MK All-New Nighttime Parade Disney Starlight Set to Debut at Magic Kingdom in 2025

[tathompson87]

No Minnie tonight. Started early because of weather.

In those cases is her voice still played from the float?

 

[jrhwdw]

No Minnie tonight. Started early because of weather.

Mickey kept his Lines though!

 

[jrhwdw]

Does anyone know if the Butterflies and Ice Crystals Poles are Metal? Tonight, Rain version of Starlight until Royals then Normal Starlight, Who Knew! LOL

 

[Squishy]

Tonight might have been the only night I've seen them drive the floats normally and not like they're competing for who can drive the fastest on the parade route.

 

[jrhwdw]

Tonight might have been the only night I've seen them drive the floats normally and not like they're competing for who can drive the fastest on the parade route.

Which is odd since it started early due to Weather......

 

[Ayla]

This parade has serious issues with consistency and show.

 

[jrhwdw]

Full Parade without Minnie at 11

 

[TTA94]

This parade has serious issues with consistency and show.

And sadly I don’t see it getting any better based on other things going on at WDW. I do hope I’m wrong.

 

[brb1006]

Uh oh!!! Is Mortimer back in town?

Speaking of Mortimer, I'm still waiting for the day Disney finally makes a walkaround version of Mortimer Mouse. Now that Pete finally gained a proper costume for the Disney Parks since 2024. That leaves Mortimer and Fifi the Peke as the only classic Disney Characters from Mickey's glory days that have yet to gain a proper appearance at the parks.

 

[brb1006]

Tonight might have been the only night I've seen them drive the floats normally and not like they're competing for who can drive the fastest on the parade route.

That's how Disney Electrical Parades should run.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

I just noticed that the star train unit has the same drum beat as crazy train in some parts. That was very attention to detail if you ask me

 

[Ayla]

And sadly I don’t see it getting any better based on other things going on at WDW. I do hope I’m wrong.

Agreed.

 

[Disone]

Starlight would had been the perfect opportunity to revisit the Neon Character Floats that was exclusive to the Walt Disney World version of MSEP briefly had between 1977-1978.
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While short-lived, I liked how the Neon Finale at MSEP gave representation to various Disney characters (both old and new).

Wow. Well I learned something today. I had no idea this ever existed. I'm not sure I love it as it looks a little bit like I should be wearing 3D glasses to view these and I'm not so they're blurry. But still very cool that I didn't even know if these existed. Thank you for sharing that! But yes Starlight is in dire need of something in between the floats. Stretched out a bit.

Only if we could get the full MSEP with no cuts.

I’d rather have Starlight with more dancers and more characters.

Same!!!!!!! I don't want ELP back, I would much rather have Starlight plussed.

I don’t think this forum in general is the best gauge of public opinion.

Agree

Tom is great at finding the balance of praise and criticism at Disney Parks.

One thing I’ll mention - often the most memorable parts of a parade are not the floats. The undertakers with shovels in the Halloween parade, the toy soldiers marching in the Christmas parade…. Starlight has none of that.

As lovely as spectro was… my favorite part was the fish for some reason. Likewise, the snail and turtle are often what people remember from Main Street electric.

So the issue with starlight isn’t the overall design of the floats (except for frozen…. Marilyn “Elsa” Monroe ain’t working).

lol Marilyn Elsa Monroe. I thought the same thing but I have warmed up to it. Now I'm kind of disappointed when it doesn't happen.

I do think there are some parades that the most memorable part is the floats. Spectromagic comes to mind. Even ELP comes to mind, but in that case it's the smaller floats like the caterpillar, bumblebee, and the turtle. Even festival of fantasy in it's heyday the most memorable part is the fire breathing dragon.

But that doesn't dismiss your point. Starlight needs a moment. It has neither a float that is so memorable or a dance troupe that is so memorable.

Overall I really like Starlight but I can only give it a B rating mainly because in a company whose heritage and traditions is very much exceeding the guest expectation, Starlight only meets them. Night parade. Check. Good thing I love night parade's otherwise I might not like Starlight.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

because in a company whose heritage and traditions is very much exceeding the guest expectation, Starlight only meets them.

