Conference koolit::disney

    Below is  the  excerpt  from  page  14+15  of  the Fall '91 Disney News
    article discussing the SpectroMagic Parade.  The article also discusses
    the new Main Street  Parade  led by Roger Rabbit, and Epcot's 'Surprise
    in the Skies', mentioned elsewhere.    The  reason I'm entering this is
    because the article cover SpectroMagic in  more  detail than I remember
    reading about.
    
    enjoy,
    
    Claude
    
    
        'For    nightime   entertainment,  move  over  Electrical  Parade.,
    SpectroMagic is taking the spotlight this year.
        This  you-won't-believe-it-till-you-see-it    parade  combines  the
    energy of seven  lightning  bolts,  the  electrical power of a fleet of
    2,000 highway trucks and a sprinkling of pixie dust.
        "If the Main Street  Electrical  Parade  is  a  snapshot, now we're
    going for a complete animation cel," says SpectroMagic project producer
    Don frantz.  "It synchronise music, light and mechanical animation on a
    grand scale."
        SpectroMagic  borrows  from  the  prismatic  holographic  industry,
    military lighting developments,  electro-luminescent  and  fiber-optics
    technologies, and tosses in  light-spreading  thermoplastics, clouds of
    underlit liquid-nitrogen smoke and good  old-fashioned  twinkle lights.
    The visual spectacle is choreograhed to  music  produced  just for this
    show.
        The  title  float,  proclaiming  "Spectromagic"  in  flowing  fiber
    optics, is surrounded by ElectroMen atop spining, darting  whirlyballs.
    "The effect is a  ball  of  energy,"  says  frantz.  The ElectroMen are
    robed  in  rope lights (points  of  light  inside  transparent  ropes),
    electro-luminescent  panels,  mini lights, fiber optics  and  twinl=kle
    lights.
        The  Electro-luminescent  panels  are  part of the  effects  Disney
    entertainment  lighting  experts  toyed  with in their workshops  while
    developing  SpectroMagic.  Primarily used by the defense industry,  the
    panels are thousandths-of-an-inch-thick  surfaces  that literally glow.
    They can make dragonfly wings as bright as day.
        Project lighting designer Scott  Stipetic  lights  up when he talks
    about  SpectroMagic's  "confetti  light  effect"    that    uses  xenon
    flashlights  and  mirror  balls.    "It    produces    six-million-beam
    candlepower," he says.  "With a normal  flashlight,  you  might get 125
    candlepower.  It's so brilliant you may actually  see  little  beams of
    light  glancing  through  the air--thousands of them--like when the sun
    rays  come through the clouds." This effect showers the air with  color
    at the begining and end of SpectroMagic.
        And what's in between?
        Mickey  Mouse,  dressed  in  an amber and purple magician's cape of
    glistening lights,  with  that "confetti of light" sparkling in the air
    around him, heralds the 20-minute production.
        Roger Rabbit is  the  conductor of an orchestra producing a rainbow
    of music notes that flow in the air.
        Practical  Pig  stands  before    the  magical  world  of  Disney's
    characters, paintbrush in hand.   With a flick of his brush, he changes
    the  gay  colors of the character's  world  (featuring  castle  towers,
    carousel, bejewelled coach and other fantasies) into silvery white.
        Chernobog, the monstous demon figure from "Fantasia,"  is protrayed
    in dark and eerie colors as he dramatically  spreads  his  wings  to  a
    38-foot span.
        In  Sleeping  Beauty's  garden,  the Three Good Fairies create  the
    sparkle  of day among the flowers and insects...and then transform  the
    scene to night.
        Powered by  75tons  of deep-cycle batteries, SpectroMagic just keep
    on going...and going...and going--to celebrate a year of surprises.
 

    The SpectroMagic Parade sounds wonderful. By the way, what is
    the Disney News and how do you subscribe to it?
    
    Regards,
    
    Joe

    Rep to <<< Note 278.2 by POCUS::RIZZI >>>

>By the way, what is the Disney News and how do you subscribe to it?

    Joe,
    
    It's the  Official  publication  of the Walt Disney Magic Kingdom Club,
    which comes out  quarterly,  and no Disney Fan should be without.  When
    you Pick up your  MKC  card, on the other side of the card you sign for
    personnel is the subcription application.  Current ratre are $14.95 for
    2 years and worth it for the pictures alone.
    
