Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade

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The official logo for Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade.
The official logo for Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade.

The Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade is an American television special that airs on Christmas Day on the ABC network. It is taped primarily at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, but also includes segments featuring the other Disney theme parks in Florida, California and around the world. The program has aired annually since 1984, with the exception of 2000 when Disney aired a Christmas Eve "Tracking Santa" special instead. In 1999, a nighttime version of the parade was shown on Christmas Day. In the 1980s and '90s, the program was known as The Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade.

The parade down Main Street, U.S.A. features appearances of Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Chip 'n Dale, as well as floats featuring celebrities, musical performances, and highlights of events and properties at Disney theme parks and other Disney productions. Despite its now-traditional viewing status, the program could be considered to just be a giant advertising vehicle for The Walt Disney Company. Most of the program is taped in November and early December for broadcast on Christmas Day. However, until the early 1990s, the parade was broadcast live on Christmas Day.

The 2005 edition of the parade won Harborlight Entertainment and American Broadcast Companies, Inc. the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special.

[edit] Hosts and entertainers

2006
Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; Ryan Seacrest at Disneyland. Entertainment by American Idol's Ace Young, Kevin Covais, Paris Bennett, and Mandisa; Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana; RBD; Playhouse Disney's The Doodlebops; Daniel Powter; High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, and Lucas Grabeel; Beyoncé; Andrea Bocelli; Bianca Ryan; Aly & AJ; Michael Bolton; and Dancing With the Stars' Emmitt Smith. Appearances by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Ty Pennington, Eduardo Xol, and Paige Hemmis; Johnny Depp; Travel Channel's Samantha Brown; and Disney Channel's Brenda Song.
2005
Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; Ryan Seacrest at Disneyland. Entertainment by Playhouse Disney's The Wiggles; Brian Setzer Orchestra; Lonestar; Vanessa Williams; Star Jones; Tiger Woods; Julie Andrews; John O Hurley; American Idol's Fantasia Barrino; Aly & AJ; The Cheetah Girls; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe's stars Anna Popwell, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, and William Moseley.
2004
Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa
2003
Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; George Lopez at Disneyland. On-street interviewer Robin Roberts. Entertainment by Disney Channel's Christy Carlson Romano, Raven-Symone, Anneliese van der Pol, and Orlando Brown; American Idol's Clay Aiken; Playhouse Disney's Bear in the Big Blue House; Jump 5.
2002
Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa; on-street interviewer and entertainer Wayne Brady; entertainment by The Wiggles, Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Alexis Kalehoff; appearances by John Ritter, Star Jones-Reynolds and Andrea McArdle.

[edit] See also