The American Gazette was a patriotic parade that ran at Disneyland for three seasons from 1983 to 1985. It celebrated Americana with live bands, dancers, and beloved Disney characters.
Background[]
For its first two seasons, American Gazette was performed on Main Street, U.S.A. as part of the celebrations leading up to the 1984 Olympics, and also appeared for 1985 as well. The parade traced major milestones in American history through musical motifs and featured a variety of Disney characters celebrating Americana. Some of the characters included Pluto, Uncle Sam, Chip and Dale, Goofy, The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, Tigger, Donald Duck, Snow White, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Alice, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Pinocchio, Honest John, Gideon, Baloo, Jiminy Cricket, Mr. Smee, and Captain Hook. The parade also included a marching band, a cakewalk, a performance of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", a Disneyland Band, a Sax Quintet, flappers, Country Bears, a Charlie Chaplin impersonator, a performance of "Alexander's Ragtime Band", swing dancers, a performance of "Sing Sing Sing", and a salute to the 1980s and US Olympians.
Floats[]
1983[]
- Opening - The opening unit features Pluto leading away a group of performers and the Disneyland Band. Performers hold up the American Gazette newspaper, which highlights the greatest moments of America.
- America Cakewalks into 20th Century - Chip and Dale lead off the unit, while Goofy helps out the baseball team play together a delightful tune on a float. The unit ends with umbrella walkers.
- America Flaps Over Boop-Boop-a-Doop - Lead by the Country Bears and the Penguin Waiters.
- America Swings Here and 'Over There' -
- Sports Go Cool as America Rocks - This unit celebrates football season, and is lead away by Tigger and Donald Duck. The Seven Dwarfs dorn pom-poms and cheerlead away to the next live band, while Minnie Mouse ends the unit riding in a car.
- Mickey Moves America into the 80's - Mickey Mouse conducts a live band while a group of modern day dancers dance by the float. Afterwards, a group of rollerskaters skate by.
- Disneyland Salutes U.S. Olympians - The final unit of the parade salutes the US Olympic Team, with many of the members appearing on the final float and on the Main Street Vehicles. This is followed with a small group of characters on foot, and another live band. The parade ends with a float depicting the next issue of the American Gazette paper, with the final band appearing afterwards.
1984[]
- America Celebrates 20th Century - The opening unit.
- America Flaps Over Boop-Boop-a-Doop -
- America Swings Here and 'Over There' -
- Sports Go Cool as America Rocks -
- America's Movin' On - This unit depicts the rock and roll side of America, with a large float depicting a large rock band.
- America Rushes for the Gold - The final unit features a large float riden on the front by Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, while the US Olympic team rides on the sides. The parade ends with the final band and a small parade of characters.
1985[]
- America 'Springs into 20th Century
- America Flaps Over Boop-Boop-a-Doop -
- America Swings Here and 'Over There' -
- Sports Go Cool as America Rocks -
- America's Movin' On - The final two floats represent the rock and roll side of America. The final float has Goofy dressed up as a Michael Jackson inspired rockstar.
Trivia[]
- The parade featured Disney characters dressed in historical costumes, as well as floats depicting scenes from the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, the Space Race, and the 1984 Olympics.
- The parade was created as part of Disneyland's Celebrate America campaign, which saluted the US Olympic Team and the upcoming 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- The parade was inspired by the success of America on Parade, a previous bicentennial parade that ran at Disneyland and Walt Disney World from 1975 to 1976.
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