How to Watch Disney’s Magical Christmas Parade For Free On Its 40th Anniversary

Jenzia Burgos
·9 min read
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Since it first hit screens in 1983, the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade has become a holiday staple. Whether it’s your first time tuning in or part of a Christmas morning tradition, you may want to know how to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade for free. We’re diving into all the details up ahead!

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Airing on Christmas Day annually on ABC, the special is a mix of live and taped segments, mainly set inside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It’s been a festive tradition for families young and old, offering a dose of holiday magic right in their living rooms.

Watch ‘Disney’s Christmas Day Parade’

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The parade has evolved over the years, featuring not just Magic Kingdom but also showcasing segments from other Walt Disney World theme parks like Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Past editions of the parade have also taken viewers on a tour of the original Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, and even overseas Disney parks in Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. The parade has also explored The Walt Disney Studios, Disney Adventures, Disney Institute, and Disney Cruise Line.

Remembering past parades featuring big names like Gwen Stefani, NSYNC, and more, this year’s 40th anniversary event promises another star-studded lineup. West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose, along with This Is Us star Chrissy Metz, are set to perform renditions of famous holiday songs. (Check out the full list of performers below).

If you’re ready to experience the magic of Disney and turn your living room into a front-row seat, stick with us as we spill all the details on how to watch the Disney Christmas Parade live for free below.

When does Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 air?

Disney’s Christmas Parade holiday special was filmed in early November 2023, and aired live on ABC on December 25, 2023 at 10 a.m. ET. The special will be available to stream on-demand the day after Christmas on Disney+ and Hulu. Keep on reading below to find out how to watch Disney’s Christmas Day Parade without cable.

Image: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images.
Image: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images.

How to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 online

Watch ‘Disney’s Christmas Day Parade’

$7.99+

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Disney’s Christmas Parade will be available to stream on Disney Plus on December 26, 2023. Disney Plus costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year (which saves users about $16 from the monthly price.) Disney Plus is also a part of The Disney Bundle, which includes Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus for $14.99 per month for Hulu with ads and $24.99 per month for Hulu with no ads.) The bundle saves users $12 from subscribing to each service individually. (Disney Plus costs $7.99 per month, Hulu starts at $7.99 per month and ESPN Plus costs $10.99 per month for a total of $26.97 compared to The Disney Bundle’s $14.99 per month price.) Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 on Disney Plus.

  1. Visit DisneyPlus.com

  2. Click “Sign Up and Save”

  3. Create an account with your email

  4. Enter your information and payment method

  5. Start watching Disney’s Christmas Parade on Disney Plus!

How to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 online for free

Watch ‘Disney’s Christmas Day Parade’

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Unfortunately, Disney Plus no longer offers a free trial option—but there’s still a way to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade online for free if you’re a Verizon customer (or know someone who is). Verizon offers free Disney Plus subscription with its Unlimited plans (a.k.a. Get More Unlimited, Play More Unlimited, Verizon Plan Unlimited, Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited.) If you have one of these plans, you can sign-up for a free six-month Disney+ subscription. Click here for Verizon’s FAQ on how to sign up for its free Disney+ subscription.

Verizon customers with Get More Unlimited and Play More Unlimited plans are also eligible for their Disney Bundle, which offers not only a free Disney Plus subscription for as long as you have your Verizon plan, but also free Hulu and ESPN+ subscriptions too.

How to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 live for free

Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 airs on ABC, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, and starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months). Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, and starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends. While Hulu+ With Live TV doesn’t have a free trial, it is cheaper per month than the other options, starting at $68.99 per month, and offers plans that include free subscriptions to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.

Best Overall Pick to Watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023: DirecTV Stream

Watch ‘Disney’s Christmas Parade’ With DirecTV Stream

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Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch ABC live for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $74.99 per month with the first three months at $64.99 per month; Choice, which costs $99.99 per month with the first three months at $89.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $109.99 per month with the first three months at $99.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $154.99 per month with the first three months at $144.99 per month.

As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.

  1. Visit streamtv.directv.com‘s packages page

  2. Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice

  3. Enter your information and payment method

  4. Search for ABC and start watching Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023

Best Free Trial Pick to Watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023: Fubo

Watch ‘Disney’s Christmas Parade’ With Fubo

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Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $74.99 per month; Elite, which costs $84.99 per month; and Ultimate, which costs $99.99 per month.

As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 with Fubo’s free trial.

  1. Visit Fubo.TV

  2. Click “Start Free Trial”

  3. Enter your information and payment method

  4. Search for ABC and start watching Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023

Best Upgrade Pick to Watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023: Hulu+ Live TV

Watch ‘Disney’s Christmas Parade’ With Hulu+ With Live TV

$68.99+

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Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023 with Hulu+ Live TV.

  1. Visit Hulu.com/liveTV

  2. Click “Sign Up Now”

  3. Enter your information and payment method

  4. Search for ABC and start watching Disney’s Christmas Parade 2023

Image: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images.
Image: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images.

Where is the Disney Christmas Parade 2023 held?

Disney’s Christmas Parade was filmed at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, with additional appearances tuning in from Disneyland Resort in California.

Who are the Disney Christmas Parade 2023 hosts?

Siblings Derek and Julianne Hough are returning as hosts for this year’s Disney Christmas Parade 2023 special. The Dancing With the Stars pair will be joined by country star Mickey Guyton and The Golden Bachelor host Jesse Palmer as co-hosts for the event.

Who are the Disney Christmas Parade 2023 performers?

This year’s Disney Christmas Parade includes performances y Ariana DeBose, Chrissy Metz, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iam Tongi, Meg Donnelly, Michael Bolton, and the Broadway and North American Tour cast of Disney’s Aladdin, among others.The holiday special will also include a look back at “unforgettable performances from years past,” by artists like Gwen Stefani, NSYNC, and Mary J. Blige.

Read the full setlist below.

  • Derek Hough and Julianne Hough – “Good Morning” and “Deck the Halls” Medley

  • Ariana DeBose – “This Wish” from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wish

  • Chrissy Metz – “Silver Bells”

  • The Smashing Pumpkins – “Evergreen” (A new, original holiday song)

  • Iam Tongi – “Mele Kalikimaka”

  • The Broadway and North American Tour Cast of Disney’s “Aladdin” – “Friend Like Me”

  • Meg Donnelly – “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)”

  • Michael Bolton – “Joy to the World”

  • NSYNC (1998) – “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”

  • Gwen Stefani (2018) – “Winter Wonderland”

  • Mary J. Blige and David Foster (2013) – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Disney’s Christmas Day Parade aired Monday, December 25, 2023 at 10 a.m. ET on ABC. Here’s how to watch it for free.

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