Disney has announced that Disneyland will host the celebratory Super Bowl LX parade later today (Monday, February 9, 2026). This covers what time & where you can see the cavalcade featuring MVP Kenneth Walker and Cinderella story Sam Darnold, viewing tips, and our past experiences watching Super Bowl parades in California and Florida.
The players featured in the iconic “I’m going to Disney” commercial are usually the ones to appear in the parade down Main Street. Whether that occurs at Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland in California is dictated by the host site of the Super Bowl. There also have been multiple players featured in several parades when the Super Bowl is hosted in Los Angeles, Tampa, or Miami–probably due to the ease of the visit.
Home state teams from Florida or California are more likely to appear at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, respectively, when there’s a close call. For example, a Super Bowl in Houston featuring the Chargers could end up with a parade at Disneyland instead of Magic Kingdom. That’s just a guess, though. To the best of my knowledge, there haven’t been any examples of that dynamic in recent history. And there won’t be for the next couple of years with the Super Bowl returning to Los Angeles and Atlanta, two cities that are quite close to Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.
As for Super Bowl LX, millions around the world watched Kenneth Walker III and Sam Darnold lead the Seattle Seahawks to victory over the New England Patriots 29-13 to win the second Super Bowl title in franchise history. But what you may not have seen amid the crush of fans, confetti, and general jubilation on the field are the star players from the game pronouncing that they’re headed to The Happiest Place on Earth!
I can now confirm for you that after their extraordinary championship performances tonight, Walker and Darnold realized a lifelong dream by shouting “We’re going to Disneyland!”
Moments after the final whistle, Walker and Darnold made the proclamation in front of jubilant Seahawks fans. Disney camera crews captured the excitement for our cherished Super Bowl commercial, now airing across social media and TV in English and Spanish.
The tradition started back in 1987 with New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms being the first to say “I’m Going to Disneyland” after winning the Super Bowl. Over the years, many of the football’s greatest players have followed in those footsteps, as have other athletes…and Santa Claus.
Here’s the nearly 4-decade history of this iconic catchphrase, which began during a Star Tours dinner party with Michael Eisner and George Lucas: Why Super Bowl Winners Say “I’m Going to Disneyland!”
Led by defense and a kicker, armed with a quarterback nobody believed in (I almost feel bad for Vikings fans…almost), the Seahawks were not favorites to win the Super Bowl heading into the season. It was a dominant performance by Seattle’s Dark Side defense (we can only hope that they make a deserving surprise appearance, as a Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge photo shoot is in order), who made Drake Maye see ghosts and make mistakes all night.
The Seahawks’ defensive front came at Maye aggressively, killing any chance the Patriots had to get in a rhythm and stifling drives before they gained momentum. Maye was sacked 6 times and intercepted twice. Eight of the Patriots’ first nine possessions ended with a punt, and the other was a kneel-down to close the first half.
Seattle only moved the ball slightly better, with Darnold likewise flustered by the Pats’ defense, but Walker managed to move the ball into field goal range on several occasions. Racking up 135 yards on 27 carries even though he didn’t manage to find the end zone, Walker was named Super Bowl MVP.
The excitement now shifts to Disneyland Resort in Southern California which is celebrating 70 years of The Happiest Place on Earth, where the highlight of the festivities will be Walker and Darnold leading a colorful cavalcade down Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland.
Seattle 12s are encouraged to turn out in full force, cheering on the players that powered Seattle to and through the post-season, before the defense took control in the Super Bowl. The day of magical Disney fun will also include classic attractions, dazzling entertainment and encounters with Disney characters.
Disneyland has officially confirmed that the Super Bowl parade featuring Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker will step off at 1:15 p.m. Pacific on Monday, February 9, 2026.
It’s not known whether any other players will join them, but we’re hoping someone (or several players) from the stifling Dark Side defense will make a deserved appearance. With the Super Bowl being so close in Santa Clara, it’s possible. Not probable, but possible.
The Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory parade at Disneyland is just part of ESPN’s coverage of The Handoff.
