by JollyFrogger Diva
The closing of a ride or attraction is almost always sad- there are a few I wouldn’t be sad to see go, but for the most part it always break my heart a little. However no closure has been quite so sad for me as learning that Disney had decided to end SpectroMagic. Perhaps it was because the closure was somewhat unexpected (at least to me) or maybe it was because I didn’t get a proper chance to say goodbye by seeing it one last time. I know many people like Main Street Electrical Parade just as well, and while I don’t dislike it, SpectroMagic still remains my favorite parade at Walt Disney World. I can’t tell you exactly why I have always liked it best, but I think it has to do with the soundtrack- the music from SpectroMagic takes me back to past trips to Disney World faster than just about anything else I can think of. In fact, while I am writing this article, I have the soundtrack playing on my iPod for inspiration. I think it was also because every time the floats went from all white lights to colored lights, I got chill bumps.
Surely one of the reasons I am so upset about the ending of SpectroMagic is because I missed my last opportunity to see it. My parents took a trip to Walt Disney World in October of 2009 and at the last minute, my husband and I managed to get off work long enough to join them for a long weekend. Since we were only there a couple of days, we had to prioritize our itinerary and only hit the highlights of each park. The day we spent at Magic Kingdom was for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so the party specific parade took the place of SpectroMagic that day. Had I known that would be our last chance to see it, I would have arranged to visit the Magic Kingdom an additional night of our trip so I could have gotten a few last photos and experienced it one last time.
The last time I got to see SpectroMagic was in 2008. We watched it from Frontierland, sitting across from the Diamond Horseshoe. Luckily, we had secured a prime viewing spot, and the pictures I took aren’t full of the back of people’s heads. Unfortunately, this was before I had spent money on a quality camera, so most of my pictures of the parade are a little blurry. Nevertheless, here are a few of my favorites.
Hopefully, one day, Disney World will get another night-time parade that I like as well as SpectroMagic. Until then, I will enjoy Main Street Electrical because it’s still a good show. Perhaps one day, Disney World may even get a parade like Disneyland’s Paint the Night Parade. While I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing that parade in person, I have found pictures and seen video that assure me it is nothing short of awesome. Although, I am a bit old school and think I prefer the lights from Main Street Electrical more than the digital effects that Paint the Night seems to use. Whatever the outcome, at least I was able to get lots of pictures of SpectroMagic as well as a copy of the soundtrack. Whenever I am feeling nostalgic, missing the beauty and wonder of SpectroMagic, I can listen to the music while I look at my pictures and remember the words from the soundtrack “though we say goodbye, we cast a spell that won’t be broken, let this night forever live in our dreams!”
