Is there anyone who has attended the taping of the MK Christmas parade and concert?

[Harley-Davidson_Guy]

If so, do you have any tips on when to get there? Do they tape first thing in the moring? I really want to take my kids this year but I'm sure it gets crowded quick. Any tips would be great. Thanks

[Strmchsr]

The past 3 years you've had to sign up for it and pretty much stay put the entire time (or at least for a shift). I've done this twice (and been in the park 1 other time when they were taping). The passes for being part of the taping sell out (well, fill up, you don't have to pay) really quickly and have only been available to AP holders the last couple of years. If you have an AP, just watch your website/newsletter and they'll give you info on when to sign up. If you have your kids, be sure they understand that there's a whole lot of standing around doing nothing as they set up, run a float or a part of the band, then reset and do it again. It's not like a normal music concert or parade.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) If you don't have a ticket, you really don't have a view at all.
2) To get a ticket, you
. . . need to be an AP holder and sign-up early
. . . be a CM and sign-up for the shift
. . . be a local child actor *
3) As mentioned by Strmchsr it is actually quite boring.

* Most of the children shown on TV are actually actors hired locally. Only a few of the "families" are true guests.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

:( I have never been but have heard the horror stories of others who went and hear are some of the common comments:

1) Too many people you literally cannot move without bumping into someone
2) You sometimes get stuck in one place and cannot go anywhere for some time/Once there cannot leave
3) Boring
4) Ending up not being able to do any attractions
5) Ended up missing ADRS

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

:( I have never been but have heard the horror stories of others who went and hear are some of the common comments:

1) Too many people you literally cannot move without bumping into someone
2) You sometimes get stuck in one place and cannot go anywhere for some time/Once there cannot leave
3) Boring
4) Ending up not being able to do any attractions
5) Ended up missing ADRS

[Sharon1026]

I agree to all of the posted above. It is not worth wasting a day for the parade. The park is very crowded... We were AP holders last year and went to MK not realizing that it was the xmas parade taping day (brain fart on our part). Anyway, it is a very long, boring day for most people. We were glad that we could just take off and come back at a different time. I'd be pretty upset if I was there for one day and dropped money for that particular event. We were eating elephant ears and would see a float go buy every once in a while. It isn't like a regular parade. They release a float, it goes down the street. They might have to re-take the shot, so the do it again. Then the next float comes down the street. They edit it all and piece it together so it looks like one continuous parade. The magic of Disney, for sure!
This is one of the events that you are better off seeing on tv.

[Carol]

and concert?

We were there a few years ago and intentionally avoided Magic Kingdom.

I can tell you the various concert performances are not all taped the same day as the parade. They are edited in and often done weeks in advance and even afterward.

[SoaringEpcot]

We were there last December, but decided to not go into the park. I think the filming began around 12:00 pm. We rode the monorail around about 11:30 am and the lines going in to the park were backed up to the Ferry boats and express monorail exits. I personally do not like watching the parades anyway, but there was not way we were going in MK on that day.

[Funcruiser56]

Wonder how the park will be for the evening?
It will be our first day, we are spending the day at Epcot but have ADR's at Kona at 6pm. We were planning on heading to MK after dinner since it is open till 12 that night. Will the park still be packed say after the first parade and wishes?

Bev

[bkfree]

What day in Dec. is this taped?

[Strmchsr]

Wonder how the park will be for the evening?
It will be our first day, we are spending the day at Epcot but have ADR's at Kona at 6pm. We were planning on heading to MK after dinner since it is open till 12 that night. Will the park still be packed say after the first parade and wishes?

Bev

After the taping is over a lot of folks go home so the evening of the taping is crowded, as are all Saturday nights, but not horrible. It's a slightly above normal Saturday night.


What day in Dec. is this taped?

Don't have the exact dates in front of me, but historically it's always the first weekend in December (the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend).

[Funcruiser56]

What day in Dec. is this taped?

Dec 6 is the Saturday.

Bev

[bcornette]

Is it all done in 1 day? So the 6th will be a total bust at MK but the 7th will be ok?
The 6th is scheduled to be our last day but my kids like to spend the last day in MK, so I may have to shorten or lengthen the trip by a day.

