A Christmas Fantasy Parade

"A Christmas Fantasy Parade" is an annual parade presented at Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The parade is a holiday parade that runs (usually) from the weekend before Thanksgiving until the Sunday after New Years. It debuted during the 1995 Holiday Season, replacing the "Very Merry Christmas Parade". The name of the parade was inspired by similar name at Tokyo Disneyland. It's counterpart down at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida is the Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Both parades are recorded at the start of the month for the annual "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration" broadcast that airs on Christmas Day. However, recent years have only done the Magic Kingdom's parade, while Disneyland hosts some of the special performances of the bands or groups invited to perform for the special.
Earlier versions of the parade included Scrooge McDuck, Roger Rabbit, Max Goof, characters from Lilo & Stitch, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Aladdin, and the elves were played by actual children instead of Cast Members, which likely changed due to child labor laws.
==The Parade Units==
The current version of the parade used since 2008 described here has seven units, each consisting of at least one float. The following are descriptions of each of the seven units, described from the 2008 incarnation:
====Opening====
*Music Box - The title float, recycled from the title float from The World According to Goofy. It features a row of books, with a revolving music box containing a dancing ballerina, and a stuffed teddy bear behind them. Behind them is a reef with the parade's logo in the middle. The Disneyland logo appears on top.
*Toy soldiers - The Toy Soldiers from Babes in Toyland marching that play trumpets and snare drums, as well as bass drums and cymbols.
====Santa's Mail Room====
*Mail Room - Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Mrs. Claus greet guests in the mail room as the mailroom elves move right ahead, delivering the presents. Pluto sits up sits atop the roof of the mailroom, trying to place the star on the top of the Christmas tree.
====Welcome from a Winter Wonderland====
Frosted wonders fill the air. Swirls of snowflakes fall. Winter's magic everywhere, Bringing joy to all. New friends dancing in the snow, Warming heart and hand. Skating o'er the pond we go, In a Winter Wonderland.
*Title - This float reads the unit's name and the unit's story.
*Frosty Tree - Skiing snowflakes lead the way to a frosty Christmas Tree.
*Ice Skating Rink - 8 snowpeople scurry along, 4 male, 4 female. A snowy Christmas Tree rolls down the parade route. 6 skaters skate down the parade route on roller skates. This is then lead up to a large ice skating rink, depicting Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse skating along like pros.
====Recipe for Gingerbread Treats====
A spoonful of Sugar, A dash of Cinnamon & Spice & Everything Nice, A cup of Hope and Happiness, A sifting of Kindness, A splash of Yuletide Dream, Lots of Laughter. Mix ingredients together with tender loving care. Bake in a warm & cosy oven. Share this delightful treat with everyone you meet!
*Title - The unit's title and a description of the story appear on this book float, reused from The World According to Goofy.
*Gingerbread House - The unit is led by 6 Candy Bakers (3 Male, 3 Female) and six gingerbread cookies who dance along on the street. They help Goofy and Max Goof wreak some havoc.
====The Candlelight Christmas Ball====
Romance dances merrily, On the wings of fantasy. Gracefully twirling, to and fro. Swirling 'rounf, like fallen snow. Prince and Princess, hand in hand. Joy and peace reign thru the land. True love comes to oen and all. At our Candlelight Christmas Ball!
*Title - Leading away is Lady Tremaine, Drizella Tremaine, and Anastasia Tremaine (Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters), who are not invited and therefore walk in front of the unit while playing with guests. The title float reads the unit's story, with a tag reading "You're formerly invited to the Candlelight Christmas Ball". As with the other book floats, this was recycled from The World According to Goofy.
*Christmas Ball - 4 Ball Dancers dance beautifully in front of the Candlelight Ball float accompanied by Snow White and her prince, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Aurora, Prince Phillip, Belle, and Beast, who dance on a ballroom float alongside the others. 4 Ball Dancers dance beautifully behind the Candlelight Ball float accompanied by Ariel and Prince Eric. All the princesses are wearing their normal dresses or ballgowns compared to wearing their winter variants in the Magic Kingdom's parade.
====Santa's Toyland====
Toyland, Toyland, Dear little girl and boy land. While you dwell with it, You are ever happy then. Childhood's Toyland, Wonderful world of joy land. Wouldn't it be fine if we could stay there forevermore?
