It's the most magical time of the year when Christmas takes over Disney Parks. The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Parade is a holiday tradition for lots of families who tune in on Christmas morning to see Mickey Mouse and all of his pals in a special edition parade. This year, Julianne Hough and Derek Hough (Dancing with the Stars) host the event from Disneyland in Southern California and Walt Disney World in Florida.
Fans can expect to watch footage of the parade from both parks along with special musical performances and special guests. There are also a few big announcements about new attractions coming to Disney Parks in 2023.
The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade is a chance to see how Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure celebrate the holidays compared to how the big day is celebrated at Walt Disney World. While they're all part of the Disney Parks family, each park has its own traditions and special ways that they celebrate the holiday season.
You can also see Cinderella's castle at Walt Disney World decorated for the park's 50th anniversary. While the anniversary itself was in 2021, the park has kept the celebration going so that fans who weren't able to attend due to the pandemic still have a chance. (For anyone wondering, the snow-capped pink castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., belongs to Sleeping Beauty)
Here's everything you need to know about the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day parade.
How to watch the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade
The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade airs in the US on ABC on December 25 at 10 am ET/7 am PT. Like other ABC programming, the two-hour event is available to stream the following day on Hulu.
ABC is included in most cable packages, but if you've cut the cord, then you can watch shows on ABC without cable through a live streaming service like YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV or FuboTV.
Things to know about the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade
Is the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade available to watch in the UK?
The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade is only available to watch in the US. Sadly, UK audiences will not be able to tune in for the festive event.
Who will be appearing at the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade?
Julianne Hough and Derek Hough serve as the event's masters of ceremony. The talented siblings are also performing a special holiday number together in front of Cinderella's castle at Walt Disney World.
While surprise guests and lots of your favorite Disney characters are sure to pop up throughout the celebration, here's who we know are making appearances during the festive event:
- Black Eyed Peas
- Ne-Yo
- Meghan Trainor
- Katherine McPhee and David Foster
- Chloe Flower
- Maren Morris
- Evangeline Lilly and Kathryn Newton
- Marcus Scribner and Sherry Cola
Is the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade live?
You might be wondering whether the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade is filmed live from Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and whether you can go see it in person if you live nearby.
You can watch the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade from the comfort of your own home on Christmas morning, but if you're in the parks on Christmas day it's business as usual.
In order to bring so much magic to life on one of the happiest mornings of the year, Disney films the parade about a month before Christmas. If you're lucky enough to be at the park when the parade is being filmed, you are treated to live performances and a very special edition of the park's Christmas parade.
