By Zach Johnson
The new Magic Happens parade debuts today at Disneyland Park—and we’ve got your first look at a few of the nine floats inspired by magical moments in movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios! The floats will make their way along Main Street, U.S.A., as more than 90 performers bring this daytime spectacular to life.
Creative director David Duffy has been with Disney Live Entertainment for nearly 30 years after beginning his career as a performer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. “When you come to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, there are so many ways to immerse yourself in our stories, but a parade is a unique experience because it’s the only way for you, as the audience, to stay in one place and have so many stories, characters and magical moments pass right in front of you,” explains Duffy. “We’ve designed the Magic Happens floats so that characters, scenes and surprises are revealed a little at a time, making each float a journey of discovery.”
Jordan Peterson, show director for Disney Live Entertainment, began his Disney career as a parade performer and has appeared in more than 18 parades between Walt Disney World Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort. “This parade celebrates the way magic affects both the characters in the stories and the guests who are watching,” Peterson says. “Magic Happens is like a love letter to those special transformative moments.”
Magic Happens features a dazzling musical score and new songs from co-composer Todrick Hall. “This is a full circle moment for me,” says Hall, who began his career as a performer in Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. “I learned how to dance from watching Disney parades, so the fact that I am getting to create the music that these iconic Disney characters are going to be performing to is pretty much the most epic thing that has happened to me in my life!”
The dazzling finale brings together a collection of iconic magical characters, including Aladdin, Blue Fairy, Fairy Godmother, Genie, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and Tinker Bell. To see the rest of the brand-new “Magic Happens” floats—including those inspired by The Princess and the Frog and The Sword and the Stone—be sure to visit Disneyland Park!
