The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by the U.S. chain store business Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, with both parades four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.
For many years, starting in 1934, the parade featured a variety of Disney balloons, floats and performers.
Featured Disney characters have included Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Kermit the Frog, Spider-Man, Goofy, Chicken Little, Buzz Lightyear, JoJo, Olaf, Grogu, and Minnie Mouse.
History of Disney in the Parade[]
1930s[]
The association with Disney and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1934, when Walt Disney and then-Parade Director Tony Sarg collaborated to create a selection of Balloons based on various Disney characters, include Horace Horsecollar, one of the Three Little Pigs, Pluto, The Big Bad Wolf, and the main attraction, a 40-foot Mickey Mouse. In 1935, a Donald Duck balloon was added, but all of the balloons would retire soon afterwards.
Mickey and the Pig would return in a Boston parade called the Santason Parade in 1938, which was the last time they would be used before being disposed off. Also that year, a balloon based on Ferdinand the Bull appeared to promote the short in both parades.
1960s[]
In 1962, A new balloon of Donald Duck was created as part of a selection of classics that would appear in the parade in years to come, like Bullwinkle and Underdog. Smaller balloons based on Huey, Dewey, and Louie were planned to debut as well, but were scrapped due to them being disproportionate compared to the Donald balloon itself.
The Donald balloon flew for years ahead, and was joined in 1968 by a one-off Birthday Cake float celebrating Mickey Mouse's 40th Birthday. The float featured the birthday mouse himself alongside twenty other Disney characters.
In 1969, three Disney-themed floats were added to the parade.
- The Disney Wagon - A circus wagon that held walk-around characters, mainly Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto. That year, in addition to those three, King Louie and Baloo from The Jungle Book also rode on the wagon.
- Captain Hook's Pirate Ship - A Pirate Ship float featuring the walk around Captain Hook, Peter Pan, among other characters. It was originally created to promote the 1969 re-release of Peter Pan.
- The Three Little Pigs - A float consisting of model carvings of the Pigs. The Seven Dwarfs normally rode on this float with Snow White on foot.
1970s[]
In 1970, in addition to the previous floats, a float based on The Aristocats was added to the lineup to promote the movie. Minnie Mouse joined Mickey, Goofy and Pluto on the Disney Wagon, while Wendy Darling and Mr. Smee were added to Captain Hook's Pirate Ship. This was the first year where a Honor Band had the privilege of leading the floats and balloon.
In 1971, Walt Disney Productions and Macy's got together to produce a brand new Mickey Mouse balloon, which featured a much brighter, friendlier-looking appearance than the 1934 balloon. The balloon, which successfully had it's test-flight that year, but couldn't debut because of heavy rain and winds, which led to all the balloons being grounded for the only time in the parade's history. In order to promote the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, A new float based on Cinderella Castle debuted that year. The Castle float was rode on by not just Mickey Mouse, but also Pinocchio, who promoted the 1971 reissue of his film. Peter Pan and Wendy Darling rode Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, while Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto once again rode on the Disney Wagon.
In 1972, while the Three Little Pigs float was retired, everything else remained, which mostly promoted the 1st anniversary of Walt Disney World. The Disney Wagon, in addition to Pluto and Goofy, also held Dumbo, who promoted the 1972 reissue of his film. This was followed up with the Donald Duck balloon, who after 11 parades, was given a needed retirement. Rick Springfield appeared on the Pirate Ship float with Peter Pan, Captain Hook and the crew, while the Country Bear Jamboree performed on the Castle float with the big cheese himself riding on the balcony. The new Mickey Mouse balloon finally made its debut that year.
In 1973, the Disney floats celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney Productions. Mickey rode on the Disney Wagon alongside Pluto and Goofy, while an Alice in Wonderland float was added to hype up and promote the upcoming 1974 reissue of the film, with Alice, White Rabbit and Mad Hatter riding it having a "Mad Un-Birthday Tea Party". Captain Hook's Pirate Ship continued to sail the seas with the additions of John and Michael Darling, Tinker Bell and Tick-Tock the Crocodile, while the Castle float featured Robin Hood, Little John and Prince John promoting their new film. This was completed with an appearance from the Mickey Mouse balloon, who had the honor of preceding Santa Claus that year.
