Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade – Seating Tips, 50th Anniversary Food, Merch

The Main Street Electrical Parade first debuted in the late 1970’s and ran into the 90’s while making a few returns over the past few years making it full of nostalgia for many guests. The parade features floats focused on classic Disney movies and live performers covered in over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights and a synchronized soundtrack.

This year the Main Street Electrical parade celebrates it’s 50th anniversary at Disneyland! Keep reading for all the details on the anniversary and celebration.

Main Street Electrical Parade Dates

The Main Street Electrical parade returned to Disneyland during Summer 2022. BREAKING! The Main Street Electrical Parade run will end on September 1st just as we predicted – right before the beginning of Disneyland Halloween. The Disneyland Forever fireworks are also ending their limited run that day. Don’t forget that there is a California Special ticket deal that runs through September 15th.

Disney has also announced that Fantasmic! at Disneyland and World of Color at Disney California Adventure will continue to ignite the night beyond September 1st.

Many fans of Walt Disney World in Florida have been wondering if the Main Street Electrical Parade will return to Walt Disney World for WDW’s 50th anniversary. There hasn’t been any information shared on the parade potentially traveling back to the Magic Kingdom at this point, but that could change.

Main Street Electrical Parade Times

There are typically two Main Street Electrical parade showings per night at 8:45 pm and 10:45 pm. The first parade begins at “it’s a Small World” and travels to Main Street’s Town Square and the second parade begins at Main Street’s Town Square and returns to “it’s a Small World”.

These Main Street Electrical parade show times could change and you should always check the Disneyland app for the latest times.

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Main Street Electrical Parade Viewing Tips: 50th Anniversary of the Parade!

The Main Street Electrical Parade is always a big hit for guests due to its longevity and the nostalgia it brings for guests that remember from their own childhood. Plus kids love the joy of a nighttime parade that lights up Disneyland.

The first parade of the day at Disneyland will start at it’s a small world and end at Main Street. The first showing of the Main Street Electrical Parade is at 8:45PM and will be the most crowded of the two parade times as many people will clear out of the parks after this parade and the fireworks end at 10PM.

For the second parade of the day it will start at Main Street and end at it’s a small world. The second parade starts at 10:45PM and is a good choice to watch if you want to get a great spot without having to save a spot too far in advance since the viewing won’t be as crowded for thus parade.

Here are my favorite viewing spots for the Main Street Electrical Parade: 

• it’s a small world
  • This path is easily one of my favorite spots because it offers so many convenient amenities nearby and also has enough space to fit many guests comfortably so you don’t feel too squished on top of each other. There are restrooms nearby plus snack carts serving popcorn, pretzels, ice-cream and churros. No better way to kill time than to make a small meal out of it!
• Next to Alice in Wonderland
  • This is a favorite spot of many guests because it’s right in front of the bathrooms and there isn’t seating on the other side of that path so the performers in the parade will solely focus on the guests sitting here which can be a great perk.
• Main Street USA
  • This is a popular area to watch the parade so spots alongside this route will fill up quick especially if you want to grab one of the benches that are along Main Street. Plan on lining up a little earlier for these spots!

There’s also two areas you can get at the last minute by hovering in just the right spot, these tricks work a bit better for smaller groups:

• Disneyland fire station
  • If you hover in this area about 20 minutes before the parade begins the cast members will rope off the area in front of the fire station so you can grab a last minute front row spot here
• Disneyland hub
  • Cast members rope off the parade route a few hours before the parade begins so if you hang out in this area and wait for them to take the ropes down about an hour before the parade is going to start you can get a front row view which will also serve you well for the fireworks!

New Main Street Electrical Parade Floats

The Main Street Electrical Parade has received new updates in honor of its 50th anniversary including a brand new grand finale featuring floats dedicated to beloved films like “Encanto,” “The Jungle Book,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Aladdin,” “Coco,” “Mulan,” “Brave,” “The Princess and the Frog” and more.

The brand new finale for the Main Street Electrical Parade is inspired by the original classic design of the parade along with the iconic art style of Disney Legend Mary Blair on “it’s a small world” with a finale that features more than a dozen Disney and Pixar stories.

The stories are told through the beauty of the dazzling lights, the electro magnetic musical sounds associated with this nostalgic parade plus the representations of the characters as animated dolls.

You can see more about this dazzling finale in the Disney video below:

Main Street Electrical Parade Full Performance

For spoilers of the parade, you can watch a nice quality video of the parade below. The video also includes a full look at the new finale float for the parade.

How Long is the Main Street Electrical Parade?

The Main Street Electrical Parade is roughly 20 minutes from the time that the parade reaches your spot until the new finale float (details shared above) passes you by.

