Christmas Parade Taping FAQ : Crowds / Dates / Etc

[shehouse]

I've tried everywhere to find this information to no avail. Please help!! Has anything been published about when the parade will be taped this year? We are at Disney World the first 2 weekends in December, when it is usually taped. Should I avoid the park? Can I get back in, since I have dining reservations for lunch at Whispering Canyon? Any help would be extremely greatful!!

Thank you!!!

 

[Spanky]

Saturday, December 1 is the taping of the Christmas parade. Fri. Nov. 30 is taping of Castle shows. Back up date is Sunday, December 2. I am going 11/28-12/5. From what I have read the taping mostly affects main street. If you cut through the stores to avoid main street, the rest of the park is suppose to be OK. I guess we will find out on Sat. Dec. 1.

 

[krissy2803]

Thanks for that info Spanky! I was just wondering the same thing a few days ago.
We have the exact same dates for our trips.
And I live a few miles down I-35 from ya!

 

[Cinderella21]

do we know who is gonna be performing in the parade this year?

 

[Mike©]

Saturday, December 1 is the taping of the Christmas parade. Fri. Nov. 30 is taping of Castle shows. Back up date is Sunday, December 2. I am going 11/28-12/5. From what I have read the taping mostly affects main street. If you cut through the stores to avoid main street, the rest of the park is suppose to be OK. I guess we will find out on Sat. Dec. 1.

Thanks for that info Spanky! I was just wondering the same thing a few days ago.
We have the exact same dates for our trips.
And I live a few miles down I-35 from ya!

LOL We have the same dates also

 

[luvyawdw]

Hello everyone,
I have heard by some members that the Christmas show taping is tentitivley scheduled for Nov 30 & Dec 1. We are thinking about going then and worried about the crowds and long waits . Is the crowd going to be confined to just he MK or will it likely spill into the other parks as well?
Could somebody give us some more feedback on this, maybe some advice if we cant change our dates. Has anyone experienced this before?
Thank you all,
Lisa

 

[Robo]

Hello everyone,
I have heard by some members that the Christmas show taping is tentitivley scheduled for Nov 30 & Dec 1. We are thinking about going then and worried about the crowds and long waits . Is the crowd going to be confined to just he MK or will it likely spill into the other parks as well?
Could somebody give us some more feedback on this, maybe some advice if we cant change our dates. Has anyone experienced this before?
Thank you all,
Lisa

The crowds are only on Main Street and the Hub during the taping.
The rest of the park is "normal" which generally means "very low attendance" at this time of year.

After the taping is concluded, those on Main Street can go back into the park and you will likely see an increase in wait-times after that.

But just go EARLY and ride the major attractions before the taping is concluded.

 

[Mason7AK]

Thanks for that info Spanky! I was just wondering the same thing a few days ago.
We have the exact same dates for our trips.
And I live a few miles down I-35 from ya!

We are there Dec. 2 - Dec. 9! That week must be the invasion of the Texans! LOL And I am just a few miles further down I-35!
I thought I read that the taping was the 1st weekend. We are avoiding MK on Sunday and Monday!
Angela

 

[DisneyFan06]

After experience during the taping last year, we have chosen to opt out of that experience this time. It was very crazy and crowded. It was hard to get in and out of the park throughout the taping and it seemed like it took forever.

I will never go to the Magic Kingdom again at this time, even if there is a chance to be seen on TV.

 

[Robo]

After experience during the taping last year, we have chosen to opt out of that experience this time. It was very crazy and crowded. It was hard to get in and out of the park throughout the taping and it seemed like it took forever.

I will never go to the Magic Kingdom again at this time, even if there is a chance to be seen on TV.

Just to separate two ideas.

I think DisneyFan06 is speaking of going to MK to be a crowd participant IN THE SHOW of the parade and having to endure the many delays and retakes of being an "extra" in a TV show (then going into MK and riding with the increased number of guests.)

My earlier response was regarding going to the MK "in general" to ride attractions while NOT participating in the taping of the show on Main Street/the Hub.

Those are two completely different situations.

After the taping concludes for the day, everyone will be "thrown together" in the park.
But while the show is being shot, the two groups are operating under a different set of circumstances.

 

[DisneyFan06]

No, I went to go to the parks on that day to ride rides and enjoy my day. I have no knowledge of the taping. I just wanted to respond because I have experience of going to the park on a day much like this. We got there and we were directed to go back around the buildings of main street - it was kinda like a backlot experience but without the magic. If you know what I mean. You have to wait until floats to come and go before crossing the street and sometimes it could be 'several' minutes because they try to get every possible shot.

