Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade (1995)

This is the thirteenth 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 began easing out of its peak. That year's animated feature, Pocahontas had been a success but did nowhere near the business that the Lion King did the previous summer. This made Pocahontas wrongly labeled a failure when it wasn't. We get a behind the scenes segment on the brand new Disney/Pixar animated feature Toy Story. Toy Story was the first computer animated feature and eventually CGI became the standard in animation.

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 Disney Institute, the Toy Story Parade, the Osborne Family Christmas Lights, and other attractions. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary also give a Christmas greeting. Several performers from the Disney animated features perform songs throughout the broadcast.

Joan Lunden and Regis Philbin co-host this parade with Walt Disney World Inside Out co-hosts JD Roth and Brianne Leary on the street. Boy Meets World stars Ben Savage and Rider Strong host the Toy Story Parade.

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.

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

Original air date December 25, 1995

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