Festival of the Dead Parade (1997-2000)

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando attraction
The Festival of the Dead Parade
Attraction type	Show
Event	Halloween Horror Nights VII Halloween Horror Nights VIII Halloween Horror Nights IX Halloween Horror Nights X
Park	Universal Studios Florida
Area	Parade Route
Year	1997 1998 1999 2000
Housed in	Parade Route
Based on	Original
Preceded By	The Crypt Keeper's Festival of the Dead Parade (1996)
Followed By	Nightmares on Parade (2001)

The Festival of the Dead Parade (a.k.a Our Greatest Festival of the Dead Parade) was a parade that was featured during every Halloween Horror Nights Orlando event from Halloween Horror Nights VII through Halloween Horror Nights X. It went along the Parade Route. The parade would alternate between Hollywood and New York as the start of the parade.

Description (1997)

The streets come alive with the walking dead in this ghoulish procession of nightmarish floats, costumed creatures and ghostly surprises.

Description (1998)

It's bigger and better than ever! The streets come alive with hundreds of mutants, monsters and and maniacs in this nightmarish procession of ghoulish floats and the walking dead.

Description (1999)

Bigger and better than ever! Grab your broomstick and witness "The Season of the Witch".

Description (2000)

Witness "Bloody Playthings", a macabre march of demonic dolls, murderous wooden soldiers and giant toys unsafe for any age.

Concept

According to this: https://twitter.com/RonIsAJerk/status/1664075741162532864/photo/1

The following is from Universal Art and Design's presentation manuscript of HHNX- Not Afraid Of The Dark? You Don't Know Jack!

Keeping with the overall theme of Clowns, Universal unveils its most macabre parade to date Huge, Ghastly Stilt-walking Wooden Soldiers march the route with eerie precision, Demonic Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls dance the Danse Macabre in a ghostly display as they rip the red stuffing from each other. As always there are treats to this trick. Halloween themed beads and doubloons as well as assorted array of candies , keep the guests grasping fo more. These demented versions of Children's Toys march along the extended parade route as it exits the 42nd Street hate and winds its way through New York and Hollywood Reaching the Dead Zone Area, the huge iron gates swing open allowing the fearsome floats to journey through. The Parade continues its route through the Expo area and out the Men In Black Gate.

Shows

• The 1997 show was based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It also was said to be very similar to the previous year's parade, but added a float dedicated to The Lord of Darkness near the beginning. The show would start in Hollywood and end in New York, and it would do so until 2000.
• The 1998 parade had a float dedicated to Chucky and his Bride, but remained largely the same. The snakes float was also removed.
• The 1999 parade had a sacrifice float, a spider float, a rat float, and a Mummy float. Also, the snakes float was re-added. It was subtitled "The Season of the Witch".
• The 2000 parade added a Jack float and remained largely the same. It was subtitled "Bloody Playthings".

Characters

• Martian Ambassador (Unknown Year)
• The Lord of Darkness (Various Years)
• The Banshees (1997)
• Chucky (1998)
• The Spider Victim (1998)
• Snake Ladies (1998)
• Darkness Minions (1999)
• Jack the Clown (2000)

Pictures

A picture of The Festival of the Dead Parade from an unknown year.

A picture of one of the stilt walkers froman unknown parade year. Photo from farm4.static.flickr.com.

The Banshees from the 1997 Parade. Image from Sean Corey Adams.

The Spider Victim stiltwalker in the 1998 parade. Image from Sean Corey Adams.

The Spider Victim stiltwalker in the 1998 parade. Image from Sean Corey Adams.

A Snake Lady and the Spider Victim Stiltwalker in the 1998 parade. Image from Sean Corey Adams.

An unknown actor from the 1998 parade. Image from Sean Corey Adams.

1999 Parade

1999 Parade

1999 Parade

1999 Parade

One of Darkness's Minions in the 1999 parade. Image from Sean Corey Adams.

The 2000 parade.

The 2000 parade.

2000 Parade

Website Pictures

One of the floats that appeared in the 1997 Festival of the Dead Parade. Both images from the Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 website page.

A picture of one of the floats in the 1998 parade.

Websites

• 2000

Videos

• The 1998 Parade
• Another Video of the 1998 Festival of the Dead Parade 6:00-11:30
• 1998 Home Video
• The 2000 Parade 1
• The 2000 Parade 2
• The 2000 Parade 3

Soundtrack

Feel It (feat. Maya)

Played during the Festival of the Dead Parade 1999

Like Flies (Original Mix)

Dolls Head - It's Over It's Under (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)

Played during the Festival of the Dead Parade 1999

Hydro - Liquid Prayers (Starecases Aquabatics Remix)

Played during the Festival of the Dead Parade 1999

Trivia

• In 1998, one of the floats caught on fire backstage. Luckily, no one was hurt, but part of Soundstage 24 was damaged.
• In 1999, the event map referred Festival of the Dead Parade but the marketing for the event including in newspaper ads that it was called Season of the Witch Parade.
• 2020 showed where the Jack prop went.
• Majority of the HHN VII dabloons were props on the Sinbad stage in The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad was a live-action stunt show.

Halloween Horror Nights VII
Characters: Eyegore
Haunted Houses: Hotel Hell • Tombs of Terror • Universal's Museum of Horror
Scarezone: Midway of the Bizarre
Shows: Abra-Cadaver  • Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure VI: The Final Frontier  • Festival of the Dead Parade  • Frightmares