[Strmchsr]

Is it all done in 1 day? So the 6th will be a total bust at MK but the 7th will be ok? The 6th is scheduled to be our last day but my kids like to spend the last day in MK, so I may have to shorten or lengthen the trip by a day.

No, it's done over the entire weekend. Usually on Friday they tape all the music acts in front of the castle, Saturday they tape the parade itself, and Sunday they do makeup shoots or, if it rains on Saturday, they may have to shoot the entire parade on Sunday. The park is generally not as impacted on Friday as the taping only takes up the circle in front of the castle. Just avoid the castle and you'll be fine.

[bcornette]

Is MK managable on Sunday? Or do the re-shoots take over everything as well.

[Minnie Imagineer]

I would want to go to this!! But only if I didn't have anything to do that day!
Has anyone who has gone seen the Jonas Brothers!?!?!? (thats the only reason I'd go!)

[bkfree]

Are we SURE it is the 6th? The reason I question this is because the other board says it will be the Sat. After Thanksgiving, not the next weekend.
Also Touring Plans gives Sat.6th as the best day for MK and DHS as the worst park for that day????So why would they do that if it was taping day??????/
Now I am really confused???

Oh,. well We had planned AK for that day anyway but this is getting very confusing?:confused:

[bkfree]

I just researched this question on another board.
A guest posted that their cousin is a CM at MK and said that it was going to be taped the weeked of Nov 28,29,30th.

Don't know how reliable that is.
Maybe a CM here can post their thoughts.

[Strmchsr]

I just researched this question on another board. A guest posted that their cousin is a CM at MK and said that it was going to be taped the weeked of Nov 28,29,30th.Don't know how reliable that is.
Maybe a CM here can post their thoughts.

I would say that's extremely unlikely. Not impossible, just unlikely. The weekend you're naming is Thanksgiving weekend. They are not going to close off Main St and have parts of MK not accessible to guests on one of the biggest weekends of the year. The last several (as long as I've been paying attention) years the parade has been taped on the weekend following Thanksgiving weekend, which would make it Dec 5-7. There's been no official announcement about it, and probably won't be until September or October, so until then we can't know for sure.

As far as the Touring Plans schedule, they're off their rocker to say any Saturday in December is a "best" day for MK. That's when all the locals come to see the decorations besides the regular vacationing people. I've never seen MK not crowded on a Saturday during December. However, my guess is that TP is not taking the parade taping into account since the dates haven't been officially announced.

[bkfree]

I also think it will be the 6th. I also heard from someone that has been at the last 4or 5 tapings and said the parade crowd is fenced off from the rest of the park and are unable to wander the park during taping and that the rides are no more or less crowded than usual during the taping, at least until the taping is over.

In the past, what time will the crowd that is attending the taping be in line and what time does the taping generally end?

I also think that MK on any Sat. is nuts.

So the week we will be there,
Wed-Wed 3-10th
Sat and Mon are the only days not having the MVMCP, Sat is the supposed taping of the Christmas Parade, so my best day is for MK is Mon, the 8th, which is also late EMH. Thursday is early EMH and also MVMCP.?
Help, I almost wish I knew nothing about nuthin and just was going blind.

Touring plan uses an historic attendance for the park on those days. While Main Street will be crowded during the taping, it seems there is a finite number of tickets available to AP holders for this. So taking in account that and that it is not a MVMCP day, that is why it is suggested???
Of course , this is only JULY, guess I have a few more months to obsess about it.'
I think that because MK always seems such a struggle to us, and the longest lines, I am really trying to choose that day wisely. We must be the odd ones out because it seems evertime we leave or are done with MK, we all breathe a sigh of relief.
We love MK and the rides, just something about it wears us out more than the other parks.

[Strmchsr]

Given that they change stuff around I wouldn't know on the exact times, but if they do it this year like the past 2 (it was different each year before that going back to 2004 which was the last year anyone could walk up and watch the taping) the audience has to be there pretty early. Like around 7 am or so. Taping usually goes most of the day, until around 4 pm.

The problem is not that crowds are huge on the taping day, because, as you said, there are a finite number of spots for AP holders. The problem is that Main St is blocked off and so you have a normal Saturday crowd packed into a smaller space so it seems more crowded. Generally we hit MK in spurts, using our park hopper to full advantage so that we're not in MK all day. If it gets too crowded just hop to another park.

[Harley-Davidson_Guy]

Thanks for the advise!