*Title - The title unit reads the unit's title and story.
*Nut-mobile - Chip and Dale lead the unit away after the title float in a red buggy with a load of acorns in the back.
*Toy Block Float #1 - Woody rides on a rocking horse atop the block.
*Toy Factory - The large toy factory has various toys being produced. Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Jiminy Cricket help produce them. 6 Toy Factory Elves dance alongside the float.
*Toy Block Float #2 - Buzz Lightyear rides a spaceship atop this Toy Block float.
====Santa's Finale====
*Tree - The Seven Dwarfs lead the way to a large glowing Christmas Tree, which starts off the finale.
*Santa's Sleigh - Santa Claus sits atop his sleigh on the Finale float led by the eight Reindeer, roaming the world. Two Finale Elves dance on the back of the Finale float. Two or Three Rope Carriers end the parade.
=====Updates=====
*2008:
**New Toy Factory float added.
*2009:
**Winnie the Pooh characters are added. Tigger and Winnie the Pooh ride on sleighs before the title float, while Eeyore pulls a sleigh after the Ice Skating float.
**Clarabelle Cow returns to the Recipe for Gingerbread Treats unit, on foot with the cooks and Gingerbread Cookies.
*2010:
**The title float at the beginning gains a minor update, with the Disneyland logo now being on the reef itself in 3D letters instead of on top printed on.
*2011:
**Duffy the Disney Bear replaces the standard Teddy Bear on the title float.
*2012:
**No updates.
*2013:
**The title float is refurbished, with the parade's title now on a red banner over the reef, which itself is no longer covered. The stuffed Teddy Bear also returns to the float.
**Duffy the Disney Bear moves to the Santa's Mail Room float, replacing Pluto.
**The Dancing Snowflake costumes are updated.
**The Pooh characters move prior to the Frosty Tree float in the Winter Wonderland unit.
**Pluto replaces Max Goof on the Gingerbread House unit.
**Tiana and Prince Naveen are added to the Ballroom float.
**The Seven Dwarfs are removed from the Santa's Finale unit.
*2014:
**Mickey and Minnie move to the Santa's Mail Room float.
**Mrs. Claus is removed from the Mail Room float.
**The Ice Skating Rink float is turned into a Frozen float, depicting a ice world featuring Elsa and Anna standing aside with an Olaf figure.
*2015:
**Duffy's spot on top of the tree in the Mail Room float is taken over by Donald Duck.
**Chip and Dale move out of the Santa's Toyland unit into the Santa's Mail Room unit.
**Daisy Duck is removed from the parade.
**The Dancing Snowmen move prior to the title in the Winter Wonderland unit.
**Chip and Dale's Nutmobile in Santa's Toyland was refurbished into a military hum-dinger, ridden by Jessie and a Green Army Man.
**The Green Army Men take over Pinocchio and his friends' jobs on the Santa's Toy Factory float.
*2016:
**The redesigned heads for Mickey and Minnie are now used.
*2017:
**The Dancing Snowmen move to the spot after the title and Frosty Tree float, replacing Pooh and Friends.
**The updated costume design for Clarabelle Cow is now used.
*2018:
**Mrs. Claus returns to the Santa's Mail Room unit, now leading the elves away.
**Chip and Dale were temporarily removed from the parade and replaced by Santa Claus on the Mail Room float after Santa's float malfunctioned.
*2019:
**No updates.
*2021:
**The walking Snowman are updated.
**Clarabelle Cow and the Cooks move prior to the title float in the Recipe for Gingerbread Treats unit.
*2022:
**Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are added to the Ballroom float.
*2023:
**The military hum-dinger is removed from the Santa's Toyland unit, with Jessie now appearing on foot, prior to the title float.
**The second Toyblock float is removed. Buzz is moved to the Toy Factory float, while Woody's toy block takes its former spot.
*2024:
**The second Toyblock float is back, Buzz is moved back to the toy block float
**The Santa's Toy Factory float has been removed, it will very likely rethemed into Monsters, Inc. in 2025, Green Army Men have been take over by Sulley and Mike.
===1995-2007 version===
This section includes the floats from the original incarnation of the parade, along with its own updates.
