Disneyland's Christmas Fantasy Parade … love it, hate it?

I wanted to hear what other people think. I personally think that this parade is becoming so old that it needs a major change. Also that song is starting grate on me.

 

I always thought it was one of DL's better Christmas parades. I've certainly seen worse. Doesn't necessarily mean I'll be seeing it this year, given the number of times I went to DL this summer, and last year's visit to WDW, and given that for everything they've done recently to make me want to reinstate my annual pass (I've been without it for over a decade now), they've also managed to do something to make me wonder why I ever thought I'd eventually reinstate it.

(I definitely, though, would like to find out if they're planning to mass-produce and market the "Mickey Mouse snowflake" so prominently featured in the current TV spot, though.)

 

It's not my favorite, but it's been around so long with so few changes that it's practically a "classic" by now. The song is also my biggest annoyance with it, but it's also a very slow moving parade. Not that there isn't plenty to look at, but the floats themselves process very slowly down the parade route; I'm not sure how or why they decided to do it that way (they're capable of moving very fast when they want to), but it's always struck me as odd.

I'm also still disappointed that Elsa took over the ice skating float. I don't mind having her in the parade, but seeing Mickey & Minnie "ice" skate on a moving parade float was really cool, and seems like the sort of think that risk-averse Disney would never bring back

 

I was going to say Love it, Love it, Love it and cannot wait to see it this year. Until I read this!
#letletitgogo

 

I totally agree. I also had to look up how long the parade was going on.

A Christmas Fantasy Parade - Wikipedia

Turns out that this parade debuted in during the 1994 Holiday Season, that's 23 years old. No wonder why I'm sick of the song.

 

I can't go that often (but it has mostly been in December in recent years), and I'M sick of the song too. I'm not a parade guy and I rarely watch them - though I did see a complete run through while in the (long) line for iasw Holiday once. Pert near drove me crazy.

 

Oh, come on now: it may not be Baroque Hoedown, and neither is it, say, a Sherman Bros. tune, but neither is it the "chamber-pot music" that accompanied "Pain in the Night."

 

For me, I think the biggest problem with the music is that it's just the one song over and over again. Yes, there are variations for each section of the parade, but it's the same tune and structure for the entire time. The parades that use music especially well, like MSEP, Paint the Night (whether it's to your personal liking or not), Soundsational, and even Pixar Play Parade all have unique songs for each unit but are unified by a single theme played intermittently. It's enough to tie everything together, without being so much that you're sick of one tune by the time the parade ends

My other personal gripe is that the music doesn't form a seamless loop, but instead builds to a nice finale, which is then followed by an awkward silence and chimes to start the loop over again. Along with the music, all the choreography comes to a halt during this moment, which really breaks up the flow for me. Disney's best attraction songs are on endless loops that are tough to tell where they start/end (iasw holiday's finale room being a notable exception), and most of the parades are too; they have enough variations in key and dynamics to keep it interesting, but there's no 'finale'. For whatever reason, this song was written like a standard song for the radio, with a distinct beginning, middle, and end.

 

LOVE IT!!!!!

 

Is it snowing?!??! (not real snow, but still!)

 

Now that you say that I think that is also what I hate about the music. Like you say it's not a seamless loop but something that keeps starting and stopping. It makes me think .... "Not again".

 

No, that is the bakers throwing bags of flour and it spraying into the air. They don't use as much as they used to. Now it is just little puffs.
This was in 2005 and it was still in the air as the gingerbread house went by.


Think there might be some Mickeys in there?

 

2005 would have been the 50th, right? Did they not run Parade of Dreams through the Christmas season? Or did they do POD during the day, and the Christmas parade in the evening?

 

Funny, I had not thought of that. So I went back and checked and the date was 11/26/05. The fireworks from that same file are Remember, Dreams Come True so I am pretty sure it is right. I do not remember if they did the 50th parade during the day and I do not have any pictures to verify.

 

Bingo!

 

I just thought there was a lot of paranormal orb activity. Even the dead love this parade.

 

Cannot wait to see it tomorrow!!!

 

I have a strong affection for ‘Christmas Fantasy Parade’ l was an entertainer in the parade the very first year - as part of a group of Dickens-type Christmas Carolers.

The following year, I was cast again - the group changed a bit - different costumes, but it was there that I met the future Mrs. Jim in Merced CA

So for me - the song brings back a flood of fantastic memories that always make me smile.

 

Yes, my family has very fond memories of Christmas Fantasy. We walked through the gates with our son-in-law who had gone through a kidney transplant just 2 weeks prior. We heard the music and all began to cry. We just celebrated the 16th year of his success.
So, monotonous or not, when I heard the music last week; I started to cry. Then I began to clap and smile.

 

Have to like these last two posts, even though personally... I just don't like that music. A completely subjective thing, of course.