Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (Characters, Photos, and Video of the 2023 Version)
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is a twice-nightly parade almost entirely exclusive to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. This dazzling parade features tons of characters, extravagant floats, and a whimsical tune you’re sure to continue humming long after the parade has passed.
During the week of Christmas, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade replaces the afternoon performance of the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Last year, the Christmas parade was scheduled during regular park hours between December 23rd through December 31st.
The parade was performed on these dates at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. You can check the exact parade schedule on Disney’s site or within the entertainment section of the My Disney Experience app. As of the writing of this article, the December dates have not been updated.
If you’re attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a separately ticketed event at Magic Kingdom, the parade is offered at 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. each party evening.
Therefore, if you attend the Christmas Party, you’ll see the parade at night. You’ll also get the added “snow” effect if you watch the parade from somewhere along Main Street, U.S.A. Those visiting during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve will likely have the opportunity to see the parade during the daytime.
Update: Check out the 2025 version of the parade for this year’s lineup and schedule.
We saw the parade on November 12th during the daytime taping of Disney Park’s Magical Christmas Day Parade. That production will air on ABC on Christmas Day at 10:00 a.m. EST/ 9:00 a.m. CST.
Below, we’ll preview photos from the nighttime and daytime parade versions. Toward the bottom of this article, we’ve included a video of the entire parade taken from the Main Street Train Station.
When Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade reaches your area, you’ll know it. Suddenly, the music in the area transitions, and the first few notes of the parade begin to fill the air. A few grand marshals head up the parade. This year’s parade banner recognizes the 40th anniversary of Disney’s Magical Christmas Day Parade.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade begins with an assortment of characters frolicking down Main Street.
Pluto, Peter Pan, Wendy, Pinocchio, Gepetto, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mad Hatter, and Alice are in this first troupe.
They playfully make their way through the crowd. If you don’t mind the wait, finding a spot early is worth it. We secured this spot two hours ahead of the parade. You might not have to wait so long during the party, but guests will secure spots more than an hour ahead for the first performance.
If you can secure a spot toward the front row, the better the chances of interacting with the characters.
They do their best to acknowledge as many guests as possible.
After the initial characters pass, Mickey and Minnie Mouse are featured on the parade’s first float. This viewpoint shows how close we were to the filming.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse are dressed in holiday attire. They have an adorable float.
It glistens at night.
It’s hard to tell, but if you pay close attention, you’ll see a miniature train set circling the tree as the float passes. It’s directly behind Mickey in the photo below.
Next, we saw the entire cast of Winnie the Pooh characters, including Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, and a very rare sighting of Rabbit. A few of these characters were extras for the special taping and are not typically in the evening parade.
Winnie the Pooh stopped to blow a kiss to our area.
Marie and Max paused briefly to wave hello.
Next comes the Frozen unit, which starts with a group of skiers on rollerblades.
They whiz by multiple times while the Frozen floats catch up to them.
This unit features a group of dancers with ice picks. Kristoff and Anna lead the walking performers.
Then Elsa rides on a float behind them.
This float looks gorgeous as it comes down Main Street with the snow effect at night.
Olaf is on another float behind Elsa.
Here he is in the daytime.
Vanellope von Schweetz drives the cutest gingerbread car down the street.
She paused for a photo. We were very fortunate to have so many stop in our area.
Next comes Chip and Dale, with parade performers dressed as bakers.
A few gingerbread men accompany them. It’s a cheerful unit.
Another exceptionally rare character, Clarice Chipmunk, rides on a float behind Chip and Dale.
Behind this group, we see Clarabelle Cow. She is busy baking in her kitchen.
Look closely, and you might catch the gingerbread cookies coming to life on her counter.
What kind of parade would it be without an ensemble of candy cane dancers?
Even their hair is striped!
With the nod toward candy, you know that Goofy isn’t far behind.
This parade float not only looks good, but it smells fantastic.
Goofy’s float releases delicate wafts of sweetness into the air.
We were surprised to see Suzy and Perla! They made a special appearance in the daytime parade.
Next, we have the Seven Dwarfs as they perform a special dance ahead of Snow White.
Bashful was adorable. But don’t tell him I said so.
Dopey was ecstatic to be in the parade.
Snow White and the Prince are not far behind on the gazebo float.
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping unit is next, featuring miniature horses pulling Cinderella’s carriage.
It’s rare to see the carriage with the horses and Disney Royalty altogether. Typically, the carriage is on display around holidays near the Fantasyland wall. It’s an excellent photo opportunity. But the Christmas parade is the only place to see it in use unless you run into someone using it for a wedding.
Prince Charming and Cinderella wave to guests from inside.
Ballroom dancers come next in rich holiday costumes.
The mirror float follows them.
Traditionally, the mirror float is where you’ll find most of the princesses. We see Beast and Belle, Prince Eric and Ariel, Prince Philip and Aurora toward the front.
Additionally, Prince Naveen and Tiana, Aladdin and Jasmine, and the Fairy Godmother were toward the back of the float.
After the princesses come the toy unit. What Christmas parade would be complete without toys?
With the anticipation of Santa, we see a few elves.
Santa’s workshop float comes next.
Greeny Army men come through carrying large crayons.
Here are a few of Santa’s helpers carrying Pixar balls.
Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, and Bullseye fit right in with the toy unit.
The Toy Story float glows at night.
Bullseye is another extremely rare character sighting.
A troop of Toy Soldiers rounds up the unit, giving a nod to Babes in Toyland.
Right before the finale, we see a few wrapped presents.
Then, Santa’s reindeer start to appear.
Finally, we see Santa Claus in his stunning sleigh closing out the parade.
For the daytime taping, he was joined by Mrs. Claus!
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is an incredible entertainment offering you don’t want to miss. The parade also provides an excellent opportunity for children to see a ton of characters in one setting.
Lastly, Derek Hough, who hosts the Christmas Day special on ABC, joined the crowd at the end of the parade.
Video of the 2023 Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
Here is a video from the first parade on Sunday morning.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed the photos and video of the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Christmas is such a special time of year, and I have been fortunate to experience so many of the holiday offerings at Walt Disney World. We do not forget that it’s a privilege to do these things. I hope that you’ll get some enjoyment from these holiday posts, whether you get to visit this season or not. Merry Christmas!
For more, see our overview of Christmas at Disney World. Check back with ResortsGal.com for more updates.
In the Comments
Do you have plans to see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade? Is there a character in the parade you hope to see? Have you ever seen this parade? We love to see your thoughts, questions, or feedback in the comments section. Let us know!