Later in the day, it does stop and Main Street gets back to normal but the crowds were just too much to handle - for us anyway and we go to Disney quite often.

Just to separate two ideas.

I think DisneyFan06 is speaking of going to MK to be a crowd participant IN THE SHOW of the parade and having to endure the many delays and retakes of being an "extra" in a TV show (then going into MK and riding with the increased number of guests.)

My earlier response was regarding going to the MK "in general" to ride attractions while NOT participating in the taping of the show on Main Street/the Hub.

Those are two completely different situations.

After the taping concludes for the day, everyone will be "thrown together" in the park.
But while the show is being shot, the two groups are operating under a different set of circumstances.

 

[buffalogirl]

We were there Nov 29- Dec 6 last year. We avoided MK during the parade taping. We went to AK on Saturday and were able to walk on many of the rides (we arrived at park opening time). O.T.-We saw Kelly Ripa's husband there with their children that day.

I would recommend avoiding MK during the taping and enjoying the lighter crowds at the other parks.

 

[TinaLala22]

It's true the crowds are all over Main Street. Once you get beyond that you don't even know the taping is going on. However besure to take a swing over there to see someone famous...we got a great picture of Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Blue, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman. We just missed the Doodle Bops and we saw Regis and Kelly from the Main Street Train as we went by.

If you do decided to go to MK besure to get into the correct line. One is for people dressed to the max in Holiday attire specifcally to be seen on Main Street and another line is for people who want to get to the rest of the park.

Honestly the other parks are dead during that timeframe.

 

[missesdisney]

Does anyone know what celebrities are scheduled this year other than Regis & Kelly? We stumbled on it a few years ago and it was cool, then 2 years ago tried to deliberately on taping day to see what we could and also tour the park and we were getting shoved by castmembers down the sidewalks of main street - it was insane. Sounds like the redirect the people now to avoid that.

Dec 1 is our last day in the world and I would be possibly interested in checking it out if the right celebs were around but it seems like no one ever posts that info.

 

[wvgoofyfan]

Wow, I have the same dates too Nov 28th to Dec 5th.

I have heard that if you plan to be at MK for any of the tapings, you must arrive very early....as the park does reach capacity.

Note to whoover asked about returning....If you are a resort guest, you are never turned away from any park.....one of the perks I guess.

Have a great trip all! Will be wearing my lime green Mickey head, give me a shout!

 

[jdads2]

In past years didn't they tape parts of the parade on different days. I know they did that the last time we were there at Christmas.

 

[beattyfamily]

Wow, I have the same dates too Nov 28th to Dec 5th.

I have heard that if you plan to be at MK for any of the tapings, you must arrive very early....as the park does reach capacity.

Note to whoover asked about returning....If you are a resort guest, you are never turned away from any park.....one of the perks I guess.

Have a great trip all! Will be wearing my lime green Mickey head, give me a shout!

I've been on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the tapings and it never reached capacity. I was there for celebrity tapings on Friday and float tapings and came late morning and the park wasn't even that crowded.

Also, I'm pretty sure they do turn onsite folks away as well if the park is closed due to capacity (July 4 or Christmas day for example).

 

[byoung]

Going the 2nd, but will avoid MK that day.

 

[missesdisney]

I've been on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the tapings and it never reached capacity. I was there for celebrity tapings on Friday and float tapings and came late morning and the park wasn't even that crowded.

Also, I'm pretty sure they do turn onsite folks away as well if the park is closed due to capacity (July 4 or Christmas day for example).

Which are the celebrity tapings on Friday? We've only been when they are doing the floats on Saturday which was NUTS. The celebrity part definitely interests me though.

I agree that I think when the park hits capacity everyone gets turned away - maybe if you have and ADR you get in but last July 4 it was closed due to capacity and they weren't letting anyone go in at all from what I'd heard.

 

[luvyawdw]

Thank you for all the advice. I really appreciate it. I am going to avoid MK during the taping. We will do the other parks while it is in progress. We not planning on seeing anyone famous ( though it would be neat) and we wont be the family dressed up for the cameras either...lol Now I have another question to ask, i tried to confirm those dates with wdw and no one seemed to know at central reservations. So........does anyone know when they are taping?? Is it only one day? Or is it the 30-2
Thank you again
Lisa and family