BREAKING NEWS: Disney Announces Return Date of Magic Kingdom Parade & More Coming to Magic Kingdom

Exciting news! Late last fall, Disney announced the return of the Festival of Fantasy Parade, an updated stage show at Magic Kingdom, and an all-new character cavalcade coming to Magic Kingdom. Disney has now released opening dates for these fantastic entertainment offerings. Learn more below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Joel McElroy:

Hear ye, hear ye! We have exciting updates about when you can experience returning favorites and new entertainment offerings at Magic Kingdom Park – adding even more magic to The World’s Most Magical Celebration.

Kicking off the fun on February 11 is the brand-new “Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade!” Starring nearly 30 of your favorite Disney and Pixar friends, this super-sized cavalcade features Nick and Judy from “Zootopia,” Baloo and King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” José Carioca and Panchito from “The Three Caballeros,” plus Merida, Moana, The Incredibles, and more – including the Magic Kingdom debut of Miguel from “Coco” in his mariachi best.

As you may know, that’s not the only much-anticipated offering coming to the parade route. I’m so excited to share that the beloved Disney “Festival of Fantasy” Parade returns to Magic Kingdom Park beginning March 9 – the anniversary of the debut of the parade in 2014!

Dazzling guests since its debut, the Disney “Festival of Fantasy” Parade features beloved characters from “The Princess and the Frog,” “Tangled,” “Peter Pan” and more bringing their individual stories to life on enchanting floats that look as though the characters themselves had a hand in crafting them. Looming 26 feet above the parade route and 35 feet in length, the fire-breathing Maleficent Dragon float returns just as menacing as ever. We’re delighted to have this show-stopping beauty be a part of our glittering assemblage.

Speaking of shimmering gatherings, “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” will make its debut on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage February 25! The show, newly enhanced for the Walt Disney World 50^th Anniversary celebration, will incorporate favorite scenes inspired by “Frozen,” “Tangled,” and “The Princess and the Frog” – plus a new opening and a new finale with Mickey Mouse and all his friends in their sparkling, EARidescent fashions. Presented multiple times a day, the show will also include an all-new, original song entitled “Where the Magic Feels Like Home.”

These new and returning experiences add to the all-new entertainment that debuted with the launch of the Walt Disney World 50^th Anniversary celebration, including “Disney Enchantment,” “Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade,” and “Harmonious” – with more to come when “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” and “Fantasmic!” open later this year. Be sure to follow #DisneyWorld50 and keep reading Disney Parks Blog for all the news and updates throughout the celebration!

RELATED ARTICLE: 8 Facts and Secrets about the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Disney’s Magic Kingdom 

by Christy Caby

The Festival of Fantasy parade at the Magic Kingdom is one of the most impressive parades that you will ever see. People begin lining up very early to get good spots to view the parade.  This is one you definitely don’t want to miss, so make sure it is on your agenda.  Whether you have seen it or not, here are facts and secrets that you may not have realized:

8 – It takes lots of cast members to run the parade.

It is over 100, actually! It seems like a LOT of cast members, but there are all important. They work hard to make this an incredibly magical moment for all guests.

7 – How many floats are there?

There are actually 9 total floats that make up the parade. Across these 9 floats and the walking cast, more than a dozen classic Disney movie favorites are represented.

6 – A large number of characters are represented.

There is a very likely chance that you will see many of your absolute favorite characters while you enjoy this fantastic parade. You will actually get to see around 40 beloved characters, either live or in sculptural form.

5 – The Princess Garden float is HUGE!

The Princess Garden Float is an impressive 50+ feet long. On the float, you will likely also see big favorites like Belle and Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Anna and Elsa, and Princess Tiana and Naveen. Not only that but the way the ride is constructed, you get to see each of them with great views because they rotate so that you get views of all of them! So no worries about which side of the street to stand on! You will get to see them all!

4 – Mickey’s Airship float is the tallest float in the parade.

This float towers over the crowd with the top of the float reaching 32 feet high. It’s awe-inspiring in person, and so detailed. It is designed to look like a huge hot air balloon with characters from Fantasia sculpted around the base, and Mickey and Minnie ride in the basket under the balloon and greet all of the smiling guests along the streets. This is the finale of the parade, and nothing is better than getting to wave at Mickey!

This blows my mind. They actually digitally drew and sculpted various pieces and costume components. These digital files were then used to become and tangible reality through 3D printing. One example of one thing that was 3D printed are the headpieces that the clamshell dancers with the Little Mermaid float wear. Impressive, right? It will definitely give you a larger appreciation for the details when you are watching the parade!

2 – What about that dragon?

The Maleficent dragon float is one of the most impressive and most talked about floats. It is 53 feet long and 26 feet tall, and super impressive. Disney actually employed a Tony Award-winning designer, Michael Curry, to help with the design that was used to develop this steampunk rendition of Maleficent as a dragon. Even better, the dragon is, in fact, a fire-breathing dragon, for a perfect effect to bring the magic to life right before your eyes.

1 – The costumes are as elaborate to make as they appear.

Disney spared no expense or detail in creating each and every one of the costumes that are worn in the parade by the characters and by the various dancers. They even had custom fabrics designed and created exclusively for these costumes, so don’t expect to find many of these prints in the stores. For most of the dancers, it took as much as 30 years of fabric just to make one costume. Can you imagine the time it would take to cut and make all the pieces, let alone the regular care for these costumes? If you look at Minnie’s dress and hat, the 95 dots on her costume were cut out, individually decorated and bedazzled, and then each one was then sewn on individually. What work and detail!!!