Disney Parks Holiday Specials Get Their ABC Dates: Holiday Spectacular on November 30, Christmas Day Parade at 10 a.m. Christmas Morning

Put two dates on the family calendar now. ABC has slotted both Disney Parks holiday specials for 2026: the Holiday Spectacular on Monday, November 30, and the Christmas Day Parade on Christmas morning at 10 a.m. Eastern.

The times come from ABC's holiday lineup, published on Tuesday, October 27 by TV Insider, and were picked up within the hour by WDWMagic and Blog Mickey.

The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade banner on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom. Photo via WDWMagic

When to watch

• The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular: Monday, November 30, 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC. The listing says the special "will feature new musical performances from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California."
• Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade: Friday, December 25, at 10 a.m. Eastern and 9 a.m. Central on ABC. The listing promises "magical star-studded performances" from the same two resorts.

Out West? Blog Mickey says ABC lists a 5 a.m. start for the parade in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, so check your local listings.

Who is performing? Nobody knows yet

ABC has not named a host or a single performer for either show. Blog Mickey notes that last year Disney shared the full Holiday Spectacular lineup about three weeks before it aired, so if the pattern holds, names could arrive in early November.

For a sense of scale, Blog Mickey says the 2025 special put performers in every one of Walt Disney World's four theme parks, with Bebe Rexha at the Cinderella Castle stage, Coco Jones beneath the Tree of Life, Trisha Yearwood at EPCOT, and Good Charlotte in front of the Millennium Falcon at Hollywood Studios. Hawaii was on the bill too, with Iam Tongi performing at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. The 2026 listing mentions only the Florida and California resorts for now.

Streaming is still an open question too. Disney has not said when either special will land on Disney+. Blog Mickey says last year's Holiday Spectacular streamed the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, but this year's plan has not been announced.

Mickey Mouse waves beside a girl in a red sequined dress on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom, from the 2025 Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade. Photo via WDWMagic

See the parade weeks before it airs

As we reported on October 23, Magic Kingdom added 2 p.m. daytime performances of Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade on November 10 and 11, and the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade came off the schedule on both days. WDWMagic says those are expected to be filming days for the specials, so you may see camera crews around the parade route.

The catch: WDWMagic reports that Annual Passholder reservations for Magic Kingdom are already full on both days. Its workaround for anyone who can park hop, on a Park Hopper ticket or a pass that includes hopping, is to reserve a different park, enter there, and hop to Magic Kingdom later. Passholder availability can shift, so keep checking.

Blog Mickey adds that guests were kept off Main Street, U.S.A. while Disney taped in 2024, so it suggests the stretch of the route through Frontierland and Liberty Square as a better bet for a view.

A camera crane on Main Street, U.S.A. during the 2024 ABC holiday special production at Magic Kingdom. Photo: WDWMagic

Crew setting up lighting at the Town Square Christmas tree during the 2024 production. Photo: WDWMagic

Will you be watching on Christmas morning, or trying to catch the parade in person on November 10 or 11?

Sources

• TV Insider: ABC holiday 2026 schedule (October 27, 2026)
• WDWMagic: Disney Parks Holiday Specials Air Dates Announced (October 27, 2026)
• Blog Mickey: ABC Sets 2026 Air Dates for Disney Parks Holiday Specials (October 27, 2026)

Image credits: WDWMagic (2024 production photos); 2025 Christmas Day Parade photos via the WDWMagic gallery.