ABC filmed the 2024 “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” at Walt Disney International again in mid-November. I spent the day looking at it reside in Magic Kingdom, from park opening till after park last, and proportion footage & my enjoy–plus when the display airs on ABC, Disney+ and YouTube, the performer lineup, and predictions for 2025 theme park bulletins.
Let’s get started with the fundamentals about ABC’s Christmas Day Parade. To not smash the appearance, however ABC’s Disney Christmas Day Parade does now not air reside–and hasn’t been for some time. It’s pre-recorded over a month upfront over a pair days similtaneously the Thanksgiving weekend particular. The silver lining is that, relying upon your age, all of your early life will not be a lie. In case you be mindful the model hosted by means of Regis Philbin and Joan Lunden, that may’ve been reside (no less than, in part).
In this day and age, appearing as much as Walt Disney International or Disneyland on Christmas Day to peer famous person performances reside could be a reasonably large blunder. Certain, you’ll be capable to see Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade in individual…however now not the celebs or musical performances or anything else particular. It’ll simply be the parade itself, which runs throughout Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, then for approximately a 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.
Nearly all of this 12 months’s ABC’s Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade used to be filmed at Walt Disney International over the process Veterans Day Weekend–again on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10. I watched it live to tell the tale that Sunday, which is what this publish covers (along side the former 12 months).
For the ones making plans forward for 2025 Walt Disney International holidays, it’ll almost definitely be filmed round the similar weekend subsequent 12 months. This has been the case for 2 consecutive years, and it sort of feels adore it works neatly for Disney–the manufacturing procedure appeared actually easy this 12 months, particularly as in comparison to earlier years when the parade used to be filmed in early December.
See our listing of the 10 Absolute best and 10 Worst Weeks to Seek advice from Walt Disney International in 2025 & 2026, because the weeks round this date make each lists. With that stated, despite the fact that Veterans Day and Jersey Week are at the “worst” facet, the crowds aren’t as unhealthy as they was–and are extra avoidable should you select your parks properly. This week is surely worse than the only earlier than or after it, in addition to all the months of August and September, however it’s now 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 song, and heartwarming tales about how the Disney Parks convey households in combination. It additionally showcases new points of interest which can be coming quickly or just lately opened at Walt Disney International and Disneyland, in addition to sneak peeks of films and presentations coming to theaters and streaming products and services. Mainly, those specials are one section leisure and one section infomercial for all issues Disney.
The 2024 ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade is hosted by means of Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro, and used to be as soon as once more filmed at Walt Disney International Hotel in Florida. The parade itself options fan-favorite Disney Characters, gifted performers, festive cheer, and amusing song.
The ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade isn’t simply Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade, despite the fact that. There also are a variety of musical performances by means of giant names at the Cinderella Fort Forecourt Level. Further performances had been recorded at Disneyland Hotel in California, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Level, and Aulani Hotel and Spa in Hawaii.
Right here’s how and the place to look at 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 Carrier: 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 massive alternate for 2024 is that the Christmas Day parade will flow an hour in a while Disney+ and YouTube. In earlier years, it’s been to be had day after today. I don’t find out about you, however despite the fact that I do know the parade used to be filmed over a month in the past (as a result of I noticed it in individual!), looking at it the day after Christmas simply isn’t the similar. Even supposing it’s now not reside reside, it’s nonetheless a tv ‘match’ that’s easiest loved when everybody else is, on Christmas morning!
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” may also function musical performances for the particular together with the next:
- Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro – “Iciness Wonderland”
- Elton John – “Tiny Dancer”
- Andy Grammer and Junkanoo Birthday party Performers – “Santa Claus Is Coming To The town”
- John Legend – “This Christmas”
- Carly Pearce – “(Everyone’s Waitin’ For) The Guy 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
- Solid of “Descendants: The Upward push of Crimson” – “Crimson Christmas” / “Jolly to the Core”
- Anika Noni Rose – “Christmas (Child Please Come House)”
- SEVENTEEN – “Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree”
You received’t need to leave out the unbelievable floats and dazzling decorations of the parade at Walt Disney International and all of the vacation magic that involves existence. Plus, catch a sneak top at what’s to return in 2025 on the Disney Parks!
