Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade

This is the very first Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to be aired on network television from 1983. 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, but this was before that. (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 into Walt Disney history past. This is the final Walt Disney World Christmas Parade before the Eisner regime took over the company. Here, we get a glimpse at what Disney was like BEFORE Pixar, before The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and the other beloved properties that came later and they could only rely on the characters that Walt Disney personally created. Walt had been dead for nearly 20 years at this point, and they were STILL coasting on the fumes he'd left behind. You can see how this was still a small company that was run like a family. It wasn't anywhere near the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. Mike Douglas and Joan Lunden co-host this parade with Carol Lawerence. Douglas was a popular talk show host of the day while Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America. Lawerence was a well-known actress and singer of the time. She would host her own EPCOT Center Christmas concert a few years later. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts and Mike Douglas was later replaced by Alan Thicke with Regis Philbin was later added as an on-street interviewer. Original air date December 25, 1983 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the second Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to be aired on network television from 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 and this is his debut parade. (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. The previous year's parade had been a 1 hour broadcast and proved so successful that this year it became a 90 minute one and expanded to include Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. We also get to see a preview of the then brand new featurette, Mickey's Christmas Carol. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is the transitional Walt Disney World Christmas Parade as the Eisner regime took over the company. Here, we get a glimpse at what Disney was like BEFORE Pixar, before The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and the other beloved properties that came later and they could only rely on the characters that Walt Disney personally created. Walt had been dead for nearly 20 years at this point, and they were STILL coasting on the fumes he'd left behind. You can see how this was still a small company that was run like a family. It wasn't anywhere near the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. Joan Lunden and Bruce Jenner co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Jenner was a former Olympic athlete. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even by this time. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1984 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the third Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to be aired on network television from 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 and this is his debut parade. (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. The previous year's parade had been ta 90 minute broadcast and proved so successful that this year it was a 90 minute one as well and expanded to include Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. We also get to see a preview of the then then upcoming Living Seas at EPCOT Center. This is also the first Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to feature Christmas Day greetings from world leaders. In the years to follow, only the President of the United States would hold this honor. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really took control of the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse at what Disney was like in these earlier years BEFORE Pixar, before The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and the other beloved properties that came later and they could only rely on the characters that Walt Disney personally created. Walt had been dead for nearly 20 years at this point, and they were STILL coasting on the fumes he'd left behind. You can see how this was still a small company that was run like a family on the verge of becoming the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. Joan Lunden and Ben Vereen co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Vereen was a popular stage, TV, and film actor at the time. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1985 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the fourth 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 and this is second parade. (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. The previous year's parade had been a 90 minute broadcast and proved so successful that this year it was a 90 minute one as well and expanded to include Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. We also get to see a focus on the then current 15th anniversary of Walt Disney World and the upcoming 50th anniversary of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs in 1987. This is also the first Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to feature Christmas Day greetings from world leaders. In the years to follow, only the President of the United States would hold this honor. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really took control of the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse at what Disney was like in these earlier years BEFORE Pixar, before The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and the other beloved properties that came later and they could only rely on the characters that Walt Disney personally created. Walt had been dead for nearly 20 years at this point, and they were STILL coasting on the fumes he'd left behind. You can see how this was still a small company that was run like a family on the verge of becoming the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. Joan Lunden and Ben Vereen co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Vereen was a popular stage, TV, and film actor at the time. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1986 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the fifth 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. We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World and a retrospective on the making of Cinderella, which was in theaters during this Christmas season. This is the final Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade to feature Christmas Day greetings from world leaders. Only a special Presidential message from the sitting US President would remind. This year the honors fall to President Ronald Reagan. The Presidential message would be a staple of these parades for decades. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really began their stride with the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse at what Disney was like in these earlier years BEFORE Pixar, before The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and the other beloved properties that came later and they could only rely on the characters that Walt Disney personally created. Walt had been dead for nearly 20 years at this point, and they were STILL coasting on the fumes he'd left behind. You can see how this was still a small company that was run like a family on the verge of becoming the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you don't see anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Thicke was one of the stars from the sitcom Growing Pains. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1987 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the sixth 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. We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World. This Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade features a Christmas Day Presidential message from Ronald Reagan and newly elected George Bush. The Presidential message would be a staple of these parades for decades. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really hit their stride with the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse of Disney easing into the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the newly released Oliver & Company. 