    Claude

Article: 3894
From: [email protected] (John Heiden UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Re: Spectro Magic
Date: 20 Sep 91 21:40:25 GMT
Organization: University of Toledo, Computer Services
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Michelle Thompson) writes:
> Finally...
> 
> I got my latest edition of the Disney News and there is a two page article
> on the new WDW parade - Spectro Magic.  All around the thing sounds GREAT!
> My fiance made the comment "When Disney puts on a parade, they don't mess
> around!"
> 
> We are completely thrilled, since our honeymoon destination is WDW...however,
> the article forgot to mention when the parade was due to start!  It said
> it was for WDW 20th anniversary - which was Oct. 1 - so has it started?
> 
> 
> ********************************************************************************
>  Michelle (micki) Thompson  :^)         **   By Request....     
>  Novell San Jose Information Systems    **      
>  Internet:  [email protected]            **       New sig under construction 
> ********************************************************************************
-- 
Well, I think this is probably old news by now, but I just returned from WDW.
I saw THE LAST performance of the Electric Light Parade.  The biggest fireworks
demonstration they have ever held followed.  Free commemorative posters were
distributed as well.  (I got two!)
 
The Spectro Parade does not begin until October.  (That's according to my
brother who works for WDW.)  He did say that on ocassion they will have
a preview for new things, though.
 
================================================================================
John Heiden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Heiden
 
[email protected]            The University of Toledo
[email protected]                 Toledo, Ohio     U.S.A.

    ET showed a bit of the SLP over the weekend. I caught just a glimpse of
    it but managed to see three "floats". One was a miniature of the
    castle, a second was some type of boat theme, and the third was made up
    of either large butterflies or some other type of insect with an
    animation touch.
    
    Obviously the video doesn't do the parade much justice.
    
    Mike

    Well, not really.  But I could have.

    We weren't able to see a performance of SpectroMagic, but we did get an
    up close look at some of the floats and costumes on our backstage tour
    when we visited the production center.

    The floats we saw use a combination of fiber optics, shimmering
    fabrics, and twinkle lights to give an animated effect.  For example
    there was a giant peacock whose head actually moved from side to side,
    but whose tail feathers appeared to move by the use of changing colored
    light through optical fibers.

    It didn't look too spectacular in the light of day, but with the lights
    out I'm sure it will be incredible.
    
    Neat stuff.  Can't wait to get back to see the whole thing next summer.

Does anyone know if the Spectromagic parade will be running during mid-to-late
October?  Or is it just premiering this week for the special anniversary
celebration opening?  We will be going there later this month, and I would
love to see the parade (along with everyone else!).

Joey.

    My understanding was that this new parade replaces the ELP and will
    thus inherit the ELP's old schedule.
    
    You need to find out what operating hours will be in effect for TMK
    while you are down there and what time the parade will be shown. My
    guess is that you'll be seeing it on a Saturday night.
    
    Mike

   I just returned from Orlando.  I saw Spectro Magic twice.  Once on
   October 1 and then again on October 4.  Disney apparently was expecting
   a large crowd on Saturday, October 5 because the Magic Kingdom's hours
   were 9 a.m. to midnight with two performances of Spectro Magic (9 and 11)
   and fireworks at 10.  Unfortunately we came home on Saturday.

   The parade is pretty good.  My reaction after the night was that I liked
   it but I'll miss the ELP.  This isn't because the ELP is better.  It's 
   because I had never envisioned anything like the ELP when I first saw it
   so there's a big WOW in my memory.  Spectro Magic uses alot more and it
   is good.  The peacock is probably one of my favorites.  

   Some of the fish shimmer and ripple.  There are fiber optics in the hair.
   There are several people with faces that glow and colors change from white
   to red.  (I still haven't figured out if they are representing particular 
   characters.)

   I talked with some Florida residents on Friday.  They have annual passes and
   visit the parks at least once a week.  They really enjoyed Spectro Magic.
   Because they see the ELP on regular basis, they felt the technology needed
   updated.

   I also saw the floats the week before the parade.  My tour guide even found
   someone to show us how they work.  The sound systems have been update.  
   Instead of receiving a radio signal from the castle, the sound is built into
   the float.  

   That's all for now.  If I think of anything else it'll either be posted here
   or in my trip report (I hope to publish one before the end of the month).

