Magic Happens broke the mold at Disneyland Park. After initially premiering right before Disneyland Resort closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Disneyland parade returned with all-new floats celebrating Disney100 on February 24, 2023.
Unlike the Main Street Electrical Parade, Paint the Night, and other parades at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, Magic Happen’s return instantly caused controversy. Viral videos slammed Moana’s choreography, calling it culturally insensitive and appropriation. The Disney Princess briefly disappeared from the parade float but returned days later with the same choreography.
“The Polynesian culture is being inaccurately portrayed and the dance is way far from the truth and real meaning to it,” one commenter wrote about the dance.
After just weeks of performances, the very same Moana float is experiencing major technical issues. TikTok user @itsdwats shared a video from a performance this week:
@itsdwats #moana #magichappens #disneyland #disneytiktok #disneyparks #fyp #foryoupage
The main water feature on Moana’s boat is turned off. Typically, projections of various scenes from Moana (2016) appear on the large wave on the back of the float. The same Disneyland Park Guest previously shared this video of the effect working properly:
@itsdwats #moana #magichappens #disneyland #disneytiktok #fyp #foryoupage #disneyprincess #polynesian
Disneyland Resort hasn’t commented publicly on the broken Magic Happens parade float.
More on Moana (2016)
Get ready for the upcoming live-action Moana, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson! “Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania,” Walt Disney Animation Studios writes. “But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped, and no one knows why… Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana is about an adventurous teenager who, with help from demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and save her people.”
Have you noticed this broken Disneyland parade float? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.