If you’ve been counting down to the debut of Starlight: Dream the Night Away, Magic Kingdom’s first new nighttime parade in years, there’s one key detail Disney just confirmed—you won’t be able to catch it every night. That’s right. Disney has officially stated that the parade will not take place on select evenings, including nights when the park is hosting its popular after-hours holiday parties.
The Starlight parade kicks off July 20, 2025, and it’s already generating huge buzz. It promises to bring back the nostalgic charm of classic nighttime spectacles like SpectroMagic and Main Street Electrical Parade, complete with updated floats, beloved characters, and an original soundtrack. On most nights, the parade will run twice—once at 9:00 p.m. and again at 11:00 p.m.—giving guests two chances to experience the magic.
But there’s a catch.
According to Disney, Starlight will not be presented during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These are hard-ticketed events that take over the Magic Kingdom on select evenings from August through December, and each one already features its own parade. That means on party nights, guests will see Boo-to-You or Once Upon a Christmastime instead of Starlight.
While this news won’t come as a surprise to seasoned Disney fans, it does mean guests will need to pay close attention to the calendar when planning trips. Neither party’s full schedule has been posted yet, but in past years, Disney held these events multiple times a week, particularly in the second half of each season.
For those visiting on a non-party night, the good news is that Disney has extended park hours for the parade and is clearly expecting big crowds. In fact, Annual Passholder reservations for opening night are already fully booked, showing just how anticipated this parade really is.
There’s also a change in the parade’s direction. Unlike most Magic Kingdom parades, Starlight will begin on Main Street, U.S.A., and travel toward Frontierland—a reversed route that’s meant to help with crowd flow in the evening.
Daytime entertainment, including the Festival of Fantasy Parade, will remain unchanged and continue to run earlier in the afternoon.
Bottom line: If you’ve got your heart set on watching Starlight: Dream the Night Away, make sure your Magic Kingdom visit doesn’t fall on a party night. Disney has big plans for this show—but only when the schedule allows.
