Disney Cinema Parade, was a daily parade at the Disney's Cartoon Studios Park in Disneyland Montréal.
Development[]
The parade is one of the most creatively unusual and innovative ever created by the Walt Disney Company for a host of reasons. For the first time, the Company invited an outside design studio to create the parade. Over the past few years, the Company has been more willing to allow the artistic input of outside agencies to add a new spark of imagination to the concept of the Disney parade.
Most are dressed in the traditional movie ushers' uniform with a filmstrip trailing down the front and back of the costume. However, others are encased in a variety of larger-than-life props from clapboards to projectors. Each float is accompanied by a series of Cinema Grooms and for the first, the Grooms are keen to work the camera and start the "shoot".
Each float has its own independent soundtrack coupled in perfect synchrony with the foreground music that was being broadcast from the speakers littered along the parade route. The computers developed for this parade are the most technical ever used by Disney and exceptionally versatile as the parade controllers can change the composition of the parade at a touch of a button. For example, if rain begins to fall during the parade, the computer can switch off the "stop loop" and allow the parade to proceed without interruption along the corridor. The complex 24 track audio recorders ensure faultless digital reproduction of the soundtrack through the parade poles found at regular intervals along the route.
Parade Units[]
Opening Unit[]
Goofy is the first character to arrive in the parade, travelling intermittently in a golf buggy as he prepares the awaiting guests for the parade. Donald sitting high above the crowds in a director's chair, with a giant megaphone, bellowing orders to the film's cast following him. (original was between Who Framed Roger Rabbit Unit and A Goofy Movie Unit)
The lens of the first float is focused squarely on the next float, which is an open dressing room feature Minnie preparing herself in front of a giant revolving mirror. This interactivity between parade floats assists the story progression and demonstrates a coherency rarely seen in Disney parades. The pairing of the floats is also highly entertaining for watching guests.
The first float to enter on stage is a giant film camera with Tinker Bell from the 1953 animated film Peter Pan perched on top and a flying Peter Pan hidden inside the camera itself. Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, two giant white Mickey gloves and several Cinema Grooms (entertainment cast members) on rollerskates precede the float itself. The Cinema grooms are an integral part of the parade as they help to set up the different scenes and invite interaction with the guests along the parade route.
Oliver and Company Unit[]
Based on the 1988 animated film. The script is presented in a four metre high book and opens intermittently to reveal Dodger holding Oliver aloft on New York, as well as Tito appears. The giant Oliver and Company script is accompanied by a series of Dog grooms and if one listens closely, guests can make out the sounds of the cars coming from the float itself.
The Little Mermaid Unit[]
Based on the 1989 animated film. The float is quick to follow with the oversized sea sitting on the front, watching the Mermaid and Fish Grooms dancing along the route. The float was designed to pay tribute to the film industry craftsmen and prop makers and also features an oversize clapboard and sea. Sebastian can be seen working hard repairing some clocks!.
The Rescuers Unit[]
Based on the 1977 and 1990 animated film. More grooms on rollerskates followed, pushing mice on wheels. The float features a giant film reel that unwinds as the parade progresses through the park. However, this film reel is over run with those Mice! Bernard and Miss Bianca her delightful sidekicks, McLeach and Joanna (based on their "The Rescuers Down Under" occupation) with a large sack, trying to round up the rascally mice.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Unit[]
Based on the 1988 animated- and live-action film. Roger Rabbit astride Toontown. The float depicts the characters springing out of a giant reel of film in a burst of song, accompanied by a fleet of Toon Grooms.
A Goofy Movie Unit[]
Based on the 1995 film. The procession of actors is led with Possum Park Emcee, with Max Goof, P.J. Pete, Robert "Bobby" Zimmeruski and Powerline firmly in place on the penultimate float.
Final Unit[]
Based on a 1940s Broadway-style theatre with the front recreating the marquee of old-time movie palaces, that portrays the 1947 animated film Fun and Fancy Free. As the shooting is now complete, the following Grooms hand out tickets to awaiting guests and one even has a sandwich board suspended from his shoulders, inviting the lucky park guests chosen to join into the movie theaters, similar to Disneyland's former parade, Parade of the Stars, but they all just sit on the float. As the front passes the guests, the rear reveals a movie theatre complete with seated guests, nestled in plush red velvet seats and Mickey about to unveil his newest movie!