We’ve been waiting and Disney has finally announced the return of some beloved Disneyland nighttime spectaculars! Main Street Electrical Parade, Disneyland Forever, World of Color and Fantasmic all have return dates now. In this post, we’ll cover the news before jumping into our commentary!

First, the news from the release:

On April 22, 2022, the “Main Street Electrical Parade” and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular will return to Disneyland park, and “World of Color” will return to Disney California Adventure park. “Fantasmic!” is preparing for its return to Disneyland park on May 28, 2022.

Upon its return to Disneyland park, the “Main Street Electrical Parade” will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary. In honor of this milestone, the Disney Live Entertainment team will introduce new elements to the “Main Street Electrical Parade” that will continue to evolve this beloved spectacular.

Over the past five decades, the “Main Street Electrical Parade” has brought families together to delight in its many whimsical stories and featured characters. And soon, that will continue for a whole new generation of dreamers. In honor of the parade’s 50^th anniversary, this nighttime spectacular will return with an all-new, enchanted grand finale that celebrates the theme of togetherness.

This universal theme is reflected in the concept of the grand finale sequence. Inspired by both the original design of classic “Main Street Electrical Parade” floats and Disney Legend Mary Blair’s iconic art style on “it’s a small world,” the new grand finale brings to life more than a dozen Disney Animation and Pixar stories. These stories will be interpreted in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sound, with unique representations of beloved characters as animated dolls.

As the new grand finale passes by, guests along each side of the parade route will see a different set of stylized scenes from classic and contemporary favorite stories such as “Encanto,” “The Jungle Book,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Aladdin,” “Coco,” “Mulan,” “Brave,” “The Princess and the Frog” and more. Check out one of the early pieces of concept art, featuring Mirabel and Antonio from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award-nominated film, “Encanto.”

From the Blue Fairy to a colorful, unique representation of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the grand finale of the “Main Street Electrical Parade” comprises seven segments stretching 118 feet in length, making it one of the longest and grandest units in the parade’s 50-year history.

“Main Street Electrical Parade” and “Disneyland Forever” will be available for a limited time at Disneyland park. When “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular comes back on April 22, it will run weekends only (Friday through Sunday). “Mickey’s Mix Magic” will present its high-energy, projections-only show during the week (Monday through Thursday) until late spring. At that time, “Disneyland Forever” fireworks will then run nightly in the summer. “World of Color” and “Fantasmic!” will return to their regular schedule upon reopening.

We’re very happy to hear all of this news! All of this had been announced previously but without dates and while we hoped some of it would be back for spring break crowds, everything returning before summer comes is good news for the resort and its fans. There isn’t much in the way of news about Disneyland Forever, World of Color or Fantasmic! As expected, Disneyland Forever will have a limited run through the summer. It’s a great fireworks show that is superior to Mickey’s Mix Magic in just about every way.

I’m also happy to see World of Color and Fantasmic will return to their normal operating schedule instead of a limited run of some sort. Both of those shows bring their respective parks alive and are integral to Disneyland Resort. The adoration for Fantasmic especially is unmatched among locals. There’s certainly some nostalgia involved but the show itself is one of the best in any theme park.

Speaking of nostalgia, that brings us to Main Street Electrical Parade. I’ve stated previously that the nighttime parade is tired and I’d rather see Magic Happens back in Disneyland. That’s still my preference but it is exciting to see that the Electrical Parade will have a few enhancements. It appears that the finale float has been redone and I do love the style in the concept art. It should give the parade some new energy! I’m also eager to hear what the soundtrack for that section will be.

I mentioned my preference for Magic Happens but they aren’t mutually exclusive. Disneyland could conceivably run that parade during the day and Main Street Electrical Parade at night. It would help the park capacity during what is sure to be a very busy summer season. I don’t think that will happen but we can hope.

This bit of news should only add fuel to the fire that Paint the Night may make its way over to Walt Disney World this summer. Having a nighttime parade in Disneyland while WDW is left in the cold during the 50th anniversary would be a strange choice. Paint the Night sitting around and gather dust would also be a strange choice. I have no inside knowledge on this but I can put two and two together. That may be optimistic though as the entertainment budgets have been significantly smaller since reopening and even before that.

All in all, nighttime spectaculars returning to Disneyland is wonderful news. They add even more character and energy to the parks. We’re excited to see them all!

What do you think about today’s announcements? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our guide to help you along the way! If you enjoy what you’re reading please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages which you can find on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!