It seems like an eternity since we’ve had an actual nighttime parade in Walt Disney World and fans have been clamoring for its return for years. In fact, an announcement for new parade has been rumored at the last few D23 Expos, but we still haven’t got one…until now! It’s official, a brand-new nighttime parade is coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in 2025 called “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away.”
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro made the announcement at the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase” during the D23 Expo at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. He revealed that an all-new nighttime parade called “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” is coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom and it was met with sheer joy from the crowd in attendance.
Picture this: you’re nestled on Main Street, U.S.A. with your loved ones getting ready to watch a nighttime parade come to life right before your eyes. Maybe you’ve got a churro or a Mickey Ice Cream bar in hand, or are eyeing a nearby popcorn cart, who knows! But the lights dim, the music swells, and now you’re watching a brand-new nighttime spectacular at the Magic Kingdom Park.
You don’t have to imagine this for much longer, because in summer 2025, a brand-new parade will make its way to the Most Magical Place On Earth.
Broadway darlings — and former Disney Live Entertainment Cast Members! — Rachel Potter and Eden Espinosa graced the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event stage during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase panel with this monumental announcement. The all-new parade “Disney Starlight” is coming next summer!
This nighttime parade will go right down Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom park and celebrates awe-inspiring moments of magic that are right at the center of many Disney stories.
“Disney Starlight” will continue the nighttime spectacular legacy started by the “Main Street Electrical Parade” using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love. All of this is brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy, in addition to beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films “Peter Pan,” “Encanto,” “Frozen,” “Moana,” and more.
Let’s take a look at this new parade up close:
My commentary is pretty simple for this announcement: it’s about time! Sure it’s not as exciting as the Villains Land or as divisive as the Cars Land replacing Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America, but for me, it’s something that’s been missing from Walt Disney World and it’s absence has bene quite noticeable.
Ever since the parks closed in 2020, we know that Disney has either eliminated various entertainment options the parks used to have, or as in this case, has just not chosen to bring in any new ones. And while it isn’t as flashy as a fireworks show, believe me, back in the day (I’m aging myself here) Main Street U.S.A was always packed with guests for hours waiting for the nighttime parade to start.
I grew up seeing the Main Street Electrical Parade every year, and since it went dark in 2016, it’s been sorely missed.
For those of you who have never experienced a nighttime parade at the Magic Kingdom, it happens before the fireworks and it sets the mood for the rest of the evening. Fireworks shows like Happily Ever After were originally created to the grand finale of a long day in he park and send guests home on a high note. So without a parade, the park just hasn’t felt whole since.
We are also happy that Disney decided to bring in an entirely new nighttime parade, and just just throw the Main Street Electrical Parade back out there to make guests happy. That show after all is now more than 50 years old, so we are due for a show using today’s modern technology.
Nighttime parades are also a huge plus for families with small children. Often the fireworks shows can actually be frightening with all the explosions and loud noises. Parades are much more kid-friendly and they absolutely go crazy for the thousands of lights which will no doubt be included here as well.
Going to Walt Disney World is about making memories with your family that last a lifetime, and I can’t wait to experience this now with my little nephew!
Seeing as Disney guests have been asking for a nighttime parade for almost a decade now, this was an easy win with fans for Disney, and as long as it is executed correctly, we are sure it will be a huge hit. Nice job Disney.
Though we don’t yet have an exact opening date, “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” will make its debut in Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Summer 2025. We’ll continue to bring you the latest news on “Disney Starlight” as soon as we have more details about the show.
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Your Thoughts:
I want to know what you think about the new Disney Starlight Nighttime Parade coming to the Magic Kingdom…
- Are you happy to see a new nighttime parade finally?
- What other floats would you like to see?
Let us know in the comments section below!
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My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.