Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (previously known as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade) is the annual holiday parade that performs at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World in Florida during the Christmas season, as part of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It is the Magic Kingdom's counterpart to Disneyland's A Christmas Fantasy Parade in California, as both parades are recorded at the start of December for the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration" broadcast. In recent years, only Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade has been recorded for the program, while Disneyland hosts some of the special guest bands or performers invited to be on the special alongside the other Walt Disney World theme parks and other Disney establishments, such as Aulani on Hawaii. On the Winter Solstice of December 21st, (or the first day of winter), the parade temporarily replaces the Festival of Fantasy Parade or Magical Celebration Parade as the Magic Kingdom's daytime parade until its final performance on December 31st, New Years Eve, at which point, on New Years Day, January 1st, the Festival of Fantasy Parade resumes being the daytime parade while the Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade is placed back into storage until the next holiday season begins on November 1st.
It debuted in 2007, as a replacement for the very similar Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade; the prior parade had been running since 1989. The current Christmas parade consists of elves, toy soldiers, reindeer, gingerbread men, and Disney characters in their holiday finery.
The music in this parade is very catchy, and is available online. It is not the same as the parade that is shown on ABC on Christmas Day, which is filmed at Walt Disney World the first weekend of December each year. Because of the parade being recorded for the Christmas Day broadcast, all audio recordings played from the floats of the characters is temporarily muted. The audio is unmuted for all other performances outside of the broadcast recording performance.
In 2021, following Walt Disney World's reopening, Magic Kingdom announced that an updated version of the parade would return for the new holiday event, Disney Very Merriest After Hours, as part of Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary celebration, but Goofy’s Gumball Machine Float, the festive ballroom dancers, and Santa’s Workshop, as well as several other segments, were removed. Those parts were later restored and the parade returned to full strength by the time of the parade's 40th anniversary in 2023 with the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration and Disney 100 Years of Wonder festivities to ring out the end of the company's Centennial Anniversary year.
In 2031, the float is added features characters from Big Hero 6 and its sequel Big Hero 6 2 as the team are making toys.
All female face characters in the parade, including the Disney Princesses with their husbands, Alice, and Wendy, are wearing their winter variant of their trademark outfits for the event. The winter variant of their outfits are rarely seen outside of the parade, especially for meet-and-greets, due to it being weather and temperature dependent. The parade's theme makes wearing the winter outfits mandatory, regardless of the heat, humidity, and temperature in the Magic Kingdom at the time since the parade only lasts for about 30-45 minutes from start to finish, thus preventing any Cast Members from suffering heat fatigue being suited up for too long during the procession from the entrance gate in Frontierland to the exit gate in Main Street, U.S.A..
Should some of the parts of the parade, such as Cinderella's carriage or the float most of the royal couples ride on with the Fairy Godmother, be down for repairs or maintenance, Disney and the Cast Members have contingency plans in place for such situations, such as having Cinderella and Prince Charming ride on the main Disney Princess float with the Fairy Godmother and their fellow royal couples, or having all eight of the Princesses seen in the parade: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Tiana, and Rapunzel, ride on Snow White's gazebo float together. Other Cast Members will take over as supporting performers to help pick up the slack due to the parade's reorganization due to floats or vehicles undergoing repairs or maintenance and not being ready in time for the parade.
