Disney Parks announces Holiday Specials for 2017

Disney Parks and ABC are kicking off the holidays with a sense of style this year as they announced “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,” and “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration.”

The first holiday special, “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,” will air on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. EST. The second, “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration,” will air on Christmas morning, Monday, Dec. 25 at 10 a.m. EST.

Each special will include performances by popular recording artists that will soon be filmed in Walt Disney World. Most are filmed at the Cinderella Castle, so could appear in other parks or the Grand Floridian or even Disney Parks worldwide.

Julianne Hough will return as host and will be joined by Nick Lachey. Co-host, color commentator Jesse Palmer from ESPN will join them for the play by play.

Musical performances for “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” include:

Ciara, performing a medley of Christmas songs at Cinderella Castle
Grammy Award-winning country artist Darius Rucker, who will sing “Winter Wonderland”
Multiplatinum-selling girl group Fifth Harmony will sing “Can You See” from “The Star” soundtrack, as well as “The Christmas Song”
Fitz and the Tantrums, performing their hit “HandClap,” as well as their original Christmas song, “Santa Stole My Lady”
Multi-Grammy-nominated trio Hanson, performing “Finally It’s Christmas” from their recent Christmas album
In Real Life, performing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
Jason Derulo, performing “This Christmas”
Lea Michele, performing “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

The second holiday special, “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration,” will also be hosted by Hough and Lachey, with co-host Palmer, as they take viewers on a ride down Main Street, U.S.A. and beyond.

Musical performances for this special include:

Ciara, singing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort
Darius Rucker, as he decks the halls with a song from his Christmas album, “Home for The Holidays”
Fifth Harmony, performing “Sleigh Ride”
Fitz and the Tantrums, performing the popular Christmas song, “Last Christmas”
Jason Derulo, singing “Silent Night” from Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort
Lea Michele, performing the holiday classic, “Let It Snow”
98° will turn up the heat with their new song, “Season of Love” from “Let It Snow,” their first full-length Christmas album in 18 years
Broadway’s Telly Leung and Arielle Jacobs of “Aladdin” will take over Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a performance of “A Whole New World”