On October 2, 2009, Disney World had a big celebration for a small figure: Buzz Lightyear. Here’s how the DIsney Parks and NASA celebrated.

Disney World is no stranger to major celebrations. For the 25th anniversary, Disney celebrated with a birthday cake-themed Cinderella Castle. For the 50th anniversary, Disney revealed tons of new treats, an EARidescent Cinderella Castle, and more. But there are also smaller celebrations that last for one-day-only at the parks. One of these occurred back in 2009, when Disney Parks and NASA held a very special parade.

Disney Parks and NASA Celebration

On October 2, 2009, Magic Kingdom guests were surprised with a very special parade. Disney Parks and NASA teamed together to celebrate the homecoming of Buzz Lightyear, a 12-inch action figure who had spent over a year aboard the International Space Station.

His return was celebrated with a ticker-tape parade down Main Street, U.S.A., one that featured a marching band alongside astronauts such as Buzz Aldrin and Mike Fincke. Fincke had accompanied Buzz Lightyear onboard the space station.

Buzz Lightyear first launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery’s STS-124 mission in May 2008, according to Space.com. He was accompanied by seven crewmates, all of whom had patches that represented themselves and their mission’s goals. At the time, Lightyear did not have his own patch, so Disney Parks and NASA teamed together to open up its creation to children in grades two through six throughout the United States.