Today, guests of the Disneyland Resort saw the return of, “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” as part of the Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration.
Here are 17 fun facts:
- As the rockin’ new opening to the parade, the Mickey pull toy float stands 19 feet tall, more than 10 feet wide and runs nearly 25 feet long from the back of the float to the front of the string being pulled by Goofy.
- Joining the procession are mischievous chipmunks Chip n’ Dale. The two rascals have been entrusted with pushing a celebration cake for Mickey Mouse, which is 12 feet tall, and more than 9 feet in diameter.
- Nine themed floats carry the characters down Main Street, U.S.A.
- 92 performers – with more than two dozen Disney Characters – bring the parade to life.
- Mickey Mouse lends his musical “expertise,” performing live on an oversized real acoustic drum set — a first in Disneyland parade history.
- The cymbal dancers in the Aladdin sequence create rhythm using hand cymbals.
- The Three Caballeros sequence features Piñata dancers in folkloric-style costumes, and flower dancers costumed to look like traditional Mexican paper flowers.
- Rapunzel’s tower is the tallest element in the parade. At 34 feet, it is precisely the same height as the Main Street, U.S.A. Emporium.
- The Jungle Book unit features King Louie (The Jungle Book) and Terk (Tarzan) dancing with four monkey companions.
- “The Princess and the Frog” unit includes New Orleans-inspired jazz, and Tiana’s riverboat is made of musical instruments including a clarinet smokestack and tambourine paddle wheel.
- Tinker Bell plays the mushrooms of Pixie Hollow, part of the Never Land unit, using her wand as a drumstick.
- The grand finale Mary Poppins drum unit is pulled, in part, by a giant huntsman (from the movie’s Jolly Holiday sequence) pedaling a large bicycle.
- The Mary Poppins drum unit also features a moving carousel complete with kites flying overhead, penguins riding carousel horses, and piano keys that appear to “play.”
- Eleven Mary Poppins chimney sweeps perform a dance to the song “Step In Time” using their brooms as percussive.
- The float designs were inspired by different styles of music, from marching
bands, to Latin rhythms, to old-fashioned music machines…and more. - The parade’s soundtrack brings 30 Disney tunes to life with percussive rhythms.
- “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” first premiered at Disneyland park on May 27, 2011.