   Marilyn

    re: -.1
    
>> I also saw the floats the week before the parade.  My tour guide even found
>> someone to show us how they work.  The sound systems have been update.  
>> Instead of receiving a radio signal from the castle, the sound is built into
>> the float.  
    
    
    	Yes, but do they still use "Baroque Hoedown" for the music?
    
    tom

I just found out that SpectroMagic will run Friday through Tuesday during
the month of October.  Additionally, the Magic Kingdom will remain open
to midnight on the four Saturdays, when the parade will take place at 
9:00 and 11:00, with fireworks in between at 10:00.

Joey

    re: -.2
    
>>    	Yes, but do they still use "Baroque Hoedown" for the music?
    
    Sorry, Tom.  The music is new.  It is not the "Baroque Hoedown."

mig

    The music for each 'float' was related to the float. it is not the 
    electronic music that they used to have, but rather regular recordings.
    For example, for the Pinnochio float , it plays "When you wish upon a
    star"; the 3 little pigs plays "Who's afraid of the Big, bad wolf",etc.
    
    I only saw it the first night (Tuesday), but I was impressed. I did not
    like the 'girl butterflies' that were walking between the floats. (The 
    battery packs for one of the girls died in front of Tobacconist.)
    I was really underwhelmed by them. I think that they were meant to be
    "fillers" between the main floats but they were unnecessary and
    detracted from the overall excellence of the rest of the parade.  
    
    The parade started at 8:00 PM over in Frontierland (I think). I was in
    front of the joke shop and it didn't arrive there until 8:20. It lasted
    for about 20-25 minutes.

    
    	I too was down in Orlando last week and got to see " Spectro
    Magic. " And -- while I will always have fond memories of the Main
    Street Electrical Parade -- I think this new WDW parade will be a worthy
    successor to that old favorite.
    	A lot of people have been asking about the music for " Spectro."
    Truth be told, it's a little difficult to describe. This time around,
    the musical " glue " of the show is a sweeping waltz. If I recall 
    correctly, there were even lyrics ( at least toward the start of the
    parade ) to the song :
    
    	" On this magic night, a million lights, they play beside us,
    	  Fill the night with light; glimmering, shimmering, carouseling .."
    
    	At least, that's the first line or two. I know they read rather
    treacly, but -- believe me -- the full set of lyrics really fit quite
    well with the parade's music. In its own way, the " Spectro Magic "
    theme works just as well ( And -- IMHO -- is just as memorable ) as
    the " Baroque Hoedown " did as the main theme of the " Main Street
    Electrical Parade. "
    
    	And -- yes -- the individualized sound and clever use of music
    of classic Disney films that comes from each of the floats adds to the
    fun. ( EX : In the " Little Mermaid " sequence, there's a seperate 
    Ursula unit that travels in front of the main parade float. Her music
    is great -- oboe and muted horns -- but what really terrific is the
    vocal track that comes with it. Every minute or so, Ursula comes to a 
    stop and " propositions " a member of the crowd. But -- before she can
    close the deal -- Ursula notices that " awful King Triton " heading her
    way and reluctantly lurches up the road ... What was particularly
    terrific about this is that Disney got Pat Carroll, the actress who
    originally recorded Ursula's voice for the " Little Mermaid " film, to
    also do Ursula's voice for the parade. It really adds to the fun. )
    
    	To say too much more about " Spectro Magic " would take away from
    the fun of seeing the new parade for the first time. Suffice it to say,
    Disney wasn't kidding when they said that " Spectro Magic " makes use
    of some pretty amazing technology. ( I mean, that's the first time I've
    seen Disney use audio animatronics in a parade ... At least, I * think *
    Jiminy and Sebastian were audio animatronic and/or pretty sophisticated
    puppets ? Anyone else who saw the parade want to hazard a guess ? )
    
    	And -- seeing a lot of people will no doubt soon go on record as to
    what their favorite " floats " in the new parade are -- let me cast the
    first vote for the best " sequence " in " Spectro Magic " : The Toon 
    Orchestra. Though it's not as impressive as Cheraboug or smile-provoking
    as the finale, The Toon Orchestra made me laugh each time I saw it.
    Roger leaning * W-A-A-A-Y * over and swaying back and forth at the
    podium as he directed the orchestra, Goofy racing around the percussion
    section as he tried to keep up ( And -- every so often -- getting nailed on
    the noggin by the figurehead on the harp ) as well as Chip and Dale sliding
    up and down the bench as they played the grand piano. A marvelously 
    entertaining piece of the parade ( And with different variations on 
    the " Spectro Magic " music cascading out of each seperate unit in the
    sequence ), the " Toon Orchestra " is a worthy successor to my favorite
    piece of the " Main Street Electrical Parade " : The athletic King 
    Leonodius, who used to play the calliope during the circus sequence.
    
