Disney World's Electrical Water Pageant: One of the last original shows

The lights. The music. The nostalgia. Walt Disney World's Electrical Water Pageant has been a fan-favorite for more than 50 years.

Do you know where to see it?  

What is it?

Every night, as Disney crowds leave the Magic Kingdom or those staying at the hotels along the Seven Seas Lagoon, there is a nighttime show that takes place.

It's called the Electrical Water Pageant, a floating nighttime parade that featured whimsical sea creatures, including a green sea monster, an octopus, and a whale. The show then flips to include patriotic songs, featuring the USA's iconic red, white, and blue colors.

When can you see the nighttime parade?

You can typically see it every night from 8:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. along the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. Of course, if it is raining or there is poor weather, the show may not happen that evening.

Where can I watch it?

Those leaving the Magic Kingdom should be able to see it from aboard the Ferry or the Monorail, though you won't be able to congregate to watch it.

You can also watch it along the walking trail from Magic Kingdom to the grand Floridian.

There are five official viewing spots:

• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (including Narcoossee's)
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Doug Hone is a Disney Transportation Watercraft Pilot – and one of several behind the nighttime show.

"It's a passion for me," he said.

"I feel like it allows me to use the skills that I learned in the Coast Guard and to keep up to date with all of that. And it's a wonderful feeling."

His favorite part of the show? The stars and stripes, of course.

"You would think that when you see it, you know, 300 days out of the year, that it would, you know, become mundane or old. But it's just so special because when you add the music and the lights and everything comes together, it reminds you of how much you love this country and how great it is to live in America," he said.

Tracy Markham has been a watercraft pilot with Disney since 1998.

One of her core memories was working on Sept. 11, 2001. Disney closed that day in wake of the attacks, but Tracy was out on the Seven Seas Lagoon helping put on the show for the guests at the nearby resorts.

"You could just hear the roar go up. People started chanting ‘USA, USA.’ And it went that way around both lakes for each resort. As soon as people caught sight of the stars and stripes, you could just hear the next group. And that was pretty meaningful," she said.

What does it take to put on the show?

Becoming a watercraft pilot is no easy task.

The show is made up of two 456-foot barges that move 25-foot-tall screens across the Lagoon and Bay Lake. There are two captains that run the show each night, Disney said.

"The driver has to plan their turn hundreds of feet in advance. And keep in mind what’s going to happen to the back of it," said Seth Daniel, manager of Disney Transportation.

One of Disney World's original shows

Fun fact for Disney fans: The Electrical Water Pageant has been running since Walt Disney's "Florida Project" opened in 1971.

"I think the thing that makes it so special is how little it's changed over the years. It's one of those few original offerings that we can still see that looks almost like it did in 1971, over 50 years ago. And the biggest thing that's changed about it are the people that bring it to life every night," said Daniel.