Extinct Attractions - Cinderellabration: Lights of Romance
Welcome to Extinct Attractions.This week, I took a look back at an attraction that called a couple of parks with Cinderella Castle home.
Last Saturday, America celebrated its 250th anniversary of countryhood with the Disney parks getting in on the celebrations as well. From the very beginning of Disneyland’s history, they have incorporated American ideals into the parks, starting from guests entering Main Street USA every time they visit.
But for today, we are going to start our journey with the first park to open outside of the United States, Tokyo Disneyland. The park was designed in a very similar way to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, even down to using Cinderella Castle as the centerpiece of the park, as opposed to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.
Via eBay
In the 1990s, Tokyo Disneyland introduced a show called Cinderellabration that has largely been lost to time. But with the 20th anniversary of the park approaching, Tokyo Disneyland decided to give the show a second life.
Cinderellabration: Lights of Romance debuted on January 25, 2003, transformed into a winter nighttime experience that brought the sparkling lights of the hub to life.
To start with, the production value of the video I found was top notch, with high quality images and a lot of coverage, particularly impressive considering that the recording was about 20 years old. The show began with some projections of snowflakes on the castle before some trumpeters emerged to announce the arrival of about 15 waltzers to help set the tone of elegance that would permeate the entire show.
To add to the upscale nature of the show, the King and the Grand Duke from Cinderella joined the party to introduce the cavalcade of characters who would be attending Cinderella’s coronation. The guests largely appeared in pairs to the tune of a song related to them and consisted of the following:
- Snow White and her prince
- Aurora and Phillip
- Aladdin and Jasmine
- Belle and the Beast
- White Rabbit and Queen of Hearts (for some reason?)
- Lady Tremaine, Anastisia and Drizella (CInderella’s step sisters)
- Mickey and Minnie
- Donald and Daisy
- Pluto and Goofy
- Chip and Dale
Via YouTube
All of the characters were dressed in their finest outfits for the occasion, but there were a couple of standouts. First on the list were Lady Tremaine and Cinderella’s step sisters who all appeared as characters in full costume including the head, as opposed to the face characters that they generally are. I’m not going to lie, they looked pretty creepy, but I guess that works for them as characters?
Via Disney WIki
The other notable outfits were from Mickey, Minnie and friends. Mickey and Minnie came dressed as a king and queen themselves with the rest of their friends in full royal court outfits. The fits were super silly and fun and unlike what one normally sees from a show like this. It’s that Tokyo Disneyland touch.
There wasn’t a ton of plot to the experience, but there was a good amount of pomp and circumstance as Cinderella rolled in on a coach, surrounded by her mice who helped her down in time for a stunning rendition of “So This is Love” alongside her Prince Charming. It was crazy that she could easily move with a crazy long train on her back that stretched all the way down the stairs. Luckily, her fellow princesses had her back, replacing the train with a much more sensible cape.
After the song, it was time to move along to the coronation with Cinderella and Charming both moving to a part of the stage that was lifted up so that everyone could see them in all their glory. As the stage moved higher and higher, all 40+ of the performers sang “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” The moment was pretty powerful because one never sees a show with so many performers on stage all having the time of their lives.
The show was such a success that a version of it was brought to Magic Kingdom starting March 17, 2005. The show was largely the same with the primary difference being its daytime setting as well as the removal of Mickey and friends, the White Rabbit and Queen of Hearts, and Lady Tremaine and the step sisters. Those changes still kept Cinderellabration in the park until September 16, 2006, coming to a close a couple of years before the Tokyo Disneyland version kicked the bucket on March 14, 2008.
All in all, Cinderellabration: Lights of Romance was a really well put together show that may have been lacking in story but really scratched the itch of pageantry and large scale shows that the Disney parks are known for. It’s certainly one that I wish I could’ve seen in person.
Via Instagram
As always, don’t forget to check out my interactive maps of the Disney Parks throughout the years where you can watch or learn more about all the attractions from every Disney park around the world.
Thanks for reading and have a magical day!