Day one of filming for the 2013 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade – Photos/Video
by Banks Lee
The first full weekend of December each year brings us the filming for the annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade on ABC. We were there for the first day, and have some photos to share.
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Sign directing the audience what hashtag to use for the filming.
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Since this airs on Christmas Day, many guests dress up for the occasion, even if it’s warm outside.
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Set-up for the castle stage performances starts bright and early, and the audience starts to come in around 7:30 a.m..
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Mark Daniel was the warm-up host, helping entertain the audience and keep up their energy.
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Back area where a lot of the camera and equipment are kept out of camera view. If they do it right, you will never see this during the broadcast.
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The sun is up and the stage is set for some musical performances.
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First performance of the day came from The Wanted, who sang “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”.
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Several performances during the Parade involve pyro.
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Lara Spencer from “Good Morning America” made her Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade debut as co-host this year.
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The second performance filmed was from Il Volo, who sang “Feliz Navidad”.
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After their performances, the artists head to the Rose Garden for interviews and photo ops. Here, The Wanted pose for a picture with Minnie Mouse.
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Not only do guests dress up, but they decorate as well.
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It’s become a tradition for the newest American Idol to perform at the Parade, and this year Candice Glover sang “O Holy Night”.
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Some may have noticed that the clock on Cinderella Castle always stays at 12 during the Parade filming. It’s to help keep continuity since each performer usually does about three or four takes to get all the necessary angles for the cameras.
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The final performance of the first day was by Ne-Yo, singing a mash-up of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and his hit song “Let Me Love You”.
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Ne-Yo’s performance also represents the final one in the telecast, so it had to end with a bang…
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…and lot of snow!
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The 2013 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade will air Christmas Day on ABC. Check your local listings for showtimes. Below you can see our video highlights from the first day of filming:
This is awesome! I was just curious though, how does the audience get in that earlier? Is it like special access or something or perhaps just the cast members? Whatever it is, it’s awesome! 😮
We may be in Disney next year when they are filming the parade. Do you recommend being in Magic Kingdom during the filming? I’ve heard it is best to avoid that park on those days. If you are there, is the rest of the park open as usual? Can you choose to be in the audience or along the parade route, but then move on to the rest of the park if your child gets antsy?
My wife and I were there on December 7th. We got a great spot on the train station to watch the filming of the parade. But if you want to experience Magic Kingdom and all of it’s attractions do not go there on the days they film. It’s crowded and chaotic because they rope off for the parade for such long periods. But for someone who has seen all the other stuff, it is kinda cool to see the parade being taped.