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 anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. There’s segments on the construction of Splash Mountain and the soon to be open Disney/MGM Studios. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Sarah Purcell hosts the Disneyland segments with Scott Valentine on the street. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Thicke was one of the stars from the sitcom Growing Pains. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Purcell was a famed talks how host of the time and Valentine was a star on the sitcom Family Ties. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1988 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the seventh 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. We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World. This Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade features a Christmas Day Presidential message from George Bush. The Presidential message would be a staple of these parades for decades. A few other world leaders send their Christmas greetings as well. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really hit their stride with the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse of Disney easing into the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the newly released The Little Mermaid. 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 anymore either and they STILL cared about the legacy of Walt Disney. What a tremendous time capsule this is. There’s segments on the recently opened Disney/MGM Studios, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, and other attractions. We also get to see Kermit the Frog in one of his final appearances. The Henson Company was in the process of a merger in which Jim Henson was to be installed as the Walt Disney figure of the company. Henson would die only months later. Michael Eisner also announces the campaign to nominate the person of the century. This campaign would quietly vanish when imagineers kept voting for one of their co-workers and there was no way to correct the results so the kiosks were silently removed and it was never mentioned when the results were to be announced. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Joanna Kerns hosts the Disneyland segments with Mark Price on the street. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Thicke was one of the stars from the sitcom Growing Pains. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Kerns was a star of the sitcom Growing Pains and Price was a star on the sitcom Family Ties. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1989 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the eighth 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.We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World. This Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade features a Christmas Day Presidential message from George Bush. The Presidential message would be a staple of these parades for decades. A few other world leaders send their Christmas greetings as well. This is a time capsule of both Walt Disney history. This is where the Eisner regime really hit their stride with the company and you can start to see their influence coming through. Here, we get a glimpse of Disney easing into the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the newly released Rescuers Down Under and Prince & the Pauper. 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 recently opened Disney/MGM Studios, Splash Mountain, and other attractions. We also get to see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a performance. At the time Disney was licensing other studios' characters for their Disney/MGM Studios Park. Christian singer Amy Grant also performs. This parade broadcast is also a time capsule into American history as America was in the Persian Gulf War at the time. The parade starts with a segment of our troops stationed there and throughout the broadcast features greetings from troops stationed in the region. President George Bush also gives a Christmas greeting. Lee Greenwood also performs I'll Be Home For Christmas in tribute to the troops. His signature song, God Bless the USA which became an anthem of this era even though Greenwood had debuted this song several years earlier. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke co-host this parade with Regis Philbin. Sarah Purcell hosts the Disneyland segments with Jaleel White. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Thicke was one of the stars from the sitcom Growing Pains. Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Purcell was a host of several news programs on the era. White was the star of the sitcom Family Matters. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. * Note: The end credits from this broadcast are missing. Otherwise, it's the complete broadcast. Original air date December 25, 1990 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the ninth 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. We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World during its 20th anniversary celebration. This Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade features a Christmas Day Presidential message from George Bush. The Presidential message would be a staple of these parades for decades. We also see President Bush presenting his Points of Light campaign, which would also appear in the Walt Disney World Independence Day parade broadcasts of the time. Lee Greenwood and Sandi Patty perform the title song of this program. Both entertainers were known for their patriotic performances during the Gulf War. This is a time capsule into Walt Disney history past. This is where the Eisner regime really reached their stride with the company and you can see their influence coming through and starting to slowly replace Walt's ideals. Here, we get a glimpse of Disney reaching the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the newly released Beauty & the Beast. You can see this once small family company is transforming into the global conglomerate people think of today. Many of these characters you used to see are starting to be replaced by non Disney characters. The facade that they still cared about the legacy of Walt Disney is there though. What a tremendous time capsule this is. There’s also segments on the then under construction EuroDisney, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jim Henson's Dinosaurs, and more. Joan Lunden and Regis Philbin co-host this parade with Mayim Bialik as the woman on the street. Lunden was then the current co-host of Good Morning America and Regis was a well known talk show host vet even then. This archetype of hosts for the parade broadcasts would continue with the parade for decades even though the hosts would change. Bialik was the star of the popular sitcom at the time, Blossom. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1991 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the tenth 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. We get to see many coming updates to Walt Disney World. This is a time capsule of both Walt Disney history. This is where the Eisner regime really hit their stride with the company and you can their golden age reach its peak here. We get a glimpse of Disney easing into the age of their animation renaissance. We get a behind the scenes segment on the newly released Aladdin. 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, Splash Mountain, Aladdin's Royal Caravan Parade, Home Improvement, Mickey's Toon Town and other attractions. Joan Lunden and Regis Philbin co-host this parade with Ed McMahon, Leanza Cornett, and John Davidson as correspondents at the other Walt Disney parks. 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. McMahon was best known as the second banana on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. He also had his own series at the time, Star Search. Cornett was the current Miss America and had been the first actress to play Ariel in Walt Disney World at the Voyage of The Little Mermaid attraction in 1991. Davidson had been a Walt Disney star in The Happiest Millionaire and The One and only Genuine Original Family Band. By the 90's he was a complementary game show host. Joan Lunden is the longest-running host of the Disney parade broadcasts. Original air date December 25, 1992 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.