Avoiding the Christmas Parade

[Karabee]

We'll be in WDW from11/29 - 12/4 and while I want to get to the MK, I want to avoid the parade! Can you still ride everything else while the parade is taping? Or is it pretty inconvient? Do they tape into the night? The Saturday we're there MK is open until 10 and I'm wondering if perhaps they will be done taping by a certain time. Thanks!

 

[Mike7468]

That early in Dec I dont think they start taping the parade yet. I know they will tape stage shows across from the main street train station around that time. I'm not sure when they actually start taping the christmas parade but if they did it that early people wouldnt buy tickets for the XMAS party. So I think you should be fine.

 

[chartle]

That early in Dec I dont think they start taping the parade yet. I know they will tape stage shows across from the main street train station around that time. I'm not sure when they actually start taping the christmas parade but if they did it that early people wouldnt buy tickets for the XMAS party. So I think you should be fine.

They are taping the parade that they show Xmas morning on ABC and its taped usually on Saturday morning.

Its not the same parade they do for the parties and it takes 5 to 6 hours. They tape each performer multiple times to get all the camera angles they need. So its a lot of taping and restarting.

OP I have heard that since the taping is until around 1 or 2 the rest of the park should be less crowded. But at some point everyone at the parade will be let go so to speak and in the park.

 

[DebbieB]

We'll be in WDW from11/29 - 12/4 and while I want to get to the MK, I want to avoid the parade! Can you still ride everything else while the parade is taping? Or is it pretty inconvient? Do they tape into the night? The Saturday we're there MK is open until 10 and I'm wondering if perhaps they will be done taping by a certain time. Thanks!

I've been there on parade taping day, it's not that bad. No rides are affected. The only thing is Main Street might be blocked off, they send you through a cast member area behind Main Street near Tony's. While the parade is taping, the rest of the park is pretty quiet. When it's over, it can get busy. It's usually done by 3:00.

That early in Dec I dont think they start taping the parade yet. I know they will tape stage shows across from the main street train station around that time. I'm not sure when they actually start taping the christmas parade but if they did it that early people wouldnt buy tickets for the XMAS party. So I think you should be fine.

Those dates have been confirmed. The parade itself will likely be on Saturday December 1. It's not the same as seeing the MVMCP parade, it's a long tedious process that takes hours. Usually you have to have a special ticket to stand on Main Street, last year I believe they gave them out to cm's and their families.

 

[waynesgirl]

Those dates have been confirmed. The parade itself will likely be on Saturday December 1. It's not the same as seeing the MVMCP parade, it's a long tedious process that takes hours. Usually you have to have a special ticket to stand on Main Street, last year I believe they gave them out to cm's and their families.

Crap. I will be there then. We usually miss the taping dates by a day or 2. This bites.

Anyone wanna sulk in the corner with me?

 

[Mike7468]

Those dates have been confirmed. The parade itself will likely be on Saturday December 1. It's not the same as seeing the MVMCP parade, it's a long tedious process that takes hours. Usually you have to have a special ticket to stand on Main Street, last year I believe they gave them out to cm's and their families.[/QUOTE]

Learned something new. Didnt know that they confirm dates and things like that I was just going from what i have seen when I have been there. Thats why I'm liking this board, more knowledge the better. Of course the day I saw them taping it was a thursday morning. It was the Rock stage from HS studios that they brought over . I will agree they took many takes for the same verse of song that I witnessed the taping of.

Thanks for the info!

 

[michellelovesthemous]

Does anybody now if the tree will be up this year or if it won't because of the parade taping??? We missed the tree last year and were told it wasn't up per parade commentators request..don't know how accurate that was but that is what we were told.

 

[chartle]

Does anybody now if the tree will be up this year or if it won't because of the parade taping??? We missed the tree last year and were told it wasn't up per parade commentators request..don't know how accurate that was but that is what we were told.

The tree is never up for taping since it would block the view of the cameras from the train station area.

Years ago they put it up and then moved it for the parade and then moved it back, now they just put it up after the parade.

They also remove the wreaths that span main street since they would get in the way of the floats.

 

[JennyDrake]

I have also been during taping. Once you make it past Main Street, it is not too bad and rides are open, but Main Street is PACKED, almost to the point of being impassable.

 

[Neelloc]

Crap. I will be there then. We usually miss the taping dates by a day or 2. This bites.

Anyone wanna sulk in the corner with me?

