Christmas Parade Taping?

[dvitali]

Do anybody have a general idea what weekend or week they will begin taping for the annual Christmas show with Regis and Kelly in december? Is there anybody special doing a show in front of the castle say the first week of December that will be taped ahead of time? I wonder if I will need to extra cash for this event or avoid MK on certain day of taping.

On the same topic I would love to see ABC and Disney one year taped the show during the nighttime hours so that they can include fireworks to the end of the parade just as Santa come down main street with the fake snow falling on main street. ABC should also move the show from 10 am to Noon to the 8 pm hours where there a chance of a better viewers audience.

 

[rbrower]

They usually tape it around the first week in December. Or at least that is when they filmed it last year. Hope that helps!

 

[DolFan]

If you are a passholder they will announce it in the monthly newsletter. It is usually the first weekend in december. They film during the day to make it seem like it is being broadcasted live.

 

[AEfx]

The celebrities who appear in front of the castle, or other locations, are not announced ahead of time for security reasons. They happen randomly throughout the week, though it seems as if many happy in early afternoon. The only people that you will for-sure see are Regis and Kelly, if you are there on the taping day, and from about 150 feet away.

I'll be honest - the people who stand in lines all night to be in the taping, and stand there ALL DAY pretending over and over to be enjoying the same floats, well, they have my admiration. I could never do it.

However, you will find the rest of the park slightly less crowded because of it, once you get past Main Street. It's fun to walk by and see Regis and Kelly (from however far away), but just don't expect to see much. I believe this last year there were mostly passholders who got in to do the parade; you can't just walk up and say you want to be in the audience. They have them all seperately roped off, so you will have to even find out if you are elligible if you are interested when the time comes.

Does anyone know if they let civillians behind the red ropes this year? I just know the line streched 1/2 way to the Contemporary and I was so glad I wasn't going in their "special" entrance.

AEfx

 

[dvitali]

If you are a passholder they will announce it in the monthly newsletter. It is usually the first weekend in december. They film during the day to make it seem like it is being broadcasted live.

I know but if you have a family members in the orlando area and they call you on Christmas day saying that they having a tropical downpour at that moment while you are watching the Parade on tv, where there no cloud in the sky, it take a small bit of the disney magic away on christmas day. I am sure that Disney can fake a live broadcasted during the nightime hours also. I love to see someone sing O Holy Night in front of a lit Cinderella Castle at night than during the daylight hours.

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

When do they release exact dates for the taping?

 

[AEfx]

LOL you gotta love the cheesy "we are really live" schtick. Regis and Kelly even build it up on their show by refering to them going to Disney World for a few days to "rehearse" the show, /

I about peed my pants when I was watching last years parade on TV and saw Beyonce perform, and then Regis and Kelly turning back to the camera and saying, "Wow, what a great performance!" when I can tell you I was there personally and at no time were Beyonce and Regis and Kelly anywhere near each other (at least in the park). I'd have to check my notes, but I even think it was different days.

Ah, but people buy it. Most of them. It's a fun time to be around. They had a hard time keeping people in front of the castle for Beyonce. Everyone was super-excited whenever she came out, but after she sang "Silent Night" once or twice people started to filter away. Then they'd gather up more people, she'd sing it a few more times (was stopped by rain a few times - I will say she is a trooper, she didn't complain at all when she was standing there in a white dress getting rained on), and then the process repeated. I saw her sing it at least 8-9 times personally before even I gave up (though I watched it from almost that many different vantage points).

I had to chuckle as I walked by and a CM (who I think was a CP'er, very young and, dare I say, naive) who said to another CM, "Maybe if she sang a different song they (the audience) would stay."

Priceless, LOL.

AEfx

 

[dvitali]

The most "cheesy moment" for me every year is when Regis and Kelly sent the show over to Ryan Seacrest at Disneyland in California. Knowing the time different between east coast and west it make you ask the question " Why is Disneyland in California is having their Christmas Parade at 6 AM! and why it not semi-dark in the morning in California:ROFLOL:

THE show can be must better if they move the time the show airing on tv until the evening hour, include the Epcot Candlelight Procession, Osborne Lights,maybe throw in the Spectro Magic lights, Santa and Mickey setting off the firework and fake snow at the end of the show, And STOP MAKING IT A INFO-COMMERICAL for disney parks.

IF The Macy Parade may the best thing to kick off the Holiday season then Disney Parade should be the perfect thing to end the Holiday season.

 

[YankeeMouse]

Last year it was Sat, I think Dec 1. We were supposed to fly out the day before, but got snowed in at home in Chicago, so stayed another day. We were talking with a cast member working with the crowd scenes the day before taping and told her we were going to miss it. When we stayed the extra day, she saw us watching the taping, remembered us, and asked us to come under the ropes and be part of the audience! So we got to be part of the crowd without the long wait, which I believe was HOURS! It was great for a one time deal, but I don't think this year I'd want to stand there for hours, jumping up and down and applauding and yelling with each direction from the director! We did find ourselves on the show on Christmas morning, though, and now that we have that on tape, I'd probably skip it next time. My husband was into it, but I kept looking longingly toward Adventureland, thinking, I want to go on Pirates!

