A Ship Sails Down the Streets of New York: Disney Cruise Line Returns for the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

For a lot of families, Thanksgiving morning does not really start until the parade does. This year that tradition hits a remarkable milestone: Thursday, November 26 marks the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a spectacle that began back in 1924 and has opened the holiday season for generations of viewers, both in the streets of Manhattan and on couches across the country. And once again, a cruise ship will be sailing right through the middle of it, no water required.

On November 12, Disney shared its newest look at Disney Cruise Line's returning float, Magic Meets the Seas, and confirmed the crew sailing aboard it. Captain Mickey Mouse, Captain Minnie Mouse, and First Mate Goofy will all wear special glittering officer ensembles for the occasion. Joining them is a lineup that reads like a family roll call: sisters Elsa and Queen Anna from Frozen, Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, Stitch from Lilo & Stitch, Mirabel from Encanto, Marvel's Spider-Man, and several beloved royal Disney couples.

The float is not just riding along, either. Performers will put on an all-new parade performance, with ocean-inspired choreography set to Shimmering Seas, the Disney Cruise Line anthem. It is a clever piece of staging, because the float itself is designed to show off exactly what the line sells on board: Broadway-style stage shows, one-of-a-kind themed spaces, world-class dining, and the service Disney fans talk about long after they get home. If your kids have never cruised, this may be the three minutes that starts the conversation.

The float is only part of Disney's presence this year. Floating above the parade, a brand-new Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey balloon makes its debut, more than 90 years after the first Mickey Mouse balloon flew in 1934. Disney has taken part in 90 of the parade's 100 editions, and for this centennial year it chose Mickey's most iconic role, the Sorcerer from Fantasia, to lead the way. He will have familiar company in the sky, too: the Spider-Man balloon, which first appeared in 1987, and the Buzz Lightyear balloon, flying since 2008, both return.

There is a cruise-planning angle tucked into the celebration as well. Disney used the announcement to point ahead to the Disney Believe, the new ship revealed this year that will debut in December 2027, part of a wider expansion that keeps adding itineraries and homeports. In other words, the float rolling through New York is a snapshot of a fleet that is still growing, and a reminder that the characters your family watches on Thanksgiving morning are the same ones greeting guests on sailings from Florida, California, Texas, New York, Europe, and Alaska.

Want to watch like a pro? The parade airs Thursday, November 26 starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo, so West Coast families do not have to do time-zone math before coffee. Make it a game for the kids: print a simple checklist with the float, the three Disney balloons, and each character, and let them tick off sightings as the broadcast rolls by. If you are lucky enough to be in New York in person, remember the route runs more than two miles from the Upper West Side down to Midtown, so pick your spot early, dress warmer than you think you need to, and plan your exit before the crowds move.

One hundred parades in, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is still finding ways to feel new. This year, keep an eye out for the ship in the street. Captain Mickey is at the helm.

Source: Disney Parks Blog — read the full story here.