Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade Steps off March 9 at Magic Kingdom 3PM
The afternoons at Magic Kingdom will be filled again with music, dancers, characters and floats as the 3PM parade, Festival of Fantasy, takes its first run in front of guests Sunday March 9. The stories and characters that have made New Fantasyland come alive will be featured in this brand new parade. There are nine floats, dancers and performers on stilts, swings and pendulums. Expect to see 100 performers including:
- “Sleeping Beauty” that includes a large 53 foot long and 26 foot high Steampunk version of Maleficent that breathes fire. Don’t worry; Prince Phillip will be there to fight her off. This unit is very impressive. The “Ravens” dancers’ masks were made with 3D printers! They were then painted, bronzed, lacquered, gilded, then Swarovski crystals added to achieve the final look. Can you spot the spinning wheel? Flora, Fauna and Merryweather will be among the parade route performers along with performers wrapped in thorns and moving on stilts and those Raven dancers I already mentioned to you.
- “The Little Mermaid” float reminds me of her attraction in New Fantasyland. Ariel sits in an open shell throne with her mermaid tail. She is accompanied by her friends Flounder and Sebastian on a very large music box float. There will be dancing Sea Shell Girls accompanying Ariel. There is over 30 yards of fabric in one Sea Shell Girls costume. Look for brightly colored Lion Fish, Coral Fish, Seashell and Sea Horse performers.
- “Dumbo” and “Pinocchio” were expected to have their own floats, but now we are told they are part of the Finale unit.
- “Peter Pan” features the boy who never wants to grow up Peter Pan on the Jolly Roger ship accompanied by Wendy as their ship soars 28 feet above the parade route. Look for the smoking cannons. Below the ship is an anchor that holds Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. Tinker Bell has a special spot on the float as well. The Lost Boys will be dancing their way into our hearts wearing costumes made with 40 custom fabrics. Who else would make furry plaid?
- “Tangled” is represented by Rapunzel with her long braided hair and Flynn Rider on a long ship along with some of the Thug “dreamers” from the movie will be performing and of course the candle lights. There are 28 separate fabrics to make the Swing Thug #1’s costume. There are 75 diamond shapes cut out separately and sewn onto cool max fabric. Will we hear Rapunzel exclaim “Best. Day. Ever!”?
- “Brave” features Merida and her three brothers in bear form. They will be riding atop a giant bagpipe. Expect to see a troupe of Scottish dancers to usher in Merida.
- “Frozen” characters were added late in the game but the two sisters Anna and Elsa will appear on the Disney Princesses Royal Court Garden float
- Disney Princesses Royal Court Garden float-This lead float is more than 50 feet long and will feature Anna and Elsa from “Frozen”, Cinderella, Belle and Tiana and their Princes. They ride amidst a garden theme with topiaries, birds, and of course the woodland creatures we all love in the films. They will be accompanied by pairs of Swan Court dancers that are both elegant and fashion forward.
- Mickey and Minnie will be in new costumes and on their own Finale float, Mickey’s Airship resembling a hot air balloon and is the tallest float at 32 feet. “Cha Cha Girls wear dresses that look like circus big tops, hair that looks like pulled taffy on some(made of 148 yards of horsehair in different colors), cotton candy on another, such as what you may find in Big Top Treats; colorful tights, gloves, and spats are the embodiment of Storybook Circus in New Fantasyland. This finale unit is more than 90 feet long. Minnie Mouse’s dress and hat has 95 gold lame dots that had to be cut out, embossed and sewn on. There is some confusion to what the nine floats will be but it looks like Pinocchio, Dumbo, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Mad Hatter, Pluto, Pegasus horses, dancing hippos will all be a part of this finale unit.
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This parade will have a lot of “firsts” for Disney parades. The costumes took almost a year to create making them some of the most elaborate in Disney Parks history, were made in 10 different design houses across two countries along with the costuming departments in Florida and California. 39 new costumes were made of 27 custom fabrics using the newest technology to create costumes that were safer for Cast Members to wear in the hot Florida sun. There is a brand new musical score inspired by our favorite Disney and Pixar films, which will no doubt have crowds singing along and as they go on their way after the parade. The Senior Show Director for this project, Randy Wojcik describes the parade this way: “It’s visually stunning, like mini Broadway shows rolling down the street.” The Steampunk Maleficent is a moving, flexing, fire-breathing float making history in Disney parades. Parts of the costumes and floats were created using graphic designs and a 3D printer. The parade floats are also powered by new energy-efficient batteries.
The floats were moved to the Magic Kingdom under cover of darkness late in January and the performers have had many rehearsals backstage during the day and down Main Street in the overnight hours. The Maleficent film being released this summer reveals to us the previously untold story of Maleficent, the evil queen, in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (1959). Maleficent will be played by Angelina Jolie.
By Cassie
Photos from the Disney Parks Blog