Today I write my last Sunday Spotlight from Japan. To say it has been a great trip would be a major understatement. While I haven’t gotten my trip report up yet for Tokyo Disneyland (you can see Tokyo DisneySea here), I did feel like there were a few things that were worth throwing the spotlight on. For this week I went with a parade with a song that is still stuck in my head. The parade is called Disney Harmony in Color. It is one of three parades that were offered on the day that I was at Tokyo Disneyland. There was also a Christmas parade and an electrical parade. However, this is the one that the music really stuck with me.
Disney Harmony in Color is a parade that premiered on April 16, 2023 as part of Tokyo Disney Resort’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. It features stories from different Disney and Pixar films that display themes of adventure, courage, family bonds, and friendship. It’s main theme song is also the theme song for the 40th Anniversary and is called Living in Color. This is what gets stuck in your head. It is also used for part of the fireworks and in DisneySea as well. The parade has 11 units, which really felt pretty impressive. They include the following:
- To a World of Colorful Dreams – Tinker Bell leads the way atop this float that has a rainbow and lots of flowers. It sets the theme strongly with the plethora of colors. It is also followed by Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs along with Alice in Wonderland who has Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum with her.
- Trying Everything – This unit and float is based on Disney’s Zootopia and includes Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde along with everyone’s favorite sloth, Flash. There are also some really fun acrobatic performers that are a part of this unit.
- Finding Adventure – Finding adventure brings the story of Disney & Pixar’s Up to life for the parade. The unit is led by Kevin and her babies with Russell, Dug, and Carl following behind. Their house with its balloons is also a part of this float that really is charming.
- Showing Strength – This unit showcases some of Disney and Pixar’s strong female leads in recent years. It is led by Merida from Brave and then has Moana from the movie of the same name in the front of the float on her boat. This is followed by Rapunzel from Tangled and her tower. Finally the back of the float has Pocahontas and Meeko greeting guests. This unit is all about courage, adventure, and determination.
- Family Bonds – The next unit is all about family and has a couple of floats. It starts with Miguel leading a float recreating the world of Pixar’s Coco. It continues with one that represented The Incredibles. With Mr. Incredible leading the way as the rest of the family tries to keep Jack-Jack out of trouble. Both are a tribute to family togetherness.
- With Your Best Friends – This unit focuses on the bonds of friendship and has three parts. The beginning has Woody and Buzz on RC (Toy Story) leading the way. This is followed by Ralph and Vaneloppe (Wreck-It Ralph) following in Vaneloppe’s race car. The third part of this unit is a fairly large float dedicated to Big Hero 6. It has Baymax, Hiro, and several other characters on and around it. It was pretty awesome.
- Dreams Come Together in Harmony – The final unit really leans into more classical Disney magic. It is led by a host of Disney couples. This includes Cinderella and Prince Charming, Belle and Prince Adam, along with Aladdin and Jasmine who all lead the main float. On top of the front of this finale float is Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. The float definitely ties in with the opening float in look and feel. Other characters on it include Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, along with Chip and Dale. The float is followed by Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar, Marie, Berlioz, Toulouse, Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Jiminy Cricket. These characters are followed by a very small sponsorship float.
This parade was full of energy, magic, and was quite simply a lot of fun. We showed up to wait for it probably within a half hour of it starting. We were several rows back (as you can see in the photos and video below) from the front. However, because of the height of the floats it really wasn’t quite as necessary to be up front. It also helped that everyone remained seated in front of us. There was a section a bit behind us where people could stand. Overall, this was a wonderful introduction to the magic that is presented with parades at Tokyo Disneyland. I would love to go back and experience it again sometime, or another parade as well! Check out the parade below and then share with me what you think of it!
When we sat down for Disney Harmony in Color, I really had no expectations. I figured it would be fun but I didn’t realize how much fun it would be. I also didn’t expect to be blown away by some of the floats and characters that were included in this parade. I would definitely suggest not missing parades when visiting Tokyo Disneyland, if you can fit it into your schedule that is. There is a LOT to do in that park! What did you think of Disney Harmony in Color? Have you visited Tokyo Disneyland before? What did you think of the entire experience? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
