Walt Disney World guests have long lamented the absence of a nighttime parade at the parks and often look at the frequency of nighttime parades (Main Street Electrical Parade consistent return and retirement) at Disneyland with envy.
Walt Disney World is debuting a brand new nighttime parade this year called Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away. This parade is drawing inspiration from early Magic Kingdom parades along with classic animation.
This sounds like the most impressive parade to debut at Magic Kingdom in years with the level of dedication Imagineers are putting into this new nighttime parade.
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Start Date
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away will debut at Walt Disney World in summer 2025. Disney has confirmed that this new date is still on track with the show projected to open by the start of summer.
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I am so excited to see Walt Disney World get a nighttime parade again which is a great way to breathe life into the evenings at the resort. This is the first time in years we have seen a nighttime parade at Walt Disney World that isn't a part of a special event like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Inspired by Earlier Parades and Disney Animation
The new Disney Starlight parade is inspired by the “rich history of nighttime parades at Magic Kingdom” with Disney confirming the parade will include a few easter eggs.
The parade is also inspired by some of Walt Disney Animation Studios' earliest animated features with a parade float paying homage to Disney Legend and artist Mary Blair's original concept artwork for “Cinderella.” This float will feature a “gleaming fountain of light that overflows to illuminate a cosmic ballroom” which is just one piece of the “constellation” of classic and contemporary stories from the parade.
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Disney Starlight Parade Floats
In addition to this Mary Blair inspired “Cinderella” float, the parade will also feature a mix up of classic and contemporary stories including “Moana,” “Peter Pan,” “Frozen,” “Encanto” and more.
Disney: Starlight Parade Includes Light Up Costumes
The parade will also feature “glimmering garments” that Disney Live Entertainment Costuming is creating to accompany the parade. These light up costumes remind me of the same ones we would see in Disneyland's Paint the Night parade.
The costumes will use a “blend of innovative lightning techniques and whimsical custom-fabrics” with the team constructing each look inspired by the “kissed by starlight” phrase. The lights on the costumes will also twinkle in synchronization with the music.
So far, the entire parade is looking like a masterpiece.
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