When Will Disney World Get a Night Parade?

It has been several years since a night parade performed at Walt Disney World. In this post, we’ll address the rumors of a new night parade at Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, our thoughts on the loss of SpectroMagic (etc.), and more. (Updated March 17, 2024.)

More than any change at Walt Disney World in recent memory, I miss the night parade. In particular, I miss SpectroMagic, which is the parade at Magic Kingdom that I remember when I was growing up, and which was the parade that was running the first several years Sarah and I visited Walt Disney World together.

We watched SpectroMagic every single night we were at Magic Kingdom, and there was just something special about the anticipation that built when Jiminy Cricket’s voice started coming over the loudspeakers. Along with the fireworks, the night parade sets the nighttime mood in Magic Kingdom. While Main Street Electrical Parade did not have the same emotional resonance for us, we were also sad to see that go. In a way, when that parade left, we should have seen this coming.

If Main Street Electrical Parade is the only nighttime parade you’ve known and you weren’t particularly impressed by that, keep in mind that it was over 40 years old when it stopped running. While some people loved its quaintness and charm, we prefer the newer Paint the Night and Dreamlights.

The latter is our favorite nighttime parade anywhere, and we always make a point of watching Dreamlights. For years, I’ve held out hope that Walt Disney World would create SpectroMagic 2.0, weaving together that score with floats having the wow-factor of Dreamlights.

March 17, 2024 Update: This brings us to the rumors about a night parade coming to Walt Disney World, 2024 edition. According to Brayden of MickeyViews, there’s a new nighttime parade currently in development for Walt Disney World. As far as sources and insider info go, he has a pretty good track record–so this is worth discussing.

Nevertheless, I’ll start by saying this: I’ll believe it when I see it. This is not to cast aspersions on the rumor or its source, but rather, the reality that there have been countless credible rumors of night parades at Walt Disney World since 2019. (There have also been plenty of not-so-credible ones that amounted to nothing more than wishful thinking among fans.)

The credible rumors always fell apart at some point in the process. The biggest impediments were costs, logistics and squabbles between Disneyland and Walt Disney World management. (Past rumors have always involved Walt Disney World borrowing a parade from Disneyland, not developing a brand-new one.) Basically, which coast paid for what and what changes were made to protect the parades. All of this had to be negotiated, and the wheels fell off once Walt Disney World management realized the expenses that would be incurred.

That has always been the bottom line when it comes to night parades returning to Walt Disney World. There have been other supposed reasons why Disneyland’s night parades wouldn’t work at Walt Disney World. Those are just excuses, concocted by fans or performers to make themselves feel better. The bottom line has always been the bottom dollar.

In any case, I have not heard anything credible about a new nighttime parade being in development for Walt Disney World for 2024 or 2025. Again, this is not to say this rumor is not credible–just that I haven’t heard it.

What I have heard is that Walt Disney World wants to do something with drones. In our most recent update to When Will Walt Disney World Get a Dazzling Drone Display?, we covered recent drone testing at Disney Springs. There have been additional developments in the last month, which strongly suggest a drone show is coming to Walt Disney World in the not too distant future (sometime between now and Summer 2025).

Separately, I’ve heard that the response to Disney Electrical Sky Parade at Disneyland Paris–basically Main Street Electrical Parade over the castle done via drones–has been incredibly positive and that the company wants to replicate that success elsewhere. Which isn’t really a surprise, as all of the drone shows at Disneyland Paris have been a massive hit with guests.

Combine those two things…add in the new rumors of a night parade being in development…along with Walt Disney World’s aversion to the costs associated with a physical parade (paying performers, maintenance, storage, etc)…plus the crowd control logistics. Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even a true insider to conclude that maybe the ‘night parade’ Walt Disney World is planning will be in the sky instead of in the traditional sense.

Again, I have no clue. I have heard recent rumblings about drones and early testing is already happening. I’m operating on that basis, coupled with the lack of rumors I’ve personally heard about an actual night parade plus past precedent (and the cynicism that’s forged in me). That’s what’s leading me to this conclusion. I very much hope to be wrong. That the drone show is something separate from the night parade–and that both are happening. That’d be awesome.

If you’re wondering what’s made me so cynical about a night parade returning to Walt Disney World, it’s that we’ve been down this road countless times. When this was originally published a few years ago, it said “there are zero reliable rumors to our knowledge” regarding a nighttime parade coming for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.

That was in response to “rumors” swirling at the time that Main Street Electrical Parade or Paint the Night would make their way to Florida for the milestone celebration. At that time, we had also heard ‘rumblings’ about Walt Disney World having interest in the parades, but not to the point that it was credibly happening–just that the idea had been floated and hadn’t really gone anywhere.

And that wasn’t even the first time that there had been speculation or rumors that Walt Disney World would receive one of Disneyland’s two (2) night parades that are sitting in storage. This has come up again and again on an almost annual basis since Main Street Electrical Parade departed Walt Disney World in 2016. Speculation of its return are becoming as much of a tradition as those of Journey into Imagination being restored to its former glory. It’s almost equally heartbreaking that nothing has occurred on either front in the last several years.

