Laura's Disney Lines

The new Pixar Play Parade officially opened at DCA on Friday evening (there were several preview performances). I was on-hand for the first official parade, which started at 5:15. I claimed a spot on the edge of the parade route at Sunshine Plaza (where it starts) about 4:00 - turns out I didn't really have to be there quite that early for a front-row seat.

Prior to the parade Cast Members went down the parade route warning guests that they would get slightly wet...I'd heard the parade involved water, but didn't know how much, and I worried a bit for my camera.

A few minutes before the parade started we heard the voice of Mike Wazowski (Monsters, Inc.) making a few announcements - and heckling Roz, who seems none-to-pleased with her role as drum majorette (complete with twirling baton!).

The parade includes sections representing all of the Disney-Pixar movies: Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Cars, Monsters, Inc., "a bug's life", Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. The floats have a lot going on - they can all spray water, for one thing - and there are lots of characters on board or accompanying the float. The larger floats have some additional surprises, like bugs swinging on giant daisies, bungee-jumping rats, and cowboys and cowgirls twirling on a high bar. My favorite was The Incredibles float - that segment starts off with Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone all riding their own hovercrafts (and I wonder if there's really a Segway buried underneath all of that fiberglass), followed by the VERY large Omnidroid - with baby Jack-Jack perched on top. Not to worry for Jack-Jack, though - every so often he bursts into flame! And that looks really cool. (They didn't do the flame effect at Sunshine Plaza, though - I saw that back at Paradise Pier.)

In addition to the aforementioned bugs, rats, and cowboys, there are also a number of talented parade performers cast as dancing bugs and monsters, puppeteers with Dory, Nemo, and Marlin puppets, stilt-walking chefs, and those guys on the bouncing stilt things.

The parade is a little over 20 minutes long - after it ended at Sunshine Plaza I zipped over to Paradise Pier via Condor Flats and the Grizzly Peak Recreation area and caught up with the beginning of the parade in front of the Golden Zephyr. I really didn't need to worry about getting a spot for the parade an hour early - I got a front row spot in Paradise Pier even after the parade had started! But it was nice to see it twice - and as I said, I saw the fire effect which I'd missed in Sunshine Plaza, and also saw one of the high bar twirlers - they weren't in action yet at Sunshine Plaza, either.

I think the parade is a lot of fun, though since it doesn't have a performance stop, it's missing the interactive component that Block Party Bash and the Parade of Dreams have. Still, there are lots of characters walking the route and they greet the guests. The floats are complex and really visually interesting. And even Hopper (the menacing grasshopper from "a bug's life") has a smile on his face!

But...I could've done with a lot less water. While nothing was drenching and probably isn't going to damage a camera, my lens got drops on it a couple of times when I didn't see the water coming in time to shield it. I understand that in cooler weather they'll blow bubbles rather than spraying water.

I found the Ratatouille float a little bit creepy - the jumping rats were ok, but there were several rats hanging upside down in some ropes looking rather lifeless. It just looked odd.

Still, overall I liked it, and think it will be quite popular with guests, particularly the younger ones who have grown up with the Pixar movies.

You can see a gallery of parade photos on AllEars.net HERE.