Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams premiered on May 5, 2005 as part of the

Happiest Homecoming on Earth The Happiest Homecoming on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration (May 5, 2005 through September 30, 2006) of the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which opened on July 17, 1955. The Happiest Celebration on Earth commemorated ...

, celebrating the 50th anniversary of

Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Conceived by VP Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, the parade celebrates the dreams of Disney characters and includes Disney characters such as

Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...

, Minnie,

Tinker Bell Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 ...

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...

Simba Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film ''The Lion King'', Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in '' The Lion King II: ...

, Alice and Mad Hatter,

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

, Belle and Beast,

Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...

Donald Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

, Goofy and

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...

. The parade includes eight floats which include Getaway to Dreams, Dream of Enchantment, Dream of Laughter, Dream of Another World, Dream of Imagination, Dream of Adventure, and Dreams Come True. It closed in November 2008 before the Holidays at Disneyland.

Pre-parade/Grand Marshal

As part of " Year of a Million Dreams", one lucky family was chosen to be part of the "Grand Marshal Pre-Parade Cavalcade" and to stay one night in the Mickey Mouse Penthouse located in the Disneyland Hotel or the

Disneyland Dream Suite The Disneyland Dream Suite was a luxury apartment located in the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort. It was created as part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion that ran from October 1, 2006, through Decem ...

in New Orleans Square. The family journeyed along the parade route with the Mayor of Main Street and other Disney characters such as

Winnie the Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The first collection of stories about the character w ...

Tigger Tigger is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic stuffed tiger. He was originally introduced in the 1928 story collection '' The House at Pooh Corner'', the sequel to the 1926 book ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' by A. A. Milne. Like other Pooh char ...

Eeyore Eeyore ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' books by A. A. Milne. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, anhedonic, old grey stuffed donkey who is a friend of the title character, Winnie-th ...

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

, Bert, Woody, Jessie, Aladdin and Jasmine. The "Grand Marshal Pre-Parade Cavalcade" featured two banner holders, six dancers, and two rope carriers as well. The song played was "The Happiest Place on Earth". On August 17, 2008, this pre-parade was cut back to only include the Mayor and the lucky family. A pre-parade is a mini-parade with usually one float with the main character(s) that promote an upcoming Disney movie. There were four Pre-Parades for Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams, ''

Ratatouille Ratatouille ( , ), oc, ratatolha , is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables which originated in Nice, and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include ...

'', '' Enchanted'',

Prince Caspian ''Prince Caspian'' (originally published as ''Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia'') is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in ''The Chronicles of N ...

and '' Bolt''.

Parade units and characters

* Happiest Homecoming on Earth Introduction: "Fifty years ago a magical place was born; a place of Enchantment and Adventure, Laughter and Imagination, where new worlds of joy and wonder just waited to be discovered and in this marvelous kingdom there lived many delightful friends who made our dreams come true. Today we invite you to celebrate fifty years of magical memories with your Disney family as we proudly present Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams, we dedicate it to dreamers around the world and to that special dream that first began when Walt Disney proclaimed ''To All Who Come to This Happy Place, Welcome''."-Voice Over by Julie Andrews * Year of a Million Dreams introduction: "Once upon a time, a marvelous dreamer found the power to transform wishes into reality, and with just a sprinkle of pixie dust, a magical kingdom came alive for dreamers of all ages to enjoy. Soon the young at heart gathered from around the world, following their dreams to the place where anything is possible. The magic place where dreams come true. Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams is dedicated to children of all ages, and to that special dream that first began when Walt Disney proclaimed 'To All Who Come to This Happy Place, Welcome.'" * Gateway to Dreams: Peter Pan is inside a golden train with

sitting on top of it with the Main Street train station as the backdrop of the unit. The Fairy Godmother of ''

'', the Blue Fairy from ''

'' and Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather from ''

Sleeping Beauty ''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...