In 1974, The Disney Wagon saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto taking stage once again, with the Alice in Wonderland float following and then the honor band - the Highlands High School "Varsity" Marching Band, Majorettes, & Color Guard. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs led the way for the Castle float, which featured special guests Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods, who sang their song "Billy, Don't be a Hero". This then preceded the way for the Mickey Mouse balloon. On the other hand, Captain Hook's Pirate Ship (with the same characters as previously) appeared much later on the route, as it instead preceded the Bullwinkle balloon.
In 1975, the characters were slightly reduced, with the removal of the Alice in Wonderland float. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs led the way for the Castle float once again, which featured a performance from the Rhodes Kids. Following the castle was the Disney Wagon which featured the trio of Mickey, Goofy and Pluto once again, and the Mickey balloon following behind. Following the Mickey balloon was Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, featuring Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and Tick-Tock.
1976 saw the Mickey balloon lead the other floats for the first time. Donald Duck made his first costumed appearance in the parade, as he joined Mickey and Minnie on the Disney Wagon, while Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs led the way for the castle which featured Goofy and Pluto and special guest The Shaggy Dog, who promoted his then-new film The Shaggy D.A.. Captain Hook's Pirate Ship followed as it promoted the 1976 reissue of Peter Pan, and having Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smee riding the parade seas.
1977 saw Captain Hook's Pirate Ship taking to the parade seas for the last time before being transformed into a generic pirate ship. The Trammps performed alongside the other characters. Nearby, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs once again led the way for the Castle float, which featured the elegant cast of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto on the front, and Miss Bianca and Orville from The Rescuers on the balcony, as they promoted their new film. The Kids of the Kingdom also appeared alongside the float, which led the way for the usual appearance of the Mickey balloon.
1978 had the float promote the reissue of Pinocchio, with Pinocchio, Honest John and Gideon residing on the balcony. The double act Shields and Yarnell appeared as special guests on the bottom, while the Mickey balloon appeared behind once again.
In 1979, the Castle float promoted the re-release of Sleeping Beauty, with with Aurora, Prince Phillip, Maleficent, and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather appearing on on it, while the cast of The New Mickey Mouse Club led the float down the route as the Mickey balloon appeared behind.
1980s[]
In 1980, the Mickey balloon led off the parade with the Castle Float following behind. This year, the float promoted the 1980 reissue of The Aristocats. Mickey Mouse and Goofy stood on the top balcony of the castle, while select characters from the film - Scat Cat, Shun Gon, Hit Cat, Peppo, & Billy Boss appeared on the bottom of the float.
In 1981, Macy's own showboat float was redecorated as a special float for Walt Disney World's Tencennial Celebration, with Mickey Mouse taking to the ship, alongside. The Kids of the Kingdom sang the new "Disney World is Your World" song as the float reached to Macy's. This year, the Mickey balloon was not seen near the float, but rather after the band that appeared after the float.
In 1982, the Mickey balloon flew on its own without any Disney-related float preceding. However, the high winds affecting the parade led to the balloon being swashed around on the ground at Central Park West, but the balloon survived and made it through the rest of the parade without incident.
The Mickey balloon returned in 1983, but never made it on route after the balloon was severely damaged during inflation after his hand was ripped off, which caused the balloon to explode.
Due to Mickey's damages, in 1984 the Donald Duck balloon was brought back from retirement to celebrate his 50th Birthday, and preceding a brand new float made to celebrate Disneyland's then-upcoming 30th Anniversary, titled "The Disneyland Celebration", the float featured a three-story-tall replica of Sleeping Beauty Castle and a 22-foot long carousel. The float featured Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip 'N' Dale, and Pinocchio as they all danced to the "30 Years of Magic" song.
In 1985, although the Donald balloon didn't return, the float returned, pulling Mickey and Friends (except for the chipmunks and with the addition of Daisy Duck) and Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore. The main promotion for the float was for Disney's first ever animated television programmes - The Wuzzles and Adventures of the Gummi Bears, respectively featuring from each show Bumblelion, Butterbear and Hoppopotamus, and Cubbi Gummi, Tummi Gummi, Grammi Gummi. Following this appearance the float was retired.