We all the time watch the ABC Disney Christmas Day Parade in particular because of this–to peer what’s teased or published for the 12 months to return. Truthfully, I’m now not anticipating a lot in that regard this 12 months. Neither Walt Disney International nor Disneyland have a lot within the pipeline for the following couple of years, so there isn’t actually a lot that may be published. Listed here are some chances and predictions which can be rather lifelike:
- New Tropical Americas Idea Artwork or Main points
- New Check Observe 3.0 Idea Artwork
- WDW Leisure Announcement for 2025
- WDW Summer season 2025 Birthday party
- New Starlight Parade Idea Artwork or Debut Date
- Disneyland seventieth Anniversary First Glance
- Sneak Peek at Walt Disney Audio Animatronics Determine
That’s actually about it. Disney has already indicated there can be a primary have a look at the approaching Disneyland seventieth Anniversary birthday celebration, in order that’s a given. The massive query is then what’s going to be shared for Walt Disney International. Pronouncing a get started date for Starlight Night time Parade or no matter else Walt Disney International has deliberate for Summer season 2025 makes essentially the most sense, particularly since households get started interested by and reserving subsequent 12 months’s journeys whilst looking at those presentations.
As for my enjoy looking at the filming of the 2024 ABC Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade reside in individual, it used to be superior. That is the second one consecutive 12 months I’ve sought out parade filming weekend, after years of keeping off it.
Previously, we’ve warned that the particular can also be uninteresting to look at in individual and it creates congestion. What you’re seeing on tv now would possibly appear adore it’d be amusing to peer in individual, however is the results of meticulous paintings in capturing, re-shooting, and cautious enhancing. This is applicable to the musical performances at the Cinderella Fort level, now not the parade itself. The “fast” songs interspersed all the way through the particular in fact take a lot, for much longer to movie than Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade!
This isn’t to mention it’s now not stress-free to look at (it’s!), we simply need to set expectancies correctly. There’s numerous preventing, pausing, and restarting. The songs you spot carried out on level aren’t like a conventional live performance with the performer making a song quite a lot of other vacation hits. It’s the similar track a number of occasions, after which the following performer transferring directly to their track…additionally carried out a number of occasions. What you spot within the span of a pair hours on tv can take more than one days to document.
The massive problem of looking at Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is the crowds and congestion.
With this being the second one 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 lovers. As quickly because the time table up to date in October, we shared that you’ll be able to see Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade filmed throughout the day totally free! with readers. This website online wasn’t the one one.
As a result, crowds had been heavy alongside the parade direction to look at Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade with roughly part of the Sunshine State descending upon Primary Boulevard. Remaining 12 months, I confirmed up a pair hours upfront to stake out my favourite spot–the easiest dead-on view of Cinderella Fort. This 12 months, that space used to be already filled with folks a lot previous (as such, the parade footage are from ultimate 12 months–I had an overly suboptimal attitude this 12 months and maximum of my footage are rubbish in consequence).
Who may just blame lovers for staking out spots so early? It used to be an extraordinary alternative to peer Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade with out shedding $150+ in step with individual for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration or visiting the weeks of Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve. It’s a good chance to experience a very good parade that’s in most cases paywalled.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is in large part offered in its commonplace, uninterrupted shape for the ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. There are a couple of most commonly unnoticeable adjustments, however not anything primary–a gap banner, a couple of characters, plus each Santa and Mrs. Claus.
It’s cool to peer the manufacturing in motion. Cameras swoop up and down in the course of Primary Boulevard to seize photos of the parade because it runs most commonly as commonplace. Except a few occasions when it gave the look of the parade bogged down and lingered just a little in that space, Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is a typical parade throughout the recording. That is the only factor that’s roughly the similar reside in individual as it’s at house.
This implies there used to be no beginning and preventing or more than one takes. Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is possibly 1-2 mins longer than commonplace, which isn’t unhealthy. If anything else, there are fewer interruptions reside in individual than there are at the ABC particular!
