The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (124 page)

Tomorrowland Terrace
in the shadow of the
Matterhorn
Mountain
is a restaurant that often has relatively short queues after the fireworks, and plenty of available tables.  It’s less pricey than the
Plaza Inn
.  Order a burger or salad, grab a seat, and enjoy the music if a band’s playing at the
Tomorrowland Terrace
.

I’ve described the fireworks as they appear from
Main Street
, which is the best viewing site, and the closer you can stand to
Sleeping Beauty Castle
, the better your view.  However, if
Main Street
’s mosh-pit crowd is too much for you, there are alternatives.

You can gather near
“it’s a small world,”
which shuts down during the fireworks.  There are crowds, but it’s not as wall-to-wall mobbed as
Main Street
.  You can see most of the fireworks, and hear the music broadcast from speakers along
Small World Promenade
, but you won’t be able to see the castle light show, or
Tinker Bell
, or
Dumbo
.

You
also can stand on
Big Thunder Trail
, between the
Riverboat Landing
and the entrance to
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
.  You won’t be able to hear the music or see the
Castle
lights,
Tinker Bell
, or
Dumbo
, but you’ll see most of the dazzling fireworks bursting behind the
Big Thunder Mountain
spires.  It looks like you’re celebrating the 4
th
of July in Bryce Canyon!

For an unusual and gorgeous experience, ride
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
during the fireworks show.  Dashing up and down the canyons while the fireworks blaze and shimmer in the sky is an indescribably thrilling experience.

A
new Halloween-themed fireworks show ran in
Disneyland Park
from
September
25 through November 1, 2009.  Hosted by
Jack Skellington
of
Nightmare Before Christmas
fame, the show celebrated
Disney Villains
. It was so popular, it became and annual tradition, but beginning in 2012 the Halloween fireworks show was only for Guests who paid a special fee and attended
Mickey
Halloween parties. No matter which fireworks show is presented during your visit, take the time to enjoy it.  While Guests tend to prefer one show over the others, they’re all pure
magic
.
Did You Know?
  Part of the unified feel of
Magical Fireworks
is due to the fact that
one
talented vocalist sings all of the songs. 
Eden Espinosa
is a local woman who grew up in
Anaheim
and Fullerton and went on to become a Broadway performer.  In
Magical Fireworks
, her spectacular voice entertains hundreds of thousands of Guests in her hometown!
Did You Also Know?
 
Disneyland
’s fireworks are launched using compressed air, not the traditional black powder propulsion.  Compressed air is quieter, safer, “greener,” and more precise than black powder–a win for all!
Did You Also Know?
  Where do the spotlights come from, the ones that shine dazzling, jewel-toned colors on
Sleeping Beauty Castle
?  High-tech spotlights are hidden in those old-fashioned looking statue pedestals ringing the moat.  When the show starts, the tops of the pedestals swing open, and the spotlight machines inside rise up.  When the show ends, the pedestal tops quietly swing closed.
Night Vision:
 
Magical Fireworks
,
Remember …
and other
Disneyland
fireworks shows always occur at night, usually starting at 9:25 pm, to ensure that it’s dark enough for the fireworks to make an optimal impact. 
Holiday Vision:
  The fireworks shows change seasonally and can be themed to the holidays, as with
Disneyland
’s
Halloween Screams
fireworks show, a celebration of
Disney Villains
first presented in 2009.
Jack Skellington
hosts.  The
Sleeping Beauty Castle
is lit with ghoulish green, purple, and orange lights, and
Zero
rather than
Tinker Bell
takes flight. 
Oogie Boogie
is projected onto a full moon screen above the castle’s western turrets.  Fireworks and flames are synchronized to high-energy versions of
Nightmare Before Christmas
tunes and villainous songs from
Disney
productions. 
Disneyland
’s Christmas fireworks receive their own special touches.  After the holiday fireworks show, concealed nozzles dispense simulated snow that sifts down upon Guests like tiny, frothy bubbles or a fine sugar; this effect is especially magical for local Guests who’ve never seen real snow.
Imagineers
are always tinkering with attractions and shows to keep them fresh, fun, and relevant for Guests. As
Walt
famously said, as long as there’s imagination,
Disneyland
will never be finished.  It will always change and grow more astounding.
FastPass:
  As a parkwide attraction, nightly fireworks don’t lend themselves to the
FastPass
system. 
Kid’s Eye View:
The fireworks are pretty but I don’t like the crowds.  A lot of people shove and push you.  When you’re a kid but too big to be carried [or lifted up] you can’t see well.

Parades

[
FastView:
 
Do you love a parade?  Many Guests do, especially kids.  And no one stages imaginative parades like
Disney
.  Claim your spot about half an hour early for the best vantage points.  Not a parade fan?  Check the parade schedules and plan to avoid the heavily congested routes during those times.
]

For many people “parades” and
Disneyland
are practically synonymous.  From its earliest days the park has been known for its awe-inspiring pageantry. 
Disneyland
parades are not like other parades–or, rather, they’re like other parades infused with
magic
.

