Name of '83 Epcot Parade?

[Azerin]

Hi all,

I have tried searching to find the answer to this question; however, none of the results I have found seem to provide the answer I am looking for...

Recently while going through some old photos I found slides from a trip to Epcot in 1983... there are several slides of what appears to be a world showcase parade; however, I'm not positive if it was a real parade... Here are the pictures:

http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=20042&cat=500&ppuser=19479
http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=20041&cat=500&ppuser=19479
http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=20040&cat=500&ppuser=19479
http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=20039&cat=500&ppuser=19479

Does anyone know what this parade was called... or if it wasn't a parade... what was it?

Thank you

 

[mrerk]

WorldFest?

 

[coastermaster83]

It would have been WorldFest and the fireworks show at that time would have been Laserphonic Fantasy if im not mistaken on my park history.

 

[marni1971]

The first parade I know of was "There's no place like World Showcase" that ran from the end of October 1982 onwards, possibly into 1983. It may have been replaced by WorldFest?

The Fireworks would have been La Carnival de Lumiere (October 23rd 1982) or New World Fantasy (Summer 1983). Laserphonic didn`t start until June 1984 :wave:

 

[Azerin]

Thank you for the responses!

I had found something about "There's no place like World Showcase" but based on the pictures of that and some comments about how long it ran I didn't think it was that (These pictures are from Aug '83); however, I hadn't found anything about what if anything had replaced it.

The timelines I saw placed WorldFest as starting in '84... but maybe they are slightly off.

Thank you again

 

[Tim G]

The first parade I know of was "There's no place like World Showcase" that ran from the end of October 1982 onwards, possibly into 1983. It may have been replaced by WorldFest?

The Fireworks would have been La Carnival de Lumiere (October 23rd 1982) or New World Fantasy (Summer 1983). Laserphonic didn`t start until June 1984 :wave:

You just beat me to it...

 

[vonpluto]

Form the Sherman Bros. book "Walt's Time":

" On the night of October 1st, 1982, at the celebration of EPCOT Center's Grand Opening, a parkful of invited guests became members of a small but elite group: those who were lucky enough to see the short-lived "World Showcase Parade".
Hundreds of dancers, musicians and costumed characters marched all the way around the mile-long World Showcase promenade, accompanied by our theme "There's No Place Like World Showcase".
It was a colorful, inventive and fun parade, but for a variety of reasons, it was only performed a handful of times before it disapeared forever, ensconced in the world of Disney legend. "

The photos with the above blurb show large, people-carried animal characters; a dragon, a bug and what looks like a bird.
I believe this parade also included the large doll-type characters shown in the EPCOT opening TV special hosted by Danny Kaye. The 1983 Birnbaum's calls these dolls the "World Showcase People of the World".
This first parade may also have been called the "Festival of Nations Parade".

Also stumbled across this, the first WS Lagoon daytime show was called "One Magical Rainbow", but no other info.

Frank

 

[marni1971]

Nice info!