ABC filmed the 2024 “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” at Walt Disney World again in mid-November. I spent the day watching it stay in Magic Kingdom, from park opening till after park closing, and share images & my expertise–plus when the present airs on ABC, Disney+ and YouTube, the performer lineup, and predictions for 2025 theme park bulletins.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals about ABC’s Christmas Day Parade. To not smash the phantasm, however ABC’s Disney Christmas Day Parade doesn’t air stay–and hasn’t been for some time. It’s pre-recorded over a month prematurely over a pair days concurrently the Thanksgiving weekend particular. The silver lining is that, relying upon your age, your entire childhood won’t be a lie. For those who keep in mind the model hosted by Regis Philbin and Joan Lunden, that may’ve been stay (at the least, partially).
These days, displaying as much as Walt Disney World or Disneyland on Christmas Day to see superstar performances stay could be a fairly large blunder. Positive, you’ll be capable to see Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade in individual…however not the celebrities or musical performances or something particular. It’ll simply be the parade itself, which runs throughout Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together, then for a few week-plus stretch within the lead-up to Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve…oh, and a random day or two in mid-November when the ABC particular is recorded.
The overwhelming majority of this 12 months’s ABC’s Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade was filmed at Walt Disney World over the course of Veterans Day Weekend–again on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10. I watched it stay on that Sunday, which is what this submit covers (together with the earlier 12 months).
For these planning forward for 2025 Walt Disney World holidays, it’ll in all probability be filmed across the similar weekend subsequent 12 months. This has been the case for 2 consecutive years, and it looks like it really works nicely for Disney–the manufacturing course of appeared actually easy this 12 months, particularly as in comparison with earlier years when the parade was filmed in early December.
See our listing of the 10 Finest and 10 Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026, because the weeks round this date make each lists. With that mentioned, although Veterans Day and Jersey Week are on the “worst” facet, the crowds aren’t as unhealthy as they was once–and are extra avoidable should you decide your parks correctly. This week is unquestionably worse than the one earlier than or after it, in addition to the complete months of August and September, however it’s not unhealthy–just like the three-week stretch from Christmas to early January.
As for what to anticipate from the ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, the particular options vacation classics, plus authentic music, and heartwarming tales about how the Disney Parks carry households collectively. It additionally showcases new points of interest which are coming quickly or lately opened at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, in addition to sneak peeks of flicks and reveals coming to theaters and streaming companies. Mainly, these specials are one half leisure and one half infomercial for all issues Disney.
The 2024 ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade is hosted by Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro, and was as soon as once more filmed at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The parade itself options fan-favorite Disney Characters, proficient performers, festive cheer, and enjoyable music.
The ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade isn’t simply Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade, although. There are additionally quite a few musical performances by massive names on the Cinderella Fort Forecourt Stage. Extra performances have been recorded at Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Level, and Aulani Resort and Spa in Hawaii.
Right here’s how and the place to observe the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade on December 25, 2024:
- ABC Tv Community: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST/9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. CST/5:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m. MST/PST
- Disney+ Streaming Service: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CST on Disney+ as a part of “Spend Christmas Day with Disney+”
- YouTube: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CST
The large change for 2024 is that the Christmas Day parade will stream an hour in a while Disney+ and YouTube. In earlier years, it’s been obtainable the following day. I don’t find out about you, however although I do know the parade was filmed over a month in the past (as a result of I noticed it in individual!), watching it the day after Christmas simply isn’t the identical. Even when it’s not stay stay, it’s nonetheless a tv ‘occasion’ that’s finest loved when everybody else is, on Christmas morning!
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” may also characteristic musical performances for the particular together with the next:
- Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro – “Winter Wonderland”
- Elton John – “Tiny Dancer”
- Andy Grammer and Junkanoo Celebration Performers – “Santa Claus Is Coming To City”
- John Legend – “This Christmas”
- Carly Pearce – “(All people’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag”
- Pentatonix – “12 Days of Christmas”
- Disney on Broadway Stars Kalilah Black, Lauren Nicole Chapman, Daniel Gardner, Bradley Gibson, Marq Moss, Amber Owens, Melaina Rairamo, John Riddle, Michael James Scott and Jessica White – Medley
- Forged of “Descendants: The Rise of Purple” – “Purple Christmas” / “Jolly to the Core”
- Anika Noni Rose – “Christmas (Child Please Come Residence)”
- SEVENTEEN – “Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree”
You gained’t need to miss the unimaginable floats and dazzling decorations of the parade at Walt Disney World and all the vacation magic that involves life. Plus, catch a sneak peak at what’s to return in 2025 on the Disney Parks!
