Goodbye SpectroMagic

This post is overdue, but I wanted to bid SpectroMagic (1991-1999, 2001-2010) my fond farewell, as it will never be returning to any Disney park.   SpectroMagic's music was beautiful, emotional and varied. The costumes and floats were beautiful, and it was a lovely experience.

I will always remember my first trip to WDW, 10 years old or so, SpectroMagic was new and it was my last night before flying back home to the cold northeast...and I was crying. The music, warm weather, happy memories, were wrapped up in a lovely experience with SpectroMagic.

I brought my boyfriend to WDW a couple of years ago (his first time!) and I was sooo excited to show him SpectroMagic....and then to my complete shock it was the Main Street Electrical Parade instead. We asked the front desk when SM might come back, they didn't have an answer. I was crushed.



Still today every time I listen to the SM music I get misty, especially now knowing we will never see it again.

The Main Street Electrical Parade is fine and serves the purpose for a night parade, but I'm simply not a fan.  I know it's "a classic" and all that, but I really don't like it.  I'm a musician, so the biggest problem I have with it is the music. It's repetitive, boring, and grates on my nerves after listening to the same dumb 8 bars looped over and over for 10 minutes straight.

Compare that to SM's thoughtful lyrics and varied melodies, featuring different voices, sound effects, and characters...there is no comparison.

I hope WDW works to produce a new night parade to replace the Main St. Electrical, although SpectroMagic will be a tough one to beat...it even had Chernabog and Night on Bald Mountain! My favorite part.


On this magic night, 
A million stars will play beside us, 
Cast a spell of light, 
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling 
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!

[JIMINY CRICKET]
"Welcome to the splendor, the spectacle, the sparkling sensation, where the comedy and thrill of Disney fantasies come to electric life.

And now, the Magic Kingdom proudly presents, in a million points of musical light, the magic worlds of Disney...in SpectroMagic!"

Music surrounds us
Laughter that found us 
Twirling around this
Carousel of light and laughter!

We shall remember 
This moment together
Let this night forever 
Live in our dreams!

On this magic night, 
A million stars will play beside us, 
A special spell of light, 
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling 
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic. 
Pure enchantment lights our way!

Music surrounds us 
Magic around us 
Twirling around us
Carousel of light and laughter!

Though we say goodbye
We cast a spell that won't be broken 
Let this night forever 
Live in our dreams!

[JIMINY CRICKET]
So long! Se ya later!

On this magic night, 
A million stars will play beside us, 
A special spell of light, 
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling 
'Round the world tonight, 
A symphony in SpectroMagic. 
Pure enchantment lights our way!

[JIMINY CRICKET]
So long! I'm Jiminy Cricket...in SpectroMagic!

Vintage Disney photos...weird and cool

Here are some fun/scary WTF vintage Disney photos from days of yore in the parks...

Mickey has put on a few pounds over the years.

Um scary. Yeah.

Took a while to figure out head size proportions.

Head size WTF example #2.

And some General WTF's for your amusement...

Mickey used to be quite a bit more heartless. Poison and TNT?

I got nothin...?!?

Apparently Mickey and Minnie got married at some point. Er.

Biggest WTF of them all...

Cat Eats Mickey!

Mickey (and I) find a kitten: "Lend a Paw" [1941]

My boyfriend and I were home last night in our NYC apartment when we heard a kitty screaming sound out the window. We look across the way and to our surprise see a baby black kitten trapped on the ledge,  outside the 6th floor apartment directly across from us. The girl in the apartment hollered out the window that she was too afraid to catch it (the kitty found prob the only 20-something girl in NYC that is literally afraid of kittens), so my boyfriend went over and he got it from outside her window.


Things were going great, it was very affectionate and cuddly, until one of our current cats (Felix - who we thought liked the kitten, kitten looooved him!) got annoyed that it was following him around and swatted at his head (no claws).


Baby kitty's been hiding in a corner since then, crying and whenever we go near it hissing and scratching. So sad. Hopefully it's calmed down by the time we get home this evening.  We feel awful that Felix hurt its feelings so badly. Not sure what we're going to do if it doesn't calm down.


Anyway, here is how Mickey handles it when he finds a stray kitten. Similar situation with lovey-dovey kitten and Pluto/Felix rejecting it.

Mickey Mouse Gas Mask

Now for something truly creepy this Halloween:

The Mickey Mouse gas mask was created in January 1942 by T.W. Smith, Jr., the owner of the Sun Rubber Company, and his designer, Dietrich Rempel, with Walt Disney’s approval. 

This design of the Mickey Mouse Gas Mask for children was presented to Major General William N. Porter, Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. The mask was designed so children would carry it and wear it as part of a game. 

After approval of the CWS, Sun Rubber Products Company produced approximately 1,000 masks. They were never used and after the war they were distributed to senior officers as keepsakes.”

- Major Robert Walk

Halloween Pumpkin

With only 10 days left until Halloween, I'm starting to think about what to carve my pumpkin.

Something like this is WELL beyond my artistic capabilities and threshold for patience:

Or this:

But I do think I can handle this one - I quite like the simplicity:

Mickey Mouse - The Mad Doctor - 1933

More for our Countdown to Halloween!!
Pluto gets captured by a Mad Scientist and Mickey must rescue him before the crazy experiment begins!

Original Poster for Walt Disney's
"The Mad Doctor" 1933

Mickey Mouse - The Haunted House - 1929

"The Haunted House" was produced and released around the same time as "Skeleton Dance" in 1929, and does not receive the recognition it deserves. An excellent example of Ub Iwerks' talents as Walt's animator and partner, I would like to share it with you here, as part of our Countdown to Halloween.

Mickey seeks shelter from a storm unknowingly in a haunted house.