In 1989, to promote Disney-MGM Studios, Mickey's LiMOUSEine appeared in the parade, with Minnie Mouse and Snow White hitching a ride. Also on the vehicle were Damon Pampolina and Lindsey Alley, two of the Mouseketeers from The All-New Mickey Mouse Club on Disney Channel.
1990s[]
In 1992, to promote the home media release of Beauty and the Beast, a Walt Disney World-sponsored float based on Belle's Castle was added. On the float was the then-cast of Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage at Disney-MGM Studios, who performed "Be Our Guest". Also that year, near the float, a Goofy balloon entitled "Santa Goofy" was produced and flew over the streets of New York to celebrate his 60th anniversary and to promote the new Disney Afternoon show Goof Troop. The balloon featured the lovable goof himself, in a tangled situation. That same year, the Santa Goofy balloon was chosen to be Macy's Holiday Ambassador of 1992, and plushes of Santa Goofy were sold in Macy's stores nationwide. After the 1992 parade, Goofy and the other balloons would appear again at the Macy's New York Christmas at Disney's MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, along with Betty Boop, Kermit the Frog, Snuggle, and the new Humpty Dumpty balloon. The balloons were perched atop the former Streets of America buildings. After this event, the Santa Goofy balloon was retired and shipped back to the Macy's Parade Studio. Later, it was shipped to the Macy's Float Warehouse.
In 1996, a float made to promote the live-action adaption of 101 Dalmatians, which featured over 99 children dressed up as dalmatians leading the float upwards to Herald Square. On the float sat Cruella De Vil and her henchmen, who performed the villain's titular song.
In 1998, a float promoting A Bug's Life appeared for a single parade. The float, which depicted the P.T. Flea's Circus scene from the film, featured Flik and Atta performing the smallest show on earth,with Long Island's June Claire School of Dance performing a trupe titled "Flik's Machine." Behind the float was a "falloon" of Heimlich.
2000s[]
In 2000, a new Mickey balloon entitled "Bandleader Mickey" flew over the streets of New York. In promotion of the balloon, Macy's chose Bandleader Mickey to be Macy's Holiday Ambassador of 2000. Plush versions of the balloon that sang a song to the melody of "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" were sold in Macy's stores. Unfortunately, the Bandleader Mickey balloon only appeared once in the parade and did not return in any more parades after the 2000 parade.
While no Disney balloons or floats appeared in the 2003 parade, it did see a performance by Disney Channel superstar Hilary Duff. Appearing on the Amica American Classic Malt Shop float, performing "So Yesterday" from her album Metamorphosis.
Disney would not see another major appearance in the parade until 2004, when a balloon of Chicken Little was added to promote his then-upcoming film; then due for release in July 2005 and as such, the balloon was meant to appear only once. However, the following month, the film was delayed to November 2005. 2004 also saw Kermit's debut year in the Disney family, and with that, The Muppets Holding Company began sponsoring the Kermit balloon, as he unleashed some Christmas cheer as Santa Claus' balloon escort. For celebrity stars, Raven-Symoné would perform that year on the Build-a-Bear Workshop float and sang "Backflip" to promote the That's So Raven soundtrack album.
Due to the film's delay, 2005 saw Chicken Little make another appearance in the parade. Fitting enough, he was the escort for a brand new Walt Disney World-sponsored float. Macy's own Marion-Carole Showboat was transformed into the Ship of Dreams, bringing the Happiest Celebration on Earth right into New York City. The float starred a large array of Disney characters, ranging from classic favourites like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip 'N' Dale, and animated canon favorites like Pinocchio, Geppetto, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Snow White, Hercules, Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, Pocahontas, Princess Belle, Princess Aurora, Prince Philip, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Mulan, Alice, Mad Hatter, The White Rabbit, and The Queen of Hearts. Completing the package was country singer LeAnn Rimes, who performed her song, and the main song for the celebration - Remember When. Her performance ended with a spectacular pyrotechnic finale inspired by Fantasmic!, sending a sprinkle of confetti onto the crowd below. Another new addition for 2005 was a balloon of JoJo from JoJo's Circus, who was only the second animated helium balloon in the parade's history as the clown juggles a selection of juggling balls. JoJo had the honor of preceding Santa Claus that year.
