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Credit: DisneyDisney recently made changes to one of its most beloved and historic parades as a way to be more inclusive and accepting.
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In recent years, we have seen The Walt Disney Company strive for better inclusion and representation in all of its projects. Most notably, we have seen efforts be made in the Disney Parks to offer Guests better inclusivity and more accepting environments. While Disney received a lot of hate after announcing the retheming of Splash Mountain, this was done as a way to usher in a new age of Disney magic, leaving the problematic Song of the South (1946) theme in the past once and for all.
Now, Disney is also making efforts when it comes to gender inclusivity, making alterations to one of its most beloved nighttime entertainment options known as the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Last night, we finally got a glimpse after the show returned after a long hiatus. Fans and Guests alike were wild with anticipation and for good reason. However, some keen Guests may have noticed that the introduction to the show was changed as you can see in a tweet below from Showcase of Wishes (@ShowcaseWishes):
new intro for The Main Street Electrical parade at Disneyland removing “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls”
new intro for The Main Street Electrical parade at Disneyland removing “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls” pic.twitter.com/MBQHxptFH7
— Showcase of Wishes (@ShowcaseWishes) April 21, 2022
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The show had not made an appearance since 2019 so Guests were unsurprisingly very excited to see it return. And now, with the parade being gender-neutral, all Guests can now feel as included as possible.
This is not the first show or entertainment option to be adjusted at Disney as a way to be more inclusive and accepting. Last year we saw Disney change the introduction to happily Ever After, resulting in the new intro being gender-neutral. All Guests were excited for the return of the nighttime show and amidst all this excitement, Walt Disney World quietly debuted a new introduction to Happily Ever After. This change showed Disney’s commitment to becoming even more inclusive for its Guests. The change, as stated above, came in the form of the pre-show announcement right before the famous Happily Ever After instrumental began.
This is not even the first time Disney’s Electrical Parade has received gender-neutral changes, with Tokyo Disneyland’s version also undergoing changes to be more gender-inclusive.
On November 1, 2021, we saw the much-anticipated return of the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights at the Tokyo Disney Resort. With Guests gathering around Tokyo Disneyland to witness the return of this Disney staple, it was noticed that the Park has changed the greeting of the Electrical Parade in an effort to build inclusivity.
More on the historic Main Street Electrical Parade
Lighting Up the Night
Led by the iconic train and drum unit featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy—the Main Street Electrical Parade fills the street with iconic music, sparkling displays and fantastic floats depicting scenes from movies like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, along with charming and whimsical Elliot the Dragon from Disney’s classic Pete’s Dragon.
New to the parade for its 50th anniversary is a magnificent grand finale float that celebrates the theme of togetherness, reflected in a design that brings together characters and moments from more than a dozen beloved Disney and Pixar stories. These stylized scenes—interpreted in thousands of sparkling lights and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sound—bring to light classic and contemporary favorites such as Encanto, The Jungle Book, Raya and the Last Dragon, The Princess and the Frog, Coco, Mulan and more. Inspired by both the design of classic Main Street Electrical Parade floats and Disney Legend Mary Blair’s art style on “it’s a small world,” the new grand finale float is one of the longest and grandest in the parade’s 50-year history!
Over the past 50 years, generations of Guests have gathered to bask in the magical glow of this pageant. Be sure to catch it! The Main Street Electrical Parade will be available for a limited time at Disneyland Park.
Are you excited that the Main Street Electrical Parade is back?
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