Disney's televised christmas parade....ugh!

[michelleiada]

It is our family tradition to open gifts Christmas morning and then snuggle up for the Disney parade and get excited for our next trip. Yesterday's parade/frozen special was awful! It was nothing but an advertisement for Frozen and Aulani!

 

[Aurora0427]

I felt like the entire thing was one big advertisement. Has it always been like that?

 

[michelleiada]

I felt like the entire thing was one big advertisement. Has it always been like that?

No...they used to show the parade. The last several,years it has gradually become more about promoting Disney parks and resorts but still....it was a parade. Yesterday was AWFUL! The family stories were awful. We won't continue watching it if this is what it's become! We were so disappointed. Enough already with the Frozen movie too! It was a good movie but it wasn't that good....I don't get it! I don't think Walt would be happy!

 

[Dan Murphy]

It has gotten worse year by year.

 

[ekatiel]

I was really disappointed, too. I DVRed it so I could just watch the "parade" portion, but it cut in and out of the parade the entire time . I fast forwarded through all the other stuff. I seriously got to watch less than 10 minutes of footage, and the thing was 2 hours long! What a waste!!

 

[minnie mum]

My fault, apparently, for not twigging to the fact that they didn't call it a parade at all. I almost missed it while scrolling through the channel lineup. Looks like the end of a long family tradition for us. Next year we'll open our gifts with something else on the TV.

 

[Polydweller]

My fault, apparently, for not twigging to the fact that they didn't call it a parade at all. I almost missed it while scrolling through the channel lineup. Looks like the end of a long family tradition for us. Next year we'll open our gifts with something else on the TV.

Agree that the tradition has been broken. I would like to know the exec and their thinking that led to this. In one horrendous and extremely boring production the tradition has been broken for many people if the comments around the Internet are any indication. Why you'd want to do that I don't know. This may be an example of how the company's obsession with Frozen may cause it more harm than good.

 

[michelleiada]

Agree that the tradition has been broken. I would like to know the exec and their thinking that led to this. In one horrendous and extremely boring production the tradition has been broken for many people if the comments around the Internet are any indication. Why you'd want to do that I don't know. This may be an example of how the company's obsession with Frozen may cause it more harm than good.

Yes...Frozen was good but not that good!

 

[guinea pig]

Very boring!!! Where was the parade, the characters??? Even the guests singing the Frozen songs were very weak. The tempo of the songs were off and the voices were not very strong at all. Extremely disappointed. I am glad I didn't watch it live as I could fast forward through the show.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Everything Disney does is calculated. When the Disney Blog live-streamed Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade in November and then re-posted it earlier this week, I wondered what was up. After watching the Frozen Celebration, it became obvious. Disney can always refer complaints to the Disney Blog to view MOUCP in its entirety.

I can't even recall which songs Ariana Grande sang. I'm always distracted by her hair-flipping and count the number of times she flings her hair with her hand. A record high of at least nine times for her second song!

 

[pipe36]

How good can a parade on TV be anyway?

 

[SoosieQ]

I totally agree One big commercial!

I remember when they used to show behind the scenes stuff like how the attractions worked or how the parks got decorated. Nothing like that anymore.

 

[GatorChris]

Let me plop a big DISAGREE with every one here. I thought the parade show was a lot of fun. While Robin Roberts has always gotten under my skin a little, I thought she did well. Plus, to have Tebow show up....that was awesome. It totally made my Christmas to have him in the parade several times and co-hosting with Robin. Still waiting for his comeback! I thought the Olaf/kid cheerleader bit was incredible. Was it a lot less parade and more show this year? Yes. I would've loved to seen more WDW footage since I haven't been there in two years. But since half the place is boarded up for refurbs, that just couldn't happen.

As for the Frozen stuff, this seems like yet another "hate Frozen" thread. Not really sure what that's all about other than "success breeds contempt" theory. I suppose had this site been active 50 years ago, we'd be hearing about how there's too much Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty everywhere.

Back to the show. It was the first time ever that all of my kids actually sat and watched the entire parade. Usually they're up and running around 45 minutes into it. Not this time. They liked the music, they loved that WDW and DL and Aulani were all a part of the show. And I really loved the "family reunion" stories - very heartfelt and in good taste. It was all good.

BTW, the Disney Christmas Day Parade has always been a commercial. It's on a network they own and they've always talked about how great and "affordable" it is to visit a Disney destination. Nothing changed yesterday, and I liked it. I WANT them to talk me into going back again.

 

[SUSIEQ]

It was awful!

 

[abinormal]

I love Frozen, but I was disappointed by the special. I missed seeing the actual parade.

 

[W.E.D.]

I WANT them to talk me into going back again.

I think that proves a lot of things many of us DISer (note I did not say ALL) have been feeling for awhile. It's a shame they have to talk you into going back.

 

[GatorChris]

I think that proves a lot of things many of us DISer (note I did not say ALL) have been feeling for awhile. It's a shame they have to talk you into going back.

Then you should come out to DisneyLand. No one has to talk me into going back there. WDW? Yes, with all the cuts and the planning your trip down to the minute, it takes some talking into. But after a few DL trips, I'm ready to go back next month. It seems to have the charm that WDW used to for me. I do miss my trips out there and the "bubble" WDW has, but man there's a lot of drama going on with Disney Orlando.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . Yesterday was AWFUL! . . .

1) It was my best excuse for watching cable reruns!
2) Of course, management will not change it for next year.
3) They use this as a 2-hr ad for the parks - which are making Big Bucks.
4) Down right pitiful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Susiec]

Let me plop a big DISAGREE with every one here. I thought the parade show was a lot of fun. While Robin Roberts has always gotten under my skin a little, I thought she did well. Plus, to have Tebow show up....that was awesome. It totally made my Christmas to have him in the parade several times and co-hosting with Robin. Still waiting for his comeback! I thought the Olaf/kid cheerleader bit was incredible. Was it a lot less parade and more show this year? Yes. I would've loved to seen more WDW footage since I haven't been there in two years. But since half the place is boarded up for refurbs, that just couldn't happen.

As for the Frozen stuff, this seems like yet another "hate Frozen" thread. Not really sure what that's all about other than "success breeds contempt" theory. I suppose had this site been active 50 years ago, we'd be hearing about how there's too much Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty everywhere.




Back to the show. It was the first time ever that all of my kids actually sat and watched the entire parade. Usually they're up and running around 45 minutes into it. Not this time. They liked the music, they loved that WDW and DL and Aulani were all a part of the show. And I really loved the "family reunion" stories - very heartfelt and in good taste. It was all good.




BTW, the Disney Christmas Day Parade has always been a commercial. It's on a network they own and they've always talked about how great and "affordable" it is to visit a Disney destination. Nothing changed yesterday, and I liked it. I WANT them to talk me into going back again.

I agree 10000%

 

[kmorey303]

It was super disappointing. The musical acts were pretty awful, the covers of Frozen songs were pretty lame and the scantily clad opening act was really too bad.