Walt Disney Global has quietly up to date the calendar, which strongly suggests two of my favourite absolute days of the 12 months are returning to Magic Kingdom this vacation season! This put up stocks the time table replace, why it’s most likely taking place, and dates & main points for seeing Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade and perhaps extra leisure for “loose.”
The replace in query is in reality no longer Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade (MOUACP) being added to the calendar–no less than, no longer but–however slightly, the removing of some other parade. Walt Disney Global simply ‘refreshed’ its showtimes time table for November 2025, and a number of the adjustments used to be Pageant of Myth Parade being got rid of from the lineup on November 8-9, 2025 at Magic Kingdom.
Despite the fact that leisure anomalies can occur now and again (or this 12 months, moderately continuously!), that is one thing we’ve been observing for and in reality anticipated to look occur. Now we’re left looking ahead to the opposite shoe to drop, which is the addition of Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade to the calendar. That can or won’t occur.
Regardless, this follows the similar development from every of the previous two years when manufacturing crews used that very same weekend in November to document segments for the once a year televised vacation specials that air on ABC and Disney-owned streaming products and services over Thanksgiving weekend (“Superb Global of Disney: Vacation Impressive”) and on December twenty fifth (“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”).
Manufacturing has in reality already began at Walt Disney Global for the musical performances, the place filming happened in past due October in Animal Kingdom in entrance of the Tree of Existence with a efficiency via Mariah the Mad Scientist. Since Disney all the time has a tendency to make use of those specials as synergistic alternatives, we wouldn’t be shocked if there’s extra to come back at Animal Kingdom, given the outlet of Zootopia: Higher Zoogether and Zootopia 2 hitting theaters over Thanksgiving.
It’s not unusual for Walt Disney Global to movie the sunlight hours performances in different parks fairly sporadically. We noticed Likelihood the Rapper one random day at EPCOT 4 years in the past, and numerous different performers I couldn’t establish in individual (however therefore stated, “oh yeah, I have in mind seeing him/her!” as soon as the specials aired).
Whilst the sunlight hours musical numbers are recorded randomly at each Walt Disney Global and Disneyland, it’s most often the case that the midnight segments that in large part represent the Thanksgiving particular are filmed at Walt Disney Global at the similar nights because the sunlight hours parade. This 12 months, that will be the evenings of November 8-9, 2025.
Then again, I’m a ways much less assured than commonplace that the midnight segments will in reality be filmed at Walt Disney Global in November 2025. There are a pair causes for this…
D23 is webhosting “The Superb Global of Disney: Magical Vacation Birthday celebration In a single day Taping” on October 24-25, 2025 at Disneyland.
All the way through this bought out match, D23 Contributors have the unique alternative to wait an in a single day taping of “The Superb Global of Disney: Magical Vacation Birthday celebration.” D23 Contributors will be capable of watch because the magic involves lifestyles via are living performances that fill the park with that particular magic that most effective Disney can do, in step with the development description.
Generally, this in a single day filming could be at Walt Disney Global, and could be for Forged Contributors. (There’s most likely additionally a simultaneous sign-up for Forged Contributors at Disneyland; I doubt they’re being omitted.) Despite the fact that there’s on occasion a track or section filmed at Disneyland for the Thanksgiving particular, it will be unheard of for this a lot of it to be recorded at Disneyland and likewise at Walt Disney Global.
The “why” of the Thanksgiving particular being filmed at Disneyland is two-fold.
First, Drowsing Good looks Fort is already lined in snow. In contrast to Walt Disney Global, Disneyland additionally nonetheless does the glistening icicle lighting fixtures. And even supposing Disneyland celebrates Halloween (and to a better level than Magic Kingdom), the park doesn’t host any exhausting price tag occasions.
With the removing of a handful of Halloween decorations, they are able to make the Central Plaza in entrance of Drowsing Good looks Fort seem like Christmas for the filming of the particular, which is mainly a glorified degree display. This may occur a few weeks previous at Disneyland than it will at Magic Kingdom, which may well be really useful for the turnaround time of the Thanksgiving particular.
2d, Magic Kingdom now has Starlight Evening Parade, which didn’t exist ultimate 12 months.
With the newest leisure calendar replace, two nightly showtimes had been added to the time table for November 8-9, 2025. Whilst the manufacturing workforce has labored round Fortunately Ever After prior to now, I’ve gotten the affect that they had been not up to enthused about doing so.
