First look: Macy's unveils 5 new floats for Thanksgiving Day Parade
MOONACHIE, N.J. -- The 96th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is next week and designers are putting the final touches on the famous floats.
CBS2's Jessica Moore went to the Creation Studio on Monday for a sneak peek at a few of this year's new floats designed to delight the masses.
Inside a nondescript building in Moonachie, a feast for the eyes awaits.
"It really is the best time of year for us. Everything is finally coming to life. We can't wait," operation director Kathleen Wright said.
Onboard the giant "Wondership" by Wonder Bread is a clear plastic dome filled with floating balls and confetti, a play on the corn popper toy of years' past. Towering high above the brand new Baby Shark float is the star, himself.
"This is a first-of-its-kind float and balloon. Who better than Baby Shark to combine them both? He's flying high above while grandma and grandpa are below," said Will Coss, the executive producer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
"You realize the kids are going to lose their minds when they see this?" Moore pointed out.
"Yea, we're all losing our minds, too," Coss said.
Toys R Us is back with a bang with a float called "Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party," and one of the special guests for this year's parade is Geoffrey. He can't speak, of course, but when asked if he is excited, he jumped up and down, likely meaning yes.
Geoffrey will serve as the float's DJ as the crowd enjoys a performance by artist Jordan Sparks.
"When you decide on new floats, what's that process like? How do you decide which concepts make the cut?" Moore asked Coss.
"The goal is to create moments that are memorable, instantly recognizable, have a touch of parade, a celebration of all things whimsy and all things Thanksgiving Day," Coss said.
"How long would it take to make one of these floats?" Moore asked.
"Each one is eight to 10 months of early design through final execution. They also have to be able to collapse to 8-by-12 to fit inside the Lincoln Tunnel," Coss said.
"Everyone is just so pumped for next week to show it off to everyone and say, 'Look at what we've done. Look at what we've created for this Thanksgiving,'' Wright added.
Other new floats include a serpentine winter dragon, designed after a 1969 creation called "The Doodlebug," and a "nod" to the hit Netflix show "Slumberland."
