Walt Disney World has been showing the fresh parades that have been a staple of theme park experiences for decades, but has evolved with technology and modern audiences.
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away will officially debut at Magic Kingdom on Sunday night.
The theme park parades act as a moment for visitors, encouraging them to spend more time and more money in the park. However, today’s parade attendees want to see the show.
“Currently, these parades aren’t just parades, so expectations have changed. They’re immersive theatrical events. They have advanced lighting, audio, scenic character design, and choreography that is above Broadway.”
“The bar was raised to provide more for everyone – and more interesting,” Stana said.
Disney’s Starlight has been made for over two years, said Katie Marks, producer of Disney Live Entertainment.
“It was a spectroscopic agent that returned in the early ’90s that built the last thing that was unique to the magical kingdom,” she said. “So we knew there were a lot of opportunities out there and there were lots of opportunities to really see what’s on the market today.”
Most obvious: lighting that runs the length of the parade.
“One of the great features of this parade is that we really have control over every pixel we see on every float, which is a real milestone for us,” Marks said.
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The new parade is in front of the Blue Fairy, whose light is seen throughout, with a train (a whimper-named character) dating back to the final float, pulling Mickey Mouse along with Minnie Mouse and her friends. Scattered among the lighting effects are other characters such as the family of Elsa, Moana, Miguel, Madrigal, and various Disney princesses and princess.
Like many park parades, Starlight processions become character spot hotspots.
The lighting effects of the new parade extend to ground performers as well. The “slimming level” of the outfit can be adjusted, Disney says.
“One other thing from a technology perspective is the video that’s built into some of these floats,” Marks said.
“This parade has a relatively new product and plenty of video screens that allow you to create shapes that you may not have created in the past,” she said.
Raising the rear: Jiminy Cricket on the screen, a character who bids farewell to the audience at the end of the spectrometer.
Starlight’s music is being billed as an all-new score that incorporates classic Disney melodies.
“We wanted it to be big, epic and gorgeous, but it’s funny, sweet and thrilling. Classic and new stories, I hope I really resonate with my guests,” he said in an episode of Disney Live Entertainment’s director, We Call It Isgamering.
“Starlight is not only nostalgic, but it’s historical because it truly awakens tradition that is a touchstone for generations of guests,” Stana said.
“Disney knows how to make us feel like kids again, and that’s what parades like this are built,” he said.
Magic Kingdom has not had a regularly scheduled night parade since 2016, when the main street electric parade run ended. However, this style of entertainment continues in multiple Orlando Parks.
Disney’s Fantasy Parade Festival takes place in the customary mid-a-turn slots of Magic Kingdom. SeaWorld Orlando currently hosts two everyday characters-a parade: the Sesame Street Party Parade and Siamese and Crew. Universal Studios Florida introduced the Mega Film Parade last summer.
There are also seasonal parades for holiday events such as Halloween, Christmas and Mardi Gras.
“There are guests who come to the rides. They often talk about those rides. But they also talk about the fact that a surge in music has led them to see their favorite characters dancing in front of them in parades.”
“It’s like this almost cinematic, emotional experience,” he said.
Mega Movie features units inspired by universal family films, including Back to the Future, ET: The Extra-Trestrial, and Ghostbusters. Each section has related actors, including Walk Long Ghostbusters, Fake Hoverboard performers and Mayor of Amity Island.
The parade is a “Jurassic World” float and is topped with a Motion In Motion T. Rex figure. Big Guy is a hybrid of puppet shows and animatronics, Aiero said.
“How do you blend the ways you tell a story?” he said. “Technically, technology is mixed with old attempts and truths, old smoke and mirrors, because T. Rex is very technical, but someone in it manipulates it. I think it’s very cool…
Mega Movie replaced Universal’s Superstar parade and focused on animated films, but ended in 2022.
“For mega-films, we wanted to expand the internet. We wanted to show you the components that the whole family is excited to see, so nostalgia mixes with the modern era,” Aiero said.
Parades are the main people, and Ryan Miziker, chief creative officer at California-based Miziker Entertainment Inc., produces shows and parades on a global scale.
“There are two sides to the parade route, so it’s two miles of front row seats, which is really unusual. Everyone could have front row seats,” Mizikar said.
The event will be categorized as a park’s memory production strategy, he said.
“What Disney does is that they rely on having a huge emotional impact, just as they remember what you do during your stay and enjoy experiencing them,” he said.
“To be able to handle 10,000 people… that’s a huge advantage,” Miziker said. “The park can justify the cost of the park because many people see and remember them.”
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Wireless network zones, projection mapping, and synchronized sounds tuned through large LED projects are one of the global trends worldwide, Miziker said.
And then there’s the drone.
“I’ve heard of drones pitches in parades for years,” Miziker said. The use of drones is challenging due to restrictions on flying audiences, he said.
“But we are currently working on projects that use drones in ways that are not using drones.
“We approach this creative challenge and bring as much innovation, technology and surprise as possible, because there’s demand there,” Miziker said.
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