That plus two parade performances would possibly’ve been a dealbreaker for filming the midnight vacation particular segments at Magic Kingdom. And it’s no longer as though Walt Disney Global can cancel Starlight on the ones dates; it’s already no longer proven on many nights because of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday celebration.
My bet is that we’ll nonetheless see sunlight hours filming round Magic Kingdom on November 8-9, 2025. Some midnight performances also are imaginable. In any case, there’s time each earlier than Starlight and after the evening parade. Up to now, recording has befell just about all day, and used to be as soon as nonetheless taking place after I left Magic Kingdom round 2 a.m.
The surest factor, regardless that, is Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade. After Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday celebration kicks off on November 7, 2025 for particular match visitors who acquire the $189 in step with individual exhausting tickets, MOUACP will most likely as soon as once more be proven all over Magic Kingdom’s common park hours on Saturday, November 8, 2025 and Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Which means that Annual Passholders, common price tag holders, and all different day visitors will be capable of benefit from the vacation parade, integrated within the common value in their admission. It’s no longer in reality loose–everybody can pay to go into the park, a technique or some other–however you aren’t paying the rest further (therefore the air quotes round “loose”). For those who’ve already purchased an AP or park tickets, no double-dipping–which is more or less a large deal for visitors attending the parks this time of 12 months!
In relation to making plans information, we don’t have any showed main points but for 2025, so we’ll percentage some previous precedent from the ultimate couple of years.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade (MOUACP) might be carried out at 2 p.m. on each November 8 and November 9, 2025. It would possibly even be proven at 11 a.m. on one or each days, however there’s no ensure of that (it’s long past each tactics within the ultimate couple of years).
In contrast to the consistent beginning and preventing of the degree display numbers–the place a unmarried track can require a dozen-plus takes if it comes to dance choreography that will get tousled–and lengthy gaps in between, MOUACP is gifted as a complete, in large part uninterrupted run-through. The characters would possibly decelerate their floor routines across the digicam workforce, but it surely’s in large part an ordinary pass-through.
Ultimate 12 months, there used to be no parade viewing alongside Major Boulevard for normal visitors. The curbs had been covered with selected (off-duty) Forged Contributors and a ‘curated’ target market in the newest Disney vacation apparel, and so forth. Day visitors getting into or exiting the park had been routed during the bypass corridors in the back of Major Boulevard.
This used to be unlucky as it restricted viewing choices to Liberty Sq. or Frontierland, and this used to be in spite of upper crowds there for the particular goal of seeing Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade (it used to be in reality added to the time table ultimate 12 months, while it wasn’t the former 12 months).
Our hope is that there’s as soon as once more no less than some parade viewing on Major Boulevard, as seeking to are compatible the ever-increasing crowd again in Frontierland is a problem. Up to now, the parade had restricted sections of a ‘planted’ photogenic target market, and the digicam workforce curious about them for response photographs. The whole lot of MSUSA being closed is over the top, particularly on a hectic vacation weekend.
Whilst MOUACP can be “loose” all over the house stretch of the vacation season, there’s inarguably extra of a catch then. That’s the costliest time to talk over with Walt Disney Global from the point of view of motels, park tickets, Lightning Lanes, and most likely airfare.
Including insult to harm, it’s the busiest week-plus of all the 12 months, each unmarried 12 months. And via a large margin. We’ve “joked” that the group calendar will have to move to 11/10 particularly for the week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve, as a result of that length is thus far above an ordinary 10/10 that it skews the dimensions.
You’ll have an more straightforward time seeing Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade the weeks of Christmas and NYE, regardless that. Despite the fact that the parks are busier and wait occasions are upper, fewer visitors are there for the particular goal of catching MOUACP like they’ll be November 8-9, 2025.
Observe that either one of those weeks make the ‘worst’ facet of our checklist of the 10 Easiest and 10 Worst Weeks to Talk over with Walt Disney Global in 2025, 2026 & 2027.
Then again, the dates between Jersey Week and Veterans Day don’t seem to be just about as dangerous because the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New 12 months’s Eve. Once more, we’re speaking 8/10 crowds vs. 11/10. Veterans Day would possibly appear dangerous…till you’ve additionally skilled the week between Christmas and NYE. It’s insane.
