When do they film the parade at MK?

[FloridaGirl]

Many posters have mentioned they were at the Magic Kingdom in early December and there were large crowds due to the filiming of a Christmas parade-- is it through the ABC channel? Regis and Kelly? Do they do it every year? Does anyone know if and when they will film it this year?

 

[gshoemate]

Yep, thats the parade. It is usually filmed within the first few weeks of December. Keep your eye out here on the board, there should be lost of post regarding the date.

 

[crow11ad]

Originally posted by FloridaGirl
Many posters have mentioned they were at the Magic Kingdom in early December and there were large crowds due to the filiming of a Christmas parade-- is it through the ABC channel? Regis and Kelly? Do they do it every year? Does anyone know if and when they will film it this year?

Is is through the abc channel. Regis and Kelly work for ABC. I am sure they get a nice bonus for it. From what I hear it is going to be the 1st weekend of December. It is more like an all day thing at MK where they could film a float 3 or 5 times. Needless to say, we are not touching MK on that Saturday. If we do it is becuase of a quick trip down Main St. But we are also arriving on that Saturday so who knows.

 

[aurora19]

It is a multiple day filming - somedays the parade itself - other days the performances of the guests. Last year there was filming the entire first full week of December with Parade filming with Regis & Kelly on the Friday morning. I remember that they sent out a voice mail message to monorail resort guests and there were usually sandwich boards announcing the filming as you entered Main Street.

Keep watching the boards - someone is sure to announce the dates soon

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

We were actually delusional enough to think that it would be FUN to partake in the filming/viewing.

The crowd *can* be very pushy/rude. I'm sure that's not the case every time, but with three kids and being pregnant, you would think SOMEONE would have stepped aside so my little ones could see. The cameras were nowhere near the area we stood in, yet the ADULTS in front were smooshing eachother trying to stand in the front just for the minute chance they'd actually be on TV.

They "run" the parade over and over - and it goes VERRRRRY slowly. They move it about ten feet and film and then stop and do nothing. It was going on for HOURS.

Oh - and no celebrities to be seen at all when we were there. Regis and Kelly were positioned high up on a platform and were clearly busy filming and not interacting with the crowd at all (save the occasional "KELLY!" which would cause her to turn around and look over her shoulder from afar)

Needless to say, we left after about fifteen minutes of being "recruited" by a man walking around. It just wasn't worth the frustration.

 

[Grandmouse]

I was there last year during the filming and will avoid it in the future. The people from ABC are rude, the entire Main Street is roped off and filled with thousands of people--impossible to navigate. The parade takes hours and hours (it was filmed over 3 days) and it is pieced together and Kelly and Regis aren't really watching some of it. The beautiful Christmas Parade that you see at MVMCP is not the parade you see on tv on Christmas Day. What a disappointment. Last year's parade on TV was awful and we turned it off. Now that I know how it is filmed, I don't care to watch it on tv again.

 

[twotoohappy]

Originally posted by Grandmouse
I was there last year during the filming and will avoid it in the future. The people from ABC are rude, the entire Main Street is roped off and filled with thousands of people--impossible to navigate.

I agree! I will NEVER, ever go again if I can help it. The crowds were horrible and you couldn't move anywhere and to top it all off there were loose teenagers everywhere. Could it have been pop warner or cheerleaders on top of the filming? Last Dec. was my first and last filming , I hope. I'll choose a different park on the 1st Sat. of Dec. or it'll be a hotel day!

 

[crow11ad]

Thanks to the disboards, we found out about the filming after we booked our trip. We are arriving that Saturday. Needless to say we learned from our last trip not to go right to a park. We are staying away from MK even though we are staying at WL and it's just a boat ride away. It will be very hard not to just get on the boat. But that day is reserved for DTD and resort hopping before we go to HDDR that night.

 

[LibertyBelle]

Originally posted by aurora19
Keep watching the boards - someone is sure to announce the dates soon

It is scheduled this year for December 3 and 4 (with the 5th on stand by for any delays or re-shoots).

