Light Magic... Disneyland's newest nighttime entertainment. Part parade, part street show, part light show... it's not a traditional parade... it's a "streetacular". The themed idea is "the hope and belief that dreams can come true for everyone - not just fairy princesses and classic heroes."

There are four floats that are really "rolling stages". Each of these is brightly colored and full of fiber optic lighting and other light effects. The stages are full of "pixies" (dancers) and other familiar Disney characters. During the show, a large projection screen appears in the middle of each float and classic animation clips (3 minutes worth) are projected onto these screens (the film is easily seen from both sides of the screen).

Even though the floats travel the typical parade route, they only make two location stops for performance purposes - once in the Small World Mall and once on Main Street. The surrounding walkways and buildings at these locations are also equipped with fiber optic lighting effects that work in synchronization with these floating stages.

Disney characters also populate the floats...

A few show details

• Two performances each night at the Small World Mall and on Main Street, USA
• Show Length: 20 minutes: a 3 minute parade entrance, a 13 minute street show, and a 4 minute exit
• 125 cast and crew including 30 classic Disney characters and 64 "pixies"
• Floats: four "rolling stages", 80 feet long, 11 feet wide and 25 feet tall, each weighing 55,000 pounds (and they are identical)
• Light source: 2500 miles of fiber-optic strands create more than one million end-points of light on the floats and along the parade route
• Animation: each stage is equipped with a 16' by 20' projection screen; animation is projected from seven 70mm facility-based projectors
• Special Effects: "Light Magic" is one of the most technically advanced shows ever produced at a Disney Theme park. Some of the behind-the-scenes items required to create special effects include: 15 computers, 132 robotic lights, 124 air cannons for confetti blasts from buildings and rolling stages, 1520 strobe lights on buildings and rolling stages.

Paul Pressler (president of Disneyland) introduced the "Light Magic Show Premier Party" to the annual passholder's as the "first public rehearsal"... Everyone was expecting a premier, not a practice run-though. His welcome speech was "up" and there was excited-anticipation in the air...

... and then the parade started...

The new soundtrack, "Dream our Dreams"... is a bit "leprechaun-ish" feeling and not very dynamic which lends itself to uninspired dance choreography. The dancing is very repetitious (as is the music)... the one fun part in the soundtrack is when a very short melody clip from "Baroque Hoe-down" (the retired "Main Street Electrical Parade" theme) is woven into the music.

The show seems to have very few "details" in the way of "off-staging energy" that has been evident in past Disney Park street entertainment shows (The Electric Light Parade, The Lion King Parade, SpectroMagic...). As the floating stages travel the parade route... they "just travel" between Small World and Main Street... very uneventful and unentertaining. The "storyline" is also very vague...

If you're waiting for (or expecting) something exciting such as a "Fantasmic-type of show rolling down Main Street"... this new show is NOT it! And even though "Light Magic" is one of the most technically advanced shows ever produced at a Disney Theme park.... that fact doesn't automatically make it a great show.

If you want to go to Disneyland to enjoy the rides and attractions and the other shows since they are not affected, GO. You'll still enjoy one of the finest theme parks on the planet. If you are planning a special trip to specifically see this new attraction at Disneyland, my suggestion is to wait until the show's refinements have been in place for a while... a "long while"...

[ ed note... this "parade" has been recalled back to the drawing board and was shelved indefiinetly]