Universal Orlando is bringing the 80s back big. Between the wonderfully detailed tribute store and the absolutely incredible Cinesational, which we reviewed here, Universal is embracing its roots and putting the company’s fan favorite franchises back in the spotlight. The newest and final offering in the summer entertainment repertoire is the Universal Mega Movie Parade, which officially debuted last month after a brief period of technical rehearsals.
Much like Cinesational, the Mega Movie Parade combines Universal’s big blockbusters with modern animated movies that will become future classics. There are 9 themed parade units, some with multiple floats each, and a lead float that introduces the parade with movie scenes playing on the LED screens wrapping the float.
Before I get into the individual floats themselves, I just want to give a brief review, because this parade exceeded my wildest expectations. I am not a big “parade person,” I don’t go out of my way to see them, but if I’m in the area I will watch them and I can appreciate the design that goes into the floats. However, this parade has made me a parade person. I would make -and have made- a trip to the park just to see this. While Cinesational puts all of my favorite and most cherished movies on display, the Mega Movie Parade puts those environments and iconography that I love so much into a tangible form. To be able to look these characters in the eye and have an interaction with them is very meaningful and it’s a great way to honor these characters that mean so much to me and so many others.
First up in the parade is the lead float, a tall vertical structure that features the Universal logo and screens playing highlight clips of the films represented in the parade. I think this float is a little underwhelming to start things off, I think something like a rotating Universal globe would’ve been more interesting visually and could have added some kinetic energy to the start of the parade, the lead float is a lot of plain gray walls. However, there are dancers that accompany this float, so they bring some movement to start the show.
Then, the parade starts off the themed floats strong with Back to the Future. Back to the Future is maybe Universal’s most beloved classic movie, and kicking off the franchise floats with Marty McFly, Doc Brown and the Delorean just feels right. The design of the float is perfect, with the Delorean flying upwards into a giant clock face, and the iconic flame trails protruding from the tires. Doc and Marty wave at the crowd and Marty plays air guitar to a cover of The Power of Love.
The back of the float is a facade of the clock tower, with an “OUTATIME” license plate on the back bumper. A super clever detail is the Lone Pines/Twin Pines mall signs positioned on opposite sides of the float. A massive Flux Capacitor is affixed to the front bumper, and is attached to cables lining the sides of the float and connecting to giant displays of the time circuits. Does this mean the whole float is able to travel through time? We’ll have to wait for a lightning bolt to find out.
The dancers that accompany this float are dressed in orange and black 80s workout clothes, with a silver radioactive vest featuring a Flux Capacitor on the back. There are also 2 performers who represent Griff’s gang from Back to the Future Part 2, riding hoverboards. Unfortunately, they are the modern day one-wheeled hoverboards, not the floating ones featured in the movie which don’t exist (yet.)
After the Back to the Future float comes the animated movie section. First in this group is Sing, Universal’s most recent animated franchise. The float is led by dancers in brightly colored shining jackets and pants. On the float are costumed characters Johnny the Gorilla, and the pigs, Rosita and Gunther. Johnny plays the piano under a theater proscenium as static statues of other movie characters like Buster Moon and Mrs. Crawly decorate the rest of the float.
The next float features Illumination’s most popular franchise, and everyone’s favorite banana eating henchmen: The Minions. This float features three dancing Minions played by live performers, and a slew of Minion statues lining the rest of the float.
This float is specifically themed to the 2015 standalone Minions movie, and depicts the Minions throughout periods of history like in ancient Egypt, the Ice Age, and the French Revolution. There are roller-skating disco dancers that introduce the float, and a disco ball sits on top of the float as the live Minions dance to funk music. This float is so much fun to look at, I really like the amount of charm it has. Clearly the designers had a blast with this one and it shows.
Next up is the first of two Dreamworks properties, Kung Fu Panda. Bo-staff spinning performers in golden Gi attire walk in front of the float, performing martial arts tricks and moves. This float has some really cool instrumental music to go along with it, I really like that each float has its own sound system.
Trolls is up next, with stilt walkers and dancers walking in front. Three Trolls wave at the crowd and dance on top of the brightly colored “caterbus” which is a caterpillar bus, or so I’ve been told. The Sing, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda floats are smaller than the rest, possibly to be swapped out with other animated movies that become successful over the tenure of the parade.
Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? If the answer is “yes”, then the next float is going to be just for you. Who ya gonna call?
Every time I’ve seen the parade, the crowd has gone absolutely wild for this float. Visually, it may be the most impressive with the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towering over the streets of Universal.
