In a surprise visit today, Mickey And Minnie arrived as special guests in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, in honor of Disney’s 100th anniversary. The iconic duo donned their brand new Disney100 platinum outfits for the first time( in Europe) along the parade route, entertaining up to half a million guests for over 2 hours.
The pair were in attendance not only to commemorate Disney’s 100th Anniversary, but also to honor Walt Disney’s Irish heritage, as well as the company’s strong connections to Ireland. In a quote regarding the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, Disney also commented on nephew Roy Disney’s love of Ireland – “Walt passed his deep love of Ireland onto his nephew, Roy Disney. Roy chose to make his home in Ireland for part of each year until his death in 2009, where he regularly participated in (and often won) the famous sailing competition, Cork Week.”
Mickey and Minnie were joined by dancers from Showstoppers Dance Company, dressed for the occasion in Disney100 merchandise, all available through shopDisney now.
This is not the first time Disney legends have been represented in Dublin’s famous St. Patrick’s Day parade. In 2018, Mark Hamill was the first International Guest of Honour along the parade route for his work portraying the legendary Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, and his Irish heritage.
European guests can expect to see Mickey, Minnie and friends in their 100th anniversary platinum costumes later this year at Disneyland Paris. While it’s unknown when these appearances will begin, the resort will be officially celebrating the anniversary on October 16th 2023 – with more details to be announced throughout the year.