Long before there was Disney on Ice, there was Disney on Parade.
No, not the afternoon parade in Hong Kong. And not America on Parade during the Bicentennial. And truth be told, Disney characters in ice skating shows go back much, much further. But Disney on Parade is the story of a unique arena show filled with music, dance, and plenty of Disney. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Disney on Parade, a show that traveled the world and made millions of dollars for what was then, Walt Disney Productions.
There is little left in terms of memoirs of that show whose icon was Mickey Mouse in a hot air balloon. You can find some of the programs or merchandise on ebay, and even two GAF Viewmaster sets showing the Alice and Poppins unit. A few cast members and techs allude to it on the Web. And there was a Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney show featuring the first and second units that was shown a few times on Vault Disney. This is probably the most complete discussion that has yet to occur on the Internet.
Next time we will feature the executive producer and director of the show, Michael Grilikhes. We’ll talk about how the show started, why it’s named Disney on Parade and stories about why this show was so special to its cast.
As for me, a late baby boomer, it’s difficult to put a finger on what made these shows so special. Perhaps it was the fact that unless you went to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, there was no way to see Disney, except when a movie came out or on Sunday nights. This was pure Disney spectacular. One of the only places outside the parks where you could see costumed Disney characters and get an autograph. In fact, there were more Disney characters in the show then you typically found in the parks. Filled with music, costumes, special effects, and a wonderfully energetic cast. You couldn’t help but feel the magic. I know I did, and I salute on this 40th anniversary all who made the magic come alive.