====Opening====
*Music Box - The title float, recycled from the title float from The World According to Goofy. It features a row of books, with a revolving music box containing a dancing ballerina, and a stuffed teddy bear behind them. Behind them is a reef with the parade's logo in the middle. The Disneyland logo appears on top.
*Santa's Mail Room - Mrs. Claus' sits inside the mail room as the Mailroom Elves perform with mail bags along and atop the float, one of which trying to put the star on the tree. This float was recycled from the 1987 Very Merry Christmas Parade.
*Toy soldiers - The Toy Soldiers from Babes in Toyland marching that play trumpets and snare drums, as well as bass drums and cymbols.
====Santa's Toy Factory====
*Toy Block Float #1 - Features characters from The Little Mermaid. Ariel sits on top.
*Toy Factory - The large toy factory has various toys being produced. Pinocchio and Geppetto help out producing them. This float was recycled from the 1987 Very Merry Christmas Parade.
*Toy Block Float #2 - Features characters from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Roger Rabbit stands on top.
====Greetings from a Winter Wonderland====
*Title - This float reads the unit's name.
*Skating Rink - Ice skating Snowflakes follow away with a Ice Skating rink float, featuring Chip and Dale.
====Recipe for Gingerbread Treats====
*Title - The unit's title and a decription of the story appear on this book float, reused from The World According to Goofy.
*Gingerbread House - Two cooks and 6 Gingerbread Cookies dance down the street. The Gingerbread house float, recycled from the 1984 Fantasy on Parade, features Daisy Duck and Clarabelle Cow cooking up christmas treats.
====The Candlelight Christmas Ball====
*Title - This float reads the unit's story, with a tag reading "You're formerly invited to the Candlelight Christmas Ball". As with the other book floats, this was recycled from The World According to Goofy.
*Christmas Ball - Many of the princesses and princes dance along this float - Snow White and her prince, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Aurora, Prince Phillip, Belle, and Beast. An Animatronic of Lumiere appears in the middle.
====Twas the Night before Christmas====
*Tree and Buggy Cart - A large glowing Christmas Tree starts off the finale, leading way for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse riding in a buggy pulled by one of the horses normally used for the horse-drawn streetcars on Main Street.
*Mickey's Christmas Carol - Based on the 1983 short of the same name, this float consists of a Christmas village featuring a house. Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck stand outside, while Goofy (as Marley's Ghost) appears inside the house.
*Giant Christmas Tree - 8 Finale Dancers dance and sing to Christmas carols in front of a moving Christmas Tree adorned with jewels. These carolers had live microphones and would lead guests in sing-alongs.
*Santa's Sleigh - Santa Claus sits atop his sleigh on the Finale float led by the eight Reindeer. Two Finale Elves dance on the back of the Finale float. Two or Three Rope Carriers end the parade.
=====Updates=====
*1996
**The Toy Soldiers were moved to after the Title float.
**The Toy Factory float was expanded with the addition of a Ferris Wheel float connected to it.
**Toy Blocks moved to after the Toy Factory float.
**The "Recipe for Gingerbread Treats" and "Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" units swapped spaces.
**The dancing Gingerbread Man moved to after the Gingerbread House float.
**The ice-skating Snowflakes were replaced with dancing Snowpeople.
**A large Christmas Tree float and a snowmobile were added after the Ice Skating rink float, featuring Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie.
**Lumiere was moved to the front of the Christmas Ball float, allowing for princesses and princes to dance in the middle.
**The "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" unit was renamed "A Classic Christmas Homecoming". Goofy moved to the front of the float.
**Live Dickens carolers and live musicians were added.
**Pluto (dressed up as Rudolph) added to the Santa's Sleigh float.
*1997
**The Seven Dwarfs moved to appearing before the mail room float.
**Dopey appears on top, putting up the star on the tree.
**Woody and Buzz Lightyear added to front of Roger Rabbit's toyblock float.
**"The Candlelight Christmas Ball" and "Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" units swapped positions.
*1998
**Alice and the Mad Hatter replace Daisy and Clarabelle Cow on the Gingerbread House float.
**The Ice Skating Snowflakes return.
**Belle and Beast move out of "The Candlelight Christmas Ball" unit and into the "Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" unit, replacing Chip and Dale on the Ice Skating Rink float.
