Macy's unveils new balloons for Thanksgiving parade

Some of the world's most popular animated characters have taken to the skies as Macy's prepares for their annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Among the balloons are characters that have never been seen before at the event, as well the debut of a very famous mouse. Organizers are conducting test flights for six new character balloons that will join the 98th edition of the event in New York City later this month. "We've been building these balloons over the last 8 to 12 months, and today is our first opportunity to fly them. See them, see how they react with wind in real-world conditions," explains Will Coss, Executive Producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The new balloons feature four characters that have never appeared in the parade before and two new versions of characters that have appeared in earlier years. Among the completely new characters this year are Gabby and Pandy Paws from the show Gabby’s Dollhouse. Also taking to the air will be Marshall, the puppy firefighter and paramedic from the animated series PAW Patrol. Another new character is Extraordinary Noorah, the arctic fox carrying The Elf on the Shelf. Noorah’s design includes a color pattern of blue, purple, and green on its tail and eyes, inspired by the Northern Lights. Also debuting this year is a new Minnie Mouse balloon. While Mickey first appeared in the parade in balloon form in 1934, this is the first time a Minnie Mouse balloon has taken part. “This year, we're really excited to debut the one and only Minnie Mouse, the iconic Minnie Mouse," says Coss. Spider-Man has also had an update. This version is more muscular than the Spider-Man seen in previous Macy’s parades and is based on the 1960s comic book artwork of John Romita Sr. The Goku balloon is also slightly different this year. The updated Dragon Ball/Toei Animation character balloon presents Goku with jet-black hair, replacing the previous version where his hair was blue.