With its twinkling lights, upbeat music and glowing characters, the Electrical Water Pageant has been dazzling guests at Walt Disney World from the very beginning … literally! From 1971 to now, this one-of-a-kind, complimentary nighttime spectacle has become a classic for Disney fans visiting from around the globe.

Whether you’re watching the Electrical Water Pageant for the first time along the shores of Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon or pointing out your favorite scenes to friends while riding the monorail, we’re bringing you behind the scenes for a look into this spectacular’s sparkling history with some insider info on the best places to see it.

While dreaming up ideas for Disney World, the project team wanted to create something that could entertain hotel guests after Magic Kingdom closed for the night.

Disney Legend and Imagineer Marc Davis was tapped for the task. You may be familiar with some of his other work. He created character concepts for iconic Disney attractions like the Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and more.

Some of his early concept art for the Electrical Water Pageant shows the parade almost had a Fantasia (1940) theme (pictured above) but later evolved into a show that could tell many stories in glowing, glittering animation on the water – and Disney Legend Bob Jani helped bring this concept to life.

“The Walt Disney World property was so vast that we had no horizon lights, or any city lights, which meant we had perfect black, and I just started fantasizing about what we could do with that,” Bob said.

The sky was the limit, and what they created was a stunning show where characters appeared out of the night as if by magic. It continues to shine more than 50 years later.

Peeking behind the pixie dust, the magic actually happens on two 456-foot barges made up of 25-foot-tall screens. Each panel is covered in twinkling lights that blink on and off to bring parade characters and stunning scenery to life.

Complementing its stunning visuals, the Electrical Water Pageant was the very first show where guests heard the “electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds” of “Baroque Hoedown.”

Recorded on synthesizers in 1967 by electronic music composers Gershon Kingsley and Jean-Jacques Perrey, “Baroque Hoedown” went on to become legendary at Disney.

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, that’s the very same song that was used in the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland, Disney World and Disneyland Paris!

The Electrical Water Pageant officially debuted on October 24, 1971. Less than 24 hours later, Roy O. Disney delivered Disney World’s official dedication at Magic Kingdom. Guests sat in rows of chairs along the beach of the resort after, oohing and aahing as the pageant floated by.

The show was incredibly popular. So much so that when new nighttime entertainment was being designed for Disneyland, Bob Jani pitched an idea for how they could bring the Electrical Water Pageant to shore on the West Coast.

So, in 1972, the Main Street Electrical Parade stepped off for the first time at Disneyland with original floats that used twinkling lights on flat panels just like the Electrical Water Pageant.

It also used the same music: Perrey and Kingsley’s “Baroque Hoedown.” The toe-tapping track may not have reached its now-legendary status if not for the parade’s aquatic forerunner at Disney World.

Since its debut, the show has been updated with new music and characters. Did you know that long before Ariel was designed for “The Little Mermaid,” there was a trio of red-headed mermaids in the show?

The pageant has also featured special, limited-time finale scenes over the years that highlight milestone anniversaries at Walt Disney World – like during our 50^th Anniversary celebration or the Tencennial!

While the show has had many iterations over the past 53 years, the Electrical Water Pageant continues to be one of the most beloved complimentary nighttime entertainment offerings at Disney World.

Today, a small but mighty crew of five Disney Transportation cast members drive the twinkling barges across Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake every night. Many have been working at the Electrical Water Pageant for decades and feel great pride in bringing this vacation staple to life each night.

Some of the most tenured cast members who pilot the pageant shared their insider knowledge on the very best places to watch the show. Here’s what they recommend:

Whether you’re adding the Electrical Water Pageant to your vacation must-dos for the first time, or your family has been watching it for decades, we hope you enjoy the spectacle just a little bit more now that you know its history!