*1999
**Toy Story replaced Roger Rabbit's block entirely.
**Lumiere was removed from the "Candlelight Christmas Ball" float.
*2000
**Toy Soldiers moved to the beginning, before the title float.
**"Santa's Toyland" and "Santa's Mail Room" swapped places.
**Goofy moved to Gingerbread House float, Max Goof is also added.
**Genie Sleigh moved to in front of "The Candlelight Christmas Ball" title book float.
**Belle and Beast moved back to "The Candlelight Christmas Ball" unit, while Chip and Dale were added back to the Ice Skating rink float.
**Mickey and Minnie's Cart moved to front of the "A Classic Christmas Homecoming" title float.
**Pluto moved onto the street.
*2001:
**The Santa's Toyland unit merged together with the Mail Room float, moved before the block floats.
**Donald moved to the Santa's Mail Room float, with Daisy re-added, and Pluto on top of the tree.
**Mickey and Minnie's Cart moved to the "Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" unit.
**New Snowman costumes added.
**Charabelle Cow added back to "A Recipe for Gingerbread Treats" unit, on foot.
**The "A Classic Christmas Homecoming" unit became "Santa's Finale", with the removal of the Christmas Village float and the carollers.
**Genie Sleigh moved to before Santa's float.
*2002:
**Santa's Mail Room float extended in size, moved back to original position before the Toy Factory unit.
**A red car with Chip and Dale riding with nuts was added before the Toy Factory unit.
**"Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" unit moved to after the Toy Factory unit.
**Genie's Sleigh moved to the "Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" unit.
**A new Christmas Tree float added.
**Mickey and Minnie moved to the Ice Skating rink float.
**Lady Tremaine, Drizella Tremaine, and Anastasia Tremaine added to front of the "Candlelight Christmas Ball" title unit.
**Updated Reinder costumes added.
**Santa's Sleigh float updated.
*2003:
**Toy Soldiers moved back to between the title float and mail room float.
**The "Santa's Toy Factory" unit moved to before the "Santa's Finale" unit. With that, a title book float was added for the unit.
*2004:
*2005:
**New Santa's Sleigh float added.
*2006:
**The "Greetings from a Winter Wonderland" unit was renamed to "Welcome to a Winter Wonderland", and a book float replaced the previous title float.
*2007:
**Both Toy Block floats became Toy Story floats, Ariel was moved to "The Candlelight Christmas Ball".
==Accidents==
On December 16, 2018, the Santa's Sleigh float malfunctioned when the sleigh collapsed and leaned forward, leaving Santa dangling on his safety harness.
After the incident, Santa displaced Chip and Dale on the mail room float, the Finale float, along with the entire unit except the Rope Carriers, was removed for inspection and repairs.
==Voice cast==
*Jack Wagner as opening and closing announcer (1995 only)
*Bill Rogers as opening and closing announcer (1996-present)
*Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse (1995-2013)
*Bret Iwan as Mickey Mouse
*Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse
*Tress MacNeille as Chip & Daisy Duck
*Corey Burton as Dale
*Josh Gad as Olaf (2014-present)
*Bill Farmer as Goofy and Pluto
*Jason Marsden as Max Goof (1995-2012)
*Jim Hanks as Woody
*Mike MacRae as Buzz Lightyear
==See also==
*Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
*Disney Christmas Stories
*Mickey's Dazzling Christmas Parade
*Santa Mickey's Toy-riffic Street Party
*Disney Winter Magic Cavalcade
==References==
Category:Christmas attractions
Category:Walt Disney Parks and Resorts parades
Category:Disneyland entertainment
Category:Disneyland attractions
Category:Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Category:Pinocchio
Category:Cinderella
Category:Alice in Wonderland
Category:Sleeping Beauty
Category:Winnie the Pooh
Category:Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Category:The Little Mermaid
Category:Beauty and the Beast
Category:Aladdin
Category:Pocahontas
Category:Toy Story
Category:The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Category:Hercules
Category:Mulan
Category:Tarzan
Category:The Princess and the Frog
Category:Frozen
Category:Mickey Mouse
Category:Babes in Toyland
Category:The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Category:Minnie Mouse
Category:Chip 'n Dale
Category:Goofy
Category:Pluto
Category:A Goofy Movie
Category:Monsters, Inc.