'' dance around this unit. (Occasionally Merlin from '' The Sword in the Stone'' may fill in for any Opening Unit characters which may have been cut from the performance, except Tinkerbell, and the 3 fairies). * Dream of Enchantment (

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

Unit): Belle and Beast dance and an

Audio-Animatronic Audio-Animatronics (also known as simply Animatronics, and sometimes shortened to AAs) is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequent ...

Lumiere sings. Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip entertain the crowd as well while spoons, forks, knives, salt & pepper shakers, a feather duster, and plate dancers perform around the unit. This was

Jerry Orbach Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...

's last time supplying the voice of Lumiere. Orbach died in December 2004 after he recorded the dialogue for the parade. * Dream of Laughter (

Unit): Pinocchio and toys from Geppetto's workshop dance around a giant Geppetto who is controlling the Can-Can and in the background music playing "An actors life for me" and Dutch dancing puppets from the movie. Hanging behind the unit are Russian puppets on bungee cords. The part of the unit that they hang on rises up during the show stop to allow the Russian puppets to perform bungee tricks. Other toys include two bell ringers, two ballroom dancers attached to female doll counterparts, a toy drummer, and Bo Peep. Other characters include Foulfellow, Gideon, Jiminy Cricket sitting atop a toy block and Cleo swimming around in her fish bowl (as of September 28, 2008, Jiminy Cricket will no longer be part of the Parade). * Dream of Another World (

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...

Unit):

sits on top of a giant fountain made of clam shells, with ''Part of Your World'' and ''Under the Sea'' playing in the background. Bubbles float around Ariel. This unit also features Audio-Animatronics Sebastian and Flounder. Before the unit are dancers decorated like stylized waves, blue and white pearl dancers, and light-colored 'fish kites' (No Longer a part of the Parade). When the Parade returned in 2007 the water fountains on Ariel's shell was replaced by clear plastic tubing. For the parade's 2008 run, the fountains returned. A giant Ursula puppet makes potions and cackles to "Poor Unfortunate Souls" while Flotsam and Jetsam lurk around. Black Pearl dancers perform for the audience as well. A soft, dark instrumental version of "Under the Sea" can also be heard during this sequence. * Dream of Imagination ('' Alice in Wonderland'' Unit): It carries a live-action

Mad Hatter The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Ca ...

and Alice. A giant animatronic Caterpillar sits on the back of the unit atop a mushroom, and music from the masterpiece itself: "Unbirthday song and joyful Mad tea Party music too!" The Queen of Hearts and

White Rabbit The White Rabbit is a fictional and anthropomorphic character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''. He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and muttering "Oh dear! Oh dear! ...

entertain the crowd, while Tweedle Dee and Dum are pushing stylized tea cups, a pair of Royal Marching Cards, and four 'jumping' flowers entertain the crowd. The Cards climb atop the trampoline during the show stop to perform incredible acrobatics. * Dream of Adventure (

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...

Unit):

atop Pride Rock with Zazu,

Pumbaa Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 1994 animated film ''The Lion King'' and The Lion King (franchise), its franchise. Timon was played through his many appearances by N ...

sleeping in a hammock, a live-action

Timon Timon is a masculine given name and a surname which may refer to: People * Timon of Athens (person), 5th-century Athenian and legendary misanthrope * Timon of Phlius (c. 320 BCE – c. 235 BCE), a Pyrrhonist philosopher of Ptolemaic Egypt and He ...

Rafiki is a 2018 Kenyan drama film directed by Wanuri Kahiu. ''Rafiki'' is the story of romance that grows between two young women, Kena and Ziki, amidst family and political pressures around LGBT rights in Kenya. The film had its international prem ...

and Nala. Various costumed animal dancers surround the unit, such as a

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

panther Panther may refer to: Large cats *Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. *** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...