Zagat
Disneyland Resort Insider’s Guide
(2009) reported that surveyed children ranked
Disneyland
’s parade among the top ten of their favorite attractions at the resort.  No surprise there.  Interestingly, perhaps because of the bottlenecks caused by the parades, the parade
wasn’t
among the top adult picks.  Even more interestingly, when the 2010
Zagat
guide was released,
Disneyland
’s parade didn’t make the top ten for adults
or
children—which was probably a reflection of the parade at that time.

In addition to the expected
Disney
music, characters, and floats,
Disneyland Parades
deliver a cornucopia of unexpected, imaginative touches.  In a recent incarnation of the parade, acrobats costumed like marionettes and attached to bungee harnesses twirled, flipped, and sprang up and down on the
Pinocchio
float.  In
Celebrate! A Street Party
, a later parade, stilt-walkers,
Disney
characters, multi-colored flashing lights, and pulse-pounding tunes like “You Can’t Stop The Beat” energized Guests along the parade route as they joined in conga lines.

Disneyland
Parades
run twice a day during summer and holiday seasons, at around 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm (though times might vary).  They alternate start and end points between
“it’s a small world”
and
Main Street
’s
Town Square
.

As fun as parades are, they naturally create traffic jams and pressure points at the major intersections they cross, particularly at the points where they pause to allow
entertainers to perform and Guests to interact with the parade Cast Members. 
Town Square
,
The Hub
(aka
Central Plaza
), and
Small World Promenade
area are typically jam-packed during parade time, and parts of the surrounding streets and paths are roped off, with Guests being directed by Cast Members to take alternate routes.

If you’re not watching the parade, but rather trying to navigate
the park, it can be frustrating.  Even Cast Members get annoyed, though they’re not supposed to show it.  During a July 2010 visit to the park, our
Disneyland Railroad Train
was delayed by the afternoon parade.  A red light halted the train at the
Toontown Station
; we were told to wait until the parade passed before we could procede.  An impatient Cast Member joked that the train should just blast through the parade, sending
Tigger
,
Winnie the Pooh
, and
Tinker Bell
flying.

This was a young, probably new Cast Member; it’s completely against
Disneyland
standards to suggest running over
Disney
characters! But it shows how even a Cast Member can be frustrated by the way parades disrupt normal park traffic flow and operations.

As it transpired, the red light
turned green, the parade halted at the crossing, and our train was allowed to continue.  As we passed the stalled parade,
Tigger
waved happily to us, none the wiser that moments before a Cast Member had been suggesting his doom!

U
nless you’re planning to watch the parade, you’re better off visiting attractions well away from the parade route during the mid-to-late afternoon, or you can visit
Disney California Adventure Park
or
Downtown Disney
, or return to your hotel for a swim or nap.  For specific parade times and routes during your visit, speak with a Cast Member or refer to a current
Entertainment Times Guide
.

Periodically,
Disneyland
revises or completely changes its parades in the interest of keeping them fresh for Guests who, famously loyal, return frequently to the park.

In 2009
Disneyland
premiered a parade experience called
Celebrate!  A Street Party
.  Aimed at engaging Guest participation, the parade featured a series of tall floats bearing famous
Disney
animated and live-action characters including
Mickey
,
Minnie
,
Donald
,
Goofy
,
Mary Poppins
, and her pal chimney sweep
Bert
,
Alice
,
Peter Pan
, and
Wendy
, and so forth.

Lights flash
ed and loud music played, not only lively
Disney
tunes but energetic non-
Disney
rock and pop classics like “Dancin’ in the Streets” that were calculated to, well, get the Guests dancin’ in the streets.  An emcee on one of the floats encouraged Guests to dance and sing and celebrate, and even to join a conga line.

The parade
was high-energy fun, and thanks to the characters on the floats, had clear
Disney
ties despite the many non-
Disney
tunes.  Guests seemed to enjoy it well enough, tapping their feet, swaying and dancing to the music, singing along, and shouting answers to the emcee’s questions.

That said,
Celebrate!
lacked the catch-in-the-throat beauty and romance of former parades that were more clearly focused on
Disney
characters and
Disney
themes like wishes,
magic
,
and imagination. 
Celebrate!
had a lot going on, but it didn’t quite gel; it was too much, trying too hard, and lacked a clear central theme.  It was fun, but not particularly
magical
.

Park leaders seem
ed to understand that
Celebrate!
didn’t fire Guests’ imaginations like previous parades; the 2010
Zagat
results were one clue, and the resort conducts its own extensive, intensive Guest research.