We Saw a POPULAR Christmas Parade in Magic Kingdom With Major Celebrities

Did you know that Disney has to plan A LOT to get the perfect recording of the Magic Kingdom Christmas Day Parade for the Disney Christmas Special each year? They really do, and we got to be behind the scenes to see how the taping really goes!

The parade is often hosted by different celebrities each year, and the final recording combines performances from other stars in both Disney World and Disneyland, as well as the actual holiday parades themselves. But they can’t just record random guests watching the parade — instead, Cast Members are given the opportunity to come watch the special recording of the show and invite a few friends along with them. We got a chance to see behind the scenes to check out what it’s really like, and let’s just say, it’s more chaotic than you may think!

When we walked into the park on November 8th, filming was well underway for the Christmas special this year, and we saw Cast Members (and their guests) decked out in holiday attire all up and down Main Street.

Something you may not expect to see at this recording is, just like on all other sets (which I’ve been on a good number of times — yay for filmmaking and acting on camera!), you may see a part of the parade happen over and over and over again. This is so the camera team can get the angle just right and ensure there are no issues. In our case, they redid the announcement of the parade numerous times before moving on.

We also got to see Alfonso Ribeiro and Ginnifer Goodwin in attendance, and we even saw Disney bring out Maia Kealoha, Lilo from the live-action Lilo & Stitch, to announce the parade and the arrival of the Christmas Tree.

What was really interesting to see was that, unlike the nighttime recording we also got to see them do, the park was otherwise FILLED with regular daytime guests that weren’t able to join in on the fun. In fact, the only people allowed on Main Street during the taping were Cast Members and their guests registered for the taping; all other guests had to walk through the Emporium all the way down to Cinderella Castle to get to the rest of the park. Now, regular guests could also see the parade from Frontierland, the area near Tony’s Town Square, the Main Street Train Station, and City Hall.

We got a chance to see the Villains Happy Holidays Cavalcade before the main parade, so spoiler alert, you will see some of your favorite Villains in the final product. The parade followed soon after!

Ever wondered how Disney gets those great crowd shots that look like they’re from inside the parade? Well, we saw a scooter heading down Main Street a few times, presumably getting those shots — it was very neat! We’ll have to see how it all comes out on Christmas Day, when the final film will be shown on ABC.

Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney holiday news — we’ll be in the parks pretty much every day this season to bring you all the latest updates so you’re prepared for your vacation!

Learn all there is to know about Christmastime in Disney World right here!

What’s your favorite part of the holiday season in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!