‘Tis the season! It may be hard to believe, but we have less than two weeks until Christmas morning. Many people have traditions that they follow each year on this date and, for some lucky people, this involves waking up at Walt Disney World. Of course, most of us don’t have that option. However, we can still bring a little bit of Disney right into our living rooms.
One weekend last month, MouseHouseNews.net warned you that ABC Television was videotaping in Magic Kingdom. That taping was part of an annual Christmas special that has aired since 1983. Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade is the special, and it is so much more than just a parade.
You will also see musical performances from artists including Coco Jones, Mariah the Scientist, Gwen Stefani, Bebe Rexha, Lady A, Iam Tongi, and Nicole Scherzinger. ABC taped these performances at multiple locations across the Disney Parks.
The annual special is hosted this year by Alfonso Ribeiro and Ginnifer Goodwin, who we spotted at the Magic Kingdom train station. The pair were recording multiple takes of the show’s intro along with the Main Street Philharmonic. We later spotted the hosts sitting in chairs at the base of the huge Christmas tree on Main Street U.S.A. Of course, every parade needs a street side correspondent as the floats make their way down the street, and Maia Kealoha plays that role this year.
The parade itself is a slightly modified-for-television version of Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade. You can see this parade twice-nightly as part of the separately-ticketed Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party offering. ABC recorded the parade during a special day performance on the weekend of November 8th, so there will be a daytime backdrop while you watch on Christmas morning. Magic Kingdom day guests can also see this holiday parade for a limited time on December 22nd – 31st, replacing the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade.
If you’re wishing you could be at the Disney Parks on Christmas morning but can’t be, tune into this special! Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade airs at 10 AM Eastern/9 AM Central on ABC. Viewers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones will see the special at 5 AM local time. If you miss it on broadcast television, you can stream it on-demand through January 4th on Disney+, Hulu, and the Disney YouTube channel starting at 11 AM Eastern on Christmas morning.
The MouseHouseNews.net team hopes you enjoy your holiday season! Keep us with you as you celebrate, and we’ll bring you the latest Disney Vacation News and Reviews.
