The 2014 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will feature 27 floats, including five new ones: Cracker Jack's At the Ball Game; The Sino-American Friendship Association's Beauty of Beijing; Nickelodeon's Dora & Friends: Adventuras Fantasticas; GoldieBlox's Girl-Powered Spinning Machine and Pirate's Booty's Treasure Hunt. At the Ball Game looks particularly fun since it has an interactive element: Cameras on the float will snap pics of spectators and project them on a large screen as it rolls by.

This year, Macy's is introducing six new giant balloons, the most ever at one parade. Thomas the Tank Engine, Paddington Bear, the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger and Eruptor from Skylanders are set to make their debuts, and updated versions of the Pillsbury Doughboy and Pokémon's Pikachu will also take their inaugural flights. There will be 16 giant balloons in total, plus smaller balloonicles.

Seeing the floats up close, I was struck by their immense scale—it's one thing to view them from a distance, and another entirely to stand in their shadows. I also found it funny that every float has a New Jersey license plate. After all, they will ultimately be towed through the Lincoln Tunnel to the parade's Upper West Side starting point.

This preview has me even more excited than usual for parade day. If you're planning on seeing Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in person (I know I am!), be sure to read our tips about where to watch and everything you need to know about the Balloon Inflation the night before.

Find even more seasonal fun in our NYC Thanksgiving Guide.