WDW "history" questions about parades and Illuminations.

[pjlla]

First question.... does any one know the name of the parade that was playing in the MK in 1992? My DH and I were there on our honeymoon and I was looking at the photos the other day. There were several LARGE balloons of the characters on the floats. It was kind of a mardi gras/carnival type atmosphere. I was also watching Full House on Nick at NIght last night and they were filming at the WDW and they showed the same parade, so it was apparently the same parade they had in 1993.

Second question.... Was Illuminations playing back in 1992? We also have photos from Epcot of some sort of fireworks/pyrotechnics show over the lagoon. Was that Illuminations? Or was it something different back then?

Thanks for any help.....................P

 

[pjlla]

Self-serving bump here.... don't make me go ask over at the CB.... I really thought someone here would have the answer for me!...P

 

[WDSearcher]

You're thinking of the "Party Gras" parade, otherwise known as the "Surprise Celebration Parade." It ran for several years.

As for "IllumiNations" .... that premiered on January 30, 1988, and was still running in 1992. It hadn't yet become anything else. Still the original version.

 

[pjlla]

Wow.... So I have seen Illuminations!! I've always said that I have never seen it!! Yeah me! And thanks for the parade name. Hopefully SOME DAY I will get around to scrapping the honeymoon and it will be nice to have a name for the parade. Where did you find this info, btw?? Some secret source?? .....P

 

[PandyPaws]

The Illuminations presentation is not the same as it was1992...it's had minor changes a couple of times over the years, however the present show began with the Millennium and is quite different now than it was. It used to 'showcase' each country around the 'world' and used a lot of laser lights. There was also a laser outline of the globe projected onto Spaceship Earth at the end, which is no longer done.
The current show uses a floating globe on the water with images projected through hundreds of monitors, and also uses pyrotechnics with fire explosions from pontoons on the water.

 

[pjlla]

So maybe I can say I saw the "original" Illuminations? ......P

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by pjlla
Where did you find this info, btw?? Some secret source?? .....P

Well ... I worked on the Party Gras parade, and I was working at Epcot when IllumiNations opened.

 

[pjlla]

Lucky you!..............P

 

[JudithM]

I just found my scrapbook of our May 1992 trip to WDW. A couple of quotes probably from a MK guide:

"Surprise Celebration Parade The biggest, most colorful parade ever sings and dances its way down Main Street, U.S.A.!"

"Surprise Celebration Parade, a procession of Disney characters up to 40 feet tall"


From the EPCOT guide during the same trip:

"IllumiNatons, presented by G.E. A symphony of lights, lasers, fireworks, and music lights up the sky over World Showcase Lagoon"

 

[pjlla]

Thanks so much ! I will print those and save them in case, eventually, I ever get the time to scrap our honeymoon!......P