SpectroMagic
Encyclopedia
SpectroMagic was an evening parade presented at the Magic Kingdom
park at the Walt Disney World Resort
. Produced by longtime Disney Show Producer Ron Logan
, it is similar to the Main Street Electrical Parade
, which was its predecessor, 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 movies and short films.
(which welcomes spectators with a synthesized voice provided by Jack Wagner (announcer)
), 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 thrill of Disney Fantasies come to electric life…. And now the Magic Kingdom Proudly Presents in a million points of musical light, the Magical World of Disney in SPECTROMAGIC!”
. Together with Steve Skorija, he arranged music by Disney composers into a 14-minute suite. The parade's scenic designer was Ken Dresser.
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.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
park at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
. Produced by longtime Disney Show Producer Ron Logan
Ron Logan
Ron Logan is a former executive vice president of Walt Disney Entertainment . After retiring from the company in 2001, he is now a professor at the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando, Florida, United States.-Life and career:Growing up in Leavenworth,...
, it is similar to the Main Street Electrical Parade
Main Street Electrical Parade
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a regularly scheduled parade, created by Bob Jani and project director Ron Miziker, famous for its long run at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort most summers between 1972–1974, 1977–1982, and 1985-1996...
, which was its predecessor, 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 movies and short films.
History
The parade went on a hiatus in the May 1999 when the Main Street Electrical Parade made its return to the Magic Kingdom. SpectroMagic returned in April 2001 with the following changes:- Spectro-men have new heads
- Genie (from Aladdin) replaced Roger Rabbit (from Who Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
) as the conductor of the parade. - Sebastian (from The Little MermaidThe Little Mermaid (1989 film)The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
) animatronic and bubble system added to King Triton's float - Jiminy CricketJiminy CricketJiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
animatronic added to the finale float.
Opening Announcement
Unlike the Main Street Electrical ParadeMain Street Electrical Parade
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a regularly scheduled parade, created by Bob Jani and project director Ron Miziker, famous for its long run at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort most summers between 1972–1974, 1977–1982, and 1985-1996...
(which welcomes spectators with a synthesized voice provided by Jack Wagner (announcer)
Jack Wagner (announcer)
Jack Francis Wagner was the official park announcer for Disneyland until 1993. He is famous for the various announcements over the park PA, for parades, special events, etc. He also did a lot of voice work for the Walt Disney World Resort and for the attractions themselves, including instructions,...
), SpectroMagic's Opening announcement is provided by Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
who says:
"Welcome to the Splendor, the spectacle, the sparkling sensation, where the romance, the comedy and thrill of Disney Fantasies come to electric life…. And now the Magic Kingdom Proudly Presents in a million points of musical light, the Magical World of Disney in SPECTROMAGIC!”
Releases
- A partial (7:11) audio recording of the original parade can be found on the CD Disneyland/Walt Disney World Music VacationDisneyland/Walt Disney World Music VacationDisneyland/Walt Disney World Music Vacation was a 2-CD set only released in Japan in 1997. Out of print.-Disc one:# "Light Magic" – 16:06#*; DREAM OUR DREAMS FANFARE / OPENING / PLAY ON#:* Dream Our Dreams Fanfare#:* Dream Our Dreams Opening Play On...
. 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 ParkDisney's Music From The Park (1996 CD)Disney's Music from the Park was a compilation of celebrities singing Disney theme park songs. Out of print.-Track listing:# "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" - Splash Mountain#* Performed by Patti Austin# "Yo Ho " - Pirates of the Caribbean...
as "SpectroMagic Medley", performed by David Benoit.
Music
The main theme for SpectroMagic ("On This Magic Night") was composed by movie composer John DebneyJohn Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
. 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 Ostrich's)
- 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
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
software developed by Richmond Sound Design
Richmond Sound Design
Richmond Sound Design Ltd. is a theatre sound design and show control systems and software developer and manufacturer. It was founded in 1972 by Charlie Richmond. The company began as a manufacturer of specialty mixers and theatre sound design consoles...
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.