goofy246
10-26-2006, 01:51 PM
Disney's Fantillusion existed long before it premiered in Paris, many many miles away... in Tokyo! When Disney Fantillusion premiered at Tokyo Disneyland on July 21st 1995, it was not just a new light parade, it was a magical mix of light, music, special effects and Disney characters to create an experience that took Disney parades to a new level. Since Tokyo Disneyland didn't have the lagoon or space required for the popular "Fantasmic" show of the American resorts, Fantillusion was designed as a parade version of this night-time good versus evil spectacular. The 31 major floats each formed part of the overlying story of Disney good vs. Disney evil, and over the parade's seven years in Tokyo it gained many fans who were sad to see it leave at the end of its "Sayonara Fantillusion!" season on May 17th 2001.
After the parade finished, the floats which had been bought by Disneyland Resort Paris were packed up ready to be transported, and those which had not been bought were rumoured to have been destroyed. Of the 31 major floats in the Tokyo version of the parade, Disneyland Resort Paris only bought under 15. Thirteen floats are currently used in the parade, but there are rumours that Disneyland Resort Paris has a couple more in storage and might add them to the parade at some point, though so far this is seeming more and more unlikely.
It took the Fantillusion parade floats more than 40 days to get to Disneyland Resort Paris from Tokyo Disney Resort. They travelled by cargo ship from Japan to Australia then set off again through the Panama canal and Mediterranean Sea before finally travelling around Spain and up the west coast of France to reach Northern France. They were then taken by truck to Disneyland Resort Paris where they were completely refurbished. This refurbishment of the parade floats took much longer than expected because some of the floats were very badly damaged in transit. This meant that Disneyland Resort Paris had to repair many of the floats aswell as convert their electrical system to the one used in Paris.
Disney's Fantillusion was due to begin in Paris in 2002, when the Main Street Electrical Parade would have been running for ten years, but instead because of the problems with the floats and the fact that Disneyland Resort Paris still wanted the emphasis on their newly opened Walt Disney Studios Park, Fantillusion had to wait another whole year for its Parisian debut.
After many weeks of rumours about Fantillusion parade rehearsing in Disneyland Park after hours, there was a special Fantillusion preview night on June 28th 2004 for Annual Passport holders. The parade then premiered to the public at the start of its first summer season in Paris on July 5th 2003, running until August 31st. Fantillusion returned for its first Christmas season in the resort from November 8th to January 4th, and has been playing to crowds of adoring fans every Summer and Christmas season since.
In Summer 2005, the "Dark Forest" float was removed from the parade in response to budget cuts and guest feedback. As the only villain float with no character or transformation effects, the float was no longer seen as an important part of the parade. Disney's Christmas Season in 2005 brought a further change to the parade, with the parade now running from It's A Small World to Town Square. Whilst this brought with it a huge amount of technical troubles in the days after the switch, it allowed for better efficiency with the backstage parade preparation and meant guests would now follow the parade to the park's exit instead of back into the park.
Disney's Fantillusion has become a firm favourite at Disneyland Park, and is now the highlight of many guests' days, with its magical blend of beautiful music, beloved characters and incredible lights creating memories that last forever.
After the parade finished, the floats which had been bought by Disneyland Resort Paris were packed up ready to be transported, and those which had not been bought were rumoured to have been destroyed. Of the 31 major floats in the Tokyo version of the parade, Disneyland Resort Paris only bought under 15. Thirteen floats are currently used in the parade, but there are rumours that Disneyland Resort Paris has a couple more in storage and might add them to the parade at some point, though so far this is seeming more and more unlikely.
It took the Fantillusion parade floats more than 40 days to get to Disneyland Resort Paris from Tokyo Disney Resort. They travelled by cargo ship from Japan to Australia then set off again through the Panama canal and Mediterranean Sea before finally travelling around Spain and up the west coast of France to reach Northern France. They were then taken by truck to Disneyland Resort Paris where they were completely refurbished. This refurbishment of the parade floats took much longer than expected because some of the floats were very badly damaged in transit. This meant that Disneyland Resort Paris had to repair many of the floats aswell as convert their electrical system to the one used in Paris.
Disney's Fantillusion was due to begin in Paris in 2002, when the Main Street Electrical Parade would have been running for ten years, but instead because of the problems with the floats and the fact that Disneyland Resort Paris still wanted the emphasis on their newly opened Walt Disney Studios Park, Fantillusion had to wait another whole year for its Parisian debut.
After many weeks of rumours about Fantillusion parade rehearsing in Disneyland Park after hours, there was a special Fantillusion preview night on June 28th 2004 for Annual Passport holders. The parade then premiered to the public at the start of its first summer season in Paris on July 5th 2003, running until August 31st. Fantillusion returned for its first Christmas season in the resort from November 8th to January 4th, and has been playing to crowds of adoring fans every Summer and Christmas season since.
In Summer 2005, the "Dark Forest" float was removed from the parade in response to budget cuts and guest feedback. As the only villain float with no character or transformation effects, the float was no longer seen as an important part of the parade. Disney's Christmas Season in 2005 brought a further change to the parade, with the parade now running from It's A Small World to Town Square. Whilst this brought with it a huge amount of technical troubles in the days after the switch, it allowed for better efficiency with the backstage parade preparation and meant guests would now follow the parade to the park's exit instead of back into the park.
Disney's Fantillusion has become a firm favourite at Disneyland Park, and is now the highlight of many guests' days, with its magical blend of beautiful music, beloved characters and incredible lights creating memories that last forever.