Dates and Times Announced for Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade During Christmas Week 2024

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is generally exclusive to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, with a few exceptions. Those exceptions are a weekend in early November when the parade is taped for the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, which airs Christmas Day on ABC, and the week of Christmas after the extra-ticketed party has concluded.

gingerbread float with Clarice in the daytime Christmas parade at Magic Kingdom

2024 Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade Dates and Times

Walt Disney World has updated its calendar to include the dates and times for this year’s Christmas Parade. Here are the dates.

Dates: December 21st through December 31st
Times: Twice Daily at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

If you visit Walt Disney World during the holiday season, you will want to take advantage of this unique opportunity to see the parade in the daytime. The parade steps off in Frontierland, near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It then travels to Liberty Square and turns right toward Cinderella Castle. After it semi-circles the hub in front of the castle, it straightens and continues down Main Street, U.S.A., where it retreats after circling Town Square.

Our preferred viewing area is Main Street, and we enjoy watching the parade from the right side of the castle in the hub area. Both spots provide excellent backdrops if you enjoy taking photos. However, watching the parade from Frontierland and Liberty Square will take a little less effort and time since it will pass through those areas first.

If you’re visiting with younger children, we encourage you to get a spot along the front row early. Many of the characters will interact with the audience as they pass. How early? We usually try to find a spot up to an hour before the parade. However, during the week of Christmas, you might want to scout out your location even earlier due to the high crowds.

For those who won’t have an opportunity to see the parade this holiday season, you might enjoy watching the holiday special on ABC on Christmas morning. Here is the schedule.

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST / 9:00-11:00 a.m. CST / 5:00-7:00 a.m. MST/PST – “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
Disney’s annual Christmas celebration returns Christmas morning with its traditional parade, endearing stories, and magical celebrity performances from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. The holiday special is executive produced by Disney Yellow Shoes Studio along with EverWonder Studio and Film 45.

ABC News

special seasonal parade with gingerbread men and baker dancer

Toy Soldiers in Disney's Christmas Day Parade

Santa and Mrs. Claus in the holiday parade

For more on the parade or tips for managing Christmas this holiday season, you might enjoy the following:

📝 This post is related to the holiday season in 2024. For our most recent updates, see our 2025 Christmas Guide. Or for a general overview, explore our entire Christmas coverage of Walt Disney World.

More Planning

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