when do parades change?

[206bones]

We were at WDW 2/03 & we have decided to return in 11/04. I checked the parades online last night & it looks like they are all the same as last Feb.. Does anyone know when they will be changing parades?

Thanks.

Seeing the same Disney parade is better than seeing no Disney parade at all.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

They usually keep the same parade for a couple of years. I think they change it when they're celebrating something, for example, their 25 year anniv. or something like that. I haven't heard that they're changing it anytime soon.

 

[Cinderella37]

It depends on the whim of WDW entertainment. SpectroMagic has been running for quite a while now, so one would assume that a new parade may be in the works, but it's never safe to assume with WDW. The afternoon parades usually run for five years, I believe. Usually if there is a big event/marketing campaign (i.e. 100 Years of Magic), the afternoon parade will reflect that. Maybe we'll see something new as part of the birthday party for Disneyland.

 

[kilee]

The parades are still the same as 2/03. I think there is a slight chance to that they may change next May (2005) with the opening of all the new attractions and the Disneyland B-day.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by Cinderella37
It depends on the whim of WDW entertainment.

It's not exactly a "whim" ... it depends on a lot of things. If there's a special event, how popular the current parade is with guests, what kind of money Marketing is willing to part with, what's going on in all the other Disney parks ...

Parades like Spectro don't change very often because guests consider them to be "classics." Parades like Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade will have a shorter shelf life because they're a bit more generic. The MK parade usually has a life of 3-5 years, depending on whether it was developed for a special event (like 25 Years of Magic) or not (like Mickey Mania). Other parades have basically the same life, but it may take longer to get a new show on the street at Epcot or DAK than at MK. MK is where the parade is expected ... guaranteed. The other parks -- particularly Epcot and DAK -- use them as added "wow" but not necessarily mandatory. The themes need to be more specific and targeted at those two parks, so development time is usually longer.