While JoJo was the only Disney balloon to appear in 2006, the 80th Parade also saw a number of popular Disney Channel stars make appearances on floats. High School Musical cast members Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman appeared on the Spirit of America float and sang "We're All in This Together" from the movie, the Jonas Brothers appeared on the Greendog Space Station Discovery float (alongside the cast of the PBS series "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman") and sang "Year 3000", while Miley Cyrus appeared on the Build-a-Bear Workshop float in-character as Hannah Montana and sang the show's highlight theme tune "The Best of Both Worlds".
In 2007, alongside JoJo, Kermit the Frog made his grand return to the parade, appearing once more as the final character balloon of the parade; leading the way for Santa Claus. The Jonas Brothers, Tisdale, and Bleu would return for performances that same year. The Jonas Brothers appeared on the all-new Build-a-Bear Workshop International Cele-bear-ation Clock Tower float, performing their single "S.O.S.", Ashley Tisdale appeared on the Ecko Unlimited Expedition to the Top of Rhino Mountain float and sang "Last Christmas", while Corbin Bleu appeared on the Greendog Space Station Discovery float and sang "This Christmastime" (once again accompanied with the "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman" cast)
In 2008, in addition to Kermit making another appearance to promote the TV special A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, Buzz Lightyear made his parade debut; preparing to go "To Infinity and Beyond" in New York City as promotion for the upcoming Toy Story 3. That same year, a falloon inspired by Bolt would make its first and only appearance to promote the film. The Falloon featured Bolt, Mittens and Rhino as they take their cross-road journey from New York to Las Vegas. On board the float was the film's co-star Miley Cyrus, making another appearance in the parade, this time as herself, as she sang her soundtrack contribution, "I Thought I Lost You" from the film. The real Kermit the Frog made an appearance on the all-new Central Park float, the last float in that year's parade before Santa Claus. On the float, Kermit, alongside the kids of Camp Broadway, performed the song for Macy's "Believe" campaign: "I Believe".
In 2009, Mickey Mouse returned to the parade with an all-new balloon in promotion of Disney Cruise Line - Sailor Mickey. Just like 2000's Bandleader Mickey, Sailor Mickey was chosen to be Macy's Holiday Ambassador of 2009, with plushes of him sold in Macy's stores nationwide. Following Disney's acquisition of Marvel Comics, that year's new Spider-Man balloon became associated with the company. Kermit and Buzz made additional appearances, with Buzz in particular promoting Toy Story 3. For float performances, Mitchel Musso appeared on the Watering Can float and performed "Shout It", while Tiffany Thornton appeared with Kermit on the Cornucopia float, itself the last float in the parade before Santa Claus, performing "I Believe" as a duet.
2010's[]
For 2010, the Kermit the Frog, Sailor Mickey, Spider-Man, and Buzz Lightyear balloons made return appearances, each promoting their own material. Kermit promoted his upcoming movie The Muppets, due out for Christmas Day 2011 (before being moved forward to Thanksgiving 2011), Mickey promoted the Disney Dream cruise ship, Spidey promoted the upcoming musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Buzz promoted the home media release of Toy Story 3.
In 2011, all four characters returned once more. Buzz promoted the Toy Story Toon "Small Fry", Mickey promoted the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, Spidey promoted the following year's The Amazing Spider-Man, while Kermit promoted The Muppets, which began it's theatrical run on the same day as the parade. There were also two performances from Disney Channel stars, China Anne McClain appeared on the Hilton On the Roll Again float and performed "Unstoppable" from the soundtrack of her show A.N.T. Farm, while Zendaya appeared on the Build-a-Bear International Cele-bear-ation Clock Tower float and performed "Dig Down Deeper" from the short Pixie Hollow Games.
The four balloons made appearances once more in 2012, each promoting specific projects. Kermit celebrated being the family ambassador of New York City and the single "All You Need is Love", Mickey promoted the Disney Fantasy once again, Spider-Man promoted the home media release of The Amazing Spider-Man, and his new series Ultimate Spider-Man, while Buzz, who was the last character balloon that year, promoted Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 2.
In 2013, Buzz appeared once more, promoting the TV special Toy Story of Terror!. Spider-Man made a return appearance to promote the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which would be released the following summer. For celebrity stars, Debby Ryan appeared on the Zhu Zhu Pets Zhu-niverse float and performed "Favorite Time of the Year" to promote the upcoming special Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christmas.