Oh this is such a good way of describing Starlight!!! Because a Disney night parade that meets expectations = a high quality and well designed night parade.

But yes…. It doesn’t exceed guest expectations the way Paint the Night and others do.

 

[brb1006]

Wow. Well I learned something today. I had no idea this ever existed. I'm not sure I love it as it looks a little bit like I should be wearing 3D glasses to view these and I'm not so they're blurry. But still very cool that I didn't even know if these existed. Thank you for sharing that! But yes Starlight is in dire need of something in between the floats. Stretched out a bit.


Same!!!!!!! I don't want ELP back, I would much rather have Starlight plussed.

Agree


lol Marilyn Elsa Monroe. I thought the same thing but I have warmed up to it. Now I'm kind of disappointed when it doesn't happen.

I do think there are some parades that the most memorable part is the floats. Spectromagic comes to mind. Even ELP comes to mind, but in that case it's the smaller floats like the caterpillar, bumblebee, and the turtle. Even festival of fantasy in it's heyday the most memorable part is the fire breathing dragon.

But that doesn't dismiss your point. Starlight needs a moment. It has neither a float that is so memorable or a dance troupe that is so memorable.

Overall I really like Starlight but I can only give it a B rating mainly because in a company whose heritage and traditions is very much exceeding the guest expectation, Starlight only meets them. Night parade. Check. Good thing I love night parade's otherwise I might not like Starlight.

Here's footage of the Neon Finale of the Main Street Electrical Parade taken sometime in 1977 and early 1978.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Here's footage of the Neon Finale of the Main Street Electrical Parade taken sometime in 1977 and early 1978.

That floats back in MSEP in a different incarnation

 

[jpeden]

Alright yall - I’ve got to come eat a little crow about Starlight. The parade does NOT film well at all but was very good in person tonight. All the performers were on and even the butterflies and ice crystals didn’t look awful. The pacing also seemed correct this evening.

I still stand by the fact that it needs tweeners and about 2-3 more large feature floats and it needs more ground units but overall it’s got very good bones. If they would simply add to it it would be fantastic. I did LOVE the last float with baroque hoedown - the float performers really get into it. A character cavalcade in front of that would be nice but that float is a lot of fun in itself.

It was nice to see Magic Kingdom look and feel like 2016 again.

 

[Disone]

Alright yall - I’ve got to come eat a little crow about Starlight. The parade does NOT film well at all but was very good in person tonight. All the performers were on and even the butterflies and ice crystals didn’t look awful. The pacing also seemed correct this evening.

I still stand by the fact that it needs tweeners and about 2-3 more large feature floats and it needs more ground units but overall it’s got very good bones. If they would simply add to it it would be fantastic. I did LOVE the last float with baroque hoedown - the float performers really get into it. A character cavalcade in front of that would be nice but that float is a lot of fun in itself.

It was nice to see Magic Kingdom look and feel like 2016 again.

Glad you liked it in person. So did I! Agree that it has good bones. My thought exactly.

It's on the cusp of good to very good. With minimal investment it could cross that and just be a very good. With a solid investment to expand it it could even cross over to to excellent.

 

[flyerjab]

Alright yall - I’ve got to come eat a little crow about Starlight. The parade does NOT film well at all but was very good in person tonight. All the performers were on and even the butterflies and ice crystals didn’t look awful. The pacing also seemed correct this evening.

I still stand by the fact that it needs tweeners and about 2-3 more large feature floats and it needs more ground units but overall it’s got very good bones. If they would simply add to it it would be fantastic. I did LOVE the last float with baroque hoedown - the float performers really get into it. A character cavalcade in front of that would be nice but that float is a lot of fun in itself.

It was nice to see Magic Kingdom look and feel like 2016 again.

I concur. We just saw this tonight for the first time on Main Street. This looks WAY different in person. The groups performing in between the floats were brighter and had more kinetics than how they looked in videos. And these floats are beautiful! They all looked so majestic moving up Main Street !! I think my favorite is actually the last float with all of the characters on it. There was great reaction from the crowd too. I know most people have made their minds up but you should see it in person.

 

[flyerjab]

I haven’t shared any photos in forever. We were on Main Street to watch this parade. It was really something special to see in person.