Lets watch the Main Street Parade...in 1974!!!
Digging through old boxes, I discovered some shots taken from Walt Disney World circa summers of 1973 and 1974 (and some *really* early shots from February of 1972, but I'll get to those later). In honor of all of the parades we saw on January First, let's relive some scenes from attending the Main Street afternoon parade in 1974... 
(73)
As we take the monorail around from the parking lot, we see the earliest prototype of the Grand Floridian Hotel on our right. Also note the very empty skyline, today filled with the first of the great mountains, Space Mountain.
(73) What's this, the Admiral Joe Fowler actually left the park? Yup - The Fowler and the Irvine (now the Liberty Belle) could both leave Rivers of America if needed, including when the riverbed was drained for construction, as it was on this day in 1973 while Tom Sawyer Island was still getting its final touches.
The boats to the side are part of the night time Electrical Water Pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon, which is now the longest continuously running event in all of Walt Disney World. Much of the forest to the right is now the backstage area of Frontierland, including the warehouses that hold the current parade floats, but we'll be seeing none of those on this trip through history...
As we pull in (now looking at 1974, where the rest of these shots are from), we see the sillouette of Space Mountain, taunting parks guests for another year before the first thrill ride of the Magic Kingdom would open.
Entering, we enjoy some tunes from the Main Street Marching Band
A quick stop to get our obligatory mouse ears hat (with the cursive signature on the back)
And then some popcorn to tie us over (yes, that's little tiny me in the stroller with my oldest cousin)
and now we relax and join the crowds as we wait for the festivities to start...
Donald leads things off!
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Not this fellow...
It's amazing how popular these characters remained among children even though we'd never seen the movie at all...
Snow White takes the wishing well with her as she travels. Guess you never know...
Now THIS is how to sail the dangerous seas of, uh, Main Street.
Pluto and Minnie walk along
A personal greeting from Pluto! Don't I feel special now...
Wait, could that be...?
It IS! It's Mickey! HI Mickey!!!
with the parade over and it getting late, we pick up a final souvenier on our way out,
admiring the topiary of the time,
And there's the boat that will take us relaxingly back to our car...
(73)
As we take the monorail around from the parking lot, we see the earliest prototype of the Grand Floridian Hotel on our right. Also note the very empty skyline, today filled with the first of the great mountains, Space Mountain.
(73) What's this, the Admiral Joe Fowler actually left the park? Yup - The Fowler and the Irvine (now the Liberty Belle) could both leave Rivers of America if needed, including when the riverbed was drained for construction, as it was on this day in 1973 while Tom Sawyer Island was still getting its final touches.
The boats to the side are part of the night time Electrical Water Pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon, which is now the longest continuously running event in all of Walt Disney World. Much of the forest to the right is now the backstage area of Frontierland, including the warehouses that hold the current parade floats, but we'll be seeing none of those on this trip through history...
As we pull in (now looking at 1974, where the rest of these shots are from), we see the sillouette of Space Mountain, taunting parks guests for another year before the first thrill ride of the Magic Kingdom would open.
Entering, we enjoy some tunes from the Main Street Marching Band
A quick stop to get our obligatory mouse ears hat (with the cursive signature on the back)
And then some popcorn to tie us over (yes, that's little tiny me in the stroller with my oldest cousin)
and now we relax and join the crowds as we wait for the festivities to start...
Donald leads things off!
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Not this fellow...
It's amazing how popular these characters remained among children even though we'd never seen the movie at all...
Snow White takes the wishing well with her as she travels. Guess you never know...
Now THIS is how to sail the dangerous seas of, uh, Main Street.
Pluto and Minnie walk along
A personal greeting from Pluto! Don't I feel special now...
Wait, could that be...?
It IS! It's Mickey! HI Mickey!!!
with the parade over and it getting late, we pick up a final souvenier on our way out,
admiring the topiary of the time,
And there's the boat that will take us relaxingly back to our car...