The Christmas Day Parade from Disney World on ABC was disappointing at best
My family has made the broadcast of Christmas Day Parade from Walt Disney World a Christmas morning tradition. For the past few years, I have looked forward to it, but to be honest, we were passive viewers at best. The gifts and breakfast normally made the broadcast nothing more than a background, sort of a Mouse-flavored Yule Log. This year, however, I decided to record it and watch it later…I wish I hadn’t!
From the very start, it became painfully obvious that this was a pre-recorded event and not the “Christmas Day Parade”. Most of us knew that going in, so that is not in itself a problem. But it was so heavily scripted that it made the whole thing appear forced to the point of distraction. There was absolutely no spontaneity at all, and that killed the flow and overall quality of the program. It’s one thing to be scripted and pre-recorded, but to be so obviously scripted and pre-recorded is something entirely different.
From start to finish this was an advertisement, and not a good one at that. The copy the hosts were reading was so dreadful that they sounded like a public relations firm that needs to be fired for lack of creativity. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa are cheesy to begin with, we expect that. But when they pulled out the plastic pirate garb and sang a chorus of “Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho a Pirate’s Life for Me” I was actually embarrassed for them. These two were so bad, they made Samantha Brown (brought in from the Travel Channel to do a 5 minute ad…umm…I mean segment, about the Disney Vacation Club) appear low-key. I didn’t think that was even possible.
There was real potential here, and perhaps that is the most disappointing aspect. There are terrific parades for the holidays all over Disney World. All would make great subjects. Instead we got one float here and one there, and all were quick shots intermixed with poorly staged shots of happy clapping audience members wearing as much Disney merchandise as one can possibly fit into a close-up. The actual parade footage was quick and meaningless and appeared to be more of an advertisement for the parade then actual coverage of it.
I know enough about Walt Disney World and Disneyland to know that a live broadcast of the parade would be a logistical nightmare. But can we at least pretend a little? Can we at least make the parade appear to be the focus, even if the focus really is to make a two-hour infomercial?
Take the performance by Daniel Powter, for an example. Now, I am not very familiar with him, but he seems popular enough for his segment to merit a little more production creativity then cutting and pasting some canned archive commercial footage all over it. You want to have him in front of the castle and not in the actual parade? Fine. You want to show endless amounts of people singing along with mouse-ears on? I’m good with that. You want to show a minimal amount of the actual performance and instead riddle it full of promotional material? To a certain extent, I can even tolerate that idea. Let’s be serious, I’m a Disney World addict. I want to see as much as I can of it. But can you at least show a small shred of creativity and not give me the same tired old promo material?
So I don’t sound like I’m doing nothing but whining, this was not a total loss. There was a painfully short, yet interesting, segment about the suites in Cinderella’s Castle and the Disneyland Hotel, as well as a nice sneak peak into the Nemo subs going into Disneyland. They also actually made time for some of the magnificent performers they have at Disney World with a terrific performance by the folks at Festival of the Lion King. Oddly enough, I can’t think of another of the many live shows that got a chance to shine during the parade. Even when it was good, it could have been much, much better.
Perhaps I just wasn’t paying close enough attention to it in years past, but can someone tell me if this broadcast has always been this bad? The fact is that we are Disney addicts here. We want to see the Magic Kingdom on Christmas morning. It’s a treat for me and the family. But did it have to be some blatantly phony? And at what point do you think the director may have thought, “Okay, I think we mentioned “A Year of a Million Dreams enough”?
Lou Mongello said,
December 27, 2006 @ 10:30 pm
Dave
First, let me congratulate you on a truly exceptional site and blog. While I don’t often read blogs, your is one that I frequent.
Second, I am sad to say that I agree with you about the parade. Like you it is something that I have been making a tradition with my family, but this year felt somewhat let down by the blatant advertising spin that was put on it. You are 100% correct about the hosts acting like automatons (bad AA figs? LOL), and the lack of consistent shots of the parade itself. I could do without all of these “special” guests, and return the focus to the parks and parades. I don’t need a Hannah Montana mini-concert o get my family in the Christmas spirit. However, I acknowledge that that is what a large part of their target audience may enjoy, etc., and it IS a business after all. That being said, I think it could be done differently, while still getting (keeping) us all excited about the parks, resorts and other offerings from Disney.
Forgive my little soap box rant - I still love WDW and Disney more than ever!
Lou Mongello
Author of the Walt Disney World Trivia Books
Host of the MouseTunes Disney Podcast
David said,
December 28, 2006 @ 12:48 am
Hello Lou,
I am flattered by the compliments from someone whose work I truly admirer. Thank you for the comments and the kind words.
As far as your comments, you bring up a great point. This didn’t have to be so phony and still get people excited about being at the happiest place on earth. The parades are good enough to accomplish that task. If they even tried a Macy’s style broadcast it would have been perfect!
And for any Disney fan out there who doesn’t know Lou, click the Mousetunes Podcast link and the Disney World Trivia link ASAP. His books are a Disney Addicts dream! (And that’s no exaggeration)
MJMcBride said,
December 28, 2006 @ 2:35 am
I have to agree with you guys. The ads were nauseating.
Lou Mongello said,
December 28, 2006 @ 11:08 pm
MJ - Oh, so you were actually able to TELL where the “parade” stopped and the “ads” started?
LOL
Thanks for the kind words about the book, site and podcast, David!
(As timing is truly everything, this is something I covered a bit when I recorded this week’s upcoming show, where I basically echoed the sentiments I outlined here).
MJMcBride said,
December 29, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
Not really Lou. If you look at the broadcast frame by frame maybe.
Cathy Musson said,
January 1, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
I thought the parade was ALWAYS pre recorded? At least it was in 2003 when I was there.. We went the 1st week of Dec 3 - 6th and they were taping the parade for rebroadcast on Christmas Day.. I to didn’t watch much of it this year because 1) I don’t have kids so I know nothing of some of these new characters “Hanah Montana” and “High School Musical”. and as the other posters have said 2) It felt too cheesy.
Oh well, marketing is their job and they apparently do it very well
David said,
January 2, 2007 @ 11:53 pm
I don’t think it was, but I will find out. I think it was live at one point, and I’m talking about at least 20 years ago.
David said,
January 3, 2007 @ 3:28 pm
MJ, I just read in Lou’s book that he graduated from Seton Hall Law in 1994. Didn’t you graduate from there around then?
pat said,
November 26, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
We would like to go the taping of the christmas parade. We have been told it is being taped on friday 11/30 and saturday 12/1. How do we get in? We are passholders.