Past this, there are professionals and cons to the ABC Vacation Specials being filmed in Magic Kingdom. Traces for rides had been shorter than they’d’ve been in a different way. Crowd ranges, as measured by means of wait occasions, had been low to average over the process each days, regardless of it being a vacation weekend.
The added bonus used to be that Magic Kingdom had longer hours to house the filming and accompanying visitor disruptions. The park opened at 8 am each days, last in the dead of night on Saturday and 11 pm on Sunday. To the most efficient of my recollection, that used to be the handiest nighttime closure at Magic Kingdom this complete vacation season to this point (December 30-31 can have longer hours).
The disadvantage of the filming at the day I visited used to be that the whole thing of Primary Boulevard used to be closed off for a number of hours, and all the space in entrance of Cinderella Fort used to be blocked off for the on-stage performances. I didn’t realize another pathways blocked off, as used to be the case ultimate 12 months, however the ones are regularly short-lived, so it’s conceivable that I merely ignored the closures.
Truthfully, I didn’t watch any of the daylight hours performances in entrance of Cinderella Fort.
There have been a pair ‘classes’ that I discovered ultimate 12 months. The primary used to be that the daylight hours performances had been a lot, a lot more crowded and it used to be tough to peer anything else happening.
The second one used to be that there are fireworks–quite a bit and a number of fireworks–throughout the midnight performances. Given the ones two issues, skipped the daylight hours level presentations and did rides then, returning within the night time for the ones musical numbers and the accompanying pyro.
The largest problem of this used to be that I ignored Elton John, certainly one of my all-time favourite musicians. He recorded songs proper round sundown into the early night time, probably so his set may well be used for each the Thanksgiving and Christmas Day specials. This additionally implies that I didn’t catch any of the performances that’ll be used for the ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. I’ll be looking at at house for the primary time like everybody else.
A minimum of, I guess. Disney in most cases makes use of the midnight photos for the Thanksgiving particular, which is “set” at night time. The ABC Christmas Day Parade is about, because the title suggests, throughout the day. So the daylight hours performances are used for that. It’s a suave way 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 here are extra of my footage from the ABC Christmas Day Parade filming in Magic Kingdom:
In the end, spending all day in Magic Kingdom for the 2024 ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade filming used to be a amusing enjoy, and one I’m more than pleased to have had! This used to be my 2nd consecutive 12 months doing it, and I actually hope so that you can repeat it in 2025. Assuming it occurs Veterans Day weekend once more, that are supposed to be simple to perform.
It’s additionally one we’d now actively counsel to different Walt Disney International lovers. My recommendation to somebody studying this at the fence about visiting Magic Kingdom on in this day and age is to do it. However moderately than staking out a parade spot 3-4 hours upfront, simply get a subpar view in Frontierland on the ultimate minute. After that, skip the remainder of the daylight hours performances and go back to the Cinderella Fort hub space after Fortunately Ever After. Experience 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 direction (they’re handiest more likely to worsen as phrase continues to get out), is numerous amusing. Similar is going for the on-stage performances, particularly the ones at night time for the Thanksgiving particular, entire with heaps of fireworks. In case you don’t thoughts rather increased crowds over the vacation weekend and portions of the park being closed off (now not rides, however walkways) whilst recording is going on, it’s a good time to talk over with! It is helping that Veterans Day isn’t as busy because it was, a development we’d additionally be expecting to proceed in 2025.
Making plans a Walt Disney International commute? Find out about accommodations on our Walt Disney International Accommodations Critiques web page. For the place to devour, learn our Walt Disney International Eating place Critiques. To save cash on tickets or resolve which kind to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash on Walt Disney International Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a singular have a look at suave pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney International Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to begin is our Walt Disney International Commute Making plans Information for the whole lot you wish to have to grasp!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Had been you in Magic Kingdom throughout the day or at night time when the 2024 Vacation Specials had been filmed? Did you watch the parade, musical performances on level, or each? What used to be your enjoy? Have you ever been in Walt Disney International or Disneyland throughout previous filmings? Do you want to wait? Ideas on ABC’s Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade or the Thanksgiving weekend particular? Any questions we will will let you solution? Listening to your comments is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas under within the feedback!