We all the time watch the ABC Disney Christmas Day Parade particularly for that reason–to see what’s teased or revealed for the 12 months to return. Truthfully, I’m not anticipating a lot in that regard this 12 months. Neither Walt Disney World nor Disneyland have a lot within the pipeline for the following couple of years, so there isn’t actually a lot that may be revealed. Listed below are some prospects and predictions which are considerably practical:
- New Tropical Americas Idea Artwork or Particulars
- New Check Monitor 3.0 Idea Artwork
- WDW Leisure Announcement for 2025
- WDW Summer time 2025 Celebration
- New Starlight Parade Idea Artwork or Debut Date
- Disneyland seventieth Anniversary First Look
- Sneak Peek at Walt Disney Audio Animatronics Determine
That’s actually about it. Disney has already indicated there will probably be a primary have a look at the upcoming Disneyland seventieth Anniversary celebration, in order that’s a given. The large query is then what will probably be shared for Walt Disney World. Saying a begin date for Starlight Night time Parade or no matter else Walt Disney World has deliberate for Summer time 2025 makes probably the most sense, particularly since households begin fascinated about and reserving subsequent 12 months’s journeys whereas watching these reveals.
As for my expertise watching the filming of the 2024 ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade stay in individual, it was superior. That is the second consecutive 12 months I’ve sought out parade filming weekend, after years of avoiding it.
Up to now, we’ve warned that the particular might be boring to observe in individual and it creates congestion. What you’re seeing on tv now would possibly seem to be it’d be enjoyable to see in individual, however is the results of meticulous work in capturing, re-shooting, and cautious enhancing. This is applicable to the musical performances on the Cinderella Fort stage, not the parade itself. The “fast” songs interspersed all through the particular truly take a lot, for much longer to movie than Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade!
This isn’t to say it’s not fulfilling to observe (it’s!), we simply need to set expectations appropriately. There’s plenty of stopping, pausing, and restarting. The songs you see carried out on stage should not like a conventional live performance with the performer singing a wide range of totally different vacation hits. It’s the identical tune a number of instances, after which the following performer shifting on to their tune…additionally carried out a number of instances. What you see within the span of a pair hours on tv can take a number of days to document.
The large draw back of watching Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is the crowds and congestion.
With this being the second consecutive 12 months that Disney has recorded the ABC Christmas Day Parade on the very same weekend, phrase has gotten out amongst locals and diehard followers. As quickly because the schedule up to date in October, we shared that you possibly can see Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade filmed throughout the day without cost! with readers. This website wasn’t the one one.
Consequently, crowds have been heavy alongside the parade route to observe Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade with roughly half of the Sunshine State descending upon Primary Avenue. Final 12 months, I confirmed up a pair hours prematurely to stake out my favourite spot–the right dead-on view of Cinderella Fort. This 12 months, that space was already filled with folks a lot earlier (as such, the parade images are from final 12 months–I had a really suboptimal angle this 12 months and most of my images are rubbish because of this).
Who might blame followers for staking out spots so early? It was a uncommon alternative to see Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade with out dropping $150+ per individual for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together or visiting the weeks of Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve. It’s an excellent alternative to take pleasure in a superb parade that’s usually paywalled.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is basically offered in its regular, uninterrupted kind for the ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. There are a couple of principally unnoticeable modifications, however nothing main–a gap banner, a couple of characters, plus each Santa and Mrs. Claus.
It’s cool to see the manufacturing in motion. Cameras swoop up and down in the course of Primary Avenue to seize footage of the parade because it runs principally as regular. Except for a few instances when it appeared just like the parade slowed down and lingered only a bit in that space, Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is an everyday parade throughout the recording. That is the one factor that’s roughly the identical stay in individual as it’s at house.