Mickey's Toontown Fair (Donald's Boat • Mickey's Country House • The Barnstormer • Minnie's House • Toon Park) • Mickey Mania Parade • Main Street Electrical Parade • Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade • Cinderella's Surprise Celebration • Cinderellabration • Country Bear Jamboree • Disney Enchantment • Frontierland Shootin' Arcade • Liberty Square Riverboat • The Magic, the Memories and You • Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams • Mike Fink Keel Boats • Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party • The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History • Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes • Circle-Vision 360° • Skyway • Mission to Mars • Penny Arcade • Storytime with Belle • Caribbean Arcade • ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter • If You Had Wings • Delta Dreamflight • Pixie Hollow • The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) • Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats • The Legend of the Lion King • Mickey Mouse Revue • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage • Pooh's Playful Spot • Snow White's Adventures • Snow White's Scary Adventures • Magic Journeys • Mr. Toad's Wild Ride • The Walt Disney Story • Plaza Swan Boats • Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat • Splash Mountain • Stitch's Great Escape! • Tom Sawyer Island • Once Upon a Time
Seasonal:Disney's Magical Moments Parade • Dream Along with Mickey • Celebrate the Magic • Happy Hallowishes • Holiday Wishes • Celebrate the Holidays • Country Bear Vacation Hoedown • Country Bear Christmas Special • A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas • Villains Mix and Mingle • A Frozen Holiday Wish • Mickey and Minnie's Very Merry Memories
Welcome to Pooh Corner:Robert Rabbit The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh:Mrs. Robin • Birdzilla • Mama Heffalump • Junior Heffalump • Papa Heffalump • Crows • Kessie • Pygmy Piglets • Crud • Smudge • Stan and Heff • Wooster • Bruno • Ted, Pinky & Vacuum Head • Pack Rats • Nasty Jack • Nasty Jack's Gang • Bugs • Jagular • Rabbit's relatives • Long John Cottontail • Dexter • Skippy Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin:Skullasaurus • Tyrannosaurus Rex Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You: Winifred Pooh's Heffalump Movie:Lumpy • Mama Heffalump My Friends Tigger & Pooh:Darby • Buster • Beaver • Opossum Twins Pooh's Super Sleuth Christmas Movie:Santa Claus • Holly Winnie the Pooh:Balloon • The Backson • Rabbit's Friends and Relations Christopher Robin:Evelyn Robin • Madeline Robin • Giles Winslow Jr. • Cecil Hungerford Playdate with Winnie the Pooh:Bea Winnie the Pooh for President:Rodney the Rotten Wolf Cameos and Crossovers:Gomer • Teddi Barra • Mr. Bluebird • Isabel the Green Tree Frog
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: "Winnie the Pooh" • "Up, Down, Touch the Ground" • "Rumbly in My Tumbly" • "Little Black Rain Cloud" • "Mind Over Matter" • "A Rather Blustery Day" • "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" • "Heffalumps and Woozles" • "Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down" • "Hip-Hip-Hooray!" Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh: "I Am Not Afraid" • "I Wanna Scare Myself" Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin: "Forever & Ever" • "Adventure is a Wonderful Thing" • "If It Says So" • "Wherever You Are" • "Everything is Right" A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving: "Hooray, Hooray!" • "Berrily We Roll Along" • "Our Thanksgiving Day" Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving: "Seasons of Giving" The Many Songs of Winnie the Pooh: "It Really Was a Woozle, Yes it Was" Sing a Song with Pooh Bear: "Kanga Roo Hop" • "Harvest What You Grow" • "My Song" Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You: "Girls are Like Boys" • "When the Love Bug Bites" • "Places in the Heart" Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year: "Jingle Bells" • "Snow Snows" • "Happy Pooh Year" • "Hunny, No Not For Me" • "Auld Lang Syne" The Tigger Movie: "Someone Like Me" • "Whoop-de-Dooper Bounce" • "Lull-a-Bee" • "Round My Family Tree" • "How to Be a Tigger" • "Your Heart Will Lead You Home" Piglet's Big Movie: "If I Wasn't So Small" • "A Mother's Intuition" • "With a Few Good Friends" • "Sing-Ho (For the Life of a Bear)" • "The More It Snows (Tiddely-Pom)" • "The More I Look Inside" • "Comforting to Know" Springtime With Roo: "We're Huntin' Eggs Today" • "Sniffley Sniff" • "Easter Day With You" • "The Way It Must Be Done" Pooh's Heffalump Movie: "Little Mr. Roo" • "The Horribly Hazardous Heffalumps" • "The Name Game" • "Shoulder to Shoulder" • "In the Name of the Hundred Acre Wood/What Do You Do?" Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie: "Trick 'R Treating With Our Friends" • "Brave Together" • "As Long As I'm Here With You" Winnie the Pooh: "The Tummy Song" • "A Very Important Thing to Do" • "The Winner Song" • "The Backson Song" • "It's Gonna Be Great" • "Everything is Honey" • "Pooh's Finale" • "So Long" Christopher Robin: "Goodbye, Farewell" • "Busy Doing Nothing" • "Christopher Robin"
Television Songs Welcome to Pooh Corner: "Welcome to Pooh Corner Theme Song" • "Try a Little Something New" • "The Right Side" • "Yes, I Can" • "You're the Only You" • "I Hum to Myself" • "Please and Thank You" • "Responsible Persons" • "You're the One and Only One" • "Welcome to Pooh Corner Ending Theme" The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: "Pooh Bear" • "'Cause It's Make Believe" • "The Floating Song" • "Nothing's Too Good for a Friend" • "Under the Bed" • "I Don't Have A Name" • "King of the Beasties" • "The End" • "Pirates is What We'll Be" • "Tigger the Private Ear is Here" The Book of Pooh: "Everyone Knows He's Winnie the Pooh" • "Goodbye for Now" • "Your Best Wishes" • "On the Double" • "Who is Me" • "Think, Think, Think" • "A Day in the Life of a Pooh" • "What Piglets Are" • "I Watch for Signs" • "We're Making a Cake" • "If I Could Be Big" • "Isn't That Funny?" • "Everyone Wants a Valentine" • "That's What We Do" • "Keep it Simple" • "Have You Got a Book For Me?" • "Give It a Try" • "On Your Way Back Home" • "The Birdbird Song" • "Nightmare Wranglers" • "Carry On" • "What's Your Name, River" • "Where Do Words Go?" • "Under a Spelling Bee's Spell" • "Adventure" • "Stripey McSnarl Always Gets His Man" • "Mental Altitude" • "I Want to Know Everything Now" • "Happy Tailiversary" • "Get Growin'" • "Tigger's Lullaby" • "Perfect Party" • "If We Were Talkin'" • "Someone New to Meet" • "My Hero" • "Broken Friendships" • "Do the Roo" • "Call Me Buck-a-Roo" • "At Chez Piglet" • "Nothing Ever Happens" • "Too Much Honey" • "Lost in a Book" My Friends Tigger and Pooh: "My Friends Tigger & Pooh Theme" • "A Few Simple Rules" • "Bouncin'" • "The Grass is Greenier" • "The Password Song" • "Underneath the Same Sky" • "One Big Happy Family" • "Think, Think, Think" • "The Question Song" • "Floating in a Cloud" • "Different Can Be Good" • "The Little Things You Do" • "It's Not Too Bad Being Me" • "There's a Party" • "No More Fun In the Snow" • "Butterflies" • "What Makes a Pony a Pony" • "When We Work Together" • "Christmas Comes Tomorrow" • "Time to Go (On a Trek Through the Snow)" • "Snowman Song" Playdate with Winnie the Pooh: "Playdate with Winnie the Pooh" • "Try a Tricycle" • "Get Your Bounces Out" • "Something Wonderful" • "Nothing Is Something" • "Hide and Seek" • "Brand New Colors" • "Friendship Helps Us Fly" • "Don't Give Up" • "Side to Side" • "Waiting for Fun" • "You're My Best Friend" • "Brand New Game" • "You Might Like It" • "Think, Think" • "Story Song" • "The Hundred Acre Hop" • "Best Sleepover Ever" • "Good Goodbye" • "Lemonade" • "You're Special" • "Trick or Treats" • "Jack O'Lantern" • "Smooth Sailing" • "The Perfect Christmas Tree" • "Christmas Is Here" • "Retrace Our Steps" • "Bubbles" • "Birthday Surprise" • "Wash Your Paws" • " Caterpillar, Chrysalis, Butterfly" Miscellaneous: "Luv-a-bye" • "Playtime Song" • "Learning Song" • "Friendship Song" • "Snug as a Bear Can Be" • "The Scrapbook Song" • "Pooh for President"
See Also
Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons • Too Smart for Strangers • The Disney Afternoon • The Many Songs of Winnie the Pooh • Sing a Song with Pooh Bear • Sing a Song with Tigger • Whoopty-Dooper-Loopty-Looper-Alley-Ooper bounce • "Into the Hundred Acre Wood!" • Broadway musical • Tales of Friendship with Winnie the Pooh
