Disneyland’s long-standing connection to the Tournament of Roses continues this year. The Disneyland Resort returns to parade, contributing their float entry, “Disneyland Diamond Celebration – Awaken Your Adventure” to fit this year’s parade theme, “Find Your Adventure.” Disneyland’s entry is divided into three sections. The center section features Mickey, Minnie, and Sleeping Beauty Castle to celebrate Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration which will continue through September 4. Meanwhile, the front section features the world of Arendelle with Anna, Elsa, and her ice castle as a new Frozen musical will be coming to Disney California Adventure next summer. Lastly, the world of Star Wars is represented on the final unit of the float with Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma and the Millennium Falcon making appearances. With Season of the Force underway and work beginning on Star Wars Land, there is no doubt that the saga is playing a huge role in Disneyland’s present and its future.
We recently had the chance to visit the float construction site where volunteers were helping bring the float to life.
As has been tradition since 1960, the teams participating in the Rose Bowl Game visited the Disneyland Resort on Saturday. Members of the Stanford Cardinals and the Iowa Hawkeyes visited Disney California Adventure and experienced Cars Land and California Screamin’.
The Tournament of Roses Parade will be broadcast at 8 a.m. Pacific on ABC. We will be live blogging the parade on LaughingPlace.com.
The Rose Bowl Game will air at 2 p.m. Pacific on ESPN.
Some highlights of Disney’s relationship with the Tournament of Roses include:
- Characters from the newly premiered Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were prominently featured in the parade in 1938.
- In 1966, Walt Disney served as Grand Marshall of the parade.
- Roy E. Disney, Walt’s nephew and the head of Disney Animation, served as Grand Marshall in 2000.
- Members of the Disney creative team from Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Entertainment have served as float judges numerous times.
- In 2004, Disneyland Resort presented “A Sudden Drop in Pitch.” At the time, it was the tallest float in Rose Parade history (110 feet, with live performers at the top). The float’s title played off that year’s theme of “Music, Music, Music,” and the float was inspired by The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which opened in (then) Disney’s California Adventure that spring.
- In 2005, the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland was celebrated with both a dazzling Rose Parade Opening Show and a spectacular castle float called “The Happiest Celebration on Earth.” Mickey Mouse served as Grand Marshall.
- In 2006, the longest float (150 feet) in Rose Parade history, entitled “The Most Magical Celebration on Earth,” celebrated Disney Parks around the world.
- In 2013, the characters and fun of Cars Land raced into Pasadena for “Destination: Cars Land” — a float showcasing the landmarks of the newly opened land in Disney California Adventure. The 125-foot long float featured replicas of Lightning McQueen and Sally recreating their fun-spirited road race from the first Cars movie. Mater followed along behind the float.
- In addition to Rose Parade float entries, Disney has presented many Rose Parade Opening Shows through the years, celebrating such milestones as the 35th Anniversary of Disneyland in 1990, the debut of the Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland in 1995, and the motion picture premiere of Fantasia 2000.