Fantasy On Parade
Christmas is almost here! So I have a good excuse to use these vintage photos of a "sometime-in-the-1960's" performance of Disneyland classic "Fantasy On Parade".
Goofy drives his beat-up roadster with Minnie Mouse along for the ride. Did Bob Gurr have anything to do with this vehicle? Notice the rather prominent "scimitar and crescent" symbol on the side... Goofy was a Shriner!
The classic marching wooden soldiers are an essential part of a Disneyland Christmas parade! Notice the tree in the distance. On a side note, I learned from a GDB reader that the Magic Kingdom in Florida did not have a Christmas tree this year. Is this business as usual? I understand cost-cutting, but when you are the single most popular amusement park in the world, it seems ridiculous.
There's Mickey Mouse, always bangin' on the giant bass drum! He is decked out in what appears to be a sort of western-inspired costume for some reason.
I'm always happy to see Pinocchio at the park, since he stars in my favorite Disney movie! Just behind him is a colorful gypsy wagon; it looks like Stromboli's wagon, but there is no sign of that scary puppeteer anywhere.
And finally (for today), the Seven Dwarfs pass by, with Sneezy (?) contorting his face in a rather horrible way. Notice the golden crown on the Hallmark building.
I'll share the remaining pictures from this parade on Christmas day!
11 comments:
Thank you for these parade pics, Major!!!!!!
What great photos! The Magic Kingdom does have a Christmas tree this year. It wasn't put up until after the Christmas Day TV special was filmed during the first weekend in December. They do that so camera angles aren't spoiled. But they put up other Christmas decorations a couple of weeks earlier. So if someone who is used to the Disneyland way of doing things visits in late November, they will see Main Street with garlands, etc, but no tree.
I have a home movie (on DVD now) of this same Christmas parade. It is from 1970.
CoxPilot
Regarding Magic Kingdom decorations, not only is tree absent until after the first weekend in December, the crew that decorates has to hang the garland twice. Yes...it's hung over Main Street, but then removed two days prior to taping, then re-hung a few days after taping is complete. Like the tree, the garland blocks camera angles so it's removed. We arrived at WDW on Tuesday, November 27 and the garland was up, it was gone on Thursday, the 29th, then returned with the debut of the tree on Tuesday, Dec 4. Lots of extra work for the decoration crew.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Ahhhhh. Christmas tree mystery solved. Thank you WDW in-the-knows.
Amateur video of this year's tree can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCAdm4q-7VE
I love a parade.
Major, you have had some wonderful photos lately.
Thank you.
JG
Really nice parade shots - with late afternoon sunshine and a touch of cool weather that still needs a jacket. Great way to spend the day!!
Bill in Denver
TokyoMagic!, glad you liked these… there will be a few more on Dec. 25!
David, thank you for the info about the tree… it just didn't make sense at all for the Magic Kingdom to NOT have one. I wrote a haiku about it, but now it isn't needed!
CoxPilot, cool, I wonder what changes were made from year to year? Maybe the Jungle Book characters would have made an appearance.
steve2wdw, now I feel guilty for heaping scorn upon the powers-that-be at WDW!
K. Martinez, at least it is not a Killer Christmas Tree.
Nanook, now we know!
Chuck, thanks for the link to the video.
JG, I don't feel like the photos have been anything special, maybe I'm getting jaded!
Bill, it is certainly "jacket weather" in SoCal lately. Last night got down into the 30s in my neck of the woods, and to me that is officially COLD!
It's probably a good thing they don't have the flocked tree in Main Street anymore. I'd likely get too excited and climb it, knocking it over... like the cat.
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