We’ have reached the 244th anniversary of the United States of America, and it’s the perfect time to revisit one of Disney’s oddest parades. During the Bicentennial celebration in 1975 and 1976, Disney presented the America on Parade daily on both coasts. I was born in January 1976, so I don’t remember this parade. However, I discovered that my parents visited Walt Disney World during that summer. They brought along this five-month-old for the experience. While exploring old photo albums, I was stunned to locate photos from this parade.

There are many excellent resources about America on Parade, particularly a 2013 Disney Parks Blog article and a great post on Yesterland. Both provide remarkable photos that offer close-up views of the various floats. The Retro Disney World podcast also released a cool episode on America on Parade that included great info.

Even without that level of detail, it’s fun to see what my parents experienced 44 years ago. My parents have a treasure trove of photos from early Walt Disney World vacations. Our regular summer trips in the ’70s and ’80s visited many attractions and other spots that are long gone. In this updated article, I’m digging further into shots of a parade that should not be forgotten from Disney history.

Let’s start with Betsy Ross, who is sewing the American flag in a massive rocking chair. She’s one of the eight-foot-tall “People of America” characters, which also included Ben Franklin and Christopher Columbus. This float was accompanied by the George Cohan song “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, which is definitely on the nose but a fitting tune.

This massive turkey is a little hard to make out in this picture, but you can see the Pilgrims and Native Americans in front of it. It’s a celebration of the first Thanksgiving! The Yesterland article notes that this turkey is as tall as buildings on Main Street, which isn’t a surprise based on seeing this photo.

Lady Liberty was another member of the “People of America”, and she was part of the parade’s finale. The Irving Berlin tune “God Bless America” plays while she stands in front of a bald eagle. You can’t see it here, but the back of the float contains a strange-looking Uncle Sam character.

Next up is the Western dancing girls, which aligns this float with the Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree. I’m not sure how much this scene connects to American history. How can it compete with a massive sandwich? You can just glimpse the train that’s immediately behind the saloon float.

These might be the creepiest of all the characters because they’re roaming freely. This photo also makes them look more chaotic because we’re seeing them in action. YouTube videos do them more justice. These characters follow a riverboat with a mustached pilot that’s also a classic figure.

Disney also included some familiar characters in the America on Parade floats. This shot depicts the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs, which were common in the parks during that time. They aren’t as notable given all the craziness with the other floats, but it’s still fun to see.

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger are everywhere in my dad’s home movies from the ’70s and ’80s. We watched the 1977 movie a lot when I was younger, and Pooh would run for President again that year. Tigger looks similar to the version in the parks today, but Pooh has changed a lot.

Hey, that kid looks familiar! No, Disney did not include babies in strollers as part of America on Parade. I just couldn’t resist adding a picture of me from 1976. I also love seeing the difference between that and today’s massive strollers. Babies were definitely not riding in style or comfort at that time.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this look back at Disney’s America on Parade! If you’d like to check a home movie that my dad shot of the parade, this clip from The Tomorrow Society Podcast YouTube channel is worth a look! I’ve been posting a lot of old clips. If you’d like a wonderfully restored view of America on Parade, check out this awesome video from the Retro WDW Podcast guys. I love that so much coverage exists of this amazing parade.

Sources: Disney Parks Blog, Yesterland, Retro Disney World

Related Articles: America on Parade

Parades at Walt Disney World in the ’70s and ’80s

A Visit to Disneyland in 1959

A Visit to the Disney/MGM Studios in 1989

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