Rare Disney Villains Pre-Parade Offered at Magic Kingdom Ahead of Christmas Parade Filming
Over the weekend, film crews were at Disney World to record Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade for the ABC Christmas Day television special. This year, as we waited for the parade, cast members came through and announced that we would be treated to a special pre-parade. To our surprise, Disney Villains soon filled the streets, offering a special and incredibly rare performance. Below, we have a couple of photos of the units, followed by a full video of the parade.
The Villains unit was led by two Grand Marshals, who carried a banner that read “Happy Holidays.”
They were immediately followed by the Queen of Hearts and her deck of royal Playing Cards.
Next, we saw Cruella, who was driven by her henchmen Jasper and Horace.
Soon after, Ursula glided through with an entire unit of villains parading behind her. The walking unit was headed up by the worst of them all, Lady Tremaine (Mother), and her daughters, the evil stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. Gaston, Jafar, Dr. Facilier, the Bowler Hat Guy, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smee were not far behind.
Lastly, a float came through with Mother Gothel, Maleficent, and the Evil Queen.
Here is our video of the pre-parade, taken from Town Square.
We’re not sure why Disney decided to film this special pre-parade featuring Disney Villains ahead of this year’s Christmas parade. Given our experience, there is likely a good reason! Who knows? Perhaps, we’ll see the parade used in an upcoming announcement about the new Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom in the future? Time will tell.
We also have a video of the 2025 Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. As a reminder, the Christmas parade is exclusive to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party until the end of the party season. Then, it’s offered during the daytime after the last Christmas party through the first of the year. During that time, it takes the place of the Festival of Fantasy Parade.
If you would like to see the parade that was filmed over the weekend, here is the television listing for Christmas Day: Thursday, December 25, 2025.
10:00 a.m. EST / 9:00 a.m. CST / 5:00 a.m. MST / 5:00 a.m. PST — 40th Anniversary Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade: Disney’s Emmy® Award-winning annual celebration returns Christmas morning with magical star-studded performances from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi.
For more on the holidays at Walt Disney World, see our Ultimate Christmas Guide for 2025. Check back with Resorts Gal for the latest Disney updates and reviews.
In the Comments
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