Magic Kingdom is a magical park full of attractions, dining experiences, character interactions, and live entertainment. Magic Kingdom currently has two parades that run daily: Festival of Fantasy and Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away. Festival of Fantasy begins in Frontierland and ends at the park entrance, while Disney Starlight starts near the park entrance on Main Street and ends in Frontierland. Festival of Fantasy will typically only run at noon and 3pm, or only at 3pm. Disney Starlight typically runs around 7:45 and at 10 or 11pm depending on the season. Guests should check their Disney World app for current showtimes during their visit, and check out some of these spots to catch the parades.
Frontierland Near Country Bear Jamboree
For both parades, many guests consider Frontierland to be an optimal location. Many first time guests who aren’t familiar with the parade routes will flock to the Main Street and castle areas. This leaves Frontierland a bit less crowded, and guests are more likely to find a suitable watching spot in this area. Both parades will go through Frontierland, either at the beginning of the route or at the end. The area near Country Bear Jamboree is usually a pretty good area to find a spot to stand. Some seasoned guests find that they can watch the parade in Frontierland and then quickly walk over to the fire station area of Main Street USA to catch the parade on its way out as well!
Main Street Train Station
If you want to leave the park right after the parade, or you want somewhere with good up-close views of the floats, then check out the area by the Main Street Train Station. This is the last area that the Festival of Fantasy Parade will see, and the first area that the Disney Starlight parade will see. Being so close to the park’s entrance, this is a good place to watch if you have small kids and need to leave right after the show.
Outside of Tomorrowland and Right Side of Castle Hub
If you stand outside of Tomorrowland and then continue walking toward the castle hub area then you’ll find a decent spot for either parade. Stand near the popcorn stand and you’ll have a good view of the floats from a bit further away than the rest of the crowd.
Arrive Early or Look for Tape Markings
Our best tip for parade viewing is to arrive early, but if you can’t do that then look for the tape markings on the ground. Pick a spot that’s within the tape boxes, the crowd will keep moving in front of you outside of these boxes, but there won’t be anyone standing directly in front of you here.
Where do you like to stand to catch the parades? What is your best parade tip for Disney World? We want to hear from you in the comments below!
Featured Photo: Emily Murray
Written by
Megan Woodard
Contributing Writer
Megan was born into a Disney family. Her first trip to Disney World was when she was only 18 months old. Now as an adult, Megan loves to share the magic of Disney with her family. Keeping up with Disney news and Disney World knowledge is a fun hobby for Megan. Disney World is her favorite place to be and continuously brings back her childhood joy.