In 2014, Spider-Man was the only Disney-affiliated character balloon in the parade, where he promoted the new season of Ultimate Spider-Man. For performances, Lucy Hale appeared on the Goldfish on Parade float and sang "Lie a Little Better", Sabrina Carpenter appeared on the Pirate's Booty Treasure Hunt float and sang "Middle of Starting Over", and Idina Menzel appeared on the Enchanted World of Lindt Chocolate float (the final float before Santa Claus), performing a cover of Mariah Carey's hit song "All I Want for Christmas is You".
For 2015, while there were no Disney balloons or floats, a Celebrity star appeared. Sofia Carson appeared on Build-a-Bear's Discover Adventure float and performed "Rotten to the Core" from the Descendants soundtrack. Dove Cameron was meant to perform a duet with Carson, but felt ill on parade day, leading to Carson performing the song alone.
The monumental 90th parade in 2016 saw an opening number performed by The Muppets. Kermit would be joined by, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Camilla, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Lew Zeland, Sweetums, a group of Muppet Penguins, Pepe the King Prawn, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, The Swedish Chef, a Muppet Turkey, and Statler and Waldorf would kick off the broadcast by singing "Hey It's Macy's". The song is a direct variation of "Hey A Movie!" from The Great Muppet Caper. To officially kick off the parade, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem would perform "Twist and Shout." Footage of the latter performance would later be used in The Muppets Mayhem.
After several years without a Disney float in the parade, 2017 saw the debut of Olaf as a balloon, who promoted Olaf's Frozen Adventure. In 2018 and 2019, Olaf promoted Frozen: The Musical and Frozen II, respectively.
In 2019, despite not promoting the latter, Menzel would return for a performance just before Olaf's appearance in 2019.
2020s[]
Disney returned to the parade in 2021 with two new additions. The first was a balloon of internet sensation Grogu, co-sponsored by Funko and Lucasfilm and given a Funko-inspired appearance. He was escorted by nearby Stormtroopers. The other new addition was a float based on the then-newest Disney Cruise Line fleet ship, the Disney Wish, with the float dubbed "Magic Meets The Sea". The float was led by the talented duo of Captain Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse, with Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip 'n' Dale serving as their crew, while Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Flynn, Cinderella, Moana, Tiana, Jasmine, and Aladdin as passengers. Cinderella, Tiana, Moana, and Anna were wearing their winter versions of their trademark outfits due to the weather conditions in Manhattan on Thanksgiving Day. They performed the song "Together We Set Sail" alongside Jordan Fisher in front of Macy's Herald Square to the crowd once they arrived on 34th Street. The song played over the float's loudspeakers and they danced to it with their backup Cast Member performers while their supervisor/adjutant Cast Members assigned to watch over them followed behind on foot during the journey from Central Park West to 34th Street to add that little bit of Disney magic to the parade and put smiles on the faces of everyone watching, adult and child alike.
In 2022, the "Magic Meets the Sea" returned for another voyage towards Herald Square. The float featured a wide variety of characters, with the additions of Mulan, Raya, Mirabel Madrigal, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Cinderella and Tiana's husbands, Prince Charming and Prince Naveen. The trio of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy performed an all-new original song "Seas the Adventure" as a final burst of colorful confetti and streamers completed the package. Grogu would fly once again, promoting the upcoming season of The Mandalorian.
In 2023, "Magic Meets the Sea" returned once more, but this time refurbished to be styled after the upcoming Disney Treasure set to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet in 2024. The float also celebrated the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebrations, as a wide cast of characters joined in with Peter Pan, Miguel Rivera, Genie, and the Peddler added to the cast.[1]Mickey, Minnie, and all their friends and backup Cast Members performed the song "Let's Set Sail" upon reaching Herald Square and once more ended with a colorful blast of confetti and streamers to complete another successful voyage package in New York City. However, the float was slightly delayed reaching Herald's Square when the parade was obstructed by protestors on Sixth Avenue complaining about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The "Magic Meets The Sea" was forced to stop for some time, and while the supervisor Cast Members escorting it and the backup performer Cast Members in their sailor attire were concerned when they saw the commotion, Mickey, Minnie, Mirabel, Anna, Elsa, and the other characters focused on keeping morale up among the parade guests, maintaining character integrity and the discipline Disney maintains in both the Disney Cruise Line fleet and at the parks and resorts with the characters and their supporting Cast Members when dealing with problems that could endanger Guests and Cast Members alike. NYPD quickly saw to suppressing and arresting the protesters so the parade route was cleared for the rest of the procession to resume. Grogu would also make his final flight that year.
