Party Gras
Parade

 
A Big Parade for a Big Party
 
Like a Marti Gras parade...
the Party Gras Parade!

Get ready to party to beat of salsa and calypso with over 150 singers, dancers, and stiltwalkers. Be sure to ask where the parade stops along the route, and you’ll be treated to a spectacular street show by the talented cast.

Prepare to catch a string of beads or a Party Gras coin, tossed into the crowd by the entertainers. Better yet, accept a rhythmic instrument and become part of the performance. Or just let your feet dance as you watch the parade (but try not to step on anyone who’s sitting on the curb).

Crane your neck to see the tops of the six big inflated floats. They feature Minnie Mouse, Roger Rabbit, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse. They’re all dressed to party, except for Mickey who’s wearing his sorcerer robe and cap from Fantasia. (Maybe Mickey thinks it’s a costume party.) Each balloon is around 40 feet tall, about the height of a four story building. And when passing down Main Street, with its reduced scale upper stories, the balloons look even taller.

There are plenty of smaller floats and characters from Disney movies who liven up the party even more.

In Disneyland, the Party Gras Parade ran from January 1990 until November 1990. It was the centerpiece of Disneyland’s “35 Years of Magic” celebration.

The other big feature of Disneyland’s 35th anniversary was the Disneyland “Dream Machine.” As guests entered the park, they received special commemorative tickets which could indicate that they had won a prize. To find out what kind of prize, the guest would take the ticket to a gaudy contraption—the “Dream Machine”—at the hub and pull a lever. What could be won? Disney videos, plush toys, posters, coins, collector pins, Mickey Mouse watches, U.S. Saving Bonds, and tickets for Delta Airlines. And one winner each day would receive a shiny new GEO automobile, which would rise up festively from within the “Dream Machine,” accompanied by lights and confetti. Winning a new car would make for a memorable Disneyland visit!

The World According to Goofy America on Parade Home

© 2007 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks

Last updated September 23, 2006.

Photograph of Donald Duck balloon in Party Gras Parade: 1990 by Don O'Neil.
Photograph of fish and Little Mermaid in Party Gras Parade: 1990 by Don O'Neil.
Photograph of Minnie Mouse balloon in Party Gras Parade: 1990 by Don O'Neil.
Photograph of the Disneyland "Dream Machine" at night: 1990 by Don O'Neil.