The notoriously loud and loyal Seattle Seahawks 12s fan base showed up in force at Disneyland for a victory parade down Main Street U.S.A. with quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Kenneth Walker III celebrating the team’s Super Bowl championship.
Darnold and Walker made good on their televised post-game promises of “We’re going to Disneyland” on Monday, Feb. 9 after the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX the night before in Santa Clara.
Seahawks fans were lined up five deep all along the Disneyland parade route with the faithful waiting up to three hours for the start of the Super Bowl victory cavalcade.
The Seahawks Victory Parade stepped off at It’s a Small World at 1:15 p.m. on Monday and made its way down Main Street U.S.A. to the cheers of thrilled fans.
The Disneyland marching band led the procession playing along to the “Celebrate Happy” theme song from the 70th anniversary celebration.
A cavalcade of pom pom waving dancers in pink and blue joined by Pluto, Goofy, Donald and Daisy marched in front of a float carrying Darnold, Walker, Mickey and Minnie amid showers of blue and green confetti.
Seahawks fans in football jerseys, t-shirts and hats lined Main Street U.S.A. amid visitors wearing Mickey Mouse t-shirts and ears. A smattering of opposing fans hoping for better results next season came dressed in Rams, Chargers, 49ers, Raiders, Titans, Bengals and even Patriots gear.
Seahawks fans Paul and Heather Abundis from Washington state were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary at Disneyland.
“We had this trip booked long before we had any idea Seattle was going to be in the Super Bowl,” Paul Abundis said from the Disneyland parade route.
They packed all their Seahawks gear — including Heather’s Seahawks Minnie Mouse ears — for the trip and watched the game at Splitsville in Downtown Disney.
ESPN broadcast live from Disneyland on Monday with multiple editions of “SportsCenter” and “NFL Live” as part of the Super Bowl celebration.
Super Bowl LX champs Darnold and Walker were interviewed live at Disneyland from the ESPN commentators’ desk set up between Christmas tree point and the flag pole on Disneyland Town Square.
“It was unbelievable,” Darnold said from the ESPN desk at Disneyland. “We had this dream of getting to a Super Bowl. It really just started one day at a time. That was our mindset. We did it. It was special just to be able to do it with this group of guys.”
The Super Bowl celebration at Disneyland was also a homecoming moment for Darnold, who grew up in Orange County and played quarterback at San Clemente High School and USC.
The tradition of Disney victory parades dates back to 1987 with the star of the game yelling “I’m going to Disneyland” or “I’m going to Disney World” from the field shortly after the final play. The players typically record two versions of the “What’s Next” commercial ¯ one for Disneyland and another for Walt Disney World — that can be played in different television markets depending on their proximity to the California and Florida parks.
Most Super Bowl winners end up going to Disney World for their victory parades, largely because of post-game logistics.
Disneyland hosted back-to-back-to-back Super Bowl parades with the games in Inglewood in 2022, Glendale, Arizona, in 2023 and Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2024.
The list of Super Bowl winners who have uttered the now famous lines include NFL legends Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, John Elway, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has said the phrase multiple times.
Through the years, Disney has expanded the advertising campaign to include winners of the NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup, Winter Olympics and even “American Idol.” The Lakers’ Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser, Angels’ Scott Spiezio and Ducks’ Teemu Selanne have all uttered the phrase after championship seasons.
The Disney theme parks TV commercial tradition began in 1987 when New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms yelled “I’m going to Disney World” after the Super Bowl. Disney paid Simms $75,000 to make the proclamation during the on-field celebration immediately following the Giants’ Super Bowl XXI victory, according to Sports Illustrated.
“I’m on the field — celebrating, soaking in the moment — and I feel a tap on my shoulder,” Simms told Sports Illustrated in 2015. “‘Disney!’ the guy says. I’d totally forgotten. I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me? We have to do this now?’ But OK, I do it. I say the lines just like they asked.”
The new Disneyland Super Bowl commercial with Darnold and Walker will air nationwide this week on major TV networks and social media sites.