you know how some of those rumors go, who knows if that was true or not. I had forgotten about Block Party Bash.

 

[Amy&Dan]

And speaking of the Electrical Parade, my husband is on Miceage and they are saying the EP will move back to Disneyland as the Main Street Electrical Parade again in the spring of 2009. Very interesting!

Lots of you may know this, I haven't been on the DL board much until the last week or so, so I haven't been seeing much in the way of news and rumors!

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Would be nice if they always at least had it running on the weekends. I'm sure they'd still have a packed house for it year round on weekends!

 

[dizneekrazee]

And speaking of the Electrical Parade, my husband is on Miceage and they are saying the EP will move back to Disneyland as the Main Street Electrical Parade again in the spring of 2009. Very interesting!

That is interesting. How do you think DL would be able to accomidate ELP, F!, and fireworks?? That would have an enormous amount of people in the park

I for one loved the ELP when it was on Main ST. (in fact, I have one of the original bulbs in my room!!), and while I would still love it there, I think that is too much nighttime entertainment. It is hard enough fighting through crowds when all this is going on, it is like you are locked into 1 land of the park until all is over.

I know DCA is going to have their own nighttime water show like F! coming in I think 2009, but no need to get rid of the parade IMHO. Is 2009 also the year The Little Mermaid ride is suppose to open? I cant remember.

EDIT:Wonderful World of Color (water show) is supposed to start showing in 2010 ( a year later than planned). The Little Mermaid ride is suppose to open in 2011 (a year later than planned). Possible re-doing of the entire SF area, and Walt Disney Plaza planned unveiling is also 2011, for the 10th anniversary of the park. Carsland still planned as 2012. And of course, Aladdin at the Hyperion theatre closing 9/2/08-at least late October, is this for the rumored closing of Aladdin and unveiling of Tarzan?? Only time will tell. While I love Aladdin show, I would love to see a new show as well.

 

[Amy&Dan]

That is interesting. How do you think DL would be able to accomidate ELP, F!, and fireworks?? That would have an enormous amount of people in the park

I for one loved the ELP when it was on Main ST. (in fact, I have one of the original bulbs in my room!!), and while I would still love it there, I think that is too much nighttime entertainment. It is hard enough fighting through crowds when all this is going on, it is like you are locked into 1 land of the park until all is over.

I know DCA is going to have their own nighttime water show like F! coming in I think 2009, but no need to get rid of the parade IMHO. Is 2009 also the year The Little Mermaid ride is suppose to open? I cant remember.

Here is the link to the Al Lutz article, he talks about the logistics of how complicated this would be for the very reasons you mention:

http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al040808d.htm

I guess if they did the EP at 9:00, Remember at 10:00 and Fantasmic after that then it could sort of work. They do Wishes between two Spectro's at the MK but that's not really an valid comparison because nothing in WDW's MK can compare to the nighttime crowds at DL when Remember and F! are running. To add EP to the mix seems crazy. Bear in mind this is just a rumor/article by Al Lutz.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Thanks for that link. Yea, I know it could be a rumor, alot of the info we are given could be because they may make plans, and then change them, and we would never really know, so it turns out to look like a rumor. Does that make since ? It did in my head!!

Only time will tell....