Details of the "Happy and Glorious" sequence were almost leaked, as British papers reported that Daniel Craig was seen leaving Buckingham Palace with Danny Boyle. However, this was disputed as a April Fool's joke since the story ran on April 1, and so was not believed by readers, leaving the ceremony a surprise.
Originally, the chimneys in the Industrial Revolution sequence were to be contained in deep tunnels dug underneath the stadium. However, the track and field for the athletics had already been made underneath the stage which could not be altered. Therefore, the chimneys had to be redesigned as inflatable structures that could collapse and be stored in a small amount of space.
The sequences of this ceremony include: a BBC ident showing the journey of the River Thames ("Countdown"), the English countryside ("Green and Pleasant Land"), the Industrial Revolution ("Pandemonium"), the Queen and James Bond ("Happy and Glorious"), the National Health Service and British literature ("Second to the Right and Straight On Til Morning"), Chariots of Fire ("Interlude"), British music and the digital age ("Thanks Tim"), a tribute to the fallen ("Abide with Me"), music by the Arctic Monkeys and Sir Paul McCartney ("Bike a.m.") and as customary, the parade of athletes ("Let the Games Begin") and lighting of the cauldron ("There is a Light that Never Goes Out").
If it had rained during the ceremony, the pyrotechnic rings would not have been able to light. Although it showered lightly at the start of the evening, the sky cleared just in time for the show.
It had originally been planned for "James Bond" and "the Queen" as skydivers to land inside the stadium. However, the amount of cables and wires crossing the top of the arena for aerial performers, cameras, and set (such as the Olympic Rings or chimneys) made a clear, safe landing impossible. The skydivers had to alternatively land just outside of the stadium before the cameras cut to the Queen in the audience.