That's a Wrap!

Disney Cinema Parade - Filmstrip

We're getting to the end of the parade - and our movie too! And you can see the the film strip is ready to make its way to the cinema for the big preview. Here we have the cast of Toy Story looking after the film, just making sure it gets to where it needs to go! And it's great to see that Rex plays such a big role too - I'm sure everyone will be scared to get on the wrong side of this terrifying dinosaur...right? Okay, so he's not terrifying, but I have no doubt he'll help get the film where it needs to go.

And, of course, we have Buzz and Woody alongside, helping things along!

Disney Cinema Parade - Cinema

We've made it - and our film has made it too! Mickey Mouse, and some of his invited guests, finish our parade off in the cinema, getting ready to see the final edit of our Motion Picture. I just hope that Donald managed to get everything in the right places - and, like Ryan said, managed to get his cast to understand him!

No doubt Mickey and his friends are looking forward to seeing the film - and we've just seen a Disney Cinema Parade Classic. Thanks for joining me for this piece of Motion Picture history - I wonder where our ticket will take us next time...

The Most Important Man In The Film?

Disney Cinema Parade - Director

We've got almost everything we need to make a motion picture - apart from the director. And who better to boss everyone around than Mr Donald Duck?

Here we can see him sitting atop his director's chair, megaphone in hand, ready to shout 'Action!' or 'Cut!' whenever he sees fit. Of course, we all know how infamous Donald's temper is, so it's best to do exactly as he says. This is one of my favourite floats - and I think Donald is an excellent choice for Director! Hopefully he does a better job than in Mickey's Philarmagic at organising and keeping things under control!

Beating Like A Big Brass Band!

Disney Cinema Parade - Movie Reel

Continuing with our Disney Cinema Parade, we have to keep an eye out for an evil character...Cruella De Vil, in fact. She's parading along with some of the 101 Dalmatians, guarding the Movie Reel, helping to shape our movie. Of course, you have to be careful with her - she could turn on you at any moment! Especially if she's not happy with how she comes across on film.

When she's not being truly evil, she's helping to shape our film and edit it so that it can be ready for our Maestro! Keep an eye out for her henchmen - I hope that's more film they're carrying in their bags...I think we will need to keep a watchful eye on them, just until our movie is ready.

Disney Cinema Parade - Movie Can

Ah, we can relax now - it's Mary Poppins and Bert looking after the movie can! With our movie near completion, all we need is to get is ready and 'in the can', like they say over in Hollywood.

Of course, seeing Mary and Bert wouldn't be complete without their Jolly Holiday and some of their enchanted carousel friends. And isn't it nice how Bert has brought out the red carpet too? Mary deserves nothing less!

What's a Motto With You?

Disney Cinema Parade - Script

One of the most important items in any movie - and potentially the starting point for any future film - is the script. So, of course, the Disney Cinema Parade has to have a script. But who could possibly introduce the script to us? Why, 'The Lion King' characters, of course. One of the most memorable and moving stories from Disney, with some of the most memorable characters.

And who better to headline the float than Rafiki, a great and wise storyteller. The float itself is in the shape of a large book, with Simba stepping out of the pages. Timon is also on hand, just to give that script some extra flair!

Disney Cinema Parade - Clapperboard

We have the lights...we've definitely got the camera...now all we need is the action. And what better way to introduce this than with our old friend and favourite wooden boy, Pinocchio!

Accompanied by Gepetto, and with Jiminy Cricket hanging around somewhere too, you can bet that our movie is almost ready to get started. With a clapperboard this size, surely there can be no mistaking when our director shouts 'Action!'.

Cameras & Costumes

'Medames et messieurs et vous les enfants - Meine damen und herren, liebe kinder - Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - Walt Disney Studios est heureux de vous presenter - ist stolz Ihnen zu präsentieren - proudly presents... Disney Cinema Parade!'

Disney Cinema Parade - Camera

You're standing in position, ready for the parade to commence. You can hear the music in the distance - first hearing tunes like "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" and "Second Star To The Right" - then you see Tinkerbell heading towards you, atop a giant Mickey Mouse shaped film camera. Of course, with Tinkerbell comes Pixie Dust - mabye she'll sprinkle some of it for this parade... And with Pixie Dust, you just know that there's going to be a whole lot of mystery and magic!

Peter Pan is on-hand inside the camera, making sure it's running smoothly. And you can just see Captain Hook hovering behind. I'd keep an eye on him, though, we don't want him putting our Movie in jeopardy, do we?!

Disney Cinema Parade - Costuming

Who better to look after the costuming of our movie than Ms. Minnie Mouse? She surely knows great sense and style - polka dots never go out of fashion! She follows closely behind Peter Pan's crew, getting everything ready for our big stars. I wonder who she's made that dress for...

Spotlight On... Disney's Cinema Parade

It's a Friday, and what better way to start the weekend than having a look at one of the original Disneyland Paris parades! Specifically, the Disney Cinema Parade, over at Walt Disney Studios Park.

A daily event, the Disney Cinema Parade brings some of your favourite Disney characters and friends together in a parade inspired by all things related to the movies. We have director Donald Duck, Tinkerbell getting ready to shoot, Minnie getting the costumes ready and Mickey Mouse overseeing the whole shebang! Of course, like most things Disney, the parade tells a story too - and over the next few posts, I'd like to share this with you. Through the magic of photographs, maybe you can feel like you're really there...

The Disney Cinema Parade premiered in the Studios on June 1st 2002, and has experienced many changes. The floats were created in towns in Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern France, while the costumes were imagined and brought to life in Beniche, a carnival town in Belgium. Until early 2004, the Parade also included a 'warm up', with Goofy going along the parade route, along with some of the Park's movie stars, interacting with guests. This was removed as it was thought not all guests could enjoy it, due to the fact that Goofy was solely speaking in English.

Similarly, the "Lights! Camera! Action" 'parade stops' (in which the floats stop and the characters dance/interact with the guests) were removed from the parade in September 2004. However, these were reintroduced in 2006. The parade runs along from right to left (as seen on the map), finishing up at Backlot Express/Rock N' Rollercoaster. As I previously mentioned, instead of ropes, guests can sit along the 'film strip' of Mickey Ears to get ready for the parade.

The Parade has 9 different themes making up the story: Camera, Costuming, Script, Clapperboard, Movie Reel, Movie Can, Director, Filmstrip and Cinema. Each of these themes are represented by Disney characters or movies. There is also one ongoing theme throughout the Parade too, in the form of the dancers all being dressed as Ushers.

As far as I am aware, this parade no longer runs at the Walt Disney Studios. At present, guests can enjoy High School Musical On Tour and High School Musical 2: School's Out instead. I have heard that the Stars and Motor Cars Parade from Disney's Hollywood Studios shall be making an appearance in the near future at the park.

In the meantime, hold onto that Ticket to Disneyland Paris (I hope you all still have it!) and get ready for one of the funnest Parades in the Disney Parks!