Walt Disney World has made new bulletins about Starlight: Dream the Evening Away, the brand new nighttime parade coming to Magic Kingdom in Summer time 2025. This newest reveal pulls again the curtain on the inventive imaginative and prescient, characters, and order of the floats–however nonetheless nothing on the anxiously-awaited opening date.
The newest particulars comes by way of a launch titled “Every thing We Know About ‘Disney Starlight.’” It’s pretty temporary as a result of, at current, there are nonetheless quite a lot of unknowns. However, there may be some new-news shared within the replace, and its timing can be vital. This put up shares the brand new particulars, why this might really be an optimistic signal for a gap date announcement and extra.
This press launch comes over Memorial Day weekend, which is the standard kickoff to the summer season season. This yr, Walt Disney World’s kickoff is a bit delayed to offer respiration room to Epic Universe at Common Orlando, with the “Cool Child Summer time” marketing campaign starting on Might 27, 2025. That’s when each Little Mermaid – A Musical Journey and Villains Unfairly Ever After will debut, together with another character stuff.
As coated in Walt Disney World Congratulates Common on “Large Win” of Epic Universe Opening, we are nonetheless anticipating extra of an “reply” (air quotes) from Disney as soon as the mud settles on the opening weekend of Epic Universe. It’s seemingly that there’s an occasion for the launch of the 2 new DHS stage reveals and “Cool Child Summer time,” and a gap date for Starlight may very well be introduced throughout that.
Alternatively, there’s the D23 “Magic After Darkish: The Story of Disney’s Nighttime Spectaculars” digital occasion Might 29-31, 2025. It’s much less more likely to get an precise announcement throughout that, since that sort of factor isn’t sometimes news-y, nevertheless it’s doable. Extra seemingly is that they’ll wish to share extra about Starlight then, which means an announcement earlier within the week.
If it’s doable to have a gap date for Starlight earlier than the tip of Might 2025, I’d count on one. Nevertheless, it’ll solely occur if the leisure crew is assured it could hit that date. Starlight sounds prefer it’s going to be a race towards the clock, so we might not get a date till absolutely the final minute. On steadiness, I’d say it’s most likely 60/40 that we get a date inside the subsequent week.
In opposition to that backdrop, listed below are the brand new particulars Walt Disney World has revealed about Disney Starlight: Dream the Evening Away, adopted by the newest semi-informed opening date predictions…
What’s the Story of Disney Starlight?
“Disney Starlight” transports friends into the tales of beloved Disney characters. By way of the ability of the Blue Fairy’s magic, you’ll watch goals and desires come true. Because the lights dance from float to drift, you’ll see favourite basic and up to date characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Pixar movies, some for the very first time in a Disney Reside Leisure nighttime parade!
Delivered to life by the inventive arms and hearts at Disney Reside Leisure, Starlight: Dream the Evening Away is the right continuation of Walt Disney World’s legacy of nighttime parades. It’ll supply bits of nostalgia sprinkled all through a stunning procession that raises the bar for the longer term.
This concept holds true for each a part of this parade, not solely within the float design, however within the music, choreography, and extra. With a number of members of the Starlight inventive crew having labored on fan-favorites comparable to “Major Avenue Electrical Parade” and “SpectroMagic,” you will note the inspiration from ever-iconic electrical parades of years previous. Disney Starlight: Dream the Evening Away remembers the nostalgia of nighttime spectaculars with innovation lighting the best way for a magical expertise like by no means earlier than.
Walt Disney World teased this earlier than with Starlight Parade Will Supply ‘Nod to Previous’ Magic Kingdom Evening Parades, however that is the primary time we’ve heard SpectroMagic referred to as out by identify. That is very reassuring to listen to.
Which Characters Can We See in Disney Starlight?
