Source: Disney Wiki
June 1997 – fall 1997 (conflicting dates – some places report September & some October)
LOCATION
Main Street USA & Fantasyland – This parade followed the usual route for Disneyland. It began near It’s A Small World, wound down past the Matterhorn, circled the hub on Main Street, and finished by the Disneyland Railroad station.
BACKGROUND
When Hercules hit theater screens in 1997, the parks were eager to incorporate some representation in the parks. While no rides ever came to fruition, the characters started meeting guests in the parks fairly quickly. To keep the excitement going, all four of the resorts worldwide (Hong Kong and Shanghai did not exist yet!) debuted a parade. Disneyland’s version, the Hercules Victory Parade, officially launched at the end of June.
EXPERIENCE
This parade was a pure celebration, featuring the gospel-inspired music from the movie and a huge cast of dancers and singers to join in on the fun. Hercules, Megara, Phil, Pegasus, and Hades all appeared on various floats, and an intricate mosaic Zeus held some lightning bolts above the crowd.
Source: YouTube
CLOSURE
Unfortunately, excitement for Hercules in the Disney Parks really didn’t seem to last. Most of the late 90s movies never built much of a permanent presence in Disneyland, and this one was no exception. The Hercules Victory Parade only lasted one summer, before closing in the fall of 1997. The characters are pretty rare meet and greeters these days, though in recent years Hades has become a more frequent Halloween time visitor.
TRIVIA
MGM Studios in Walt Disney World debuted the same parade on the same day. However, the Florida version lasted longer than its California counterpart, closing in 1998.
This is one of the few pre-2000s parades with easily accessible videos on YouTube. If you’re interested, I highly recommend checking them out!
Source: Disney Wiki