    	Mind you, this is not to say " Spectro Magic " is not without
    problems. Though the floats may look and sound great, they have trouble
    making their way around the Magic Kingdom. During the first week of 
    public performances of the parade, there were break-downs every night.
    ( I'm told that " Spectro Magic " 's designers hadn't taken into
    account that the floats would have to travel along terrain of varying
    grades that might also be wet. As a result, the " drive mechanisms " 
    of the " floats " have little by the way of traction or over-drive
    gears, hence the many stalls or slow-downs. I'm also told that Disney
    management is leaning * HARD * on its engineering types to overhaul
    the balky vehicles. )
    
    	But -- give them a month or two -- and I'm sure Disney will work
    the bugs out of this grand, brand new parade. My suggestion for best
    place for viewing : The hub at Main Street, any night " Spectro Magic "
    is also being performed at 11 p.m. Catch the late show and take
    advantage of the hub area to " follow " the parade units, watching as
    the lights and music change as they roll along ... There's lots of 
    little throw-away things you'll miss ( Tinkerbell " waving " out the
    windows at you as well Jiminy Cricket " tipping " his hat during the
    finale ) if you just let the parade units roll on by.
    
    	

    I just came back from WDW last week, seen this parade and had TEARS in
    my eyes cause it was so wonderful, it will bring out the kid in anyone
    and it is gorgious!
    
    
    Lynne

re: .14

>    I'm told that " Spectro Magic " 's designers hadn't taken into
>    account that the floats would have to travel along terrain of varying
>    grades that might also be wet. As a result, the " drive mechanisms " 
>    of the " floats " have little by the way of traction or over-drive
>    gears, hence the many stalls or slow-downs.

I'm curious. Does the Spectro Magic parade take a significantly different
route than the ELP, or why is it that with all of their years of experience
under their belts with ELP, that they could have been shortsighted on such
simple issues as terrain, etc?

-Jack

    
    	No, the route for Spectro Magic isn't any different than the
    route Main Street Electrical Parade ran for lo those many years. The
    difference -- or so I'm told -- is the drive mechanism used to propell
    the floats around the Magic Kingdom.
    	Evidently, the folks who produced Spectro Magic fell for the same
    gambit the people who authorized the changes in the WDW monorail did :
    new is better. They abandoned the tried-and-true old float drive 
    systems for a snazzy new version with a smaller wheel base. The end
    result on a wet night : Not enough speed or traction for the bigger
    units to make it up the steeper inclines along on the parade route.
    	Anywho ... After the very-public-and-very-embarassing breakdowns
    during " Spectro Magic " 's debut week, you can bet that Disney
    Attraction Chairman Dick Nunis came down hard on WDW's parade
    production team. They worked long into the night to try and make the
    necessary repairs to the parade vehicles. To date, they still haven't
    stopped the breakdowns en route ... But the nightly number is 
    dwimdling.
    	Like I said in my earlier note ... Give the folks at WDW a few
    more tries, they'll get all the bugs out of " Spectro Magic. " Then
    -- maybe, finally -- the parade will as run as good as it looks.
    

    Well the night I got to see it (October 5th), was the one night I
    forgot my poncho, and I had to relinquish my 'ring-side' place opposite
    the Pecos Bill Caf� in Frontierland, when the heavens opened ... but
    there were certainly big problems with the floats there.  Most of them
    were unable to make the slope just past the caf�, but they must've been
    expecting it because they had a tow-vehicle waiting ... which was waved
    in by a VERY agitated chap with a walkie-talkie.
    
    I can't remember clearly, but I would guess that around 5 or 6 floats
    had to be towed up the slope, which took a little of the 'magic' away,
    but in turn meant that there was a lot more time to get some good photos 
    of the parade, particularly the scantily-clad mermaid!
    
    I would echo a previous noter who said that the impact was greatest
    when I first saw the ELP, and I think I may prefer the original .. but
    I'll reserve judgement until I see it working properly, and on a non-
    monsoon night (AND if my other-half allows me another visit when we're
    next down there!)
    
