Celebrate This Christmas with the World’s Brightest Stars in the 28th Annual ‘Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade’ TV Special

Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson and Disney Friends Share Holiday Joy December 25 on ABC-TV

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. and Anaheim, Calif., Dec. 6, 2011 - Deck the castles with boughs of holly and tune in as Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida present the 28th annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” TV special that will air December 25 on ABC-TV. Hosts of the telecast are Nick Cannon and Mario Lopez, with co-hostMaria Menounos.  Stars will shine and sparkle, as the Christmas Day parade telecast features four-time GRAMMY® award winning singerChristina Aguilera and headliner, teen sensation Justin Bieber.  The star-studded spectacular spreads good tidings with bicoastal performances from Academy® Award-winning actress and multi-platinum singer Jennifer Hudson, singer/songwriter and producer Cee Lo Green, platinum-record rockers OneRepublic, “American Idol” Season 10 winner and country crooner Scotty McCreery, and theMcClain Sisters, featuring “A.N.T. Farm” star China Ann McClain,among others.

Guests can visit disney.com/christmasparade to learn about the special telecast, including local broadcast times and talent updates.

Celeb-rate the Holidays with Today’s Brightest Stars(*talent subject to change)
The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade features exciting appearances from soundsational stars and many favorite characters, bringing tidings of holly jolly joy to viewers.

•  ”The Voice” judge and award-winning singer Christina Aguileraperforms “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland Resort.
•  International singing sensation Justin Bieber leaves fans grinning ear to ear with a medley of performances from his new Christmas album.  The medley includes “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and the album’s title-track, “Mistletoe,” and is performed on the Cinderella Castle stage at Magic Kingdom Park.
•  Soulful singer/songwriter Cee Lo Green takes the stage to perform a holiday favorite, “This Christmas.”
•  Pop-rock hitmaking group OneRepublic performs on the Sleeping Beauty Castle stage at Disneyland Park, reminding guests to make the most of each memorable moment with the hit single “Good Life.”
•  ”American Idol” Season 10 Winner Scotty McCreery brings some country flavor to the show with his rendition of the classic tune, “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
• Disney Pearl Series recording artists Nathan Pacheco and Katherine Jenkins serenade the crowd with an awe-inspiring version of “O Holy Night,” joined by Academy® Award winner Marlee Matlin and ABC Family’s Katie Leclerc and Sean Berdy.
• Everyone’s favorite balcony-sitting curmudgeons, Statler and Waldorf, from The Muppets will make a special appearance at the Magic Kingdom and offer their unique brand of commentary while perched high above Main Street, U.S.A.  Kermit the Frog and Gonzo also will bring more Muppetational fun with a special appearance from Walt Disney World Resort.
• The McClain Sisters, featuring “A.N.T. Farm” star China Anne McClain make it a family affair at Disneyland Resort, collaborating on “Jingle Bell Rock.”
• The Never Land Pirate Band will be joined by characters from the Disney Junior hit show, Jake and the Never Land Pirates. The buccaneer band makes its parade debut with an original, pirate-themed holiday tune.
• Zendaya and Bella Thorne of the Disney Channel hit show, “Shake it Up,” show fans how to jingle bell rock with a special high-energy dance performance down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom.
• Direct from Broadway, Mary Poppins and Bert will make a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious holiday appearance during the telecast. The smash musical “Mary Poppins” just celebrated five years on Broadway and has enchanted more than 3 million guests at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.  The hit musical also is making its way across North America.
• Backed by a choir, Academy® Award- and GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Jennifer Hudson brings the show to a celebratory close with a very merry holiday medley of “Joy to the World,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”  It is a homecoming of sorts for Hudson, as her own dreams of stardom began when she was a Disney performer aboard Disney Cruise Line in 2003.  In January 2011 she was named the Honorary Fairy Godmother of the most recent Disney Cruise Line ship to set sail, the Disney Dream.

Dazzling Hosts from Coast-to-CoastTelevision, radio and film personality Nick Cannon will host from Disneyland Resort in California, while actor, best-selling author and entertainment journalist Mario Lopez will host from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Television personality, journalist and best-selling author Maria Menounos will co-host from Walt Disney World.  Travel expert and television personality Samantha Brown checks in as the show’s travel correspondent, offering viewers a sleigh-full of Disney fun around the globe.  Brown will provide a look at the new Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai’i, Adventures by Disney vacations, what’s new (and what’s next!) at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and a preview of the newest Disney Cruise Line ship (currently under construction), the Disney Fantasy.

Disney Favorites Join the Festivities (*characters/floats subject to change)
What better time of year to reunite with old pals than Christmas? Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy are decked out in their holiday best, savoring the season with their Disney Parks family. Thanks to a dash of pixie dust, Santa and his reindeer also appear on Main Street U.S.A. – and in living rooms across the county – during a special visit from the North Pole.  The parade will showcase the Disney cast of characters from both Disneyland Park in California and the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida.

•  Disney XD stars and theme park favorites Phineas and Ferb get in the groove with a whimsical version of their hit show’s theme song, “Gitchee Gitchee Goo.”  Also making an appearance, the show’s famed crime-fighter, Agent P.
• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse bring joy to guests as they pass by on an iconic Christmas tree float.
• Disney Princesses Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine spread good cheer as they parade down Main Street, U.S.A. accompanied by their handsome beaus.
• Buzz Lightyear soars to infinity and beyond with his “Toy Story” cohorts Woody and Jessie. Also revving up the holiday fun: Disney-Pixar pals Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater from the blockbuster films “Cars” and “Cars 2.”
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs add a little sparkle to the celebration with a glimmering gemstone float topped with a diamond-encrusted Christmas tree.
• Three of the “pup-ular” canine stars of the upcoming Disney Blu-ray™ & DVD film “Treasure Buddies” make a special appearance, riding with adventurers and explorers aboard their very own treasure chest parade float.
• The famous Disney Parks Toy Soldiers take their traditional jubilant march down the parade route with the jollyGingerbread Men following close behind.
• It’s a very merry moment when the one and only Santa Claus glides down Main Street, U.S.A. with his trusted reindeer leading the way.

What Time Does it Air?The 28^th Annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airs Christmas Day on ABC-TV at the following scheduled times.

• New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, and Raleigh: 10 a.m. – Noon
• Eastern Time Zone: Noon – 2 p.m.
• Central Time Zone: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Mountain Time Zone: 10 a.m. – Noon
• Pacific Time Zone: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Hawaii Time: 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.

*Airtime varies per city/time zone – please check local listings  

A Worldwide Celebration! Holiday Greetings in Canada & Around the Globe on AFNThe telecast will air in Canada on the CBC network, and in 177 countries worldwide on the American Forces Network (AFN).

Updates and More on Twitter and FacebookViewers are advised to reference local listings for viewing times and also visit disney.com/christmasparade  for updates.  Fans can follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #disneyholidays, on the official Walt Disney World (facebook.com/WaltDisneyWorld) and Disneyland (facebook.com/Disneyland) Facebook pages, and by reading the official Disney Parks Blog (DisneyParks.com/Blog)

Mobile Interactive Fun with the Popular Smartphone App, “Shazam”For the first time, viewers can unlock the magic of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade broadcast with Shazam®, the world’s leading mobile discovery provider. Throughout the telecast, viewers can look for the Shazam logo to appear on-screen as a signal to activate the Shazam mobile app and access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive Disney fun and magical holiday surprises.  Viewers also can enter for a chance to win a Disney Parks dream vacation from Shazam.  Guests can go to disney.com/christmasparade for more details. The Shazam smartphone app is available for free download from the iTunes App Store and Android Market.