What does the Pixar Play Parade at Disney’s California Adventure (March 2008 – August 2017), the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade at WDW Hollywood Studios (January 2011 – April 2013), and the Pixar Play Parade “Pixar Fest Edition” Disneyland (April 2018 – November 2018) all have in common? I’ll give you 5, 4, 3, 2…. FUN.
Yes, they are all Disney/Pixar parades… AND they all share the same soundtrack. “Welcome to our world of play. Come on, it’s time to celebrate….
everyone countdown to fun, yea… 5, 4, 3, 2, Fun…”. While they share the same soundtrack and mostly the same characters, they don’t share the same floats. In fact, the parade itself is much difference between the Florida and California versions. California Adventure used floats that featured water jets that would shoot water into the crowds, while most of the floats at WDW Hollywood Studios were recycled from the Block Party Bash (March 14, 2008 – January 2011). Block Party Bash itself was more of a traveling stage show than a parade, and it was recycled from the Disneyland version which was part of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary running from May 2005 – January 2008. So, a block party designed for Disneyland’s 50th went to Hollywood Studios as a block party then was revamped into a parade using the same music as a parade in California Adventure and that lives on in various locations today in WDW… While WDW was
recycling and retooling, Disneyland was developing new floats for the DCA parade and moved it to Disneyland as part of Pixar Fest in 2018. The new floats included Luxo Jr, Up, and Inside Out. The Pixar Fest version of the Pixar Play Parade was a limited-time offering during the celebration, providing an opportunity for Mickey’s SoundStation Parade to take a needed maintenance break.
While most Pixar properties appeared in both DCA and HS, the Pixar fest additions: Luxo Jr, Inside Out, and Up (2018) along with Ratatouille (2008-2010) and Cars (2008-2017) only appeared in California.
It’s interesting to see how some of the recycled floats have changed their appearance in the different incarnations of the parade. The same float(s) can be spotted in the Disneyland Block Party at California Adventure, then again at Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios in the Block Party Bash, and then again Countdown to Fun Parade. It’s hard to tell if it’s a wrap of the float for the last version. Let’s hope so.
This Episode of SamsDisneyDiary is a two parade bonus. My footage of the Pixar Play Parade at Disney’s California Adventure from July 2017 (just a month before that version ended) AND from my personal archive, footage of the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade at WDW Hollywood Studios from March 2012 – The only time I recorded that parade.
The only thing those two parades share is the theme song. They have completely different floats with the DCA version featuring the water feature in just about every group. The Pixar Play Parade starts with Monsters University featuring the Monsters U Cheerleaders and our favorite students, Scott Squibbles, Art, Terri, and Terry Perry along with Roz, Sully, and of course Mike Wazowski. They are followed by The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, A Bugs Life, Toy Story, and Cars. One of the biggest differences between parades in California and Florida is the space between units. In California, at both Disneyland and California Adventure, space is provided between units for guests to cross between them; something that just doesn’t happen in Florida. It adds some convenience but adds to the overall length of the parade. After the Pixar Play Parade, we’ll do some time traveling back to Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios for the Countdown to Fun Parade in March of 2012. The lineup at Hollywood Studios includes The Incredibles, A Bugs Life, Ratatouille, Monsters Inc, Up, and Toy Story.
Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe to SamsDisneyDiary for more… and remember, you never know what we’ll see.
Looking for more parades from Disney Parks? Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade, Disneyland Soundsational, Disneyland Christmas Fantasy, Disneyland Paint the Night, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade, Festival of Fantasy or Count Down to Fun Move it, Shake it with Mickey