The 24-hour, multi-platform initiative began immediately after Super Bowl LX concluded. “The Handoff” will transition ESPN’s coverage from Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, and begin the road down I-5 South to Los Angeles, where Super Bowl LXI will be played on February 14, 2027. This is ESPN’s first-ever time airing the Super Bowl.
“The Handoff” will feature ESPN studio shows broadcasting from Disneyland and additional programming originating from locations across Southern California throughout the day on February 9, 2026:
- Live From Disneyland – With a set in Town Square at the foot of Main Street, U.S.A., within Disneyland, First Take with Stephen A. Smith, multiple editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live and a second episode of Super Bowl Live will originate from within the park. ESPN will also welcome and honor a player from the Super Bowl LX championship team.
- ABC News and Disney Integration – ABC News’ Good Morning America will originate in part from Levi’s Stadium for its Monday show and Tuesday will air an interview with a player from the Super Bowl LX championship team. World News Tonight with David Muir will also feature content in its Monday broadcast as part of the daylong cross-platform moment.
- Full West Coast Lineup – The day begins with Get Up from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios and concludes with Jimmy Kimmel Live! from Hollywood.
“The Handoff” serves as a prelude to ESPN and Disney’s full Super Bowl initiative.
Last year, MVP Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrated in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
For the three years prior to that, the Super Bowl parade has been at Disneyland. We went to one of these celebrations in 2022 after the hometown Los Angeles Rams celebrated their Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. I couldn’t pass up seeing former Detroit Lion Matthew Stafford, plus Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. It was awesome, and after that, I told myself that I’d definitely do this again!
Each of the last two times the victory parade was at Disneyland, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes visited the park. Kermit (non-derogatory) appeared in the victory parade at Disneyland, surrounded by other characters.
If you want a front-row view of the parade on Main Street, prepare to stake out your spot well over an hour in advance. Perhaps over two hours.
As I wrote in our recap of the Rams victory parade, I had never seen anything like that crowd. The parade route was among the most packed I’ve ever seen it–worse than peak season holiday dates, and busier than the debut of Paint the Night or the return of Main Street Electrical Parade.
Of course, that was the Los Angeles Rams, who play not that far from Disneyland. But there aren’t (or perhaps more accurately, weren’t at the time) a lot of diehard Rams fans in LA. The Seahawks have a much more passionate fanbase, so even though Seattle is farther away than LA, I could see there being even stronger turnout.
Your best bet isn’t going to be watching from Main Street at all. If you want an easier spot, try the stretch around the Matterhorn, between Sleeping Beauty Castle and “it’s a small world.”
There are some nice straightaways along here, and also elevation changes that can be used to your advantage. This area also won’t fill up quite as fast, since it’s not the iconic shot with the castle in the background.
We would avoid being on Main Street proper unless you get a front row spot, as the corridor is more congested. Try Town Square or the area closer to Sleeping Beauty Castle, which offers a bit more breathing room.
It also helps that Disneyland advertises this as a parade “down Main Street USA.” The festivities draw a lot of football fans who aren’t familiar with Disney, and don’t realize that’s not literal. The parade actually runs from “it’s a small world” at the edge of Fantasyland to Town Square at the front of the park.
The Super Bowl parade always causes a spike in crowds at Disneyland, but we’re expecting this to be even worse than normal. As noted, the Seahawks are a West Coast team with an ardent fanbase, but there’s also the fact that the Super Bowl was played in Santa Clara, California.
It’ll be fun to be part of the communal energy of the Seattle 12s, but it will also be unpleasantly congested and chaotic on and around Main Street before and after the Super Bowl parade. Even though I can still vividly recall the crowds we’ve endured for past Super Bowl parades, they’ve been a blast–and I haven’t even cared about the teams. Whether that’s the right atmosphere for you is probably answered by the fact that you just read this post to the end. So have fun; it’ll be a memorable experience.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you a Seattle 12 planning to stake out a spot on Main Street to see Sam Darnold, Kenneth Walker, and hopefully some members of the Dark Side defense celebrate winning it all? Have you attended the Super Bowl parade at Disneyland? What was your experience? Something you’d never do again, or return to with glee? Or would it depend upon whether you’re a fan of the winning team? Do you agree or disagree with our thoughts here? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!