When do they film the parade at MK?

[Grandmouse]

The "Share A Dream Come True Parade" will most likely not be shown on the afternoon of Saturday, December 4 as that's when the TV taping will probably be done.

auntobrant-- I think going to MVMCP on Thursday night is good as Friday nights are very crowded with locals. On Friday, you could do what's left of MK and Epcot, and do AK and MGM on Saturday. AK and MGM are not full day parks. Saturday at MK is crowded anytime of year.

Early December is getting more and more crowded as the word gets around that it is a "down" time, and with the Travel Channel doing that special last year on the Christmas Party and visiting WDW during the early December with low crowds, I'm sure that it will just get worse.

My very first visit to WDW was in December 1981, and that was low crowds. MK (the only park at the time) closed at 6 p.m. Wow, how things have changed -- for the best!

 

[maci]

Yikes!
Non of this is very encouraging!


We also picked this week, b/c I had heard what a great time to go it was!! I sure hope the taping mess is only on mainstreet and the rest of the park is not a mad house!!
Guess we need to get shopping done early as it sounds like mainstreet wont even be shoppable on our last 2 days!

We have a PS for Cindys on the 3rd, I guess we need to leave EXTRA early to get there on time!!

 

[Grandmouse]

We weren't at MK last year on Friday (had the princess breakfast at Epcot) so I'm not sure what the crowd was like in the morning. The taping for the opening that closed off all of Main Street from very early a.m. was done on Sat or Sun. The northeast had a bad snowstorm and things were delayed due to inability of TV folks to travel to Fla.

 

[js]

Oh goodness. December 3 is suppose to be our "full" day at MK.
With all PS in place, this is what we have for
November 26-December 5

We have a 5 day PH and traveling with 2 kids, 10 and 6. I want a break the day after MVMCP:

Fri, Nov. 26 - Arrive, Ohana
Sat, Nov. 27-No parks Still crowded, Chef Mickey
Sun,Nov. 28-MK in am and then EPCOT, CRT for breakfast
Mon Nov. 29-EPCOT, Akershus
Tue, Nov. 30-MVMCP, arrive approx. 4 pm, LTT 5:45
Wed Dec 1-Break day, Whispering Cannon
Thurs-Dec. 2-MGM, EPCOT or DTD in evening, 50s PT
Fri, Dec. 3-MK,
Sat, Dec. 4-AK, Epcot in evening Marrakesh
Sun, Dec. 5-Go home

HELP! I don't care about watching the parade on MS when they are filming. Is this where all the crowds will be (I havn't read the full thread, just printed and will read on the bus going home)? If it will be extremely crowded, I think I may have to move all my plans! HELP! Thanks!

 

[wdwcindy]

I was at MK in the morning last year on the Saturday that they taped the parade. It is a very slow process...film a little bit...back everything up...film again.

I didn't stay the whole day because I was meeting people at the hotel for lunch but I did walk through MK and didn't notice any considerable crowds other than on Main Street. To leave the park I had to make my way through the stores because the sidewalks were full of parade spectators.

I think most people who come for the parade stay on Main Street. The rest of the park didn't seem any more crowded than a typical Saturday at this time of year which = lower crowds.

wdwcindy

 

[Grandmouse]

I think you will be safe on Friday at MK. I think most of the crowds at MK were Sat and Sun and they are mostly confined to Main Street. You have quite a few days off on your schedule. Take the time to visit the Deluxe Resorts and see the decorations. Avoid DTD on the weekends.

 

[js]

Thank you. I hope anyone else who was at a taping on a Friday could give me more reassurance

 

[Chicago526]

Oh no!

I'm a little OCD (Obesesive/Compulsive Disorder). I have to do my Disney trips the same way every time. This means that the first full day at WDW must (MUST!) be at MK. Our first full day is Sat. Dec. 4. We have a pre-open PS at CP.

It sounds like the rest of the park will be fine, but it BF's first view of Main Street and MK will be of a mad house. Oh well, we've got the rest of the week, we are doing MVMCP at the end of the week, plus the Keys tour on our last full day.

I'd switch our first day to Epcot, but it's too much trouble to change our PS's at this point, and I have to visit MK the first day, anyway. I'm not kidding, it's really a compulsion!

I suppose that if MK is too crazy, we can always hop to Epcot and try MK again on Sunday.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by js
Thank you. I hope anyone else who was at a taping on a Friday could give me more reassurance

We were there in 2001 when they taped it on a Thursday. The rest of the park wasn't crowded. I would try it but have a backup plan if it gets bad.

 

[steen995]

Originally posted by 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!

Oh just great - NOT! I have CP reservations on the 4th and MVMCP on the 5th. Can't change the 5th, but should I try to reschedule the CP? How bad might MVMCP be on the 5th? Sounds like the parade filming will be over by then? I'm there for two whole weeks and it turns out I scheduled the worst days. *sigh*

Exactly what does a "press weekend" entail anyway?

 

[DebbieB]

It should not affect MVMCP on Sunday night. They have to do all the filming during the day so that it gives the illusion that it's live on Christmas morning.

I've been there during press events and it usually does not affect the parks that much. They usually have after hours events for them.

 

[steen995]

Thank you DebbieB. I have way over analyzed this vacation. These boards are addicting I need to go on my vacation to get away from the vacation planning.

 

[lorileer]

I have been going this same weekend since 1995. I don't remember the television taping affecting us that much really. We had CRT ressies early on Saturday. The parade "extras" were lined up at the turnstiles to the right, and they let the Character Breakfast people go in the turnstiles to the left. So if you have an early PS, the "extras" might not even be in the Park yet. ABC was already set up, but I found it fascinating and exciting that we were there during the filming time. After the Breakfast, we spent some time in Fantasyland with very little crowds. Other than being redirected on Main St. or stopped for a moment while they were filming (as we exited), this didn't affect us at all.

When we arrived on Friday at MK, they had some of the floats from various Parks (but only a couple) out on Main St., and they were filming in sections at a time. There really wasn't much of a crowd for this at all. It was interesting to watch, and we just kept moving on down Main St. (I can't remember if that was last year or the year before.)

But I would just recommend that you embrace this as another magical experience. Be thankful that you can be experiencing the magic in person, and millions of others can only experience it through TV.

I go this time every year because I love Disney and I love Christmas! It's just a bonus that the crowds are lighter! And even with the filming, they will still be much lighter. It's still the BEST time of year to go ... filming or not!