Disney's Happy Easter Parade

[DodgerGirl]

Do you remember when ABC used to air Disney's Happy Easter Parade every Easter? It was such a wonderful parade that was originally hosted by the late Alan Thicke and Joan Lunden and then Alan Thicke was replaced by Regis Philbin and Joan Lunden remained as cohost and in 1998 Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel of Boy Meets World hosted the parade for the last final time it was televised on ABC. Disney's Happy Easter Parade in addition to showing wonderful floats also gave you the inside scoop on the hottest Disney movies and had celebrity guests such as Howie Mandel Scott Valentine soap star Antonio Sabato Jr. Robby Benson Taran Noah Smith Joey Lawrence and other celebrities go on adventures through the parks telling you about the newest rides and shows and of course the entire Disney gang makes an appearence as well. It would be so cool if ABC revived the Disney Happy Easter Parade for a new generation of Disney fans young and old alike because Easter needs some special TV programming

 

[DL1WDW2]

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[BrianL]

Do you remember when ABC used to air Disney's Happy Easter Parade every Easter? It was such a wonderful parade that was originally hosted by the late Alan Thicke and Joan Lunden and then Alan Thicke was replaced by Regis Philbin and Joan Lunden remained as cohost and in 1998 Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel of Boy Meets World hosted the parade for the last final time it was televised on ABC. Disney's Happy Easter Parade in addition to showing wonderful floats also gave you the inside scoop on the hottest Disney movies and had celebrity guests such as Howie Mandel Scott Valentine soap star Antonio Sabato Jr. Robby Benson Taran Noah Smith Joey Lawrence and other celebrities go on adventures through the parks telling you about the newest rides and shows and of course the entire Disney gang makes an appearence as well. It would be so cool if ABC revived the Disney Happy Easter Parade for a new generation of Disney fans young and old alike because Easter needs some special TV programming

I never really watched that parade, but I was in Tokyo Disneyland when they were doing their version and I listen to the soundtrack from it every Easter to relive the memories.

 

[Bill007]

I miss that and the older format of the Christmas parade. As much as I enjoy music, the newer formats, even before the pandemic, are basically one big concert of modern music and artists. It doesn't have the true Disney feel anymore.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Do you remember the Happy Easter Parade that Antonio Sabato Jr. fell in love with Minnie Mouse and then Mickey went looking for Minnie and Mickey got jealous of Antonio having a crush on Minnie. That skit was so funny. Another thing I also found funny was that every time Cinderella would wave to the crowd from her carriage Regis Philbin always had a crush on her and I never figured it out. Was Regis Cinderella's crush?

 

[JenniBarra]

It wasn't just having an Easter parade special, it was specials for other holidays, too. I can remember one for the 4th of July. It's been so long that I couldn't tell you which things they were recognizing, but I seem to recall TV specials tied into a big park anniversary or opening of a new attraction. I had actually been hoping these specials might make their way to Disney+.

 

[DL1WDW2]

That was what I joined Disney+Channel expecting.
They sold cd’s and DVDs of special events... or compilations and themed music to celebrate at home . I still have themed music from Pirates and Princess special ticket event and listen to the Candlelight Processional CD on road trips and holidays because I love the music. My favorite stage performance music CD was Disney On the Record...I can not believe Disney has not released that officially online. My mother sent me A Day at Disneyland video tape that she bought at Disneyland because they were all at DL and I was not. So much out there that is more interesting . Anything that DisneyParksBlog presented as a Live Stream of fireworks, etc... Heck I stood and videotaped the entire segment inside the Disney Store at MCO airport because it is an amazing collection of a day at Disney from morning til night. They have installed a huge video screen behind the cash register.. I would watch that on Disney+ . NYE fireworks SpectroMagic...Mickey and Minnie fashion show of every matching outfit ever created.... and so much more

