I love a parade, and I love one in a theme park even more. However, I really enjoy is a good nighttime parade at a theme park more than anything, and Disney Parks has provided that for me. I was over the moon when I got to see Disneyland’s Paint the Night parade return for the 70th anniversary of Disneyland Resort, and I’m even more excited for the upcoming Disney Starlight: Dream The Night Away, the brand new nighttime parade heading to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World next month.
Of all the new attractions heading to Disney World in the coming months, I may be most excited about this parade. The floats we’ve seen under construction look incredible even before they’ve been lit up. The musical score that fans have been teased with is beautiful. However, this morning, Disney World revealed a few new details about the upcoming parade, and one of them has me really excited, because it turns out the parade will have a positive effect on Magic Kingdom's hours of operation.
Disney: Starlight Means Magic Kingdom Will Be Staying Open Later
Today, Disney World revealed that when Disney Starlight begins on July 20, it will run two times nightly, with one parade starting at 9:00 PM and a second getting underway at 11:00 PM. This second start time is particularly important, because it means that Magic Kingdom itself will remain open at least until then, a full hour later than the park is traditionally open.
If I have one significant gripe with Disney World parks, and really all the major Orlando theme parks, it’s that they close too early. With a normal close time of 10:00 PM, Magic Kingdom is actually one of the parks that stays open the latest, with the rest of the Disney World parks closing at 9:00 PM. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is currently closing as early as 6:00 PM. It's a travesty considering that Pandora: The World of Avatar is especially lovely at night, if you’re lucky enough to see it.
Disneyland Resort is Open Much Later Than Walt Disney World
Anybody who has spent any time at Disneyland Resort knows how nice staying open later can be. Disneyland Park regularly stays open until midnight, while also opening earlier than the Orlando parks usually do. You really can spend all day in the parks if you’re so inclined, and I usually do.
The fact that Magic Kingdom will be staying open later, starting July 20, and for the foreseeable future, is fantastic news. It means you can stop to watch the new parade during its early slot, and get that time back when the park remains open for another hour. And, if parades aren’t your thing, you just get more time for the stuff that you’d rather be doing. Parades are a great time to go on popular rides, as the long Disney World lines are usually shorter.
There are some caveats in the new schedule. Disney Starlight won't run at all on nights when Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party is happening in the fall, and it's a safe bet the same will be true when Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party takes place during the holidays.
Disney Starlight has no confirmed end date; it will run for months and could conceivably run for years to come. Hopefully, this schedule will remain in place for as long as it runs, and Magic Kingdom closing at 11 PM will become the norm. If we’re lucky, the rest of the Disney World parks will follow suit and add an extra hour (or more). The more time one can spend inside a theme park, the better.
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