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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor |
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Happy birthday to the United States of America! It’s 1975 or 1976 at Yesterland, so it’s been 200 years since the nation’s founding in 1776. Celebrate by watching America on Parade—a spectacular tribute to America’s history, people, and traditions. With 50 parade units, 150 character performers, and lasting over a half hour, America on Parade is a grand experience. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1975 “Spirit of ’76” |
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The parade starts with the “Spirit of ’76,” featuring Mickey, Goofy, and Donald. Then you won’t see any other traditional Disney characters until the end of the parade. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Columbus sailing to the New World almost 300 years before the USA’s founding |
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The first half of the parade is a summary of American history—although Christopher Columbus wasn’t American. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor A turkey as tall as the buildings of Main Street |
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America on Parade features the “People of America”—eight-foot-tall characters with doll-like heads—including Christopher Columbus, Ben Franklin, Miss Liberty, Uncle Sam, Pilgrims, and giant snack-food vendors. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Benjamin Franklin flying a kite—without lightning |
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Watch as these “People of America” perform to some of America’s most popular tunes, recorded from a traditional band organ—including “Yankee Doodle,” “This Land Is Your Land,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” and “God Bless America.” |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Betsy Ross sewing the Stars and Stripes |
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The parade floats are towering. For example, eight-foot-tall Betsy Ross is dwarfed by her two-story-tall rocking chair, as she sews the immense, first American flag. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1975 To the tune of “You’re a Grand Old Flag“ |
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The American frontier and the Westward Expansion play a prominent role in America on Parade. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1975 Riverboat captain |
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For a while, the parade seems to be a Salute to Frontierland—with units that suggest the Mark Twain Riverboat, the steam trains that call on Frontierland Station, the old Stagecoach ride, the old Conestoga Wagons, the Golden Horseshoe Revue, and the Tom Sawyer Island rafts. Let’s take a look. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Elegant “People of America” |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Gun-toting character atop a Western stagecoach |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Steam locomotive following an old Western saloon with dancing girls |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1975 California, here I come! |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher “floating” down the parade route |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1975 Two steam locomotives commemorating the “Joining of the Rails“ at Promontory Summit |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1975 America on the move |
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The “Creations of America” unit celebrates inventions and innovations, from the dawn of air travel to the age of space travel. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Those magnificent “People of America” and their flying machines! |
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You’ll see more than just American history. You’ll see contemporary American culture too—consisting primarily of sports, junk food, and Disney characters. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Giant athletes and giant snack foods |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Nothing more American than the great American sandwich |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor Scat Cat’s Jazz Band from The Aristocats |
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The grand finale of America on Parade features a marching band from a high school or college—the only humans in the parade whose faces aren’t hidden within character costumes. After the 9 p.m. parade, enjoy an extravaganza in the sky consisting entirely of red, white, and blue fireworks. |
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At Disneyland—and at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World—America on Parade ran from June 14, 1975, through September 6, 1976. Doing double-duty as Disneyland’s afternoon and evening parades, America on Parade displaced the Main Street Electrical Parade for two summers. |
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© Walt Disney Productions Cover of the Disneyland Summer 1975 Guide |
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Anyone who is old enough to remember 1976 will remember that the American Bicentennial was celebrated as a really big event—and not just at Disney parks. So America on Parade was a big parade. The floats were impressive and the recorded, amplified band organ tunes provided a fitting accompaniment to the various units of the parade. The daytime parade, illuminated by California (and Florida) sunshine, was colorful and festive. At night, the parade didn’t measure up to the Main Street Electrical Parade. |
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Photo by Frank Taylor, 1975/1976, courtesy of Chris Taylor “People of America”—a bit creepy |
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The “People of America” must have seemed like a good idea to the parade’s designers. The dolls would be so large that even adults would feel like children. However, the actual results were a bit creepy. The characters were not endearing or lovable. They were like adults with the faces of babies—sometimes babies with facial hair—with their huge eyes staring blankly. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1983 Germany at EPCOT Center in 1983 |
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The folks at Disney don’t like to throw things away. The “People of America” characters were reused when EPCOT Center opened in 1982. Instead of having the usual Disney characters wandering through the park, the former “People of America,” dressed in international costumes, inhabited World Showcase. |
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© 2024 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated July 5, 2024 |
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