From the second the Blue Fairy’s magic wand lights up the night time, goals will come to life with a fascinating order of floats with these improbable buddies:
- Blue Fairy
- Peter Pan & Wendy
- Asha
- La Familia Madrigal (Mirabel, Isabela, Bruno)
- Elsa
- Aurora and Prince Phillip, Tiana and Prince Naveen, Belle and the Beast, and Cinderella and Prince Charming
- Miguel and Pepita
- Moana, Pua, HeiHei, and a manta ray representing Gramma Tala becoming a member of the journey
Walt Disney World shared that extra characters will probably be revealed quickly, with the above floats will seem within the order listed. Beforehand, Disney introduced that there could be ‘different royalty’ in Starlight, past the princess unit.
My assumption is that, at greatest, there are two floats that haven’t been revealed. One may very well be Casey Jr. pulling Mickey Mouse’s drum float in the beginning, as that’s the iconic visible for Disney night time parades. Reprising this after such an extended hiatus for Magic Kingdom is a slam-dunk, no-brainer determination for which followers of all ages will go wild. This may convey the float depend to 9.
My hope is that Disney goes this route with the Casey Jr. and drum float within the opening, and one other finale float (#10) with a medley of different fan-favorite characters. That’s the components from Dreamlights, which is Disney’s #1 night time parade. They may additionally observe the lead of Paint the Evening (and loads of different parades), with Minnie and Mickey Mouse within the finale.
The ‘different royalty’ line might imply Mickey and Minnie in regal apparel for that, or different princesses (we all know Rapunzel can have a presence–presumably within the finale?), or each. Regardless, the higher restrict on floats might be 10.
When is “Disney Starlight” Coming to Magic Kingdom?
In line with Walt Disney World, “it gained’t be lengthy” earlier than the music swells and the twinkling lights flicker, so keep tuned for extra!
As we’ve already mentioned at size elsewhere, the primary half of Summer time 2025 is already off the desk. When you’re visiting Walt Disney World earlier than July 6, 2025 and are nonetheless holding out hope that Starlight will debut forward of your journey, we’d suggest adjusting your expectations. And by that, we imply reducing them to zero. There’s at all times the opportunity of an earlier-than-expected debut, nevertheless it’s extremely uncertain at this level.
On extra of an optimistic word, the very existence of this ‘Every thing We Know About Starlight’ launch is reassuring. Disney has gotten right into a behavior of constructing bulletins like this, with the preliminary launch being a bit ‘hole’ earlier than it’s fleshed out with substantive particulars. The vibe I get from this press launch is that it’s a placeholder that’s going to double in size as soon as the opening date is introduced.
It’s our understanding Starlight was supposed to debut by now. Sadly, there have been a number of inside delays to Starlight, however Disney is throwing all doable assets at this parade to have it prepared ASAP. Relaxation assured, Disney isn’t sitting on its arms with this–slightly, it’s an all arms on deck scenario.
Nevertheless, the parade nonetheless hasn’t began correct rehearsals, and it’s very tough for administration to know when Starlight will probably be able to roll till it has, fairly actually, began rolling down Major Avenue with each float and a full solid of performers. It will be like asserting the opening date for a brand new journey with out even beginning any sort of take a look at and regulate, except that date had been very conservative.
At this level, Starlight is not going to get a conservative debut date as a result of summer season has already began and such a date could be someday in August 2025 or past. The purpose at this level continues to be July, nevertheless it’s going to come back all the way down to the wire. That presents a dilemma for Disney, as asserting sooner is at all times higher for bookings, however there’s comprehensible reluctance to disclose a date they’re unsure they’ll make, after which miss that.
Talking of which, bear in mind the Walt Disney World Calendar Modifications Hinting at Starlight Evening Parade Opening Date? When you missed that, Fortunately Ever After strikes to 10 p.m. nightly beginning on July 6, and stays at the moment via the rest of the present summer season calendar (now into early August 2025).
As coated in Prolonged Night Hours Returns to Animal Kingdom…for The rest of 2025?, these further hours additionally shift from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom in early July. We now have affirmation that development continues via a minimum of early August, strongly suggesting it’s not an anomaly. Once more, I’d be very shocked if Prolonged Night Hours returns to Magic Kingdom earlier than the second week of January 2026. Actually, I wouldn’t be shocked if it doesn’t return even then–all of it comes all the way down to Starlight crowds.