When news broke that Main Street Electrical Parade was returning to Disneyland on the most recent occasion, we wrote: “Walt Disney World has been given the option of borrowing Paint the Night multiple times, and passed on it due to those aforementioned maintenance and operating expenses. After so many years of not having a night parade in Magic Kingdom, we think the only way Walt Disney World would rethink that decision is if attendance falls off a cliff…So, there’s no reason to hold out hope that Paint the Night coming to Magic Kingdom will be the next announcement.”

Only a few weeks after that, we started hearing very credible rumors that Paint the Night would return to Walt Disney World last year. Obviously, that did not happen. However, even as one who has developed a strong skepticism of these night parade rumors in the past (after being burned several times), I was convinced it was going to happen.

There were still unanswered questions of “where?” and “how?” and specifics to be hashed out between Disneyland and Walt Disney World over storage and maintenance. Nevertheless, it seemed like a nearly done deal. But again, that did not occur and my skepticism was fully restored.

To reiterate, I’ve heard absolutely nothing about a night parade, new or borrowed from Disneyland, coming to Walt Disney World in 2024 or 2025. In fairness, me not hearing about something is hardly conclusive of it not happening. With that said, Disney Entertainment is notorious for leaks, and usually many people know about this type of thing once the wheels are in motion. It becomes an open secret, even prior to being officially announced.

Given that and the radio silence from the company, I’m incredibly skeptical that Walt Disney World will get a night parade in time for Summer 2024. About the only possibility at this point is if bookings are soft (which I’ve heard is the case) and there’s a last-minute scramble to throw together a summer event that’ll bolster crowds. But that initiative would have to start pretty much today in order to debut by June 2024. It just all seems highly improbable, at best.

At some point, a night parade will return to Walt Disney World and low crowds/bookings will be precisely the reason. While it’s probably too late for this summer, that doesn’t rule out Summer 2025. In the past, Main Street Electrical Parade has been the McRib of Disneyland–the “break glass in case of emergency” entertainment when attendance needed a boost and it was too late for anything else.

Well, Universal’s Epic Universe opens in Summer 2025 and, as of right now, it sure doesn’t seem like Walt Disney World has anything planned. So it’s entirely possible they will want to break the glass and finally pay the money to ship out Main Street Electrical Parade or Paint the Night for Summer 2025. Even then, they might try pulling other “levers” that are less costly or are viewed internally as having more marketable wow-factor. (Again, perhaps drones?)

Until a new nighttime parade is announced by Disney, nothing is certain. I learned long ago not to count my chickens before they hatched, as many rumors never come to fruition. Even ones that are so close to announcement and coming to fruition. Personally, I’m not getting excited for a night parade returning to Walt Disney World. We have been burned by rumors in the past, and the circumstances are not (yet) materially in our favor.

For those who have never experienced Paint the Night at Disneyland Resort or Hong Kong Disneyland, think of it as Main Street Electrical Parade for the new generation. The core concept of the light parade is the same, but the execution has been technically modernized, as has the soundtrack and the Disney characters represented.

In its full form, Paint the Night parade has eight units: Tinker Bell Opening Unit, Monsters Inc. Unit, Cars Unit, The Little Mermaid Unit, Belle Candlelight Unit, Toy Story Unit, Incredibles Unit, Mickey & Friends Finale Unit. It features Owl City’s “When Can I See You Again?” as its theme song.

Previously, the Disneyland Resort version of the parade featured a “Frozen Fractals” float and performers. This float no longer exists, and was replaced by the Incredibles float for Pixar Fest a few of years ago at Disney California Adventure.

If Paint the Night were to come to Florida, it’s unclear which of these floats would make the move. There are a variety of factors at play–from float and costume maintenance to the physical toll some elements of Paint the Night takes on performers to turn radiuses in two of the Walt Disney World’s parks to available space in backstage storage facilities. (Speculation from me and not part of the rumor, but I would not expect to see Mack make the drive from California.) Of course, budget cuts are always a possibility, too.

Parades are labor-intensive, particularly as compared to something like projection shows. There are no doubt nightly costs incurred with running those, but they’re nowhere near what a night parade would cost.

Given that Paint the Night sat backstage at Disneyland for so many years instead of temporarily moving to Magic Kingdom suggests to me park management was already eyeing decreased operational costs.

Ultimately, Walt Disney World fans shouldn’t hold out hope that Main Street Electrical Parade or Paint the Night will come to Magic Kingdom in Summer 2024 or even 2025. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess–dependent upon forward-looking bookings that are premature to predict. It’s my strong belief that Walt Disney World fans “deserve” a night parade, and I’ve made it clear for a while that it’s a colossal shame that today’s generation of young guests doesn’t get to conclude their day with that awe-inspiring spectacle.

With that said, there’s another reason for bringing a night parade to Florida: it would provide a desperately needed goodwill win for Walt Disney World. After all of the price increases, nickel & diming, debut of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, cuts to things like Disney’s Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, on and on–fans could really use some positive news and a reason to feel less cynical. Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro have already undertaken some initiatives to reverse fan disenchantment, but this would be a much bigger win!

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Your Thoughts

Has your Walt Disney World experience been negatively impacted by the lack of a night parade? Would you like to see Paint the Night come to Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Which is your ‘preferred park’ for a night parade? Any other questions or comment? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

61 Responses to “When Will Disney World Get a Night Parade?”
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