Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade Version #1 (1993)

This is the eleventh 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 really hit their stride with the company and you can their golden age reach its peak here. 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 Disney/MGM Studios, EPCOT Center, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Aladdin's Royal Caravan Parade, and other attractions. In one version of this parade President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary give a Christmas greeting. In another there's footage of Bill reading the Night Before Christmas to a group of children.

Joan Lunden and Regis Philbin co-host this parade with Robby Benson, Kathy Lee Gifford, John Davidson, and Bill Nye the "Science" Guy 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. Kathy Lee Gifford was Regis' co-host on the weekday show Live with Regis & Kathy Lee. Benson had been the voice of the Beast in the 1991 Disney animated feature Beauty & the Beast. 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. Nye was the host of the Disney produced kids show Bill Nye the "Science" Guy.

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

There are two alternate versions of this parade and no one can explain why because both had to have been broadcast yet it's a live broadcast. We present both of these broadcasts as separate videos on this channel.

Original air date December 25, 1993

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