How do you get to be in the Christmas Parade Taping?

[aristocatz]

Was just watching the Disney Christmas Parade (I recorded it to watch later). I ended up turning it off a quarter way through-just too much focus on Frozen & the performers, as opposed to much in the way of the actual parade.

I was wondering though-who are the people in the audience? Up close to the performers & in the front of the parade route? Are they cast members & their families? Contest winners? Families of CEO sponsors? Anyone up close just a regular park guest? If so, how did they get picked?

I've been to WDW on Christmas, just not during the parade taping.

Thanks!

 

[spiderann]

Was just watching the Disney Christmas Parade (I recorded it to watch later). I ended up turning it off a quarter way through-just too much focus on Frozen & the performers, as opposed to much in the way of the actual parade.

I was wondering though-who are the people in the audience? Up close to the performers & in the front of the parade route? Are they cast members & their families? Contest winners? Families of CEO sponsors? Anyone up close just a regular park guest? If so, how did they get picked?

I've been to WDW on Christmas, just not during the parade taping.

Thanks!

i wondered this myself as i watched today too. i heard it's taped like a month before Christmas?? also, i thought it was pretty terrible too. i sat through 2 hours of nonsense performances and commercials. i wanted to see the parade itself!!

 

[glassslippergirl]

We were there quite accidentally on a taping day a few years ago. Not sure exactly when they taped this year, but it's usually on a weekend in early December. I think people line up early for a limited number of places in the audience. I could be wrong about that. We were allowed to join the crowd on Main Street in the middle of taping, and I must say, it was super boring. We stayed for an hour, and like three things came by. A line of people holding a big screen follows each float to block the crowd behind the float. The parade goes in the opposite direction as usual so the castle is behind every shot. And you HAVE to be happy and smily all the time in case the camera pans you. My husband knows someone who has worked in Disney entertainment for years. He said people either love it-- seeing how "Hollywood" works-- or hate it-- super slow, illusions shattered.

 

[monorailmom]

We thought the show was boring also..where was the parade? It was just a series of commercials.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

This years was taped Dec 9 at 8:00 a.m.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

We were there once during taping day and got a front-standing space. STANDING is the operative word. There was no sitting allowed on the curb. It was a slow process, and we did leave before the end. It was interesting, and we made it into the final cut for about 2 seconds. I'm not sure that we'd take the time to participate again.

 

[DOOM1001]

I've been to the parade taping a couple of times,the last one I went to was 2013 and I remember noticing during the taping of the Candice Glover segment that it seemed like 75% of everyone around me appeared to be CM's on the college program on their off day.On other parade tapings I did I don't remember noticing this but even so I have to imagine there's a lot of CP CM's.

 

[MickeyMinnie1971]

CMs can get "tickets" for themselves and their family to be part of the parade taping.

 

[njpyro]

I was at a taping in Disneyland in 2010 (ish... At least I think). That parade/concert was filmed the first weekend in November! Anyone in Christmas colors, Santa hats, scarves, gloves, etc was allowed toward the front. We saw a few musical performances in front of the castle, but they do the exact same thing around 8 times, for different takes. Then the parade was very slow. Rather than watch the parade, we went on rides without lines, then got to go backstage to get to the exit.