This marks the 3rd consecutive 12 months that MOUACP has been carried out all over common running hours over Veterans Day weekend. When the exchange used to be first made ultimate 12 months to the leisure lineup, a large number of lovers speculated that it used to be merely a scheduling error. In truth, no longer essentially the most outlandish idea, as that form of factor has been identified to occur.
Even so, phrase were given out and lots of vacationers, locals and Annual Passholders flocked to Magic Kingdom for the parade filming. For those who’re an Annual Passholder, the very first thing I’d strongly suggest doing ASAP is making park reservations for those dates. I don’t imagine both of them booked up ultimate 12 months, however as phrase continues to get out, those dates are going to change into extra well liked by every passing 12 months.
In either one of the ultimate two years, I’ve spent one of the vital whole days of those tv specials being filmed in Magic Kingdom (can’t do each as Saturday is Jollywood Nights), from park opening till lengthy after park remaining. For those who’re questioning whether or not to do or skip Magic Kingdom on nowadays, I’ll duvet that right here with a recap of my revel in…
Previous to the ultimate two years, we had stuck a large number of bits and items of parade filming over the former 2 a long time. A part of that is purely unintended, as we’ve been in the fitting (or improper) position on the proper/improper time. The opposite phase is…neatly, additionally coincidental. Prior to Disney began doing the Thanksgiving weekend particular in 2016, the Christmas Day parade filming most often took place the primary week of December.
As we’ve discussed numerous occasions, that’s been our favourite week to talk over with Walt Disney Global for the ultimate ~15 years. We knew that there’d be overlap with the parade filming and didn’t steer clear of the parks. The ones had been more practical occasions, and lets simply steer clear of filming of the vacation specials.
Again then, we by no means went out of our solution to watch the parade filming. Handiest within the ultimate two years have I particularly sought out the filming of the ABC vacation tv specials. And I’m happy that I did!
Towards my higher judgment, I arrived at Magic Kingdom simply after opening. Once I first approached safety, I right away idea, “what have I gotten myself into?!” There have been massive traces to go into the park, and the parade direction used to be already packed.
Since phrase had gotten out concerning the probability of MOUACP filming, roughly part of the Sunshine State descended upon Major Boulevard. Despite the fact that the primary parade wasn’t for a couple of hours, the entrance row of the sidewalks used to be already stuffed with visitors. In doing a snappy scan of the group, maximum had been simple to clock as Annual Passholders. (If you realize, you realize.)
And who may blame them? It used to be a unprecedented alternative to look Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade with out shedding $170+ in step with individual for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday celebration or visiting the weeks of Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve (when maximum Annual Passholders are blocked out, anyway). That indubitably sounded excellent to me, so I joined the crowd!
There have been a couple of changes to Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade for the ABC Christmas Day Parade, however not anything main–a gap banner, added characters, plus each Santa and Mrs. Claus.
It used to be neat to look the cameras swooping up and down in the midst of Major Boulevard to seize photos of the parade. With the exception of a few occasions when it looked like the parade bogged down and lingered just a little in that house, Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade used to be introduced as an ordinary parade.
As an alternative of doing a couple of takes of the parade with begins and forestalls, they only document it a couple of occasions. From a crowd point of view, extra performances is best, because it dilutes call for. The worst congestion might be for the first actual MOUACP. The bottom might be for the ultimate. Preferably, there might be 4 performances over 2 days.
There are execs and cons to the ABC Vacation Specials being filmed in Magic Kingdom.
The nice is that experience wait occasions are less than they’d be in a different way. Crowd ranges, as measured via wait occasions, have no longer been horrible over the weekend in Magic Kingdom both of the ultimate two years. The filming attracts a large number of visitors clear of sights, making every other portions of the park really feel downright uncrowded for a part of the day.
This could be lovely excellent on an ordinary day, but it surely’s implausible on a vacation weekend in Magic Kingdom. There’s no ensure of a repeat of this in November 2025, however crowds this low in Magic Kingdom on a weekend with longer hours in November or December is astounding. (Observe that that is implausible via vacation weekend requirements, no longer in absolute phrases–our favourite week after Thanksgiving in most cases sees a lot decrease wait occasions.)