Frozen Fever: "Making Today a Perfect Day" Olaf's Frozen Adventure: "Ring in the Season" • "The Ballad of Flemmingrad" • "That Time of Year" • "When We're Together" Frozen II: "All Is Found" • "Some Things Never Change" • "Into the Unknown" • "When I Am Older" • "Lost in the Woods" • "Show Yourself" • "The Next Right Thing" Musical: "Let the Sun Shine On" • "A Little Bit of You" • "Hidden Folk" • "Hans of the Southern Isles" • "Queen Anointed" • "Dangerous to Dream" • "What Do You Know About Love?" • "Hygge" • "I Can't Lose You" • "Kristoff Lullaby" • "Monster" • "True Love" • "Colder by the Minute" At Home with Olaf: "I Am With You" Deleted: "Love Can't Be Denied" • "We Know Better" • "Spring Pageant" • "More Than Just the Spare" • "You're You" • "Life's Too Short" • "Reindeer(s) Remix" • "When Everything Falls Apart" • "Resolution" • "Home" • "I Seek the Truth" • "Unmeltable Me" • "Get This Right" • "See the Sky"
Objects
Kristoff's Sled • Royal Ship • Elsa's Tiara • Yule Bell • Iduna's Scarf • Runeard's Dam
See also
Musical • The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic • Disney On Ice • As Told by Emoji • Frozen: Northern Lights • Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II • The Making of Frozen: A Return to Arendelle
Deleted:Dancing on a Cloud • The Cinderella Work Song • The Face That I See in the Night • The Dress That My Mother Wore • Sing a Little, Dream a Little • I'm in the Middle of a Muddle • The Mouse Song • I Lost My Heart At the Ball Twice Charmed:All Because of a Shoe • It's Never Too Late • In a Moment • Believe in Me Miscellaneous:The Art of Dressing Well
Miscellaneous:Midway Mania • Hot Potato • My Unexpected Friend
See Also
A113 • Black Friday reel • Toy Story (Original Treatment) • Toy Story 3 (Circle 7 Screenplay) • The Science Behind Pixar • Pixar in a Box • Astro Blasters Robots • Buddy • Star Command
A Christmas Fantasy Parade • Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade • Disney Magic on Parade • Captain Mickey and the Pumpkin Pirates • Le rêve d'un Matin de Marie (Marie's Morning Dream) • Duffy's Bedtime Story • Candlelight Reflections • Cape Cod Village Greeting Place • Meet & Smile • Mickey & Duffy's Spring Voyage • My Friend Duffy • Sweet Duffy • Christmas Wishes • Be Magical! • Goofy's Paint 'n Play House (cameo) • Colors of Christmas • Happiness Greeting on the Sea • Duffy's Easter Fair • Fashionable Easter • Come Join your Friends • Crystal Wishes Journey • Steps to Shine • Saludos Amigos Greeting Dock • Disney FanDaze Inaugural Party • Disney Color-Fest: A Street Party! • Duffy and Friends' Wonderful Friendship • Main Street Cinema (Hong Kong Disneyland) • My Friend Duffy: A Brand-New Discovery • Oh Snap, MiaBelle!
Splash Mountain:Burrow's Lament • Little Brown Jug • Shortnin' Bread • Polly Wolly Doodle • Froggy Went a Courtin' • Shoo Fly (Don't Bother Me) • Goober Peas • Camptown Races • Dixie • Swing Low Sweet Chariot • When Johnny Comes Marching Home • Comin' Round the Mountain • Ol' MacDonald • Skip to My Lou • Freight Train Blues • Wabash Cannonball • St. James Infirmary • Tennessee Waltz • Show Me the Way to Go Home • Alabamy Bound • Down By the Riverside • My Old Kentucky Home • Blue Moon if Kentucky • Blue Ridge Mountain Blues • Carolina Moon • Deep River Blues • Goodnight Ladies • Honey Comb • Jailhouse Blues • Old Mill Stream • Salty Dog • Up a Lazy River • Tom Dooley • Oh, Susanna • John Henry • Sixteen Tons • I've Been Working on the Railroad • When the Saints Go Marchin' In • You Are My Sunshine
Locations
Georgia • Critter Country • Briar Patch • Chick-A-Pin Hill • The Corn Field • The Fishin' Place • Old Mill Pond • The Old Swimmin' Hole • Rainbow Ponds • Rainbow Hollow • The Burrows • Caverns • Doo Dah Landing • Critter Cave • Slippin' Falls • The Barn • Br'er Bear's cave • Catfish Bend • Br'er Terrapin's Home • Br'er Goose's Home • Br'er Gator's Home • Fowler's Cellar • Critter Country • Rufus' Cave • Tackle • Boat Rental • General Store • Dark Room • Pumpkin Patch • Turtle Ranch • Porcu Pines • Camp Alligator
Boats
Zip-A-Dee Lady
See Also
Disney Sing Along Songs: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah • Tar Baby • The Laughing Place
Story • Immortals • We've Got Dance Power • Noodle Song • We're Gonna Be Good • We Are 4 2 Sing • Dark Matter • Woweroo Rap • B-A-Y-M-A-X • A New Angle • Happy Song • Ba La La La La La La La La • Koo Loo Lee • One Sweet Ride • Shooting★Stars • Fire • Wish Come True • Let's Dream Along • Wonderful Colors • Magical Love
