Last week, I photographed Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade at the Magic Kingdom from the Main Street USA Train Station platform. I ended the article by saying how I itched to get down to street level. Today, I get to share with you why.

TIP: I photographed from the left side of Main Street USA as you look from the Magic Kingdom entrance towards Cinderella Castle. This is the side of the street which is shaded at the time of the parade. Meaning the Sun will be behind you and front lighting the people and floats in the parade. My exact location was on the corner outside the Emporium. Be prepared to find a location on the shaded side about 60 to 90 minutes before the parade starts. Keep in mind, the parade starts in Frontierland and takes about 30 minutes to get to the end of Main Street USA.

The costumes worn by the dancers and entertainers before each float are very colorful and the choreography fitting each float’s theme. The first dancers in the parade proceed The Princess Garden float in their ball gowns and princely garb. The entertainers keep smiling through the heat of an Orlando afternoon.

Dancing couple preceeding the Princess Garden float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/16, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 35mm focal length.

With The Princess Garden float being the shortest in the parade, the princesses and princes are at a good angle. The problem, the royals are on turnstiles which may not turn fast enough to see all of the characters as the float passes by. The photo of Tiana and Prince Naveen below was just as they came around and had started greeting guests on my side of the street. Elsa and Anna (which I got a photo of last week) never made it around for me to photograph.

Tiana and Prince Naveen on the Princess Garden float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/14, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 85mm focal length.

By far the most outlandish costumes of the Festival of Fantasy parade were on the dancers before The Little Mermaid float. The dancer in the shell below did manage to shine through with that huge smile and sparkling eyes.

Colorful dancer preceding The Little Mermaid float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/20, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 75mm focal length.

The Little Mermaid float presents a photography challenge. Ariel is very high above you when shooting at street level and Flounder “swims” over her head. Shooting up at Ariel, be patient for her to be looking in the camera’s direction and Flounder is in good position.

Ariel and Flounder on The Little Mermaid float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/16, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 66mm focal length.

The Peter Pan float is the tallest but hanging below the rainbow is the Jolly Roger’s anchor with Captain Hook hanging on in spit of Peter Pan and Wendy high above him on the deck of his ship.

Captain Hook below the Peter Pan float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/16, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 38mm focal length.

I felt Prince Phillip was walking very confidently, maybe even a bit cocky, in front of the Sleeping Beauty float. I think I would have been more leery.

Prince Phillip walks confidently before the Sleeping Beauty float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 100mm focal length.

I mean right behind him was Maleficent in Dragon form. Another way to get the tall floats to fit in your camera’s frame is to use a wide angle lens and photograph them before they get to your location. Oh, and wait for Maleficent to stretch her neck and head upwards as that is when she breaths fire.

Maleficent Dragon breathing fire on Main Street USA in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/16, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 24mm focal length.

Before Mickey’s Airship float caps off the Festival of Fantasy parade, the long Finale float comes by lead off with Pinocchio riding on top of a toy Monstro whale. Again, a wide angle lens comes in handy here.

Pinocchio sits on a toy Monstro whale in the finale float in the Festival of Fantasy parade.
Nikon D700/24-120VR, 1/320s, f/18, ISO 400, EV +0.3, 24mm focal length.

The Festival of Fantasy parade has so much more to see and photograph then what I have shown in the last two articles. It will take more than one viewing to see it all and from different locations along its route. There is a FastPass+ viewing location in the Hub, too.