See the Main Street Electrical Parade at The Magic Kingdom in 1984 (Photo Essay)

Dancers enjoy the ball in the Cinderella scene of Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade in 1984. — Photo by Paul Heaton

When I think about our Walt Disney World trip from 1984, a lot of the memories come from EPCOT Center. I was eight years old, and it was my first visit to that cool park. We also spent a lot of time enjoying The Magic Kingdom. Looking back at my dad’s slides from that trip, he didn’t focus as much on Florida’s original park. All his shots depict the Main Street Electrical Parade, which was operating in full force at the time. This article includes his pictures of Disney’s excellent nighttime event. The shots provide a glimpse at that parade from a clear spot on Main Street, U.S.A.

Let’s start with a scene from Cinderella that’s always been a staple of the Main Street Electrical Parade. The ballroom canopies and live actors dancing are an impressive sight, especially with the fancy garb on the performers. The Clock Tower joined the parade in 1977 and has been part of it since that point. It’s an easy way to remind us of the ticking clock before Cinderella’s adventure ends. This picture also reveals our prime spot right along the initial path.

A bear dances on barrels in the Dumbo section of Disney's classic Main Street Electrical Parade. — Photo by Paul Heaton

We’ve entered the Dumbo scenes, though not all of it actually depicts that film. More on that in a minute. In the meantime, here’s a bear balancing on barrels! All of these floats only lasted until 1996, and this bear first appeared with the changes in 1977. You can also spot a hippo pulling a carriage in the background, and that leads directly to our next two shots.

A hippo pulls the calliope from Disney's 1971 film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. — Photo by Paul Heaton

I’ve always enjoyed the silly look on the face of this hippo, which has the fun job of always pulling royalty. It’s interesting to note that this is not connected to Dumbo. It seems to fit thematically, but instead we’ve entered the realm of Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I have few memories of that 1971 film, but it’s cool to see it represented within the Main Street Electrical Parade for a long time.

King Leonidas of Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a surprise part of the Main Street Electrical Parade. — Photo by Paul Heaton

I’ll admit that I actually thought this was Prince John from Robin Hood before reading up about the parade. Incorrect! This float includes King Leonidas from Bedknobs and Broomsticks inside his fancy calliope. This fantasy film is available to stream on Disney Plus, so I may have to catch up with it sometime soon.

Elliott, known commonly as Pete's Dragon, has been a popular float during the Main Street Electrical Parade at the Magic Kingdom since 1977. — Photo by Paul Heaton

Let’s close our trip back to 1984 with one of my favorite floats from the Main Street Electrical Parade. Elliott has been one of the highlights since 1977 and is a massive sight. The smoke shooting out from Pete’s Dragon isn’t on par with Maleficent in the Festival of Fantasy parade, but it’s still a cool touch. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this look back at this classic Disney parade during its heyday!