What happens every year on Christmas morning?
No, silly, everyone huddles around the TV and watches the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.
Sure you do. That’s what Christmas is all about, a beautiful Christmas morning at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
I’m going to tell you a little secret. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. The Christmas Day Parade at Walt Disney World or Disneyland doesn’t happen on Christmas Day.
The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is much more than a parade. It’s a 2-hour commercial for the Disney Parks, hotels and Disney sponsored entertainers. The show features some big entertainer performing on the Magic Kingdom Castle stage and another at Disneyland.
When is the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade Filmed?
This year, the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade is actually being filmed at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. The portions of the special that feature WDW will feature musical numbers to be filmed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (November 3), Animal Kingdom (November 4), and Magic Kingdom (November 5-7).
If you’ve never been involved in a TV show taping it’s both interesting and boring. Segments are taped over and over and over and over. It’s not unusual to have the same song performed 20 times for different camera angles.
The taping is done over several days. Each part is done then redone then done again.
Where to Watch the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade
The show can be see on ABC on Christmas Day. Here are the times:
- Eastern Time – 11am-1pm
- Central Time – Noon-2pm
- Mountain Time – 10am-Noon
- Pacific Time – 5pm-7pm
- Los Angeles – 9am-11am (on KABC)
What is Christmas Day Really Like
So, Dad, if what we see on TV is not live, what is Christmas Day really like at the Magic Kingdom?
Glad you asked. Christmas Day is the busiest day of the year at Magic Kingdom Park. There are wall-to-wall people. It can take you an hour just to get a Coke.
