When does the Main Street Electrical Parade end?

[MinniesYooHoo]

I can't seem to find it on the Disney website. Anyone know when the last dates are? We just booked a last minute trip in October and was hoping (In vain I'm sure) that maybe it would be extended a bit.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

End dates have not been released yet to my knowledge.

 

[MinniesYooHoo]

So maybe there is a slight chance it will still be there? I know not to get my hopes up, but it is my all time favorite parade and we barely missed it on our last trip at the end of April. I booked a very impromptu trip with the "Monster" code for October and was just hoping it may still be there. Maybe we'll get some Pixie Dust!!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

The MSEP is currently scheduled to end on August 14th. That is the ending date that was given when Summer Nightastic was first announced, and it is the last day the MSEP is listed on the WDW calendar. Spectromagic is listed for 8/15 and after.

There has been some speculation that the MSEP will stay on after the 14th, but nothing of that nature has been announced by WDW yet.

 

[carrie1626]

August 14th Saturday is posted as the last day.

 

[All7OfUs]

Has anyone heard recently about Disney possibly extending these dates??

 

[Robo]

Has anyone heard recently about Disney possibly extending these dates??

Nothing yet.

Stay tuned.

 

[Elisa]

What is the difference between the 2 parades? I was there in '90 and '94 and then again '05, '06, '07 and don't remember a difference except that they stopped having the adorable yet creepy characters with trumpets and riding on balls at the beginning.

 

[Robo]

they stopped having the adorable yet creepy characters with trumpets and riding on balls at the beginning.

They never stopped that (for any extended time, anyway) for SpectroMagic.

They did change the "faces" on those characters from lighted clown masks to (non-lighted) painted clown faces.

 

[Robo]

What is the difference between the 2 parades?

Other than they are both "lighted parades," they feature:

Completely different music.
Spectro offers a fully orchestrated score with many
vocal performances of adults and childrens' chorus' during the show.
MSEP/DEP features an electronic keyboard score and virtually no
choral singing.
(There is a single "Vocorder" filtered electronic voice heard at the beginning and end
of this parade.)

Different floats featuring different films and lighted "creatures."

Different mix of characters.
For instance, Tinker Bell is now very prominently featured in the MSEP/DP.


.

 

[BalooHoo]

There has been some speculation that the MSEP will stay on after the 14th, but nothing of that nature has been announced by WDW yet.

Does anyone know the source of the speculation that MSEP will extend beyond 8/14? I've heard those rumors, but I have never seen a source for it other than hope. Is is based upon a tip from a CM? A blogger's post? Disney's past history? Something else? Is there anyone out there who can reassure us that this is a real possibility rather than false hope?

 

[4orm]

I believe I read somewhere the contract for MSEP was over a year and didn't they ship out Spectro to another park?

 

[Robo]

Does anyone know the source of the speculation that MSEP will extend beyond 8/14?

There are a multitude of "inside-Disney" reasons.

Suffice it to say that while DEP/MSEP may not be extended at all past Aug. 14,
I'd put the odds that it WILL be extended past Aug. 14 at well over 50%.

But, as always, regardless of anyone's predictions and actual plans (including those made by the managers inside Disney) things can change that will alter those plans at any time.

 

[Normduck]

I was looking on the Disney web site for MK calendar for August, and there are no parade listed when I'll be there in start of August.

Can I be sure there will be a parade in August? Or is it just Disney beeing slow to adjust their web site?

I really want to see a parade, it's our first time at Disney.

 

[Dorisk3]

Does anyone know the source of the speculation that MSEP will extend beyond 8/14? I've heard those rumors, but I have never seen a source for it other than hope. Is is based upon a tip from a CM? A blogger's post? Disney's past history? Something else? Is there anyone out there who can reassure us that this is a real possibility rather than false hope?

I think it comes down to money. Is Disney going to bring in a parade for a two short month run? Since they are usually looking for ways to economize, my guess is that it's going to be around for a lot longer than Aug. 14.

 

[BalooHoo]

I think it comes down to money. Is Disney going to bring in a parade for a two short month run? Since they are usually looking for ways to economize, my guess is that it's going to be around for a lot longer than Aug. 14.

I agree that it makes perfect economic sense for Disney to keep the MSEP in WDW long past August 14. Then the question remains, why did they announce that it is ending August 14?

 

[Robo]

I agree that it makes perfect economic sense for Disney to keep the MSEP in WDW long past August 14. Then the question remains, why did they announce that it is ending August 14?

So that they could make a "HELD-OVER BY POPULAR DEMAND..." statement about its extension.

Local stores do that with "special" deals and sales all the time.

It also generates focused demand in the short-term, to boost the attendance in the originally announced time-frame.

 

[cigar95]

I agree that it makes perfect economic sense for Disney to keep the MSEP in WDW long past August 14. Then the question remains, why did they announce that it is ending August 14?

Marketing.

The whole point of the "Summer Nightastic" promotion was to get people to come to the park this summer. That has less of a sense of urgency if it's announced that the parade will be around for a year. (The fireworks show may be a different story

Notice if you read the advertising releases carefully, they all say that Summer Nightastic will run through 8/14, but they never say that the parade itself will end at any particular date.

I have no doubt that the MSEP will run well past the middle of August. It's just a matter of when WDW announces that "due to overwhelming popularity", the parade's run will continue. I'd be shocked if it ends before the Christmas parade begins.

 

[cigar95]

Wow, Robo and I posted basically the same response within a couple seconds of each other.

I guess that means Robo's right!

 

[Robo]

Wow, Robo and I posted basically the same response within a couple seconds of each other.

I guess that means Robo's right!

Marketing 101.