Spectromagic!

honeybear;2460249 wrote: Are they EVER going to bring Spectromagic back to the Magic Kingdom Park! I really miss it!

No... it is gone...

I thought I read somewhere that a lot of the floats were damaged in a storm? Am I remembering that correctly?

Basket Mommy;2460254 wrote: I thought I read somewhere that a lot of the floats were damaged in a storm? Am I remembering that correctly?

Floats were reportedly not stored right for the Florida weather... Some say the floats (at least some) were damaged by termites, some were rotted... Some were saved and still in good condition, and come out every once in a while...

The parade is gone though... A new night time fireworks show is in the planning stages, so maybe a new night time parade is too...

I am so sad! It was my Favorite! you tube it is!

DizneyFreak2002;2460258 wrote: Floats were reportedly not stored right for the Florida weather... Some say the floats (at least some) were damaged by termites, some were rotted... Some were saved and still in good condition, and come out every once in a while...

The parade is gone though... A new night time fireworks show is in the planning stages, so maybe a new night time parade is too...

They were in pretty rough shape as far back as 2001-2, when I first started working Parades on Main Street. As a Parade Audience Control (PAC) trainer, one of our "things" was to go back to Parade Storage (behind Pirates/Splash) and allow our trainees to actually sit in the floats and see what the driver sees from the "cockpit". It's not a very good view, which was why we stressed that our PAC Cast must do good at their job of keeping guests out of the streets/crosswalks.

The floats are mostly wood - which explains the termites and rot.

Main Street Jim;2460287 wrote: They were in pretty rough shape as far back as 2001-2, when I first started working Parades on Main Street. As a Parade Audience Control (PAC) trainer, one of our "things" was to go back to Parade Storage (behind Pirates/Splash) and allow our trainees to actually sit in the floats and see what the driver sees from the "cockpit". It's not a very good view, which was why we stressed that our PAC Cast must do good at their job of keeping guests out of the streets/crosswalks.

The floats are mostly wood - which explains the termites and rot.

I can only imagine the condition of the floats in Main Street Electrical Parade... Someone told me they aren't in good, never mind great, shape and have major issues as well...

DizneyFreak2002;2460295 wrote: I can only imagine the condition of the floats in Main Street Electrical Parade... Someone told me they aren't in good, never mind great, shape and have major issues as well...

It's remarkable any of them still work after all these years no matter how well they store them. Florida heat and humidity is brutal. I've lost several things because my husband moved them out of their storage place. And if we leave out Christmas lights in the garage off season (even properly packed) , at least 50% won't work when it is time to put them up.

Main Street Jim;2460287 wrote: They were in pretty rough shape as far back as 2001-2, when I first started working Parades on Main Street. As a Parade Audience Control (PAC) trainer, one of our "things" was to go back to Parade Storage (behind Pirates/Splash) and allow our trainees to actually sit in the floats and see what the driver sees from the "cockpit". It's not a very good view, which was why we stressed that our PAC Cast must do good at their job of keeping guests out of the streets/crosswalks.

The floats are mostly wood - which explains the termites and rot.

Sadly, this is not done in PAC training anymore. The Backstage #1 & 2 positions are now staffed by Parade Entertainment CM's so PAC training does not even go back to the PC anymore at all.

Spectro floats got completely dismantled a few years ago. A lot of the drive components were "robbed" when MSEP came back in 2010 to overhaul some of those floats.

The last time I went back to the PC, about a year ago, there were no signs of any of the old Spectro floats and I walked back thru both buildings and around back by the waterway.

Main Street Jim;2460287 wrote: They were in pretty rough shape as far back as 2001-2, when I first started working Parades on Main Street. As a Parade Audience Control (PAC) trainer, one of our "things" was to go back to Parade Storage (behind Pirates/Splash) and allow our trainees to actually sit in the floats and see what the driver sees from the "cockpit". It's not a very good view, which was why we stressed that our PAC Cast must do good at their job of keeping guests out of the streets/crosswalks.

The floats are mostly wood - which explains the termites and rot.

I saw a CM in action on my last trip. Saved a small child. I'm sure it is a thankless job but very important nonetheless.

AgentC;2460306 wrote: It's remarkable any of them still work after all these years no matter how well they store them. Florida heat and humidity is brutal. I've lost several things because my husband moved them out of their storage place. And if we leave out Christmas lights in the garage off season (even properly packed) , at least 50% won't work when it is time to put them up.
I was actually amazed the parade looked good in 2013...

You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.

- Walt Disney

 

DizneyFreak2002;2460425 wrote: I was actually amazed the parade looked good in 2013...

Were you referring to MSEP? Spectro ended in June of 2010. Most of the MSEP floats are constructed very differently than the Spectro floats were and really aren't subject to the same environmental issues.

11290;2460427 wrote: Were you referring to MSEP? Spectro ended in June of 2010. Most of the MSEP floats are constructed very differently than the Spectro floats were and really aren't subject to the same environmental issues.

Yes that was in reference to MSEP...

I said I was amazed at how good they looked because I had heard from several people that the floats were in really really bad shape and they feared half of them would never make the full parade route on any given night... Then I saw the parade in 2013 and the floats looked pretty good to me... But that is just with the naked eye... I have no knowledge of the true condition of the MSEP floats... Just what I've been told...

DizneyFreak2002;2460518 wrote: Yes that was in reference to MSEP...

I said I was amazed at how good they looked because I had heard from several people that the floats were in really really bad shape and they feared half of them would never make the full parade route on any given night... Then I saw the parade in 2013 and the floats looked pretty good to me... But that is just with the naked eye... I have no knowledge of the true condition of the MSEP floats... Just what I've been told...

Physically, they looked in good shape when they came in early 2010 but mechanically, not very good, at least so I was told by some of the parade mechanics. The first month or so the Dopey float could hardly make it up Main St., tires were not up to par to make the grade when it got to the Trolley track steel plates (DLR is very flat).

I hope those CREEPY white masks were destroyed !!!:ack: