ANAHEIM – Rain would pull the plug on Thursday’s premiere of the Main Street Electrical Parade’s return to Disneyland.

Forecasters have warned of a series of strong storms parading across the region through Sunday. Showers are a threat for Thursday and Friday nights.

The Electrical Parade, returning to Disneyland after a 20-year absence, cannot run in the rain – nor can any of the theme park’s other parades. Water could damage the floats and costumes, a Disneyland spokesman said.

For the first night of the parade’s return, Disneyland is closing early and sold $95 tickets for a special event: Guests would watch the parade, get access to the park and its rides, and attend a ’70s dance party at the Tommorowland Terrace. Also, the floats would be made available so guests can get photos in front of them.

If rain does cancel the parade, the special event will go on and ticket holders will receive a one-day pass to return to Disneyland later to see the parade. Guests must be present to receive the replacement ticket.

To try and avoid the rain, the parade could run any time between 8 and 11 p.m.

The parade is scheduled to run nightly at the park through June 18. Disneyland does not close for rain, but if weather is going to cancel the parade, the park would make an announcement up until the time of the parade.

Only guests who purchased tickets for the special first-night event would be given a replacement ticket.

Little has been changed with the 45-year-old Main Street Electrical Parade – from the signature theme song, “Baroque Hoedown,” to the hundreds of thousands of light bulbs that shine from its nearly two dozen floats and 80 costumed performers.

The parade ran on-and-off at Disneyland until 1996. It was brought back in 2001 to Disney California Adventure and then moved to Walt Disney World in 2010, where it performed nightly until last year.

Contact the writer: hmcrea@scng.com