By  Peter Covino

Entertainment Editor

The countdown to summer has officially begun with the Walt Disney World announcement that the Main Street Electrical Parade returns to the Magic Kingdom.
Disney officials announced the return of the popular parade Wednesday night at a media event at the resort.

The return of the parade comes in early June and its part of a summer themed event throughout the Disney parks called Summer Nightastic.

The popular parade, long a mainstay at the park, returns for the first time since 2001. There will be new floats and characters, said Meg Crofton, president of the Walt Disney World resort.

The parade will now be lead by Tinker Bell who will wave from the basket of a magical balloon float. Pinocchio and Snow White also will join the parade this summer in new floats.

Other Summer Nightastic events include enhancements to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The popular ride will get some new lighting effects and a new drop sequence.

The Magic Kingdom will also get a special summer fireworks spectacular.

And at Epcot this summer is the return of the Sounds Like Summer concert series. There also will be extended evening hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Other announcements Wednesday included more details on the the planned changes at Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom and other changes that officials called the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history.

Fantasyland will break ground this year with many changes that include up close encounters with favorite with Disney princesses.
Each princess will have her own themed village within Fantasyland Forest. At Dreams Come True with Cinderella, guests can meet Cinderella face to face in her country chateau, share a dance or train to be one of her Royal Knights. At A Birthday Surprise for Sleeping Beauty, it is party time inside the Briar Rose Cottage, nestled in a lush, forest setting. The three good fairies give Aurora the Sweet 16 party she never received, and everyone’s invited to join in the surprise celebration. And an enchanted mirror will transport guests from Belle’s father’s cottage to Beast’s castle for an enchanting storytelling performance during Enchanted Tales with Belle.

The area also will include the Be Our Guest restaurant, one of three dining rooms inside Beast’s Castle.
Belle’s Village will host Gaston’s Tavern, another restaurant.
 

Nearby, at the new Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction, Ariel and all her friends will entertain in a ride-through adventure featuring favorite songs from the popular animated feature.
The Dumbo ride will also get a makeover with Dumbo’s Flying Circus. The attraction will double in size and now also include a tent where guests can play midway games.

Other planned expansions for Disney include:

New Sailings for Disney Magic and Disney Wonder (2010, 2011) – In 2010, the Disney Magic will sail to Europe for an unprecedented five-month season of northern European and Mediterranean cruises. Book-ending the summer season of 12-night Northern European Capitals cruises, the Disney Magic will once again return to the Mediterranean for 10- and 11-night cruises, with three new ports of call – Tunis in northern Africa, the island nation of Marta, and Ajaccio, Corsica. In the summer of 2010, the Disney Wonder will sail four- and five-night cruises to Nassau, Key West and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. In the summer of 2011, the Disney Wonder will sail for the first time to Alaska, with seven-night cruises calling on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.

Disney Cruise Line fleet expansion (2011, 2012) – The Walt Disney Company is expanding its successful cruise vacation business by adding two new ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, to set sail in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Two decks taller than the existing Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the new 1,250-passenger liners will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Now under construction, the Disney Dream will offer magical innovations, children’s spaces and more family entertainment.