For years, the absence of a nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom left a gap in Walt Disney World’s entertainment lineup. Guests who once lined Main Street, U.S.A. to see glowing floats and character processions at night found themselves without that experience after the Main Street Electrical Parade closed in 2016.
Daytime performances of Festival of Fantasy have kept the parade tradition alive, but evenings have remained quiet. The void was only amplified after the COVID-19 shutdown, when entertainment offerings across the resort scaled back dramatically. For longtime Disney fans, the loss of a nighttime parade became a sore spot.
That changed this summer. In July, Disney finally unveiled Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, a brand-new nighttime parade staged along the classic route from Main Street, U.S.A. through Frontierland. The debut marked the first time in nearly a decade that the park featured such an offering, creating immediate buzz and drawing massive crowds.
A New Era of Nighttime Parades
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away showcases an eclectic mix of Disney stories. Characters from Moana (2016), Peter Pan (1953), Encanto (2021), Frozen (2013), Pinocchio (1940), and more appear on colorful floats, each designed with elaborate detail. Many guests have singled out the Moana float as a highlight, praising its craftsmanship and lighting effects.
Magic Kingdom’s history with nighttime parades is a storied one. The original Main Street Electrical Parade debuted in 1977 and became an icon, running on and off for decades before its 2016 departure. Other offerings, including SpectroMagic, also defined the park’s after-dark experience until it closed in 2010. For many visitors, these shows were as essential as the fireworks.
Reaction to Starlight has been split, with some visitors noting the production does not reach the nostalgic heights of Main Street Electrical Parade or Disneyland’s Paint the Night, which returned to California earlier this year. Still, the majority of attendees welcomed the revival of nighttime parade entertainment, with Magic Kingdom seeing heavy turnouts for the first several weeks of performances.
Since its debut, the parade has run twice nightly at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. That second showtime, scheduled to begin as the park officially closed, often created congestion as guests crowded Main Street either to catch the parade or to exit the park. On nights with separately ticketed events such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the performances were skipped altogether.
Disney Reworks the Schedule
Disney has now announced a change to its Magic Kingdom entertainment lineup.
Beginning August 31, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away will move to 8.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. showings. The adjustment eliminates the overlap between the final parade and the park’s closing, which remains set for 11 p.m.
The change also prompted an update to Happily Ever After, Magic Kingdom’s fireworks spectacular. Starting the same date, the show will move from its 10 p.m. slot to 9.30 p.m., strategically placed between the two parade performances. It previously moved to its 10 p.m. slot earlier this summer.
It seems like other entertainment timings will remain as-is at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
What are your thoughts on Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away?