    Andy. 
                                                  

I saw the SpectroMagic parade last Saturday (Dec. 28).  Although it was pretty,
it wasn't as spectacular as I'd been expecting (though I'm not sure *what* I 
was expecting).  The biggest difference between it and the Electrical Parade
seemed to me to be the fact that the lights on the last few floats would change
color, from all white to multicolored, and then back to white.

I liked SpectroMagic okay, but I missed the Electrical Parade music.  The music
for SpectroMagic, which would change to the themes for the various floats (for
example, music from "The Little Mermaid" when TLM floats came by, etc.), just
didn't seem to flow as well, and there was no theme you could really get a 
handle on.  Though I admit the Electrical Parade music did become a teensy bit
tiresome after a while... :-)

							-- Nina

    I saw SpectroMagic on a TV programme broadcast from WDW this Christmas
    in England and it looked pretty spectacular...it made me wonder what
    it's really like to see live.  But, then again I've never seen the
    Electrical Parade.
    
    Regards,
    
    Karen

RE .20 - If you never saw the Electrical Parade, then SpectroMagic will be
pretty spectacular.  I thought the Electrical Parade was spectacular the
first time I saw it.

I just thought from all the hype that SpectroMagic would be kind of a super-
spectacular version of the Electrical Parade, but, to me, it wasn't all that
different.  Still impressive, though!

						-- Nina

    Nina,
    
    Just curious as to how many times had you seen the ELP. Sometimes I
    know that after seeing something for so long I tend to see it
    differently had I seen it only a few times. 
    
    I have seen ELP about a dozen times so now I'm wondering if I'll have
    the same reaction.
    
    We all may be a bit sad because of ELP's departure, much like those of
    us who remember and loved the Mickey Mouse Revue which now resides in
    Tokyo.
    
    Mike

RE .22 - Hi, Mike.  I'd seen the ELP parade only two or three times -
once or twice at Disneyland, and once at Walt Disney World (I can't remember at
which place I saw it for the last time several years ago - shame on me).

I can't say that I was disappointed with SpectroMagic, but somehow I guess I
was expecting something more, well, MORE....  Based, as I said, on all the hype.

							-- Nina

    We do tend to get caught up sometimes and our expectations sometimes
    play cruel tricks on us. Things like the SMP, Surprise in the Skies,
    Muppet 3-D, and the Surprise Parade are some instances of hype which
    may backfire.
    
    Nina....was the DL ELP different than the WDW ELP? I thought that the 
    DL one had some floats from "The Three Little Pigs" (mine cars).
    
    Mike

>    Nina....was the DL ELP different than the WDW ELP? I thought that the 
>    DL one had some floats from "The Three Little Pigs" (mine cars).

I honestly can't remember.  It's been several years (I saw it at Disneyland for
the first time in 1981 and the second time a year or so later).  Maybe sometime
I'll dig out my pictures of it, though I think I only took some the first time
I saw it, figuring it was the same the other times.

Sorry; maybe someone else knows.

							-- Nina

P.S. Speaking of Surprise in the Skies, from the hype and the pictures, etc.,
it looked pretty similar to the Skyleidescope (I think that was the name) show
of a few years ago - same dragon boats, ultralights, etc.  We didn't watch
Surprise in the Skies when we were at EPCOT (on Dec. 29, 1991) for that reason.
Anyone know for sure whether it's the same show?  (Maybe this belongs in a
different topic...)

    According to WDW Reservations beginning Oct 1, 1996 TMK will be open
    long enough every day to display the SpectroMagic Light Parade.
    
    This is great news for those who go in the off season and it also
    squashes the rumor that the parade was being retired.
    
    Mike

    One of the performers in the SpecroMagic Parade has reported that the
    SpectroMagic Parade performers have been practicing two new parades at
    night when the park closes.
    
    The first parade is the 3:00 Parade starting Oct. 1 called "Remember
    the Magic."
    
    Also, there will be a whole new section added to SpectroMagic. This
    person did not say exactly what will be added to SpectroMagic but I've
    been speculating all along that they would add sections from B&TB,
    Aladdin, or TLK. I guess we'll find out in about two months.
    
    This person did say that the daytime parade will be the longest and most
    colorful parade ever produced and that the most amazing aspect of the
    parade will be the number of characters. The word is that every Disney
    character you have ever seen at a theme park, and maybe even more, will
    participate in this parade.
    
    Mike