We're also there at the same timeframe. 11/28-12/3. We're planning to go to other parks on Thursday, Friday, and most of Saturday. Might go back to the MK Saturday night to see MSEP and Wishes. Planning on MK Wednesday and Sunday.

We'll be fine.

 

[capecodprincess]

Ugh... Dec 1 is my birthday and I already have all of adrs for the day in mk... Also gma was going to meet me that day for her first ever trip to wdw (just one day...mk)... She is 72 and will need a scotter thing for mobility issues and has anxiety in large crowds... What do I do now?

 

[pilferk]

That early in Dec I dont think they start taping the parade yet. I know they will tape stage shows across from the main street train station around that time. I'm not sure when they actually start taping the christmas parade but if they did it that early people wouldnt buy tickets for the XMAS party. So I think you should be fine.

Parade taping is December 1st (unless there is "weather").

They'll be ancillary taping on Friday, November 30th and, likely, on Sunday, December 2nd. There may be some other shooting done on Thursday, November 29th. Some of that depends on weather, lighting, and how long it takes them to get each of the performances taped.

We've been during the taping a couple of times (one year, Miley Cyrus was performing..THAT was nuts). Main street can get crowded. It can get crowded around the performance areas/stages. The parade route is partially roped off (but they have CM's there to allow traffic flow, in the back part of the parks, during breaks in the filming). But most of the park, and the rides, are relatively quiet.

Taping usually wraps around 3 to 4 PM...they want strong daylight..and THEN the parks get busy.

 

[chartle]

We've been during the taping a couple of times (one year, Miley Cyrus was performing..THAT was nuts).

Even more than that Beaver kid or the Jones Brothers?

 

[pilferk]

Even more than that Beaver kid or the Jones Brothers?

I wasn't there for Bieber (or however you spell it). We went during Halloween that year.

Bigger than the Jonas Brothers, though....not sure how big their crowd was when they performed at DL, but we were there for their WDW performance. Miley's crowd was definitely bigger (and louder), in comparison.

 

[Missytara]

We'll be in WDW from11/29 - 12/4 and while I want to get to the MK, I want to avoid the parade! Can you still ride everything else while the parade is taping? Or is it pretty inconvient? Do they tape into the night? The Saturday we're there MK is open until 10 and I'm wondering if perhaps they will be done taping by a certain time. Thanks!

Yes, take the RR over to Frontierland and ride everything you can before 2 pm, and then hightail it back to the RR and go back to Main Street as the parade taping is letting out and spills out into the park.

I do it every year.

 

[chartle]

Yes, take the RR over to Frontierland and ride everything you can before 2 pm, and then hightail it back to the RR and go back to Main Street as the parade taping is letting out and spills out into the park.

I do it every year.

They run the train during the parade?

I would have thought they wouldn't because the parade crosses paths with the train and that it would make too much noise.

 

[gator girl]

Ugh... Dec 1 is my birthday and I already have all of adrs for the day in mk... Also gma was going to meet me that day for her first ever trip to wdw (just one day...mk)... She is 72 and will need a scotter thing for mobility issues and has anxiety in large crowds... What do I do now?

Get there very early so you can finish with the rides before they "release" the parade watchers into the rest of the park. The large crowds will be concentrated on Main Street until early afternoon. The railroad is a great idea if you can get a scooter on it... I'm sorry to say that I've never paid attention. If not, then you can either walk through all the connected stores to get down Main Street, or they will route you backstage down the right side of the street so the crowds shouldn't be that awful. You might consider leaving the park for dinner to take a break - see what ADRs you can get in a monorail resort. Grandma might like to have dinner with Cinderella & Prince Charming over at the Grand Floridian!

Alternately, can grandma do it any other day? You might have to give up your ADRs in order to make her more comfortable with the crowd levels on another day.

 

[jo-jo]

Does anyone know what time they start taping? We have 8:15 ADR for CP on Nov 30 and was hoping not to share main street with several hundred people.

 

[chartle]

Does anyone know what time they start taping? We have 8:15 ADR for CP on Nov 30 and was hoping not to share main street with several hundred people.

They start very early so you wouldn't be sharing it with anyone because you would probably be detoured backstage, but isn't the parade taping Dec 1?

 

[jo-jo]

They start very early so you wouldn't be sharing it with anyone because you would probably be detoured backstage, but isn't the parade taping Dec 1?

I thought they used two, maybe three days for the taping.

Never thought about the rerouted stuff. Not the special moment I was looking for. We have been there and the walking behind the shops stuff, not the reason I wanted an early ADR . Guess we will wait for another trip for this meal.