Yes, it’s almost parade time. And when the 1st annual “Disney World Christmas Day Parade” begins today, you’ll see some of the world’s best performers. We’ve shared some of the talent appearing during the nationally televised event. Now, here’s the complete video in 3 parts: 

Everyone at the DW Today hopes your day is filled with happiness and joy. 

Of course, we’ll have more holiday stories to come later today and before the New Year so be sure and stop by and leave a comment or two. Merry Christmas!

Princess Aurora’s Christmas Wish is a brand new show on Central Plaza Stage starring Princess Aurora, Prince Philip and Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.  

A brand new magical moment awaits visitors at the foot of Sleeping Beauty Castle where Christmas will be celebrated every day during the festive season! While the Royal Court opens the ball, the three godmothers accompany Princess Aurora and Prince Philip who make their entrance accompanied by a guard of honour.

The royal couple waltz around the court while the godmothers, distracted as usual, argue over the colour of the castle. But finally they decided to pool their power, and with a wave of a magic wand  which eventually leads to a combination of all three, resulting into ice blue lit rooftops and twinkling green, blue and pink lights on the turrets and walls of Sleeping Beauty Castle.  

Finally Princess Aurora offers her Christmas wishes, thus ending this magical moment. Don't miss out on this spectacular Disney event! 

UPDATE: Extra photos! Now to the main events: The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Town Square, part of holiday season…

For the first time, the Christmas Tree is given its very own illumination ceremony. As reported previously it’s a similar format to the classic shows, as Mickey Mouse lights up the giant tree with the help of a young child from the audience.

When the parade float pulls into Town Square and stops in front of the tree, the much larger group of characters dance to a medley of songs before the show’s live host, explains that the tree can only be illuminated by opening the magic book in front of them — which itself can only be opened by the hands of a child.

With the chosen child on the podium, the book opens in a sparkling glitter-ball effect, throwing beads of light all around Town Square as the tree gradually lights up.

And a wonderful view over the whole of Town Square, showing the set-up of the Tree Lighting Ceremony, with the float/stage parked in front of the tree for the ceremony.

The first winter chills creeping into the air, Disney have chosen the perfect time to stoke our anticipation for the Christmas season with a brand new publicity image of the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Announced as part of the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party press release, the Tree Lighting Ceremony will not only move  to Town Square but become an event in its own right once again, after several years spent as merely a background to the  illumination at Disney Universal Studios.

It looks like we’re not the only ones eagerly anticipating the return either, as the Disney World’s publicity department have just released this rather lovely new image to advertise the “new” event:

Featuring a young girl with Mickey Mouse, the tree itself is shown glowing in blue as trails of pixie dust surround it, the buildings of Universal CityWalk enclosing the cosy scene.

The use of blue might be interesting, since the old tree — which has been spotted backstage and is assumed to be returning — has no lights of the sort. So could the old tree be given a new lighting overlay? After all, with the event now based solely around it, it has to compete with the extravagance of the several hundred-thousand lights over, which will still be illuminated — separately — as part of the final "Illumination"  of the day.

Gushing with confidence, the press release states: “Every evening, guests are invited to a stunning brand-new show around the majestic Christmas Tree in Town Square. Enchanted illumination orchestrated by Mickey and Minnie Mouse in person promises to dazzle young and old alike with loads of magical Christmas surprises.”

Like any wonderfully clichéd Christmas movie, we’ll just have to wait for those days to fall from the calendar…

The holidays are in full swing at Disney World which will celebrate  Christmas season through January 8, 2012.  

Special holiday offerings include amazing seasonal décor, meet and greets with Santa Claus and Duffy the Disney Bear, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and much more. The park also features special entertainment, including Princess Aurora’s Christmas Wish, in which Aurora’s three fairy godmothers argue over the color of the castle. The end result? A glittering castle, covered in thousands of lights.