ABC Christmas Day Parade - 'Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration' taping schedule

[French Quarter]

I just hope the televised version is better than the mess they put out last year. That was awful and hardly showed any of the actual parade.

Wasn't that largely due to the major construction?

 

[JohnD]

FOF?

Festival Of Fantasy parade

 

[Megala]

We planned to be in the MK on the 10th. Do they still do the rope drop if they will be taping?

 

[dvitali]

Hard to say because the railroad is out of commission during that time and the sound will disrupt the taping.

 

[habuma]

How much of an impact does this make to the park? We arive on the 9th dose this change how I should plan our MK days?

We've been in MK a few times during the parade taping. As others have said, it's not bad as long as you avoid Main Street and don't mind a reduced parade/show schedule.

In fact, our first time to be there during taping we had no idea that it was happening. We were in Adventureland and it was like a ghost town...hardly anyone else around. Of course, that was in 2008...things may be different now.

 

[parker4fm]

I agree, but to be fair, they explicitly didn't call it a "parade" last year. Nevertheless, it was a mess, and made me really miss the year Neil Patrick Harris hosted, when they had that amazing opening number.

I wouldn't count on seeing much of the parade this year either.

 

[Bolt]

I wouldn't count on seeing much of the parade this year either.

Why's that?

 

[halltd]

Why's that?

"Parade" is notably absent from the title of the production again this year. So, it most likely will have the same format as last year's Frozen show, but without Frozen.

 

[Matt_Black]

As long as they don't have the musical acts perform their latest single in lieu of actual holiday music like last year... Feh!

Also, bring back Il Volo, because they crushed it when they were on a few years back.

 

[EUmickey]

Hasn't almost every Halloween party at WDW sold out this year?

Yes, all at Disneyland California sold out. ALMOST none in Orlando sold out (except for 5 dates so far).

 

[French Quarter]

"Parade" is notably absent from the title of the production again this year. So, it most likely will have the same format as last year's Frozen show, but without Frozen.

Not saying you are wrong (and I know I'm repeating myself) but wasn't last year's lack of a parade mostly due to the hub being all torn up and them trying to avoid showing this? That's what people said at the time, I'm sure of it.

 

[French Quarter]

Yes, all at Disneyland California sold out. ALMOST none in Orlando sold out (except for 5 dates so far).

Weird. I've been following the thread on the parties at WDW and it seems like a lot of them have been sold out. Some are saying it was the most successful year to date.

 

[prberk]

Did way back in the day, they tape earlier than December? I can say, crowds the last few years in December have increased.

"Way back in the day," that is, before 1998 or so, the parade was broadcast LIVE on Christmas Day, and was more like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade -- live, kinetic fun, with a big, festive crowd. It was a much better show.

In that time the first weeks of December were known to be lightly crowded, as were the first weeks of November. The crowded time was the week from Christmas Day to January 1.

 

[prberk]

Not saying you are wrong (and I know I'm repeating myself) but wasn't last year's lack of a parade mostly due to the hub being all torn up and them trying to avoid showing this? That's what people said at the time, I'm sure of it.

The show has been hardly a "parade" for years now, getting worse each year. It is primarily an info-mercial now for all of the Disney parks and travel offerings, and hardly any "Christmas" or holiday stuff compared to the years of "Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade," as it was known for most years.

I think most people here are resigned to the fact that that parade (or even holiday offerings) is hardly their focus any more. It is mostly now like the Vacation Planning DVD for DL, WDW, Cruise Line, Aulani, and Adventures by Disney, only with a little time left for showing Disney Channel and pop music stars with some tinsel or garland on the buildings behind them, pretending that Disneyland, Hawaii, and WDW are all in the same time zone, partying at the same time. And every now and then the pop stars seem to get out of the way for a minute or so of a parade to go by.

 

[Goofnut1980]

"Way back in the day," that is, before 1998 or so, the parade was broadcast LIVE on Christmas Day, and was more like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade -- live, kinetic fun, with a big, festive crowd. It was a much better show.

In that time the first weeks of December were known to be lightly crowded, as were the first weeks of November. The crowded time was the week from Christmas Day to January 1.

I remember going as a kid in December around the 6th or so for a week and it was glorious! There was about 6 people in the parks and we were 4 of them!

 

[French Quarter]

The show has been hardly a "parade" for years now, getting worse each year. It is primarily an info-mercial now for all of the Disney parks and travel offerings, and hardly any "Christmas" or holiday stuff compared to the years of "Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade," as it was known for most years.