, antelope, chimpanzee,

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

, leopard, and a life-sized

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...

along with walking stilt performers dressed as a stylized

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...

and giraffe. On the back of the unit are two Bird performers. During the show stop, the "tree" part of the unit raises up and the Birds perform an amazing

Spanish Web The Spanish web is an aerial circus skill in which a performer climbs and performs various tricks on an apparatus resembling a vertically hanging rope. It is similar in appearance and performance style to the corde lisse, but with the addition of ...

routine. * Dreams Come True (Finale Unit): Lastly,

and Minnie as King and Queen on

Sleeping Beauty Castle Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairy tale castle at the center of Disneyland and formerly at Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late 19th century Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. It appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures logos from 198 ...

with other Disney royalty, including Princess Aurora (

, and

and their Princes. Attendants

Chip 'n' Dale Chip and Dale (also spelled Chip 'n' Dale) is a cartoon duo of anthropomorphic chipmunks created in 1943 by The Walt Disney Company. Concept The characters were first drawn by Bill Justice and introduced in the 1943 Pluto short '' Private ...

, Goofy,

, and

also perform on and around this unit along with the Seven Dwarfs entertaining guests. With the "Welcome" song in the background and have a dance to end the parade. (Occasionally all of the dwarfs except Dopey will be absent, but this is rare.)

Show facts

* Show length: Approximately 35 minutes with three show stops * Show Stop Song: An upbeat version of "Welcome" from Disney's Brother Bear, composed by Phil Collins and performed by Jump5 * Other Songs Featured: **OPENING UNIT: ***''"Welcome"'' / ''"Magical House Cleaning"'' / ''"You Can Fly"'' / ''"When You Wish Upon A Star"'' / ''"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"'' **BEAUTY & THE BEAST UNIT: ***''"Belle" / "Beauty and the Beast"/ "Be Our Guest"'' **PINOCCHIO UNIT: ***''"I've Got No Strings" / "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)"'' **THE LITTLE MERMAID UNIT: ***''"Part of that World" / "Under the Sea"/ "Poor Unfortunate Souls"'' **ALICE IN WONDERLAND UNIT: ***''"I'm Late" / "The Unbirthday Song" / "Alice in Wonderland" / "March of the Cards" / "How Do You Do and Shake Hands" / "March of the Cards" (reprise)'' **LION KING UNIT: ***''"Circle of Life" / "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" / "Hakuna-Matata"'' **FINALE UNIT: ***''"Welcome"'' / ''"Hail to the Princess Aurora"'' / ''"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"'' / ''"Someday My Prince Will Come"'' / ''"When You Wish Upon A Star"'' / ''"Mickey Mouse Club March"'' * Pre-Parade/Grand Marshal Song: ''"The Happiest Place on Earth"'' * Show Times and Information: Generally 3:30pm (Small World to Main Street) and 6:30pm (Main Street to Small World). During off seasons, there is generally only one parade at 7:00pm that will go from Small World to Main Street. On hotter days, there are times where there will be only two show stops and reduced choreography. * Previous Parades: ** Parade of the Stars (45th Anniversary Parade) ** Mulan Parade ** Hercules Victory Parade **

The Lion King Celebration There have been seven theme park live adaptations of ''The Lion King'' at Disney parks since the animated film ''The Lion King'' was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1994. These have included a parade, two theater-in-the-round shows ...

Parade ** Aladdin's Royal Caravan Parade **

The World According to Goofy ''The World According To Goofy'' was a parade at Disneyland which opened in June 1992 and closed about five months later to begin a 3 month refurbishment in the It's a Small World area, which included repainting the façade to a different color and ...

Parade ** Celebration U.S.A. Parade ** Party Gras Parade

References

{{reflist Former Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions Walt Disney Parks and Resorts parades Audio-Animatronic attractions Disneyland Amusement park attractions introduced in 2005 Amusement park attractions that closed in 2008 Magic Kingdom 2005 establishments in California 2008 disestablishments in California

Pre-parade/Grand Marshal

Parade units and characters

Show facts

See also

References