Category: Disney California Adventure

Today at 5:15pm there was a soft opening performance for the PIXAR Play Parade. Fishbulb of MiceChat was there, & has posted a bunch of pictures. Take a looky!

We’ll have our own coverage of the parade’s first official performance for you this Saturday!

ANAHEIM, Calif. – March 14, 2008 – All the exciting and colorful worlds of the Disney•Pixar pals – from “Toy Story,” “a bug’s life,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Cars” and “Ratatouille” – will come to life in the all-new “Pixar Play Parade,” debuting March 14, 2008, in Disney’s California Adventure as part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disneyland Resort.

Characters from every Disney•Pixar motion picture will appear in the magical immersive parade, which will invite guests of all ages to take part in the playfulness of a whirling, spinning, fun-for-all animated playground. The parade features acrobatics, bungees, high-energy choreography, interactive surprises and lively bubble and water effects.

“Pixar Play Parade” features a dozen parade floats up to two stories tall, themed to Disney•Pixar movies and equipped with fun and surprising movement and effects. The cast and crew number more than 100, and behind the scenes is a creative team of top entertainment professionals including Emmy-nominated director Fred Tallaksen (a choreographer for Madonna and numerous television and stage productions), puppet designer Michael Curry (of “The Lion King” on Broadway), costume designer Mirena Rada (“Avenue Q”) and composers Matthew Girard and Robbie Nevil (“High School Musical”).

Girard and Nevil composed brand new tunes for Pixar Play Parade, including the “Countdown To Fun!” theme, which brings the show to life as it travels through Disney’s California Adventure.

Encouraging everyone to dance, play and clap along, Mike, Sulley and their monster buddies from “Monsters, Inc.” will lead the procession. Even sourpuss Roz will put in an appearance – and what an appearance! She’ll be the drum major, slithering her way down the parade route.

Next up is a flowerbed of hopping, swinging bugs: the colony from “a bug’s life.” Then “The Incredibles” will zoom into view, superhero style, aboard amazing hovercrafts. But watch out! The sinister Omnidroid is on the loose and baby Jack-Jack could burst into flames at any moment!

From there it’s into the bubbling world of Dory, Marlin, Crush, Bloat and the colorful underwater friends from “Finding Nemo,” who invite everyone to “play in schools” (schools of fish, that is). “Ratatouille’s” Remy and Emile are serving up fun, too, turning their kitchen into a super soapy pool of creativity with kids and families as the main ingredients.

Woody and the “Toy Story” gang arrive next to encourage guests to kick up their heels, while Buzz Lightyear and the Little Green Aliens celebrate just how “universal” play can be, in any galaxy. Finally, after the parade has been revving up guests throughout the route, lovable Mater and his flashy buddy Lightning McQueen from “Cars” will bring up the rear.

This information is confirmed by former Disney artist Kevin Kidney, who works very closely with PIXAR Play Parade designer, Jody Daily, on various projects:

“Soft opening” for the parade is TODAY, MARCH 10, although the official advertised debut is this Friday. The parade will run at 5:15 every day this week at Disney’s California Adventure Theme Park.