This implies there was no beginning and stopping or a number of takes. Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is perhaps 1-2 minutes longer than regular, which isn’t unhealthy. If something, there are fewer interruptions stay in individual than there are on the ABC particular!
Past this, there are execs and cons to the ABC Vacation Specials being filmed in Magic Kingdom. Traces for rides have been shorter than they might’ve been in any other case. Crowd ranges, as measured by wait instances, have been low to average over the course of each days, regardless of it being a vacation weekend.
The added bonus was that Magic Kingdom had longer hours to accommodate the filming and accompanying visitor disruptions. The park opened at 8 am each days, closing at midnight on Saturday and 11 pm on Sunday. To the perfect of my recollection, that was the solely midnight closure at Magic Kingdom this complete vacation season so far (December 30-31 may have longer hours).
The draw back of the filming on the day I visited was that the whole lot of Primary Avenue was closed off for a number of hours, and the complete space in entrance of Cinderella Fort was blocked off for the on-stage performances. I didn’t discover another pathways blocked off, as was the case final 12 months, however these are sometimes short-lived, so it’s attainable that I merely missed the closures.
Truthfully, I didn’t watch any of the daytime performances in entrance of Cinderella Fort.
There have been a pair ‘classes’ that I discovered final 12 months. The primary was that the daytime performances have been a lot, rather more crowded and it was tough to see something occurring.
The second was that there are fireworks–heaps and many fireworks–throughout the nighttime performances. Given these two issues, skipped the daytime stage reveals and did rides then, returning within the night for these musical numbers and the accompanying pyro.
The most important draw back of this was that I missed Elton John, certainly one of my all-time favourite musicians. He recorded songs proper round sundown into the early night, presumably so his set may very well be used for each the Thanksgiving and Christmas Day specials. This additionally signifies that I didn’t catch any of the performances that’ll be used for the ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. I’ll be watching at house for the primary time like everybody else.
At the very least, I assume. Disney usually makes use of the nighttime footage for the Thanksgiving particular, which is “set” at night time. The ABC Christmas Day Parade is about, because the identify suggests, throughout the day. So the daytime performances are used for that. It’s a intelligent strategy to get extra mileage out of the two-day recording, which happens at just about all hours of the day and is filmed when sundown is round 5 pm!
Listed below are extra of my images from the ABC Christmas Day Parade filming in Magic Kingdom:
Finally, spending all day in Magic Kingdom for the 2024 ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade filming was a enjoyable expertise, and one I’m very glad to have had! This was my second consecutive 12 months doing it, and I actually hope to have the ability to repeat it in 2025. Assuming it occurs Veterans Day weekend once more, that ought to be straightforward to perform.
It’s additionally one we’d now actively suggest to different Walt Disney World followers. My recommendation to anybody studying this on the fence about visiting Magic Kingdom on today is to do it. However reasonably than staking out a parade spot 3-4 hours prematurely, simply get a subpar view in Frontierland on the final minute. After that, skip the remainder of the daytime performances and return to the Cinderella Fort hub space after Fortunately Ever After. Get pleasure from a pair hours of performances with fireworks, decrease crowds, and higher visibility.
All in all, seeing Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmas Time, even amid heavy crowds alongside the parade route (they’re solely prone to worsen as phrase continues to get out), is plenty of enjoyable. Similar goes for the on-stage performances, particularly these at night time for the Thanksgiving particular, full with tons of fireworks. For those who don’t thoughts considerably elevated crowds over the vacation weekend and elements of the park being closed off (not rides, however walkways) whereas recording is occurring, it’s a good time to go to! It helps that Veterans Day isn’t as busy because it was once, a pattern we’d additionally anticipate to proceed in 2025.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have been you in Magic Kingdom throughout the day or at night time when the 2024 Vacation Specials have been filmed? Did you watch the parade, musical performances on stage, or each? What was your expertise? Have you ever been in Walt Disney World or Disneyland throughout previous filmings? Would you prefer to attend? Ideas on ABC’s Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade or the Thanksgiving weekend particular? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