The dangerous of the filming is that Major Boulevard and Cinderella Fort Forecourt are packed all day. No less than, if there finally end up being musical numbers filmed in Magic Kingdom. If no longer, there might be congestion alongside the parade direction that’ll fritter away as soon as that’s achieved.
The primary 12 months Disney did this over Veterans Day, they filmed segments all over the park. Navigating MK used to be difficult now and then in consequence. More than a few thoroughfares closed and visitors changed into one-way in different portions of the park. Ultimate 12 months, filming used to be restricted to the parade direction, after which the Cinderella Fort degree. The congestion used to be much more remoted.
Clearly, it’s unattainable to understand what the plan is for November 8-9, 2025. I’d suppose they’re going to movie no less than some sunlight hours musical numbers, which can once more draw visitors clear of sights to look at filming. If no longer, Magic Kingdom rides might see upper wait occasions.
The times I’ve achieved this prior to now, I’ve camped out to look at the parade, stuck a couple of degree display performances in passing during the day (by no means tenting out for them), after which returned within the night for the extra attractive midnight numbers.
Looking at the outlet for the Thanksgiving particular is a truly amusing revel in. It is a long musical medley with fast transitions and, to this clumsy and uncoordinated guy’s eye, a large number of fancy and hard dance strikes. However as it’s fancy and hard, the performers saved messing up about halfway via and having to do it everywhere once more.
Attending to a definite level within the regimen precipitated pyro. So we saved seeing fireworks, then they’d goof up, and it’d all need to be achieved once more. If the pyro used to be precipitated, there could be an extended extend between takes, as they’d need to stay up for the fireworks to be reset and the smoke to transparent.
In combination, this used to be essentially the most pyro I’ve ever noticed in one day at Walt Disney Global. That’s truly announcing one thing, since we’ve achieved New 12 months’s Eve and Fourth of July at each Magic Kingdom and EPCOT numerous occasions!
The fireworks had been clearly amusing, however there used to be additionally an out of this world communal power as everybody used to be cheering for the performers to get it proper. It felt like being at an fundamental college pageant stuffed with sure oldsters, however with a lot, a lot better performers.
Once more, I wish to emphasize that we have no idea whether or not there might be any midnight recording on November 8-9, 2025. Given Starlight and the in a single day recording at Disneyland, it wouldn’t wonder me in the slightest degree if there isn’t. Or in the event that they perhaps simply opt for a unmarried track or two as change-up numbers early within the night (earlier than the primary Starlight) or later within the evening (after the second one Starlight).
In the long run, spending all day in Magic Kingdom for the ABC vacation particular filming is a amusing and remarkable revel in. It might probably make navigating the park slightly difficult relying on which walkways (if any) are blocked off, however the upside is that the added leisure lowers wait occasions.
Decrease wait occasions (relative to an ordinary vacation weekend–no longer in absolute phrases) method you’ll pivot and do sights if the viewing spaces are too crowded for the parade or musical numbers. In response to how I’ve loved the revel in every of the ultimate two years, I’d suggest Walt Disney Global lovers talk over with Magic Kingdom on one in all nowadays.
For an much more granular advice, I’d go for observing Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade on November 9 over November 8, 2025. There are a large number of bloggers, vloggers, influencers, and Florida lovers who wish to be “first” at the entirety. Those teams will disproportionately talk over with on Saturday.
The very massive caveat I’d upload is to mood your expectancies. My very favourite a part of the revel in is the past due evening filming and fireworks, and there’s a powerful likelihood that can no longer occur November 8-9, 2025. It’s additionally fully imaginable that “phrase gets out” this 12 months and much more folks will talk over with Magic Kingdom than will steer clear of it, that Walt Disney Global will additional prohibit parade viewing–the checklist of problem dangers is going on and on.
Level being, I would like you to be cognizant of what you’re getting your self into–it might be superior, terrible, or someplace in between. There’s most effective two years of “precedent” for this, every of the former two years have various considerably from one some other, and there might be even larger adjustments for 2025. The implausible reports I’ve had prior to now won’t repeat this 12 months. Our advice additionally comes with a caution!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be seeking to catch Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade for “loose” on November 8-9, 2025? Have been you in Magic Kingdom all over the day or at evening when the Vacation Specials had been filmed in 2023 or 2024? What used to be your revel in? Any questions we will be able to let you resolution? Listening to your comments is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas under within the feedback!