 

[happymom52003]

Avoid the MK the weekend they are filming. Seriously....crowds are horrible, and Main Street and the castle area are blocked off alot of the time.
I also agree that they go WAY OVERBOARD on the fakeness when this parade is broadcasted. I just don't get why they have to pretend it is live when it is not. Makes no sense to me.

 

[RiversideBunny]

We have been at WDW on Christmas Day when, looking out our WDW resort hotel window, we could see that it was raining hard.
On the TV in the room, however, the Christmas parade was being shown in bright sun light.

A friend went to the taping and did not really enjoy it. It's not taped like it is shown on Christmas. The 'parade' is not continuous. It's taped in segments.
Sometimes they take an individual float and back it up and rerun it to get a better shot. The celebrities are not really sitting there watching a whole parade, like it seems.

It may not be worth it to try and be in the Magic Kingdom on the day that they are taping it, unless you are just curious about it.

:xmas:

 

[AEfx]

We were talking with a cast member working with the crowd scenes the day before taping and told her we were going to miss it. When we stayed the extra day, she saw us watching the taping, remembered us, and asked us to come under the ropes and be part of the audience! So we got to be part of the crowd without the long wait, which I believe was HOURS!

Yes, the line was hours long, because as people filter out they let new people in. Many of the people in line never even got in. It sounds like your family had a VERY magical experience! I agree that people shouldn't count on it happening the way it did to you, but it's so great that it is a possibility - and seeing yourself on TV must have been great! That's a nice treat on Christmas morning. Bet it was surreal though, being home and watching yourself at Disney pretending it's Christmas when it now really is, LOL.

A friend went to the taping and did not really enjoy it. It's not taped like it is shown on Christmas. The 'parade' is not continuous. It's taped in segments.
Sometimes they take an individual float and back it up and rerun it to get a better shot. The celebrities are not really sitting there watching a whole parade, like it seems.

Yup, that's how it works. It's one float at a time generally, and the only celebrities who are there for any length of time are Regis and Kelly, and you can't get within 150 feet of them - the entire area where they are sitting is enclosed by planters and security. It's a long day, and you have people yelling at you to be happy and show your enthusiasm. If you are interested in television production, it's actually quite interesting in that respect. And the producers aren't afraid to yell at people who put on a poncho or hat they don't like, LOL.

It is a fun experience to be in the park that day (the rides aren't generally packed), but I wouldn't make it my once-in-a-lifetime trip to the MK either.

AEfx

 

[dvitali]

Did any of you know in advance that it was going on? Knowing my luck the day I choose to go to Mk will be the one they will tape and no one will tell me about certain restriction.
To understand this correctly If I was lucky to get in the park before they did some taping:
1. while the shows/ parade is being taped I will be only be be able to stay in the lands behind the castle (Tommorrowland, toon ,fantasy, and adventure).
2. the wait time on certain rides will be extra long and getting from point A to point B will take extra minutes getting to.
3. A separate entrance and exit for general tourist who do not have this hard ticket.
4. Most of the shops on Main street will close during the parade so no shopping

 

[happymom52003]

Did any of you know in advance that it was going on? Knowing my luck the day I choose to go to Mk will be the one they will tape and no one will tell me about certain restriction.
To understand this correctly If I was lucky to get in the park before they did some taping:
1. while the shows/ parade is being taped I will be only be be able to stay in the lands behind the castle (Tommorrowland, toon ,fantasy, and adventure).
2. the wait time on certain rides will be extra long and getting from point A to point B will take extra minutes getting to.
3. A separate entrance and exit for general tourist who do not have this hard ticket.
4. Most of the shops on Main street will close during the parade so no shopping

Yes, we knew it was being taped when we went, but had family with us who were only there for that weekend so we had no choice. My 13 year old cousin who has always dreamed of going to Disney (this was her very first visit) missed out on the awesome experince of stepping onto Main Street for the first time and seeing the castle. Instead, her first view in the MK was of the alley/parking lot behind the shops on Main Street that they rerouted us through that smelled like a bathroom. You can imagine the dissapointment. They announce the dates well ahead of time, so if you keep an eye out on this site I am sure you can find out the date and make your decision.

 

[AEfx]

Here is about as close as you will get to Regis and Kelly. It's like playing Where's Waldo, LOL.

AEfx

 

[coastermaster83]

its fun but very long, i did it 2 years ago and we went to the taping in the morning and then stayed in the park all day and the went to MVMCP at night, lets just say i left tampa at 5am and got to the park at 6:30am and then we left the park at I think it was 1am that night after MVMCP and it was FREEZING COLD THAT NIGHT, It took my fiancees car heater 30 mins to warm me up. but yeah its fun and all but i think if i did it again it would be after Im married so i can say on property and just go to a hotel and sleep after its over.