2019 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade: Galaxy’s Edge, Broadway, Sting, Shaggy & More

New Hosts, New Celebrations

The 2019 Disney Christmas Parade rang in the holidays with new hosts and exciting updates across the Disney Parks. Matthew Morrison and Emma Bunton co-hosted from Walt Disney World, while Jesse Palmer reported from Disneyland.

The celebration kicked off with energy and holiday cheer. Meg Donnelly opened the show with “Home for the Holidays” from the Cinderella Castle Stage. Soon after, Milo Manheim joined her to preview Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which would open on March 4, 2020.

Holiday Previews Across the Parks

Disney Parks offered glimpses of major updates and new attractions throughout the broadcast. Viewers saw the debut of Disney’s Holiday Puppets in Discovery Island at Animal Kingdom. Meanwhile, Matthew and Emma spotlighted Epcot’s transformation, focusing on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and the newly opened NBA Experience at Disney Springs.

Over at Disneyland, Jesse Palmer shared a sneak peek of Avengers Campus, opening in 2020. The upcoming Spider-Man attraction received special attention as Disney’s first to feature the iconic superhero.

From Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, characters like Rey, Finn, Poe, DO, and BB-8 sent holiday greetings. This led to a flashback to D23 Expo 2015, when Bob Iger first revealed Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The celebration continued with Scott Trowbridge offering deeper insights into Rise of the Resistance, Disney Imagineering’s most ambitious attraction to date.

Musical Performances Light Up the Parade

The star-studded concert lineup added plenty of holiday sparkle:

• Meg Donnelly opened from the Cinderella Castle Stage with “Home for the Holidays.”

• Sting performed a soulful Christmas tune, returning later for “Soul Cake.”
• Shaggy delivered “Christmas with Friends” from the same stage.

• Pentatonix wowed audiences with “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” at Hollywood Studios.
• Ingrid Michaelson and Grace VanderWaal dueted on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at Disneyland’s “it’s a small world.”
• Portugal. The Man performed inside Galaxy’s Edge—the first-ever concert filmed in Batuu.
• Ally Brooke sang “Christmas Through Your Eyes” at Hollywood Studios.

• The Cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series performed from Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A., closing the parade with youthful energy.

With musical performances, park previews, and timeless traditions, the 2019 Disney Christmas Parade delivered one of the most well-rounded holiday specials in recent memory. Whether spotlighting Galaxy’s Edge or honoring Disney on Broadway, it celebrated where Disney has been—and where it’s going.

➡️ Explore the full Disney Christmas Parade archive for more holiday magic!

Looking for more nostalgia? Try the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parades, Happy Easter Parades. 4th of July Spectaculars and the Disney Family Albums.