Disney’s Millennium Celebration

Feature Article

This article appeared in the February 23, 2000, Issue #19 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)

MOUSETALES – The Unofficial Newsletter of Walt Disney World devotes an entire issue to Disney's Millennium Celebration.

Here is an excerpt from that issue:

The Tapestry of Nations Parade Review

Epcot has added two new shows for its Millennium Celebration, Tapestry of Nations and IllumiNations 2000. Tapestry of Nations is one of Disney's best parades of all-time. The parade will have you singing its theme song for the rest of the evening. The parade is actually three identical parades occurring at the same time in different parts of World Showcase. The parade steps off twice nightly at 6:25pm and 8:10pm. The parade route for the 6:25pm parade is: 1) Mexico to Germany, 2) Germany to Morocco, and 3) France to United Kingdom. For the 8:10pm showing, the parade reverses direction: 1) Germany to Mexico, 2) Morocco to Germany, and 3) United Kingdom to France. TIP: You cannot see the parade from the Canada pavilion or at the entrance to World Showcase from Future World.

The parade is comprised of over 120 puppets measuring 12 to 17 feet tall with the Sage of Time as the grand marshal. Children really do love this parade because the performers involve them in its activities. Most performers make a genuine attempt to let the children touch and shake hands with the large puppets they carry. The parade takes place around World Showcase promenade and certain spots are definitely more crowded than others.

TIP: In general, the parade route between France and the United Kingdom is extremely crowded. Avoid these areas at all costs. In fact, don't even venture to these areas between 6:30pm and 9:00pm unless you have to. The area between Mexico and China is also fairly crowded.

TIP: We recommend the following viewing locations. For the 6:25pm parade, the best viewing location is between Germany and Italy. Our second choice would be between Japan and Morocco. For the 8:10pm parade, the best location is around the Outpost refreshment stand (area between China and Germany). Our second choice would be between Germany and Italy. The crowds in these areas are extremely light. We recommend you arrive to claim you spot at least 15 minutes ahead of time.

IllumiNations 2000

Mousetales feels the past couple of revisions to IllumiNations have been disappointing. However, Disney has redeemed itself with IllumiNations 2000. The show will send chills down your spine. It's a show that you will want to see over and over, so don't wait until your last night to see it. The show starts with a series of fiery explosions called "Chaos", which really catches your attention. This part of the show simulates the formation of the earth. Things then quiet down a little as a large globe floats from behind the American Gardens Theater to the center of the lagoon. The globe is complete with large high definition LED screens in the shapes of the continents. These screens show images from around the world. The show concludes with a spectacular 360-degree fireworks show as the globe opens up to reveal a large lighted torch, which emits a large display fireworks itself. The music during the finale is particularly moving and completes the ambiance the show creates.

TIP: The United Kingdom, Mexico, and Canada are extremely crowded during IllumiNations. Therefore, we recommend that you view the show from Italy, Morocco, or Japan. The trees tend to be in the way at many locations between China and Germany.

TIP: The absolute best viewing location is where the promenade juts out into the lagoon in front of Italy. Plan to stakeout your spot as soon as the last Tapestry of Nations parade is over.

To order the Winter 2000 issue of Mousetales devoted entirely to Disney's Millennium Celebration send $3.99 to: Mousetales, P.O. Box 383, Columbus, OH 43216

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.