Drew the Disney Dude
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
What a night!! While not perfect, this parade is a stunning addition to Walt Disney World. I can’t wait for everyone to see it in person.
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MK All-New Nighttime Parade Disney Starlight Set to Debut at Magic Kingdom in 2025
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Ragerunner
Well-Known Member
Here is the full parade. It’s good but it’s not Paint the Night. It just doesn’t have that strong musical song to carry it. With that said I’m glad Magic Kingdom has a nighttime parade again.
Hopefully, next month for me.
Curious about the after-parade crowds and transportation, did you have a chance to see if there's any issues with that? Thx!
SoFloMagic
Well-Known Member
We walked out the east bypass after the parade and directly onto a ferry. Heard HEA booms while walking to the car. Bus loops looked fine at that time.Hopefully, next month for me.
Curious about the after-parade crowds and transportation, did you have a chance to see if there's any issues with that? Thx!
TTA94
Well-Known Member
I agree with what others have said. It’s not perfect but it does have potential to be improved. Hopefully there will be enough feedback for improvements to happen. Yea Paint The Night is a little bit better but overall I think the way it is Starlight will be a nice addition to MK and it’s definitely nice to have a light parade back.
Thanks.
So not as bad as I thought. I was worried about the crowds when leaving the park and how long it'd take me to get back to my resort after the parade.
Drew the Disney Dude
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Circling back to my post from last year about the float from Tokyo: that was incorrect. The Peter Pan float, which you all have seen by now, is all-new!
I'm happy to be wrong here because the scale of the new float is incredible in person, and they aren’t even flying yet!
I'm happy to be wrong here because the scale of the new float is incredible in person, and they aren’t even flying yet!
Squishy
Well-Known Member
Are you able to say if anything noticable was missing from the soft opening apart from peter pan's flight?
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
It’s kinda sad that they deprived us of one for so long, it’s turned into “it’s just nice to have one back”. I mean I feel the same way, but it never should have been this long.
It should have been a given that there would always be a night parade, and the return of one, an original at that, should be one the grandest they’ve done yet.
Does this surpass Spectro, MSEP, Paint the Night, Fantillusion, or Dreamlights?
It’s cute, but the more I sit with it… I just feel a little like I overhyped myself.
It should have been a given that there would always be a night parade, and the return of one, an original at that, should be one the grandest they’ve done yet.
Does this surpass Spectro, MSEP, Paint the Night, Fantillusion, or Dreamlights?
It’s cute, but the more I sit with it… I just feel a little like I overhyped myself.
The Underminer
Active Member
Seeing this opening day on Monday.
Very excited.
Very excited.
Drew the Disney Dude
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
The Moana float was the one that wasn't guaranteed to make tonight's debut, but she did! A pleasant surprise.
Depending on who you ask, Fantillusion is still the standard the company measures nighttime parades against internally.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Frankly rightfully show. What a magical parade!
Corbin Francis
New Member
Finally got around to watching several videos of the soft opening. For starters, it is so great to have a nighttime parade back in the Magic Kingdom. That alone makes this night a win. As I watch the videos, this parade is so close to hitting the mark. The floats themselves are stunning. Kudos to the teams who designed and constructed them. The soundtrack is also a big win for me. It just fits that classical feel of the Magic Kingdom and has that perfect blend of Spectro and MSEP.
There are three things missing for me though. 1. One of the things I always loved about Spectromagic is how big the intro felt. The opening trumpet fanfare mixed with the welcome from Jiminy Cricket created a sense of beginning to the parade. While the blue fairy float is beautiful, this parade just doesn’t feel like it has that grand start to it. The music just kind of begins and the Blue Fairy dialogue feels more like something we’d experience midway into the parade, not as an opener. I almost wish they would move the Disney starlight logo float to the front to atleast mark a beginning.
2. Several have mentioned in the group the need for additional performers between floats. One of the things I loved about Spectro is how well the additional performers and smaller floats supported the bigger floats. I always loved how Spectro included walking characters in between and Starlight could really benefit from that kind of addition. Right now it feels empty.
3. The Finale. Like the opening of Starlight, I also felt like the ending felt very abrupt. Spectro always had that sense of closure to it. The music would hit its crescendo, Jiminy Cricket would wish us good night and the parade felt complete. The finale float of Starlight is amazing. It’s feels like a finale float, but the music never comes to that swelling end and the character dialogue again feels like something experienced in the middle of the parade. Some small tweaks to the end like having Mickey say good night and having the soundtrack come to a big finish would be the perfect kiss good night on a parade that has so much potential.
There are three things missing for me though. 1. One of the things I always loved about Spectromagic is how big the intro felt. The opening trumpet fanfare mixed with the welcome from Jiminy Cricket created a sense of beginning to the parade. While the blue fairy float is beautiful, this parade just doesn’t feel like it has that grand start to it. The music just kind of begins and the Blue Fairy dialogue feels more like something we’d experience midway into the parade, not as an opener. I almost wish they would move the Disney starlight logo float to the front to atleast mark a beginning.
2. Several have mentioned in the group the need for additional performers between floats. One of the things I loved about Spectro is how well the additional performers and smaller floats supported the bigger floats. I always loved how Spectro included walking characters in between and Starlight could really benefit from that kind of addition. Right now it feels empty.
3. The Finale. Like the opening of Starlight, I also felt like the ending felt very abrupt. Spectro always had that sense of closure to it. The music would hit its crescendo, Jiminy Cricket would wish us good night and the parade felt complete. The finale float of Starlight is amazing. It’s feels like a finale float, but the music never comes to that swelling end and the character dialogue again feels like something experienced in the middle of the parade. Some small tweaks to the end like having Mickey say good night and having the soundtrack come to a big finish would be the perfect kiss good night on a parade that has so much potential.
Also the first and only parade named by the executive in charge of Walt Disney Entertainment, instead of marketing, a lower level designer, or another executive. Or in one case, his wife...
Wish it'd have come stateside after Spectro. Literally any of WDE's parades besides MSEP again...
brb1006
Well-Known Member
While I enjoyed the parade and I didn't love it. I really feel like this parade needs more Classic Disney Characters. Plus the finale felt short and barebones compared to Spectromagic's cavalcade of Disney characters that went by different units.
Besides Encanto, Peter Pan, the Prince and Princesses, and Whimsy. I'm bummed that a majority of floats only features a single Disney Character that ain't a static figure. The Frozen float only showed the other Frozen characters on screens. MSEP, Spectromagic, Fantillussion, and Dreamlights had floats that featured a couple characters together.
Also wish the parade had smaller floats and units for certain sections. The MSEP bugs, turtles, caterpillar, and Smee's boat gave more life and interaction with guests. Starlight mostly focuses on characters performing and hardly gets time to wave and interact with viewers.
Besides Encanto, Peter Pan, the Prince and Princesses, and Whimsy. I'm bummed that a majority of floats only features a single Disney Character that ain't a static figure. The Frozen float only showed the other Frozen characters on screens. MSEP, Spectromagic, Fantillussion, and Dreamlights had floats that featured a couple characters together.
Also wish the parade had smaller floats and units for certain sections. The MSEP bugs, turtles, caterpillar, and Smee's boat gave more life and interaction with guests. Starlight mostly focuses on characters performing and hardly gets time to wave and interact with viewers.
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The Underminer
Active Member
They usually add to these parades over time.
That would actually be an awesome time to do it. Perfect synergy and it’d give the parade both a tonal shift and the potential for a substantial addition.