by Ray Keating
Feature Story
DisneyBizJournal.com
July 4, 2020
On July Fourth each year, we Americans celebrate the birth of our nation. Independence Day marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Disney traditionally has been at the forefront of this celebration each year. After all, Walt Disney very much was a patriot who loved history and this country. He once said, “I believe that this spiritual and intellectual freedom which we Americans enjoy is our greatest cultural blessing. Therefore, it seems to me, that the first duty of culture is to defend freedom and resist all tyranny.” He also struck a note of gratitude about this nation: “I thank God and America for the right to live and raise my family under the flag of tolerance, democracy, and freedom.”
And Walt’s patriotism was distinctly American in that he saw the value of our past, and was optimistic about the future. In Beyond the Wisdom of Walt, Jeffrey Barnes noted, “When leading, people don’t care about where you’ve been— past credentials, past experiences, past exploits. What they care about is their future— and as much as Walt Disney was patriotic about the past, he was equally fervent about moving forward into the future.” Indeed, Walt summed it up best, “Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life.” As Americans do at their best, Walt tied together the past with the present and the future.
With all of this in mind, YouTube offers us opportunities to take note of the Walt Disney Company’s celebration of American Bicentennial in 1976. First, there’s “America on Parade,” which was held at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland from June 1975 to September 1976. As Dave Smith noted in Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia:
“Disney designers, led by entertainment head Bob Jani came up with special floats and a series of costumes featuring oversized heads that told the story of America’s history, culture, and achievements, from its pioneers to present, all marching to a sound track of American popular songs recorded from a band organ, the Sadie Mae. The parade was led by Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as the ‘Spirit of ’76.’”
For good measure, there was an “America on Parade” TV special that aired on April 3, 1976.
God bless, America!
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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution (now available at a deep discount) and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
Get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.
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