Disney and Macy’s just gave fans their first look at the newest character balloon joining the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it’s a big one. Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey, pulled straight from his role in Fantasia, will make his debut as a giant balloon in this year’s 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The design gets revealed early, on Thursday, August 13, at Downtown Disney District as part of D23 Day at Disneyland Resort, and it kicks off a new Macy’s x Disney collection landing the same day.
Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey captures the character mid-spell, arms outstretched, one hand raised toward a shower of stars, wearing his signature blue wizard hat with its gold moon and stars and his oversized red robe cinched with a gold rope belt. The finished balloon measures 30.6 feet wide, 62.2 feet long, and 41.6 feet tall, big enough to fill a good chunk of the Manhattan sky.
Macy’s Studios artists have been building him by hand, section by section, well ahead of the Parade. The construction photos show the process up close, from painting the giant red robe to smoothing the seams on Mickey’s white glove before he’s ever inflated.
The balloon also carries some real history with it. It’s Mickey’s 21st appearance as a character balloon in Macy’s Parade history, and this year’s edition is officially Parade Number One Hundred. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928, just six years before he became the very first Disney character balloon to fly in the Parade back in 1934.
Fans don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving morning to see him. The balloon design debuts Thursday, August 13, at Downtown Disney District, timed to D23 Day at Disneyland Resort, the kickoff day of this year’s D23 event. It’s being billed as a one-of-one, surprise and delight moment for fans already on site for D23 festivities, ahead of the balloon’s official flight down the Parade route in New York City this November.
Disney and Macy’s have been telling this story together for over 90 years, starting with that first 1934 Mickey balloon and continuing through characters like Minnie Mouse and Buzz Lightyear, both of whom flew again in last year’s 99th Parade lineup. We covered how that whole day came together in our recap of the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey is shaping up to be the headline moment for the 100th.
Alongside the balloon reveal, Macy’s is launching an exclusive Disney capsule collection on August 13, built around Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey and 100 years of Parade history. The initial drop spans fashion, accessories, and keepsakes from brands including Citizen, Crocs, Hallmark, Loungefly, Super Smalls, and Swarovski.
On the jewelry and accessories side, the standout is a Citizen Eco-Drive Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey watch, with a two-tone case, black leather strap, and a hand-painted dial showing Mickey mid-spell over a glittering city skyline, complete with a date window. There’s also a Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey pendant necklace done in crystal-covered silver, with his blue hat and black ears rendered in sparkling detail.
Apparel leans into both nostalgia and matching-family energy. A vintage-style “Mickey Parading Through the Years” sweatshirt prints artwork spanning decades of balloon history, including the 1934 debut, the 1972 balloon, the 2000 Band Leader Mickey balloon, and the brand-new Sorcerer’s Apprentice design. For adults, there’s a his-and-hers silk pajama set in a deep navy with a subtle star print and a small Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey patch on the chest pocket, and for kids, a hooded fleece robe and pajama set in light blue, printed all over with Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey and finished with a pair of Mickey ears on the hood. There’s also a coordinating mother-daughter sweatshirt and tee set in black with a small embroidered Sorcerer’s Apprentice graphic.
Bags and accessories come courtesy of Loungefly, which built out a full Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey collection including a patent red mini backpack shaped like Mickey’s robe with his wizard hat forming the top flap, a matching ear headband, a coin bag, and enamel pin add-ons. That same mini backpack shows up in red as a kids’ everyday bag, seen in the mother-daughter photo above.
For kids, the collection also includes a Sorcerer’s Apprentice cape and hat costume set in velvet with a gold star and red satin lining, a pop-up play tent covered in stars and moons with a plug-in star-projector nightlight tucked inside, and a Fantasma Magic: Sorcerer’s Apprentice Magic Show Set packed with over 175 tricks, a velvet wizard hat with ears, a magic wand, trick cards, a coloring book, and a “book of secrets.” Rounding things out is a commemorative keepsake for the milestone year itself: a Macy’s 100th Thanksgiving Day Parade journal, bound in navy velvet with a gold foil star, Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey embroidered across the cover, and a yellow ribbon bookmark.
This initial wave is just the start. Macy’s says the full assortment tied to the Parade’s 100th year will grow to more than 100 items later this fall, expanding beyond Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey to characters from across Disney, Pixar, and Marvel who have appeared in the Parade over the decades. For the full run of Disney merchandise coverage as new pieces of this collection are announced, visit FLN’s Disney Consumer Products hub.
Disney Reveals Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Balloon for Macy’s Parade Centennial