Plaza Inn Main Street Electrical Parade Dining Package

The Plaza Inn Main Street Electrical Parade Dining Package is another option for viewing for the Main Street Electrical Parade. You can make reservations up to 60 days in advance. The dining package includes a pre-fix to-go meal plus a voucher to a reserved viewing area. You don’t view the parade from the restaurant- it’s a separate area which us located facing the Disneyland train statin. To make reservations, book online or call (714) 781-DINE. Keep in mind that the parade viewing will be separate from the dining location, you’ll be given a voucher with access for your parade viewing spot.

Dining Days and Times

• Daily
• Dining Time: 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
• Showtime: All Guests will receive a voucher for the day’s first performance of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

This dining package features a picnic-style meal. You can either eat inside or outside, and then there will be a reserved viewing area along the parade route for you to sit in after you’re finished eating.

Price: $40 for adults 10 and up, $25 for children, and children 2 and under are free

Adult Dining Package Menu

• World-famous Plaza Inn fried chicken
• Oven-roasted carrots
• House-made smoked mac & cheese
• Bacon and pickled onion wedge salad served with house-made ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles
• Mickey-shaped sweet honey corn bread
• Decadent berry cheesecake
• Choice of one beverage: 20 oz. fountain beverage or 20 oz. Dasani water

Child Dining Package Menu

• World-famous Plaza Inn fried-chicken leg
• Oven-roasted carrots
• House-made smoked mac & cheese
• Apple sauce
• Mickey-shaped sweet honey corn bread
• Decadent berry cheesecake
• Choice of one beverage: small Dasani water or small low-fat milk

You can read our full Plaza Inn Dining Package review on the Main Street Electrical parade.

Main Street Electrical Parade 50th Anniversary Food

Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor hosted by Dreyer’s (available on Mobile Order)

• Uni-cone: Banana, cherry, and pistachio ice cream in a white chocolate-dipped waffle cone with fantasy sprinkles

Hub Churro Cart

• Blueberry Looks Good on You: Blueberry-flavored sugar-dusted churro (New)
• Blueberry Cheesecake Dipping Sauce: Blueberry fruit topping with cream cheese icing (New)

Fantasyland Theatre and Small World Popcorn Carts

• Electric Sweet & Salty Popcorn: Colorful sweet kettle corn combined with butter-flavored popcorn (New)

Fantasyland and Small World Churro Carts

• Electric Sprinkle Dip: Citrus buttercream frosting with sprinkles (New)

Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe (available on Mobile Order)

• Parade Macaron: Yellow macaron filled with honey buttercream and lemon curd topped with rainbow sprinkles and Main Street Electrical Parade drum decoration (New)
• Mine Cart Brownie: White chocolate-dipped dark chocolate brownie topped with sugar gems
• Linzer Cookie: Citrus shortbread linzer cookie with strawberry glaze

Plaza Inn

• Parade Confetti Bundt Cake: Confetti cake with blue sopapilla filling, cream cheese glaze, and Main Street Electrical Parade chocolate décor (New)

Refreshment Corner Hosted by Coca-Cola (available on Mobile Order)

• Electric Relish Dog: All-beef hot dog, bacon, mustard cheese sauce, electric relish, and sport peppers served with a choice of a Cuties mandarin orange or small bag of chips (New)
• Firefly Chips: Corn chips topped with chili, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and jalapeños

Red Rose Taverne hosted by Minute Maid (available on Mobile Order)

• Pineapple Night Light: Fresh pineapple purée and Sprite with a glow cube (New)

Town Square Churro Cart

• Parade Dreams: Colorful sugar-dusted churro with fruit drizzle garnished with rainbow candy (New)

Main Street Electrical Parade Popcorn Bucket

Town Square Popcorn Cart

• Electric Pop: Brightly-colored kettle corn (New)

Available at Various Locations Throughout Disneyland Park Throughout the Summer Season:

• Light-up Turtle Premium Sipper (Limit two per person, per transaction while supplies last. Availability may vary throughout the season.) (New)
• Light-up Elliott Dragon Premium Bucket (Limit two per person, per transaction while supplies last. Availability may vary throughout the season.) (New)

Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade Loungefly and More 50th Anniversary Merchandise

In true Disney style, there is a whole line of exclusive merchandise to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Main Street Electrical Parade including an all-over print T-shirt with glow ink and “Main Street Electrical Parade” leggings.

And don’t forget the Minnie ears which are always a must have for collectors and this split seam T-shirt with all-over print and solid contrast.

But this is the one that will likely have many guests rushing to shopDisney and the parks once it releases: the mini backpack by Loungefly.

There’s also a Disney Dress shop style Main Street Electrical parade dress with glow in the dark accents and a sash paying tribute to the 50th anniversary.

All this special merchandise is coming in waves to Shop Disney, Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

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