RetroDaze

Be my
ghoul
friend.

RETRORATING: 18

NLogan's Retro Christmas

RETRORATING: 12

Christmas: Alone & Kickin' It

OFFICIAL

Timewarp: McDonald's 1988

Don't mess
with the bull.
JOIN!!!

5 COMMENTS

RETRORATING: 7

FAVORITED 1 TIMES

TDitH's Favorite Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Floats

By: ThatDudeintheHoodie

The time has arrived once again. Food, family, friends, and wine. Yes, Thanksgiving has come and so has the tradition of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The sights and sounds of the parade are always welcomed. While the musicians, balloons, and musicals are all nice, the most interesting part is the floats, as many of them change each year. I've picked out three of my personal favorites to share.

Santaland Express (1995)

For some reason trains and Christmas go hand in hand. But this one has some history behind it. Debuting in 1995, the Santaland Express is actually a train owned by Macy's that has been modified to be a float. It is also known as the Golden Eagle Express.

Bands that have played on this float are Jimmy Fallon and The Roots and Mannheim Steam Roller.

In 2013 the float broke down due to the possibility of running out of gas or losing power. It was supposed to be behind the Adventure Time Finn and Jake balloon but managed to return after the On The Roll Again float.

I enjoy this float more for its history than the look of it. I still like the old style train look. But it is a real, retired train that was repurposed as a float in a well recognized parade, giving it new life for a time.

Polar Express (2005)

The coming of the Parade usually means Christmas is right behind it. This float makes you well aware of that. In 2005 a float for the film was shown in the Parade to celebrate the first year that the film was released. It was also the twentieth anniversary of the book it was based on.

The float itself looked amazing, with great detail and a good use of forced perspective with the mountain looking further back and the train cars wrapped around it. Kids would also walk alongside the float as conductors. While the float retired after 2006, the costumes have been used with the Domino Sugar float.

Performers on the float were Brian McKnight and Natalie Grant. Both sang the song Believe, a song from the film originally sung by Josh Groban. However in 2006, the float was accompanied by the Florida Special Needs Color Guard.

Tom Turkey (1971)

Tom Turkey is the parade's oldest and most reoccurring float in the parade's history, as it has been a staple since 1971 (save for one missed appearance in the 77th parade, having been replaced that year by a balloon). The first incarnation of Tom Turkey was from 1971-1992. From 1993 to 2017 we saw the much larger second version, which has been revamped for the 2018 season to make him more mobile. Tom also got a Ballonicle in 2015 and 2016 in the parade.

I enjoy this float not only for the history, but for how animated it is. Not many floats have moving parts and they are usually simple movements when they do move. Tom moves his neck, eyes, wings, and head. It still impresses me to this day.

While there isn't much to say about Thanksgiving itself, the festivities are always something to remember, and the parade is as much a tradition in American Thanksgivings as the food. So raise a glass, give thanks, and from me to you all, have a great Thanksgiving.

All I wish for you is to live life and live nostalgic.

Looking for more from ThatDudeintheHoodie?

READ 172653 TIMES

Jake Lloyd: A Frustrating Road To Stardom

Star Wars had been nothing short of a franchise breakthrough in cinema with multi-million dollar box office sales, a wide range of merchandise and gar...

Disney 100: 5 of my Favorite Disney Songs

For many of us, Disney has been a big part of our childhood. Whether it's a particular movie, TV show, video game, comic, toy or song, we have all gro...

7 Kids Video Series I want to see Get Added to Disney Plus

I think I speak for almost everyone when I say that we've spent a good chunk of our childhood in front of the TV. Whether it was playing our Super Nin...

Rarely Remembered Animated Shows

Let's step back to a time when you didn't have control over what you watched. Streaming didn't exist. You watched what they decided when the...

Izzy the Failed Olympics Mascot

For every year, the Olympic games brought good entertainment to homes of many when either watching from the actual stadium, or the simplicity by the c...

5 Fox Kids shows I want to see on Disney Plus

Saturday morning TV was a big part of my childhood. Whether it was watching Pokemon and Jackie Chan Adventures on Kids WB, Recess and Disney's Doug on...

Celebrating the Millennium with PlayStation

As we moved past the 1990s, the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64 were just barely hanging on as upcoming consoles were on the horizon. The Y2K bug end...

Awesome Video Game Sequels

Sequels in media will always give a hint of expectation before going into them. Will they be better than what came before it? Do they not update it en...

Holiday Television: Nickelodeon Christmas Blocks

It's that time of year again as the holiday season has returned. The smells and sounds are in full swing, as well as the specials ...

MOST RECENT RETRORATING FEATURED OFFICIAL

Go to page: