The Duck and the Princesses

When it premiered in December 1999, Fantasia 2000 had been in preparation for nearly a decade. The idea for a sequel to Disney’s original 1940 Fantasia, originally planned to be rereleased with its segments progressively replaced, was first seriously discussed in the late 1980s. Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney’s nephew, was the driving force behind the project. Production officially started in the early 1990s, with the goal of creating a contemporary version of Fantasia that would feature a blend of traditional animation and newer techniques, alongside a fresh selection of classical music.

The “Pomp and Circumstance” sequence, set to Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance Marches, features Donald Duck in a whimsical retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark. It’s a comedic and heartfelt segment in which Donald serves as Noah’s assistant, tasked with helping the animals board the ark before the great flood.

The original idea to use this piece of music was Michael Eisner’s. However, it was initially conceived as a grand wedding march featuring various Disney princesses and their princes. The idea was to create a romantic and celebratory procession in which iconic Disney couples like Snow White and Prince Charming, Cinderella and her Prince, and others like Alice in Wonderland or the crocodile from Peter Pan, would appear. Donald Duck was already part of the story and would offer tiny crowns to the Princesses’ babies brought to them by storks.

However, the concept shifted during development. The creative team decided to go in a more comedic and universally relatable direction, which led to the Noah’s Ark narrative starring Donald and Daisy Duck. This change allowed for a blend of humor and heartfelt moments while keeping the segment aligned with the whimsical tone of Fantasia 2000. Plus, Donald’s role added a fresh take on the classic Disney character lineup, offering something new for audiences.

Watch the sequence

On November 26, 2024, the discord user SoundGuyMatt and the YouTube account Lost Media Busters published the test reel which gives an idea what the sequence was supposed to look like.