The 1989 Disney Easter Parade aired on ABC on March 26, 1989. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke hosted the special, while Regis Philbin delivered field reports from around Magic Kingdom. Together, they guided viewers through an Easter broadcast that mixed holiday fun with one of the biggest Disney stories of the year.
Rodger Rabbit Takes Center Stage
One of the most memorable moments featured Roger Rabbit. Fresh off the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, he brought a burst of late-1980s energy to the broadcast. His appearance gave the parade a strong pop-culture hook. It also connected the special to one of Disney’s biggest hits of the era.
Roger Rabbit performs on a float during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
A Preview of Disney-MGM Studios
One of the biggest highlights of the 1989 Disney Easter Parade was a special preview of Disney-MGM Studios. Viewers got an early look at the movie-making magic, behind-the-scenes experiences, and major attractions coming to Walt Disney World’s newest theme park. Because of that, the parade became more than an Easter special. It also worked as an exciting television preview of one of the most important expansions in Walt Disney World history.
Kathleen Sullivan stands in front of the Chinese Theatre during the Disney-MGM Studios preview in the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Scott Valentine and the Big Red Boat
The special also leaned into its Hollywood flavor with an appearance by Scott Valentine, known to many viewers from Family Ties. His segment added another celebrity connection to the show. More importantly, it also reflects a lesser-known chapter in Disney vacation history.
Scott Valentine appears with Disney characters aboard the Big Red Boat during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
In the late 1980s, Disney partnered with Premier Cruise Line and its Big Red Boat sailings to offer land-and-sea vacations tied to Walt Disney World. That partnership began in 1985 and gave Disney fans a way to extend a park trip with a family cruise from Port Canaveral. Looking back, that connection makes the 1989 parade especially interesting. The Big Red Boat era now feels like a preview of what was still to come for Disney vacations on the water.
That history matters because the Big Red Boat partnership came before Disney fully brought that vacation vision in-house. In that way, the cruise segment in the 1989 parade feels like an early step in a much bigger story that would later become an important part of the broader Disney vacation experience.
Why the 1989 Parade Still Matters
What makes the 1989 broadcast stand out today is its timing. The parade captured Walt Disney World just weeks before the opening of Disney-MGM Studios. In turn, it now plays like both an Easter special and a snapshot of Disney on the edge of a major expansion.
1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade Regis Philbin
1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade Joan Lunden
1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade Alan Thicke
The Roger Rabbit segment adds another layer of history. Disney used the parade to connect Easter programming with one of its hottest entertainment properties. At the same time, the Disney-MGM Studios preview showed how the company used these broadcasts to spotlight what was new across the resort.
Watch the Full 1989 Parade
Relive the 1989 Disney Easter Parade and revisit Roger Rabbit, Main Street, and the build-up to Disney-MGM Studios.
Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke host the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade from Main Street, U.S.A.
A live blimp shot during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade shows a warm Easter Sunday with the temperature at 82 degrees.
Title card for the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade television special.SamsDisneyDiary
Huey, Dewey, and Louie ride a Main Street, U.S.A. float during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Dopey appears on Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Regis Philbin reports from Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Scott Valentine appears aboard the Big Red Boat during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
The Big Red Boat appears during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade, representing the Premier Cruises era before Disney vacations at sea evolved further.
The Big Red Boat sits at the dock during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke host from the anchor desk during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke host from the anchor desk during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Kathleen Sullivan previews the soon-to-open Disney-MGM Studios in front of the Chinese Theatre during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
An aerial view of Disney-MGM Studios appears during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade preview.
An aerial view of Disney-MGM Studios marked 1989 appears during the Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade preview.
An Easter basket float rolls down Main Street, U.S.A. with Cinderella Castle in the background during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Brer Bear appears on Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Mickey Mouse rides in a red limousine during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
A large Easter egg float rolls down Main Street, U.S.A. as an artist paints while performing during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
An oversized bass drum float is pulled down Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
A marching band performs on Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Regis Philbin reports from Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
An aerial view of Cinderella Castle appears during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Alan Thicke and Joan Lunden host the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
A marching band performs on Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Regis Philbin reports from Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Performers dance on Hollywood Boulevard during a preview of the soon-to-open Disney-MGM Studios in the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
A producer films the action at Disney-MGM Studios during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade preview.
Minnie Mouse arrives at Disney-MGM Studios in a limousine wearing a yellow Easter dress during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Goofy lounges at the soon-to-open Grand Floridian Resort during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Mickey Mouse leads the finale down Main Street, U.S.A. during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
A close-up of Mickey Mouse leading the finale during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Main Street, U.S.A. is filled with Easter dresses and Easter bonnets during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Kathleen Sullivan continues the tour of the soon-to-open Disney-MGM Studios from New York Street during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
An aerial view of World Showcase appears during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
Regis Philbin conducts a close-up interview as a field reporter during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
An Alice in Wonderland float with the White Rabbit and a flower rolls through the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade.
An aerial view of the Liberty Square Riverboat appears during the 1989 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade with the current temperature at 86 degrees.
[…] one on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The 1988 parade was hosted by Joan Lunden, Alan Thicke, and Regis Philbin. The telecasts continued for 15 years until 1999. The final installment of the parade was hosted […]
[…] one on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The 1988 parade was hosted by Joan Lunden, Alan Thicke, and Regis Philbin. The telecasts continued for 15 years until 1999. The final installment of the parade was hosted […]