SpectroMagic
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SpectroMagic was an evening parade presented at the Magic Kingdom park at the Walt Disney World Resort from 1991 until 1999 and again from 2001 until 2010. Produced by longtime Disney Show Producer Ron Logan, it is similar to the Main Street Electrical Parade, which was its predecessor, and its successor, directed by Don Frantz. The parade incorporates elaborate, brightly lit floats, a musical score, and many sound effects. The floats are populated with Disney characters and represent scenes from Disney's animated features and short films. As of July 1, 2013 Disney officials have confirmed that the float units for Spectromagic have been destroyed and the parade has been permanently retired.[1] [2]Some small elements from the parade have been retained for possible future use.
History
| “ | ...a lot of the preliminary technical work for the Fantillusion parade was proof of concept in this parade. So it's kind of the interim step between The Main Street Electrical Parade and Fantillusion. | ” |
| —John Haupt[3] | ||
The parade went on a hiatus on May 21, 1999 when the Main Street Electrical Parade made its return to the Magic Kingdom. SpectroMagic returned on April 2, 2001 with the following changes:
- Spectro-men have new heads
- Genie (from Aladdin) replaced Roger Rabbit (from Who Framed Roger Rabbit) as the conductor of the parade.
- Sebastian (from The Little Mermaid) Audio-animatronic and bubble system added to King Triton's float.
- Jiminy Cricket Audio-animatronic added to the finale float.
Opening announcement
Unlike the Main Street Electrical Parade (which welcomes spectators with a synthesized voice provided by Jack Wagner), SpectroMagic's opening announcement is provided by Jiminy Cricket who says: "Welcome to the Splendor, the spectacle, the sparkling sensation, where the romance, the comedy and the thrill of Disney fantasies come to electric life... And now the Magic Kingdom proudly presents in a million points of musical light, the magical worlds of Disney in SpectroMagic!”
Soundtrack
Releases
- A partial (7:11) audio recording of the original parade can be found on the CD Disneyland/Walt Disney World Music Vacation. The CD was produced before the changes in 2001
- The full current soundtrack (14:19) can be found on the CD, SpectroMagic.
- A jazz version (3:37) of the SpectroMagic theme can be found on Disney's Music From The Park as "SpectroMagic Medley", performed by David Benoit.
Music
The main theme for SpectroMagic ("On This Magic Night") was composed by film composer John Debney. Together with Steve Skorija, he arranged music by Disney composers into a 14-minute suite. The parade's scenic designer was Ken Dresser.
Show facts
- Original run: October 1, 1991 - May 21, 1999
- Second run: April 2, 2001 - June 5, 2010
- Show duration: 20 minutes
- Total number of batteries: 948
- Battery type: 75 tons of deep-cycle batteries
- Fiber-optic strands: over 100 miles
- Miniature lights: 600,000
- Miniature light colors: 11 (including clear)
- Speakers: 204
- Speaker power: 72,000 watts
- Speaker batteries: 112
- Parade Units:
- Entrance Unit with Trumpeters
- Title Unit heralding SpectroMagic
- Spectro-Men on Whirly-balls (4 pods)
- Mickey Unit
- Music Unit (3 units hitched)
- Sleeping Beauty Garden Unit 1 (Peacock)
- Sleeping Beauty Garden Unit 2
- Sleeping Beauty Garden Unit 3 (Waterfall on back)
- Giant Fish Unit
- Bubble Fish Unit (3 units hitched)
- Ursula Unit (1 pod)
- Little Mermaid Unit (3 units hitched)
- Whirly Fish (2 pods)
- Fantasia Opening Unit with Spinning Hippo
- Baracus Unit (Fountain with Ostriches)
- Diana Unit (3 units hitched) (Flying horses)
- Chernabog Unit
- First Finale Unit (3 units hitched)
- (The 3 Little Pigs, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland)
- Carousel Unit
- Second Finale Unit (3 units hitched)
- (Peter Pan, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Technical Information
In the parade there are 29 units, and 7 whirly units giving a grand total of 36 units in the parade.
Disney refers to floats as "units." Each unit has a driver cleverly hidden in the unit. All audio is controlled through DTMF tones transmitted by RF signals from the antennas on Cinderella's Castle to each unit. Each unit has its own audio themed to the unit, with the main parade theme played on the zone speakers. Each zone is anywhere between 70 to 80 ft in length. The audio is stored on the unit as digitally encoded information. All the audio and other effects are stored in DACS (Digital Automation Control System). The lighting effects and other special effects are all controlled by on-board computers which initiate their own cues using a Programmable Logic Controller. The cues are sent via the antennas to the units. The main control center is located under Main Street USA. The PC (Production Center) is where all Magic Kingdom parades are stored. It is located behind Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain. In its original run in 1991 most units used Amiga software developed by Richmond Sound Design Ltd. running on Amiga computers to generate animations that were synchronized via MIDI Time Code with the local audio and projected onto the side of the unit.
References
- ↑ http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/6-25-13-the-day-spectro-died-sorry-guys.867906/ Retrieved 02/07/2013
- ↑ http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/07/spectromagic-parade-officially-and-permanently-retires-as-walt-disney-world-looks-ahead-to-festival-of-fantasy/ Retrieved 02/07/2013
- ↑ John Haupt (2005). Explore the Magic (From One Lightbulb To Another bonus documentary) (DVD). Disneyland Resort Paris.