ABC will march out the parades

Put aside the presents and step away from that eggnog: It’s time for a TV holiday tradition, as Walt Disney World’s annual parade celebrates Christmas.

The 22nd annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade will be hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa in Orlando, Fla., with “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest at Disneyland in Anaheim. It airs Sunday at 2:30 p.m. PST on ABC.

Familiar costumed Disney characters share the stage with human celebrities such as Julie Andrews -- whose Oscar-winning role as Mary Poppins easily qualifies her as a Disney character in her own right -- and Vanessa Williams. Even President Bush will weigh in with seasonal wishes.

And John O’Hurley, now better known for his dancing prowess than his acting, will sing and dance in a production number.

“I’m doing ‘Be Our Guest’ with the whole dancing chorus from the show they do there,” he said, referring to the park’s “Beauty and the Beast” performance. “About 40 of the dishes and candles are in it. I’ve never danced with flatware before.”

O’Hurley calls the parade “just such a lot of fun, with all these big special numbers and all the Disney characters and the songs.” He still recalls his first visit to Disney World, the day after his senior prom in 1972, in which he walked up the steps of Cinderella’s Castle.

O’Hurley, who has a dance instructional video due out in January and recently released an album of his piano compositions that he described as “large John Tesh,” looks forward to spending Christmas at home in Los Angeles.

His parade appearance was taped in early December, “and we still had an audience of at least 7,500,” O’Hurley said. “You have to tape those production numbers in advance. The park is so crowded during Christmas week, I couldn’t imagine how you’d get them in.”

The two-hour broadcast also will feature segments from the international Disney parks in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.