Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade (1994)

This is the twelfth Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to be aired on network television since 1984. This parade would become a staple for decades and something important in growing up Disney in the 80's and 90's, although the "Christmas" name would be dropped near the end of the Eisner age. The Christmas parade telecast really became a 2 hour infomercial for what the Walt Disney Company had in the works for the upcoming year. Eventually annual Easter and Independence Day Parade telecasts would join the Christmas Parade and the Christmas Parade itself would expand to a 2 hour Christmas morning broadcast tradition. Regis Philbin became the figure most associated with these parades. (The Easter and Independence Day Parade broadcasts were dropped near the end of the Eisner years as well.) The Christmas and Easter parades always aired on the ABC Network.

This is a time capsule of both Walt Disney history. This is where the Eisner regime's golden age reach its peak. Walt Disney Company President Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash in the spring of this year and many point to his death as the event where Disney began its long decline. However, this was not evident yet. We get a glimpse of Disney easing into the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the up coming animated feature Pocahontas and attention drawn to the newly released Lion King. You can see this once small family company is transforming into the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see any more either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. There’s segments on the Disney/MGM Studios, EPCOT Center, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Planet Hollywood, the Lion King Parade, Alien Encounter, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and other attractions. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary also give a Christmas greeting. Roy Disney Jr also makes an appearance.

Joan Lunden and Regis Philbin co-host this parade with Jonathan Taylor Thomas hosting the Disneyland Parade. Margaret Cho also does some woman on the street segments through the parks and Olympic ice skater Nancy Kerrigan does a performance.

Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Regis was a well known talk show host vet. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Thomas was one of the stars of the popular sitcom Home Improvement as well as the voice of Young Simba in the Lion King. Cho was the star of the ABC sitcom All American Girl. It only lasted one season. Kerrigan was the most celebrated Olympic skater after a scandal where she had been assaulted due to a plot by a rival. She appeared in several Disney on Ice TV special broadcasts.

Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts.

Original air date December 25, 1994

Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.