Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away officially premiered on Sunday, July 20th at the Magic Kingdom, bringing back the tradition of a nighttime parade at Walt Disney World! This is the third nighttime parade to come to Magic Kingdom, preceded by the Main Street Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic. Most notably, Disney World hasn’t hosted any version of a nighttime parade since October 2016.
Growing up visiting Disney World, I have so many fond memories of both the Main Street Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic. Both had iconic soundtracks and the combination of watching the fireworks and the parade made late nights at Magic Kingdom truly magical. Fast-forward several years and Disney Starlight is the first time I’ve been able to enjoy a Magic Kingdom nighttime parade as both a local and a mom.
I was able to catch Disney Starlight’s premiere and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Before seeing it in person, I watched our video of Disney Starlight and read some not-so glowing reviews. I’m happy to say, the parade is much more vibrant and engaging in person. The lights are brighter, the floats are larger, and the music captures the nostalgia of classic Disney magic. I even overheard other guests around me raving about how impressive and emotional the parade is.
What surprised me most about Disney Starlight is the level of nostalgia it captures both in the style of the lights and the music. The parade features a snippet of “Baroque Hoedown” from the Main Street Electrical Parade, opens with a “Like a bolt out of the blue…” from “When You Wish Upon A Star” and the retired Wishes fireworks, and a stardust image of Jiminy Cricket waving in the finale float just like SpectroMagic. These details may be subtle, but the feel of the parade reminds me of Disney vacation memories.
I fully expected Disney Starlight to be more similar to Disneyland’s Paint the Night parade. Don’t get me wrong, Paint the Night is incredible and ultimately sets the bar for any other parade, day or night. However, when has Disney World ever gotten a nostalgic new addition? Not even for Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration. While there’s no denying Paint the Night is the superior parade, Disney Starlight accomplishes something different and is an emotional tribute to Disney World fans.
Disney Starlight does feature newer films like Wish, Coco, and Frozen II. Personally, the classic floats like Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Whimsy the Train are what brought me the most joy. But then, when my son literally shouted with excitement for the Frozen and Coco floats, I had a full-circle moment of getting to share something both familiar and new with my child.
One other feature I enjoyed about Disney Starlight, is the ability to pretty easily see the parade even from a not-so-great viewing spot. The parade felt accessible even on a very crowded premiere night. The floats are quite large, and there are virtually no walking characters in the parade, so even kids don’t necessarily need a front row viewing spot. This takes the pressure off being able to accomplish both Disney Starlight and Happily Ever After in a crowded Magic Kingdom.
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away isn’t a perfect parade, but I was so happy to see it! Without comparing it to other nighttime parades, it felt like a warm hug and made me excited to see it again with my family. There are some easy adjustments that would plus-up the parade, like adding more walking elements and characters, but overall it feels like Disney Starlight accomplished a nostalgic, warm and fuzzy end to a magical day at Walt Disney World!
Either way, I think we can all agree that having a nighttime parade back at the Magic Kingdom is a total win! Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, and if you have plans to see it this year.