The Easter Parade was amazing with the AzaLea Maidens from Mobile, Alabama performing along with the music In Your Easter Bonnet and Mr& Mrs. Easter Bunny... and give us a chance to watch the attractions that have been removed and are long gone. You can not tell me Disney does not have a copy of the old Lion King Puppet show that was in the PhilHarmagic Theatre before they created PhilHarmagic,.. we want Disney history! When they placed the Beauty and the Beast sing along into France at Epcot... I knew Impressions de France was screwed!
Disney please if you completely want to throw it away please put it on Disney+ or send me the dvd tape... Just research the history and the process and the rich artistic talent for Impressions on line to educate and understand Classy Disney .I probably was the only guest that ever sat through the entire Norway Film every visit...haha but I would watch that on Disney+ just for memory and curiosity.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I got to view the 1993 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade on Youtube this morning and when I saw it I was shocked at how wonderful the Easter Parade was and it's a shame that ABC stopped showing it now. But I do agree that Disney+ would show the reruns of the Happy Easter Parade especially now that Easter will around the corner. One thing I could never figure out about the Easter Parade was how on earth Regis Philbin replaced Alan Thicke as host? Because it seemed ABC could've gotten one of it's sitcom stars like Bob Saget to host it along with Joan Lunden instead of Regis because although Regis Philbin was funny in this parade someone else could've been better

 

[DodgerGirl]

I love watching parades and every morning you will find me watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades on Youtube and it makes me smile and in fact when I was sick I was in so much pain from my back that I couldn't watch TV until I turned on Youtube and started watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades and it was so fun that I forgot about my pain and watched and it made me smile. When I watched Disney's Happy Easter Parade I think Disney copied Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade because just like the Today Show hosts Alan Thicke and Joan Lunden were always introduced in a fun way and just like Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has Al Roker I think it was smart to have stars like Regis Philbin Robby Benson Joey Lawrence be the parade reporters. I saw the 1992 Disney Happy Easter Parade on Youtube and it was so cool especially the intro where Mickey Minnie and Donald Duck go on a Easter egg hunt when they find a giant egg and Roger Rabbit pops out and surprises them and it was so amazing. I also noticed that the Kissimmee St. Cloud tourism board used to sponsor the Happy Easter Parade a lot and I wonder if they were their biggest sponsors? I also found it shocking that Joan Lunden's two daughters used to appear on the float with the Easter bunny every parade when they were little. Did Joan Lunden like to put her daughters in the Easter parade to make them feel special?

 

[DodgerGirl]

I also noticed that Disney's Happy Easter Parades used to have the U.S. Army Field Band perform before the actual parade would start and I always thought it was really cool that the Army did this. My favorite parts of the Easter Parade was the little skits they had and they were really great like in the 1992 parade Mickey and Minnie went on Spring Break with the other members of the Disney gang and it was so funny. Disney should really think about having ABC broadcast the Easter Parade again because it was so nice and they should do a segment with Marvel characters celebrating Easter and it would be awesome but Disney+ should show these retro parades on there to get people excited about Easter

 

[1lilspark]

I was debating on pulling one up on YouTube to live tweet but it never happened

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think why ABC stopped showing the Disney's Happy Easter Parade was because it was too much money and I think it also mainly was used as a commercial not only for Walt Disney World vacations but Florida vacations as well. Because I have never figured out why Kissimmee St. Cloud was one of the top sponsors of Disney's Happy Easter Parade? But what I think ABC SHOULD do is make a new improved version of the parade and make it like Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Because when the parade made it's TV debut in 1985 this became a new Easter tradition for families to watch every Easter

 

[1lilspark]

I think why ABC stopped showing the Disney's Happy Easter Parade was because it was too much money and I think it also mainly was used as a commercial not only for Walt Disney World vacations but Florida vacations as well. Because I have never figured out why Kissimmee St. Cloud was one of the top sponsors of Disney's Happy Easter Parade? But what I think ABC SHOULD do is make a new improved version of the parade and make it like Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Because when the parade made it's TV debut in 1985 this became a new Easter tradition for families to watch every Easter

I don’t remember if it was late Eisner or early Iger when the Christmas parades stopped being televised live as I’m sure not being a live broadcast prohibited Easter from being televised as it happens only two days a year

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think and really do wish that Disney's Happy Easter Parade would make a marvelous comeback to TV because Disney's Happy Easter Parades were such a grand tradition for families to watch every Easter and Disney should really think about making a new version of the Happy Easter Parade for TV. Because I find it odd that ABC has the Disney Christmas Parade but not the Easter Parade. Did ABC stop airing it due to money or was it something else?