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Thread: When Does Christmas Parade Start?

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    When Does Christmas Parade Start?

    Does anyone know exactly what day the Christmas parade starts and It's a Small World Holiday? Is it on Thanksgiving or before? Thanks!


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    I'm pretty sure it starts before Thanksgiving week, but double check on a Disney site to confirm that. Or maybe someone else knows for sure. I do know for sure that the Christmas decorations go up the second week in November, so.....


  4. #3

    On the Disneyland/WDW Vacation Planning DVD it said it starts the week before Thanksgiving.

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    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bfaber View Post
    Does anyone know exactly what day the Christmas parade starts and It's a Small World Holiday? Is it on Thanksgiving or before? Thanks!
    I *think* the parade starts the Friday before Thanksgiving. IASWH also starts about that time. Darkbeer will probably remember best though.
    Planning 3 trips at once...

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    DLR Alumni-USMC Mom dawnid's Avatar
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    I believe they don't put up any decorations until after Veteran's Day so the parade would start any day after that.

    Best guess would be the Friday the 16th.


  7. #6

    We were there over Veteran's weekend, and the following week, last year - the parade did indeed start on the Friday before TG. The Christmas decorations were up Veteran's weekend, and IASWH as well as HMH were open at that time, too - the only thing is not ALL the decorations were up, things definitely got more and more festive as the week wore on, and I can imagine even more decorations were placed after we left.


  8. #7

    The schedule as I know it (and based on prior years).

    Friday, November 9th, the official start of the Christmas season, so you will have the large tree at Town Square, the vast majority of Decorations will be up, and the start of "it's a small world holiday" and the nightly fireworks with the snow effect. Yes, this is Veteran's Day weekend, but they open it that weekend. Also, you will notice decorations being placed up in the week or so prior to this, especially the New Orleans Square area.

    The one thing that starts late is the Christmas Parade, based on past years, the last Parade of Dreams will be Sunday May 1tth (or manbe the 12), the rest of the week will feature the "Rainy Day Calvacade", basically a few Main Street Vehicles with Characters on them. (This allows float changes and rehearsals). Also, this allows Disney to place the decorations across Main Street (The Parade of Dreams floats are too tall, so they have to wait until the POD is over).

    Friday, November 16th will start the daily Christmas Parade (once or twice a day).

    The better question, when will the Christmas Season end, looks like Sunday, January 6th, but with all the changes to the school breaks, might end up even a bit longer.

    Check out my photos at http://darkbeer.smugmug.com

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Darkbeer View Post
    The one thing that starts late is the Christmas Parade, based on past years, the last Parade of Dreams will be Sunday May 1tth (or manbe the 12), the rest of the week will feature the "Rainy Day Calvacade", basically a few Main Street Vehicles with Characters on them.
    I think you meant November and not May, unless they plan on running the Christmas parade for a long time this year.
    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


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    My experience has been they do two Christmas parades only on weekends.

    If it's just a normal weekday, all you get is one Christmas parade, early while it's still light, until peak period....which begins sometime after mid-December...the 22 ?

    At that point, during Holiday peak period (whenever that starts) they run two Christmas Parades every single day, weather permitting.

    Let's just hope the second Christmas parade, this year, is after 7 pm....please!

    Much easier to get a seat at the second parade when they'd begin it at a later time.

    2007 UPDATED PHOTOS:
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    More: http://www.flickr.com/photos/piscesl...7606706412381/
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  11. #10

    Yes, I meant November, not May...

    As for how many Parades a day, you are looking at one a day on Monday thru Thursdays until December 17th, when it will go to twice a day.

    There are always 2 parades a day Friday thru Sunday.

    And Disney is running the Second Parade earlier (currently 6:30 PM), as they found it helps in traffic control issues, especially dealing with the Fireworks crowds, so I doubt you will see a parade starting after 7 PM again.

    Then you will have early parades during the Candlelight Processional, the second parade has been finished around 3 PM to allow for the set-up, I think it was 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM last year.

    Check out my photos at http://darkbeer.smugmug.com

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkbeer View Post
    And Disney is running the Second Parade earlier (currently 6:30 PM), as they found it helps in traffic control issues, especially dealing with the Fireworks crowds, so I doubt you will see a parade starting after 7 PM again.
    That's not what I heard. Having only about two hours between parades doesn't give them enough to time clear out, clean-up the area...before they've got to rope off again.
    2007 UPDATED PHOTOS:
    http://s530.photobucket.com/albums/dd345/Pisceslibra/Disneyland%20Christmas%202007/?start=all
    More: http://www.flickr.com/photos/piscesl...7606706412381/
    2006 Christmas/New Years photos:
    http://pisces.smugmug.com/gallery/2307689/11/120769200

  13. #12

    Check the current schedule, parades at 3:30 and 6:30 PM daily, and that is the schedule for the summer, 7 days a week.

    The first parade ends around 4:15 PM, and then the Ratatouille Float comes out first, followed by the Grand Marshall (Disneyland Hotel prize winner) and a few characters a few minutes later, which starts around 6:10 PM from Main Street. So that is about 2 hours, and seems like they are getting everything done with no problem, and probably saving on some labor costs if they can send the folks that are Parade related home 30 minutes earlier.

    But Disneyland seems to be moving towards an early day, seems like if they want to add an hour to the 10 AM to 8 PM typical off-day they have been opening at 9 AM instead of closing at 9 PM, much of the new stuff, such as the Princess Faire, the Jedi Academy and High School Musical are also featured for the daylight hours.

    Also seems like there are a lot more 11 PM closing than Midnight closing on the summer schedule.

    Check out my photos at http://darkbeer.smugmug.com

  14. #13
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    That would be a blessing for those of us with kids. Well, maybe I should just speak for myself, but my kids are always up early and konk out before any late events. Disney could also make a few extra bucks opening earlier by selling us breakfast in the park. With later openings we gotta eat first.

    Quote Originally Posted by Darkbeer View Post
    But Disneyland seems to be moving towards an early day, seems like if they want to add an hour to the 10 AM to 8 PM typical off-day they have been opening at 9 AM instead of closing at 9 PM, much of the new stuff, such as the Princess Faire, the Jedi Academy and High School Musical are also featured for the daylight hours.

    Also seems like there are a lot more 11 PM closing than Midnight closing on the summer schedule.

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