Skip to Content

Disney Holiday Television Specials and Performers Announced

Disney Holiday Television Specials and Performers Announced


For a stress-free Disney or Universal Studios vacation, let the FREE expert planners at Royal Carriage Vacations take care of every detail including dining reservations, applying discounts, and onboard cruise credit.


The performance schedule slated for three holiday specials taped from Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line has been released. Check out what’s in store for us this season!

Three holiday specials featuring top performers and exclusive looks at Disney Parks attractions will air in November and December.

“The Wonderful World of Disney:  Magical Holiday Celebration” is the first special that will premiere on Thursday, November 28 from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. EST on ABC and the ABC app.

Hosts Matthew Morrison and Emma Bunton with co-host Jesse Palmer will present this two hour special on Thanksgiving night.  Recorded at both Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World and Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, the event will include several musical performances from Grammy award-winning performers including:

  • Sting and Shaggy will perform duets and solo numbers from Disney World, including a new festive reggae version of “Silent Night (Christmas is Coming).”
  • Portugal.  The Man will perform “Happy Christmas” and “Merry Christmas Everybody” from Disneyland Resorts.
  • Pentatonix will perform a capella versions of “Deck the Halls” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” from Disney World.
  • Ingrid Michaelson and Andy Grammer will perform an original holiday song from Disneyland.
  • Ally Brooke will sing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” from Disney World.
  • Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) will perform “Santa Baby” from Disney World.
  • Matthew Morrison will perform a medley of songs from Disney World including “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Let it Snow.”
  • Electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling will perform “Carol of the Bells” from Disney World.

“Disney Channel Holiday Party @ Walt Disney World” is the next special to air on Friday, December 13 from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. EST/PST on Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW app.

“ZOMBIES 2” stars Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim will host this event recorded from Disney World and aboard Disney Fantasy, which is part of the Disney Cruise Line fleet.

This event will include a first look at the new attraction Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which will open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in spring of 2020 and Disneyland in the future.

Viewers will also get the opportunity to see a sneak preview of the Disney Channel Original Movie sequel “ZOMBIES 2”, which will be available on the Disney Channel in 2020.  “BUNK’D” stars Scarlett Estevez and Israel Johnson will also host a special family segment highlighting U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program.

Additionally, special musical performances for this broadcast will include:

  • Disney Channel’s “ZOMBIES 2” stars Meg Donnelly sings “Home for the Holidays” from Disney World.
  • Disney Channel’s Isaac Ryan Brown (“Raven’s Home”) and Ruby Rose Turner (“Coop and Cami Ask the World”) perform “12 Days of Christmas” from Disney World.
  • Disney Channel’s star Kylie Cantrall (“Gabby Duran and the Unsittables”) perform “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” from the Disney Fantasy cruise ship.
  • Pentatonix performs “Here Comes Santa Claus” from Disney World.
  • Shaggy sings “Jamaican Drummer Boy” from Disney World.

“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” airs on Christmas morning, December 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST, 9:00 to 11 a.m. CST/MST/PST on ABC and on the ABC app.

This annual Christmas celebration will be hosted by Matthew Morrison, Emma Bunton, and Jesse Palmer.  Co-Hosts are Marsai Martin (“black-ish”) and JD McCrary (young Simba from “The Lion King” live-action movie).

This show will feature the Christmas day parade down Main Street U.S.A., heartwarming stories, performances, a sneak peek of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and a first look at the Avengers Campus coming to Disney California Adventure Park in 2020.  Viewers will also get a look into the newly opened Disney Skyliner gondola system.

Performances for this event include:

  • Sting will perform “Soul Cake” from his album “If On a Winter’s Night…” from Disney World.
  • Shaggy will sing his new original song “Christmas with Friends” from Disney World.
  • Pentatonix will perform “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” from Disney World.
  • Ingrid Michaelson and Grace VanderWall will perform “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” from Disneyland.
  • Portugal. The Man will perform “White Christmas” and “Feel it Still” from Disneyland.
  • Ally Brooke will perform “Christmas Through Your Eyes” from Disney World.
  • The cast of the new Disney+ original “High School Musical:  The Musical:  The Series” will perform a medley from Disneyland.

Which performance are you most excited to see?  Will you be tuning in to these great holiday specials?

-Jaelyn Winkle

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CarrieV inKentucky

Thursday 7th of November 2019

Any idea what sailing the performances will be on?

kennythepirate

Thursday 7th of November 2019

They are filming in WDW right now, so perhaps next week?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.