Around October 2024, Disney and Macy's confirmed that Disney would be returning for the 2024 parade, but with a brand new float celebrating the entire Disney Cruise Line fleet this time around, compared to the one used for the last three years. The new float, dubbed "Magic Meets The Seas", will be designed with all of the current ships in the fleet being included, along with a new performance by the characters and Cast Members who will be in the parade this year. Among the returning faces are Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Aladdin and Jasmine, Tiana and Naveen, Moana, Mirabel, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Miguel Rivera. The new faces joining them this year will be Mirabel's uncle Bruno, Daisy Duck, and Belle. Also in 2024, the first-ever Minnie Mouse balloon will make her debut, and Spider-Man returns for the first time in 10 years. The new Spider-Man balloon is based on the original comic book artwork created by John Romita Sr., in celebration of Marvel's 85th anniversary and to promote the following year's Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Minnie's grand debut in balloon form would be commemorated with an exclusive Mickey and Minnie-inspired collaboration with Macy's and Disney. The collab will introduce an exclusive line of parade themed products sold at Minnie themed "shops" in over 200 stores nationwide, and on Macy's.com.[2] At the parade, because of the rainy weather this year on Thanksgiving, the characters and all their supporting Cast Members, backup performers or supervisors, were provided umbrellas by the Macy's staff to stay dry during the journey from Central Park West to Herald's Square on 34th Street. Tiana, Moana, Belle, and Mirabel were wearing their winter outfits per tradition at this point after Tiana and Moana had worn them for the previous three consecutive parades, and once the float reached Herald's Square, the characters and their supporting Cast Members performed the Disney Treasure live stage show "Live The Adventure" for the rain-soaked crowd. As with last year, the NYPD was aware of any attempts to disrupt the parade from protesters complaining about the events in the Middle East, and were quick to suppress and arrest anyone who tried to obstruct the parade route so the parade could continue.
For 2025, the "Magic Meets the Seas" float returned to the parade for a second year, once again featuring an assortment of Disney faces, including Anna and Elsa, Mirabel and her uncle Bruno, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Moana, along with two new faces in Hercules and Loki. Tiana and Naveen would be returning to the parade again to ride on the float, along with some Disney Villains making their debut this year with Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, and Dr. Facilier riding on the float as part of representing the newest ship to the Disney Cruise Line fleet that completed her maiden voyage just before Thanksgiving, the Disney Destiny, with the stage show from the Disney Destiny that the characters and their supporting Cast Members performed called "This Is Your Destiny" regarding the destinies of both good and bad Disney characters. The float preceded the Spider-Man balloon, and the float was under NYPD guard to protect the characters and supporting Cast Members due to recent trouble in Washington, D.C. regarding two National Guardsmen being critically wounded. Buzz Lightyear made his grand return to the parade for the first time in twelve years with a brand new balloon as part of an early promotion for Toy Story 5, while Minnie Mouse was chosen as the fittingly red leading balloon for Santa Claus as the final character balloon that year. The float and characters were much earlier in the parade compared to previous years due to the presence this year of the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" making an appearance as a headliner with singing HUNTR/X's song "Golden" from the film.
Disney and Macy's have already begun talks for the centennial anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2026 when the parade will have its 100th performance. Further details regarding their discussions will be announced as Disney posts audition calls on Disney Auditions for volunteers and those characters that will be making an appearance for next year's parade. It is certain that Moana and Tiana will be returning as the Disney Princess representatives due to having been in the parade since 2021, but the identities of the other characters, aside from Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald Duck, are undecided. If Disney decides to promote another new ship to the Disney Cruise Line fleet with the "Magic Meets The Seas", characters that are certain to be aboard that vessel will appear in the 2026 parade, whether they are returning faces or new ones being added for that year, so the decision lies solely with CEO Bob Iger and his VPs when they secure Macy's agreement to be in the parade again.
Gallery[]
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