Dec. 4 Taping of Xmas parade

[Pigsty333]

I met my girlfriend at the Magic Kingdom this afternoon. She told me on the phone that they were taping part of the show for the Christmas parade that is shown on TV on Christmas Day (did you know that it is taped weeks in advance and not on the actual day?) We arrived around 1:00 PM to find the entire Main Street area cordoned off as there were tapings going on in each corner. Right opposite Casey's Corner was the reviewing stand with none other than Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. She looked very slim and was wearing a sleeveless red dress and Regis had on a blue suit with a red stripe. That taping took on forever. They had a select number of people, behind a roped area and directly behind them who were instructed every few minutes to make noise, clap, etc. while they did a monologue. Each parade float and march section was brought out one at a time and they taped it a number of times.

We got tired of this and decided to head out to MGM to see the Osborne Light Show as my friend had also informed me that she had seen Ray Romano earlier, taping his portion of the parade special.

While at MGM and walking through the streets of America we came open the nativity scene and observed one of those blazer clad VIP tour escorts pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair accompanied by two paramedics. I didn't recognize her but knew someone quite famous had to be mingling with the crowd. As I scanned the crowd I saw a man who I recognized to be Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria Estefan and owners of Bongos in Downtown Disney. As I looked over I saw Gloria with her daughter and a group of others walking in the direction of the nativity. My 14 yr. old went over to her and very quietly, without causing much of a scene, asked for a picture. Gloria very graciously obliged, told us she was there celebrating her daughter's birthday and wished us a happy holiday after taking two pictures with our group. She was very incognito - jeans, sweatshirt, no makeup, ponytail, and baseball cap and she continued strolling through the Osborne Light show as everyone else. We saw her entering Star Wars with her friends after leaving the Osborne Show. Her entire family was polite, her husband was very nice and not uppity. No one even realized who she was, as she blended in very well with others.

We then proceeded to go on Rock & Roller Coaster, where I again observed another VIP Tour blazered guy coming off the ride with two males, who I thought were some sort of sports figure, but after watching a number of people ask them for autographs, learned that they were cast members of Seinfeld. Not one of the shows I watched, so I really can't tell you who they were. Again, they were very nice.

Mariah Carey is doing her taping tomorrow AM at MK and Jim Caviezel is in Epcot doing the candlelight processional.

Not bad for a day of stars in the MK.

 

[Aunt Cawa]

Thanks for your report! Sounds like an interesting time to be at the World!