Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade
Remember the Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade? If you were a youngster from 1985 until 1999 – chances are, after sorting the candy in your Easter basket you watched the “Live” Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade. Part of the Disney Decade, the Happy Easter Parade was part of Michael Eisner’s grand plan. Michael was the CEO of The Walt Disney Company at that time. The Happy Easter Parades coincided with the ‘Disney Decade”, a time of renewed expansion of the Disney Company and Disney Theme Parks. Both Disney MGM Studios and the Disney Animal Kingdom opened during the run of the annual Easter Parade, and the parades provided the perfect backdrop to showcase what’s new at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. I caught some of the later parades on VHS tapes. The parades were never re-run, so if you missed it Easter morning, you missed it. With YouTube, those tapes can live on, providing a perfect opportunity to showcase what’s new at Walt Disney World for the coming year.
Of the 14 parades that aired from 1985-1999, I have 6 of them in their entirety as broadcast on Easter Sunday. Do you have any in that VHS collection in the attic??
1990: Disneyland 35th Anniversary with the new Splash Mountain. Disney MGM Studios recently opened its doors and Mickey Star Land is over at the Magic Kingdom.
1995: Rodger Rabbit gets lots of screen time, Blizzard Beach recently opened, The Lion King on Stage at the Magic Kingdom and crews are preparing Epcot for the Flower and Garden Festival, running 37 days in 1995.
1996: We get a look at the new Disney Institute, We get a look at all three Disney Water Parks, and the new Toy Story Parade over at MGM Studios.
1997: It’s Walt Disney World’s 25th Anniversary – We get a look at the famous Castle Cake and the rest of the 25th-Anniversary celebrations including the Remember the Magic Parade.
1998: Recorded just 10 days before the opening of Disney Animal Kingdom Park, Michael Eisner makes an appearance to introduce the new adventures at the Animal Kingdom. Regis Philbin takes us on a tour of the unopened park.
1999: The last of the Happy Easter Parade television specials, this one features lots of Disney recording artists. 98-Degrees gets us an up-close look at the yet to open Test Track, Britney Spears is at MGM Studios where Fantasmic and The Rock and Roller Coaster are new. The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh is set to open this summer, and the Main Street Electrical Parade is making a return to the Magic Kingdom.
Do you have a VHS of another Easter parade? Drop me a note sam@thedisneynerdspodcast.com
Catch all the parades in the Playlist below.