Moreover, there’s now official affirmation that Forged Members are blocked out of Magic Kingdom for all dates after July 2 and thru the tip of the present calendar–August 2, 2025. Just like the above adjustments, this isn’t regular. All of that is Walt Disney World laying the operational groundwork in anticipation of Starlight’s debut.
These schedule adjustments nonetheless permit for the chance for Starlight to debut as early as July 6, 2025. It virtually definitely won’t come earlier than then, and what we’ve heard strongly suggests it gained’t debut even that early. The schedule adjustments had been revamped a month in the past to open the door for its debut as early as July 6, primarily as a hedge, however that Starlight has already missed the start of that window.
Mid-July is now the sensible best-case state of affairs. Once more, Walt Disney World is throwing all doable assets to have Starlight prepared ASAP. This isn’t a deliberate alternative for the goal debut date to maintain slipping. There may be each want to have the parade open sooner slightly than later, and ideally earlier than late July.
However, we wouldn’t be shocked if Starlight doesn’t arrive till early August. To be clear, that is NOT a rumor–simply us extrapolating primarily based on the place issues stand and the trajectory of issues. There’s nonetheless just a few months to go, so Walt Disney World might get Starlight again on monitor, however there’s additionally quite a lot of work to be executed.
Magic Kingdom can’t be closing early a number of nights per week in the beginning of Starlight’s run. That may throw a large monkey wrench into crowds and trigger chaos on the nights when Starlight is working–even worse than what we already see with Fortunately Ever After. In order that seemingly explains why Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together isn’t beginning till August 15, 2025 as a substitute of the earlier week, like regular.
With Starlight already delayed till a minimum of July, that new nighttime parade wants as many efficiency dates as doable as a launch valve on demand and crowds earlier than Get together Season begins. Ideally, Starlight would debut a minimum of one full month earlier than the primary Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together, so by July 15, 2025 on the newest. As soon as Get together Season begins there’s virtually 5 months of Magic Kingdom closing early a number of nights per week. This causes large disruptions to attendance patterns, which is a dynamic we’ve mentioned on this weblog for over a decade.
We’re not able to broach the chance fairly but, however sooner or later, it’d make extra sense to only push the parade to 2026. If Starlight does slip additional, will Walt Disney World actually wish to debut it throughout Get together Season? Exterior of fan circles, Starlight shouldn’t be one thing that’s being anxiously-awaited by common friends. It’s already too late for it to generate a significant variety of new summer season bookings. Paradoxically, it is going to be extremely popular with common friends as soon as it does debut, inflicting crowding and congestion, which will probably be exacerbated by these early closings a number of nights per week. That’s a recipe for catastrophe.
Disney is already seeing excessive demand for a nighttime parade on the opposite coast, as Paint the Evening attracts large crowds at Disneyland. Clearly, completely different demographics–however not that completely different. Walt Disney World now has quite a lot of locals, Annual Passholders and Disney Trip Membership Members. Not solely that, however Starlight is brand-new and Paint the Evening is a decade outdated! It’s going to be extremely common as soon as it does debut, even when buzz isn’t that robust proper now.
To be clear, I don’t assume Walt Disney World will push Starlight into 2026. If there have been this diploma of uncertainty, we wouldn’t nonetheless be seeing teases from Disney that primarily quantity to reminders that “hey, Starlight continues to be coming this summer season.” They wouldn’t be throwing so many assets into getting it able to roll. However it’s doable that an surprising challenge arises, and the choice is made to punt on it. Hopefully, that’s not the case–and that the subsequent replace we get is early subsequent week and divulges the official opening date!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your predicted begin date for Starlight? Assume we’ll get a gap date announcement earlier than Might 31, 2025? Optimistic that it’ll debut by July 15, one month earlier than Get together Season begins? Trying ahead to Walt Disney World’s first brand-new night time parade in a long time? Are you excited by Magic Kingdom getting its personal mild parade in Summer time 2025? Every other questions or remark? Listening to suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
