May 2011 – July 2019
LOCATION
Main Street USA & Fantasyland – Mickey’s Soundsational Parade followed the typical Disneyland parade route. It started in Fantasyland, near It’s A Small World. From there it continued past the Matterhorn, around the hub in front of the castle, and down Main Street. It ended at the town square, not far from the Disneyland Railroad‘s main station.
BACKGROUND
Every few years, Disneyland looks to refresh its parades with new floats, new characters, and new songs. By the early 2010s, it was time for the next iteration of parade. Director Steve Davison conceptualized a parade based on Disney music, which would celebrate numerous movies and some of the latest songs not yet appearing in attractions or shows. The parade would also be designed to run as both a daytime and nighttime parade, maximizing visibility and performances throughout its run.
EXPERIENCE
From 2014 – 2015, the parade started with a “pre-parade” float featuring the cast of Frozen. But the official parade kicked off with Mickey Mouse himself, leading drummers down the street to hype up the crowd. Minnie, Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Goofy followed close behind. Mickey and friends set the stage for a number of different floats featuring characters, dancers, and fun:
- Aladdin – featuring Aladdin, Genie, and Abu
- The Little Mermaid – featuring Ariel and Sebastian
- The Three Caballeros – featuring Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito Pistoles
- The Princesses – featuring Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, and Rapunzel
- The Lion King & The Jungle Book – featuring Samba, Zazu, Rafiki, King Louie, and Terk
- Princess and the Frog – featuring Tiana, Louis, and Ray
- Peter Pan – featuring Peter, Tinker Bell, Hook, and Smee
The parade came to an exciting end with the timeless Mary Poppins, with Mary, Bert, and the chimney sweeps dancing as horn-playing penguins played them off.
CLOSURE
Though Mickey’s Soundsational Parade had a long, successful run at the park, after nearly a decade of performances it was time to design a new show. The parade closed in 2019, making room for Magic Happens, which had the unfortunate timing of debuting right before the pandemic closure (and then re-debuting this year).
TRIVIA
The parade went on a hiatus during its run in 2018, making room for Pixar Fest’s Pixar Play Parade before it moved over to California Adventure.
Mickey performed live on a real acoustic drum set – a first for a Disneyland parade.
Rapunzel’s tower float measured 34 feet high. For perspective, that’s the same height as the Disneyland Emporium.
