There’s a NEW entertainment offering in Disney World, and fans are HYPED to check it out!
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is the brand-new nighttime parade premiering in Magic Kingdom. We’ve been years without a nighttime parade in this park, and fans have been eagerly anticipating this new iteration…so how are crowds on opening night?
People were already staking out spots on Main Street, U.S.A. at 4 PM — 5 hours before the first parade was set to start at 9!
There are tons of NEW things about this parade we’ve never seen before, and one of them is that this parade’s route is BACKWARDS! That means that it’ll start on Main Street and end in Frontierland, rather than the other way around. This also means that ideal spots to stand for this parade are a little different!
Based on our knowledge and research, here’s where we’ve found to be the BEST spots for this parade (but keep in mind, these will be POPULAR, so you’ll want to snag them at LEAST an hour in advance during the first few months of this parade’s run):
- In front of Main Street Theater (angle yourself so you can see the parade as it’s coming around the corner! Try watching from the Main Street Theater porch to avoid some more crowds.)
- In the Hub, facing the castle either in the center, near the Partners Statue, or to the left as the parade heads into Liberty Square (you can even stand as far as Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe and still see the castle).
When deciding what parade you want to see, you’ll want to remember that Happily Ever After fireworks will still be happening each night in between the parades! The first parade will take place at 9 PM, the fireworks will happen at 10 AM, and then the second parade finishes out the night at 11 PM.
If you and your party aren’t ones for staying up late, you’ll 100% want to see the 9 PM parade, then stick around for the fireworks (if you’re on Main Street and got one of those ideal spots, we recommend just staying where you are!). However, if staying up late is no issue for you, then we highly recommend getting a spot for the fireworks (if you have an interest in seeing them), then getting a spot for the second parade, which is bound to be MUCH less crowded.
Remember too that it’ll be a MADHOUSE leaving the parks after the first parade and/or fireworks, so if you want to face the least amount of crowds, you’ll want to stick with staying to the top of Main Street for both. That way, you can just turn tail and bolt out. However, if you’re staying for the second parade, feel free to take your time moseying out of the park, because while crowds are likely much lower, you’ll be able to see a nearly empty Main Street.
Disney Starlight is now showing nightly in Magic Kingdom at both 9PM and 11PM. The parade features 9 different sections with popular Disney characters dressed in their iconic costumes and lit up to shine at night.
The parade follows the typical Magic Kingdom parade route in reverse order — starting in Town Square, running up Main Street, U.S.A., going past the castle and through Liberty Square before ending in Frontierland. It exits next to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
If you’re going to be in Magic Kingdom at night, this is a MUST-SEE. It won’t show on nights when the Halloween and Christmas parties take place though, so make sure to work that into your plans.
We’ll make sure to keep you in the loop with more news from the first night of the parade and all the other happenings in Disney World. Stay tuned!
Learn More About the Parade Floats Here!
Are you going to see this parade soon? Tell us in the comments!
Just got back from the parade, and it was amazing! The floats were stunning, and the energy from the crowd was electric. Definitely worth the wait!
The new parade looks absolutely stunning! The floats are so vibrant and the music is catchy. It’s definitely worth the wait, even if it takes 5 hours! Can’t wait to see it in person!