 

[Misty89]

It is scheduled this year for December 3 and 4 (with the 5th on stand by for any delays or re-shoots).

thank you!~
I knew there was a reason i wanted to AVOID MK our last days....( friday the dec 3rd & saturday, dec 4th) that was it!

 

[disneyfan551]

We visited the MK last year during taping, and it was a madhouse. Even though I said "never again", I just can't give up my pre-opening CRT ps on the 4th!! I'm tickled pink to be there before they open! Now, I just wonder if I'll be able to get any decent photos or not, with all of the film crews & stuff in the way...

 

[Grandmouse]

The crowds were horrible and you couldn't move anywhere and to top it all off there were loose teenagers everywhere. Could it have been pop warner or cheerleaders on top of the filming?

Yes, it was Pop Warner (and will be again at the same time this year) and I believe they bring Pop Warner cheerleaders. When I was as the ASMo in February 2003, I changed resorts because of other cheerleader championships. I think that particular group starts in January and it continues for several weeks. Not fun to be around.

 

[lamchop]

I've been wondering about the Xmas parade filming also. I want to stay far away from MK, but my friend really wants to see the filming. My question is this.....Is the filming confined to Main Street, or does it occur all along the regular parade route? If it is just along Main Street, there is at least a chance to escape the area and go to other sections of the park(I know the crowds will be bad no matter what area we are in!!) Any help would be appreciated!!!

 

[nowellsl]

I was told by the person that was checking on my reservation that that Dec. 4, 5 was "press weekend" There will also be press events at MVMCP and the Candlelight processional at Epcot. Might be a busy weekend!

 

[Grandmouse]

The filming takes place on Main Street, although the parade itself uses the usual route. However, the opening/closing of the TV show are also filmed on Main St. (the choruses who are invited to sing in the Candlelight Processional were the folks singing last year and there are several hundred of them) and those people have to arrive at MK at 4 or 5 a.m. for rehearsal and they pack Main Street. When we arrived at 10:00 a.m. for our PS at Crystal Place, they were still filming the opening and we had to "plow" our way down Main Street. Many parts of the parade are filmed over 3 days (it is not just one parade that is taped and Regis and Kelly aren't even there yet) so it is hard to say exactly when things are filmed because so much taping is done.) The same day, even at dinner time, so much of Main Street is roped off, it is difficult to navigate. And when Regis and Kelly arrive, even more is roped off because they don't want anyone getting near them.

 

[Snurk71]

We caught some filming of the parade a few years ago and loved it - front row seats, no crowds. It sounds like things have definitely changed since then. Do those of you who have experienced the huge crowds find it was bad just on the parade route or throughout the entire park? We're there at that time this year and hoping maybe the rides won't be bad if everyone goes to watch the parade taping.

 

[kyirish25]

I just found Main Street to be the madhouse. Once you made it past the crowds and the film crews the rest of the park was a normal Saturday. Still more crowded than other times of the week but managable.

I agree that seeing the way it was filmed took away from the parade on tv Christmas morning. I'll just stick to watching it during MVMCP and not stop to watching any filming this year.

 

[zurgswife]

We were there 2 years ago for filming and had a great time....mind you we sat on the curb for 7 hours...but CM's in the parade and ABC people were all very friendly.....I can't wait to do it again this year....but definatley for not the same length of time...

 

[aunt2brant]

Am I seeing things correctly? I have read everywhere that the frist few weeks of dec. were the best times to visit wdw...now that we have booked a post-cruise visit for a few days (dec. 2-5), is it going to be like peek season?
What if we go to MVMCP Thru. night and do MGM on Fri and AK Sat? does that sound like a good 'strategy'?
This is going to be my niece's first time at the world and I do not want to spend all of our time in line...hence the reason we are going during 'off season'.

 

[suepmcc]

Does anyone know if the filming will cause them to cancel the "Share a Dream Come True" parade which is currently schedules for 3 pm in the MK on Sat Dec 4. We were planning on going to the MK late Sat, see the 3pm parade, and stay for Spectromagic and Wishes. I'm wondering if we should re-think this.