From the Disney Parks Blog and written by: Shawn Slater
The live entertainment team at Disneyland Paris has been knocking it out of the park – literally – wowing guests with groundbreaking fleets of drones! From their award-winning 30th anniversary show “Disney D-Light” to the sensational, crowd-pleasing “Avengers: Power the Night,” “Disney Electrical Sky Parade!” marks their latest sky-stunning achievement.
This new show takes its inspiration from the classic “Main Street Electrical Parade.” That parade, with its unforgettable soundtrack, has been a favorite of mine, going back to my earliest trips to Walt Disney World in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The parade was presented at Disneyland Paris for more than a decade, starting when the park opened in 1992.
“’Main Street Electrical Parade’ was the first parade I saw at Disneyland Paris in 1992, and I got to work on its last performances,” said Show Director Mabrouk Reguigui. “Since joining the creative team, I’ve always wanted to bring it back in some way. I have such great respect for the original parade as part of the Disney legacy. It was revolutionary for its time, so we wanted to bring a new, even more revolutionary version to Disneyland Paris.”
Featuring projection effects, lighting, lasers, fountains, and 500 drones, “Disney Electrical Sky Parade” recreates memorable moments from the classic parade. From the Blue Fairy and Cinderella’s pumpkin coach to the Casey Junior circus train and Elliot the dragon, the scenes in the show are all created in a dotted light style reminiscent of the design of the original parade floats. Mabrouk shared, “The projections, lights, and drones tell a story and perform figures that are iconic, impressive, and sometimes emotional.”
Emotions are also stirred with the sense of nostalgia that comes from hearing the soundtrack to “Disney Electrical Sky Parade,” which took direct inspiration from the electro-synthe-magnetic musical sound of the classic parade theme. The music team was challenged with respecting the original that people remember so fondly, while also breathing new life into it for the next generation. “We worked with Music Producer Jonathan Barr and Composer Rick McKee on an immersive approach to the music,” said Mabrouk. “It’s filled with little sounds that also tell a story, taking us on a journey through the parade and through the ages.”
To develop “Disney Electrical Sky Parade,” the Disneyland Paris live entertainment team once again collaborated with Dronisos, the official technology supplier of Disneyland Paris and a European leader in drone shows. A first for this show is the incorporation of nearly 20 specialty drones with onboard pyrotechnic effects, creating illusions like smoke coming from Casey Junior’s smokestack or pixie dust trailing off the pirate ship from “Peter Pan.” In the words of Live Entertainment Producer Ben Spalding, who also performed in “Main Street Electrical Parade” early in his career, “We’ve been able to add an extra layer of magic. It’s a dream come true, seeing the pyro give a pixie dust effect to the ship as it flies through the sky!”
Creating a show like “Disney Electrical Sky Parade” is a team effort. Under the leadership of Executive Entertainment Director Dana Harrel, the final production came together through not only Ben and Mabrouk’s contributions but also the incredible talents of Pyro and Special Effects Designer Metin Cig, Lighting Designer Adrien Mourey, Video Designer Martin Clerel, Audio Designer Mickael Paradis, and many more, all coordinated by Adeline Bardy and Alexis Auvinet from the production team led by Production Executive Francoise Barbier.
“Disney Electrical Sky Parade” looks amazing in photos and on video, check out the full show on our YouTube, but it is an absolutely astounding sight to behold in person. The show is scheduled to run through Sept. 30, 2024, so you still have time to book that trip to Disneyland Paris to take in this spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination!
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