I think most people here are resigned to the fact that that parade (or even holiday offerings) is hardly their focus any more. It is mostly now like the Vacation Planning DVD for DL, WDW, Cruise Line, Aulani, and Adventures by Disney, only with a little time left for showing Disney Channel and pop music stars with some tinsel or garland on the buildings behind them, pretending that Disneyland, Hawaii, and WDW are all in the same time zone, partying at the same time. And every now and then the pop stars seem to get out of the way for a minute or so of a parade to go by.

You say that like it's a bad thing!

 

[prberk]

You say that like it's a bad thing!

I really hope you are kidding.

What Disney is doing these days is doing what the world expects of them -- crass commercialism, without the exceptionalism that used to accompany their commerce. They did have synergy before, yes, cross-promoting other Disney projects, but it was alongside a truly meaningful experience -- in this case a live parade that made you feel like you were there (or at least wished you could be). It was live and whetted the appetite for WDW while feeling like you were actually celebrating the holiday with them, not coming up with a fake "celebration."

In the past, before visiting people understood WDW to be a place to bring your kids almost because you had to (a rite of passage, but one not necessarily meant for adults) -- but once they got there, they generally found exceptionally good service and adult or family experiences (fine food, extraordinary performances, golf, fishing, campfires) that exceeded their expectations, eventually becoming the expectation for a later trip.

And that is what I would expect from the Christmas celebration -- to whet our appetite for more, but not by forcing it. Instead, from simply sharing the experience and excitement of being there for Christmas and be a professionally-produced parade show, like Macy's on New Year's Day. Not an infomercial that is clearly pre-recorded and sterile, not really about being anywhere on a holiday.

 

[French Quarter]

I really hope you are kidding.

What Disney is doing these days is doing what the world expects of them -- crass commercialism, without the exceptionalism that used to accompany their commerce. They did have synergy before, yes, cross-promoting other Disney projects, but it was alongside a truly meaningful experience -- in this case a live parade that made you feel like you were there (or at least wished you could be). It was live and whetted the appetite for WDW while feeling like you were actually celebrating the holiday with them, not coming up with a fake "celebration."

In the past, before visiting people understood WDW to be a place to bring your kids almost because you had to (a rite of passage, but one not necessarily meant for adults) -- but once they got there, they generally found exceptionally good service and adult or family experiences (fine food, extraordinary performances, golf, fishing, campfires) that exceeded their expectations, eventually becoming the expectation for a later trip.

And that is what I would expect from the Christmas celebration -- to whet our appetite for more, but not by forcing it. Instead, from simply sharing the experience and excitement of being there for Christmas and be a professionally-produced parade show, like Macy's on New Year's Day. Not an infomercial that is clearly pre-recorded and sterile, not really about being anywhere on a holiday.

You are talking to the wrong person. This girl lives for WDW promotion. The planning videos are my favourite movies. It's like crack.

 

[prberk]

You are talking to the wrong person. This girl lives for WDW promotion. The planning videos are my favourite movies. It's like crack.

No, I think they have their place. I get sometimes get them, too.

But I already have them. The holiday show is unique to the time; it is a time to feel like you are there, live, at the holiday.

If you are a WDW addict, I would think that the feeling of being there live would sate that even better than a re-run of what you have on the shelf on a DVD -- especially if it has the exception of being there on a holiday. Otherwise, just put your DVD in and let the rest of us experience the kinetic and unique energy of being at WDW for Christmas with a Christmas parade on Christmas Day (if they were to ever do that again).

I in no way see how a live, well-produced look at the WDW Very Merry Christmas Parade would not be "like crack" to a WDW fan who cannot be there on Christmas Day.

 

[French Quarter]

No, I think they have their place. I get sometimes get them, too.

But I already have them. The holiday show is unique to the time; it is a time to feel like you are there, live, at the holiday.

If you are a WDW addict, I would think that the feeling of being there live would sate that even better than a re-run of what you have on the shelf on a DVD -- especially if it has the exception of being there on a holiday. Otherwise, just put your DVD in and let the rest of us experience the kinetic and unique energy of being at WDW for Christmas with a Christmas parade on Christmas Day (if they were to ever do that again).

I in no way see how a live, well-produced look at the WDW Very Merry Christmas Parade would not be "like crack" to a WDW fan who cannot be there on Christmas Day.

It is ok for us to like different things. I don't need it to be a parade necessarily but I wasn't really commenting on that. I was meaning that I have no problem with the holiday special being a big promotion for Disney.