Matthew Morrison, Emma Bunton and Jesse Palmer to Host ABC’s Primetime and Christmas Day Specials - Performers to include Sting, Shaggy, Portugal. The Man, Pentatonix, Andy Grammer, Ingrid Michaelson, Ally Brooke, Meg Donnelly, Grace VanderWaal, Lindsey Stirling and more.
This holiday season, ABC and Disney Channel will transport the magic of Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line during the holidays to viewers with three magical specials featuring star-studded performances, merry entertainment and more. During the specials, viewers will get exclusive looks at upcoming Disney Parks attractions, including Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening soon at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California.
ABC officially kicks off the holidays with “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,“ THURSDAY, NOV. 28 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC; followed by “Disney Channel Holiday Party @ Walt Disney World,“ premiering FRIDAY, DEC. 13 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST), on Disney Channel and in the DisneyNOW app. As part of the annual tradition, the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” airs Christmas morning, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EST, 9:00-11:00 a.m. CST/MST/PST; airtimes vary, check listings, on ABC and on the ABC app).
“The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” kicks off the holiday season Thursday, Nov. 28, from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, on ABC and on the ABC app. Join hosts artist Matthew Morrison, singer-songwriter and TV host Emma Bunton, and TV host Jesse Palmer as they present the two-hour prime-time special on Thanksgiving night from Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort in California. This magical celebration will feature celebrity musical performances among a flurry of Disney holiday entertainment. During the prime-time special, viewers will be treated to several Disney Parks sneak peeks, including a behind-the-scenes look into Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, opening in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Dec. 5, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020, at Disneyland Park in California.
Musical performances include the following:
• GRAMMY® Award-winning icons Sting and Shaggy perform duets and solo numbers from Walt Disney World Resort, including a new festive reggae version of “Silent Night (Christmas is Coming).”
• GRAMMY Award-winning rock band Portugal. The Man performs “Happy Christmas” and “Merry Christmas Everybody” from Disneyland Resort.
• Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning group Pentatonix will sing a cappella renditions of “Deck the Halls” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Singers Ingrid Michaelson and Andy Grammer perform an all-new original holiday song from Disneyland Resort.
• International pop star Ally Brooke sings “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Singer-songwriter and TV host Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) performs “Santa Baby” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• The Tony®, Emmy® and two-time Golden Globe®-nominated artist Matthew Morrison performs a medley from Walt Disney World Resort of “When You Wish Upon A Star” from the upcoming album “Disney Dreamin’ with Matthew Morrison” and the classic “Let it Snow.”
• Acclaimed two-time Billboard Award-winning electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling pulls all the strings for “Carol of the Bells” from Walt Disney World Resort.
“Disney Channel Holiday Party @ Walt Disney World“ airs Friday, Dec. 13, from 8:00-8:30 p.m. EST/PST, on Disney Channel and in the DisneyNOW app. Disney Channel’s “ZOMBIES 2” stars Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim will co-host this holiday party with artist Matthew Morrison, treating fans to a magical holiday celebration featuring performances from Shaggy, Pentatonix and Disney Channel stars Issac Ryan Brown (“Raven’s Home“), Ruby Rose Turner (“Coop & Cami Ask the World”) and Kylie Cantrall (“Gabby Duran & The Unsittables”) broadcast from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and aboard the majestic Disney Fantasy – part of the Disney Cruise Line fleet. During the special, viewers will enjoy exclusive Disney Parks sneak peeks, including a first look at Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida in spring 2020 and Disneyland Park in California in the future. Viewers will also get an exclusive look at the Disney Channel Original Movie sequel “ZOMBIES 2,” premiering on Disney Channel in 2020. Additionally, “BUNK'D” stars Scarlett Estevez and Israel Johnson will host a special family segment highlighting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots program.
Musical performances include the following:
• Disney Channel’s “ZOMBIES 2” star Meg Donnelly sings “Home for the Holidays” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Disney Channel stars Issac Ryan Brown (”Raven’s Home”) and Ruby Rose Turner (”Coop & Cami Ask the World”) perform “12 Days of Christmas” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Disney Channel’s “Gabby Duran & The Unsittables” star Kylie Cantrall performs “Santa Claus is Coming to Town“ aboard the Disney Fantasy.
• Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning Pentatonix performs an a cappella rendition of “Here Comes Santa Claus” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Two-time GRAMMY Award-winning reggae star Shaggy sings “Jamaican Drummer Boy” from Walt Disney World Resort.
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” airs Wednesday, Dec. 25, from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EST, 9:00-11:00 a.m. CST/MST/PST; airtimes vary, check listings, on ABC and on the ABC app. Disney’s annual Christmas celebration airs Christmas morning on ABC hosted by artist Matthew Morrison, singer-songwriter and TV host Emma Bunton, and TV host Jesse Palmer. Joining as co-hosts are ABC’s “black-ish” star Marsai Martin with Hollywood Records Artist and Disney’s “The Lion King” star JD McCrary, who voiced young Simba in the live-action film. Presented from Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort in California, the show features the Christmas Day Parade down Main Street U.S.A., heartwarming stories and amazing celebrity performances. Among the exclusive Disney Parks sneak peeks planned for this special are Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida in spring 2020 and Disneyland Park in California in the future, plus Avengers Campus coming to Disney California Adventure Park in California in 2020. Viewers will also get a special look at “the most magical flight on earth”: the newly opened Disney Skyliner gondola system, connecting Walt Disney World Resort guests to two Disney theme parks and four resorts, including the new Disney’s Riviera Resort, opening Dec. 16.
Musical performances include the following:
• Seventeen-time GRAMMY Award-winning Sting performs “Soul Cake” off his platinum-selling album “If On A Winter’s Night…” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Two-time GRAMMY Award-winning reggae star Shaggy sings his new Caribbean-flavored original song “Christmas with Friends” from Walt Disney World Resort
• Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning a cappella group Pentatonix performs “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• Singers Ingrid Michaelson and Grace VanderWaal sing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” from Disneyland Resort.
• GRAMMY Award-winning rock band Portugal. The Man performs “White Christmas” and “Feel it Still” from Disneyland Resort.
• International pop star Ally Brooke performs “Christmas Through Your Eyes” from Walt Disney World Resort.
• The cast of the new Disney+ original “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” performs a high-energy medley from Disneyland Resort.
The holiday specials are a collaboration by Disney Parks, ABC, Disney Channel and Endeavor Content.
About ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment airs compelling programming across all day parts, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” the longest-running medical drama in prime-time television; riveting dramas “The Good Doctor,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “A Million Little Things” and “Station 19”; the Emmy® Award-winning “Modern Family” and trailblazing comedy favorites “American Housewife,” “black-ish,” “Bless This Mess,” “The Conners,” “The Goldbergs,” and “Schooled”; the popular “Summer Fun & Games” programming block, including “Card Sharks,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Holey Moley” and “Press Your Luck”; star-making sensation “American Idol”; reality phenomenon “Shark Tank”; “The Bachelor” franchise; long-running hits “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos”; “General Hospital,” which has aired for more than 55 years on the network; and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”; as well as the critically acclaimed hit special ”Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.’” The network also boasts some of television’s most prestigious awards shows, including “The Oscars®,” “The CMA Awards” and the “American Music Awards.”
ABC programming can also be viewed on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu.
About Disney Channel U.S.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family-inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series, movies and short-form. Currently available on basic cable and satellite in over 88 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world. Disney Channel-branded content spans television, online, mobile, VOD platforms and the DisneyNOW app. There are 46 Disney Channels available in 33 languages worldwide.
About Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s powerful brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Fox and National Geographic—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime. When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 60 years later, Disney has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, with iconic businesses including six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 52 resorts in the United States, Europe and Asia with approximately 160,000 cast members; a top-rated cruise line with four ships and plans for three more to be completed in 2021, 2022 and 2023; a luxurious family beach resort in Hawai‘i; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney’s global consumer products operations include the world’s leading licensing business; one of the world’s largest children’s publishing brands; one of the world’s largest licensors of games across platforms; more than 300 Disney store locations around the world; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform. These experiences are created by Disney Imagineers, the creative force behind experiences found in Disney theme parks, resort hotels, cruise ships and consumer products—including books, games and merchandise.
About Endeavor Content
Endeavor Content is a global leader in the development, financing and sales of premium film, television, theater and audio content. Endeavor Content seeks to facilitate more ownership and creative freedom for artists, creators and production companies in an ever-evolving media landscape. Endeavor Content is a division of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.