There are no dancers this time, but instead we are treated with roaming characters from all eras of the franchise. Leading the pack are the Spengler siblings, Trevor and Phoebe, from the newer films. They will walk around, analyze people in the crowd for any paranormal activity, and interact with a civilian who is covered in slime.
After the siblings comes Janine and Louis Tully, who also interact with the crowd and talk with the slime-covered citizen. I absolutely love that there are so many characters here who can have an interaction with guests, it makes the parade feel much more personal, and gives fans of the films a chance to talk directly to some of their favorite characters.
Then come the Ghostbusters themselves, with Egon and Winston on foot, proton packs aimed at the Marshmallow Man and Gozer’s portal, accompanied by Ray and Peter who are stationed on the float itself. The crowd is electric at this part of the parade, with Peter getting the crowd hyped up and quoting lines with Ray.
It is at this point that a very important fact becomes apparent: Universal casting has never been better. The actors playing the Ghostbusters look almost exactly like the characters in the movie.
The float itself is huge, and has so many cool details like Slimer and the library ghost, as well as some Mini Puft marshmallows from the newer movies hanging off of the containment unit on the back. There is also the classic Gozer purple lightning running throughout the whole structure, adding some motion through static props.
Led in by BMX bikes is another classic 80s Universal movie: ET.
As the only 80s Universal movie with an attraction still in the parks, ET has become even more of a beloved movie on Universal property and with Universal Orlando fans. This float is one of the more technically impressive, with five bikes actually suspended on top of the float, led by Elliot and featuring the rest of the bike gang.
The bikes fly over Elliot’s house and the forest, which occupies the back half of the float. ET’s spaceship sits in the forest, with fog effects, and there is also a Speak & Spell and a makeshift umbrella antenna as even more references to the movie.
Next up in the parade, led by the Amity Island marching band, is Jaws.
I can’t say enough good things about this float, but I’ll try. First of all, everything about the marching band is perfect. Their uniforms feature a simplified design of the shark “smile” on the movie poster, with fin details on their gloves and hats, but all just subtle enough to feel in-universe while winking at the audience.
They are also playing along with the music coming from the float, which is also two tracks that feature in both the movie and the fan-favorite attraction that used to take up the back half of the park. Among the band is Mayor Vaughn and Chief Brody, who have hilarious -now viral- interactions with the crowd where the Mayor assures guests the beaches are safe, and Brody argues the opposite.
Then, the float. All I can say is: wow. They nailed it. Everything I would want from a Jaws float is here. A massive shark smashing through the stern of the Orca, the yellow barrels floating among the beautifully-sculpted crashing waves, a shark cage where the parade driver sits, the buoy from the movie’s iconic opening, and the graffitied Amity Island sign fixed on the back of the float.
And helming the Orca is Captain Quint himself. And I don’t say that lightly. This man is Captain Quint, and is almost indistinguishable from Robert Shaw. The costume is perfect, down to the sneakers and ankle socks. He even stands and moves the same way, it’s uncanny.
As the Jaws float was coming out, a small kid in the audience near me was yelling and was so excited to see Jaws, and had reacted the same way to Ghostbusters. This was very cool to see, and very telling. No matter who you are or how old, you’re excited about these classic movies.
To close out the Mega Movie Parade as the final float is Jurassic Park.
Like Ghostbusters, it starts with the newer characters, in the form of a Gyrosphere with Franklin inside. The Gyrosphere doesn’t actually drive on its own, but is on top of a small float base, as Jurassic World raptor trainers walk behind it.
Then, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing guide the massive T-Rex float. This float is enormous, with the puppeteered dino standing on over a crushed Jurassic Jeep.
I love that this is a puppet, there is so much great movement and detail like the swishing tail and saliva dripping from the bared teeth. There are also static dinosaurs like a Pteranodon and some Compsognathus.
Overall, the Mega Movie Parade is a smash hit for Universal, and really ups their entertainment game. It makes me excited about what could be coming next. I really have no critiques about the parade, the only one would possibly be that the floats are spaced a little too far apart, there are characters in between but it sometimes feels like it takes a long time for the next float to come by. As for additions, I would love to see a Jurassic Jeep or Ford Explorer make an appearance, and the Family fan in me would also love to see Dom Toretto driving around in his Dodge Charger. However, these are very minor things, and the parade is already above and beyond as it is.
Have you seen the Mega Movie Parade? If so, what’s your favorite float? Let us know in the comments below.
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