Walt Disney World has made new bulletins about Starlight: Dream the Evening Away, the brand new nighttime parade coming to Magic Kingdom in Summer season 2025. This newest reveal pulls again the curtain on the artistic imaginative and prescient, characters, and order of the floats–however nonetheless nothing on the anxiously-awaited opening date.
The newest particulars comes through a launch titled “All the pieces We Know About ‘Disney Starlight.’” It’s pretty temporary as a result of, at current, there are nonetheless plenty of unknowns. Nonetheless, there’s some new-news shared within the replace, and its timing can also be important. This publish shares the brand new particulars, why this might truly 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 respiratory room to Epic Universe at Common Orlando, with the “Cool Child Summer season” marketing campaign starting on Could 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 “Massive 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 probably that there’s an occasion for the launch of the 2 new DHS stage exhibits and “Cool Child Summer season,” and a gap date for Starlight could possibly be introduced throughout that.
Alternatively, there’s the D23 “Magic After Darkish: The Story of Disney’s Nighttime Spectaculars” digital occasion Could 29-31, 2025. It’s much less prone to get an precise announcement throughout that, since that sort of factor isn’t usually news-y, however it’s attainable. Extra probably is that they’ll wish to share extra about Starlight then, which means an announcement earlier within the week.
If it’s attainable to have a gap date for Starlight earlier than the tip of Could 2025, I might count on one. Nonetheless, it’ll solely occur if the leisure group is assured it might probably hit that date. Starlight sounds prefer it’s going to be a race in opposition to the clock, so we could not get a date till absolutely the final minute. On stability, I’d say it’s most likely 60/40 that we get a date inside the subsequent week.
Towards 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 visitors into the tales of beloved Disney characters. Via the facility 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 Stay Leisure nighttime parade!
Delivered to life by the artistic fingers and hearts at Disney Stay Leisure, Starlight: Dream the Evening Away is the proper continuation of Walt Disney World’s legacy of nighttime parades. It’ll provide bits of nostalgia sprinkled all through a blinding 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 artistic group having labored on fan-favorites reminiscent of “Predominant Road 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 Provide ‘Nod to Previous’ Magic Kingdom Evening Parades, however that is the primary time we’ve heard SpectroMagic referred to as out by title. 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 evening, goals will come to life with a fascinating order of floats with these implausible pals:
- 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 shall 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 could possibly be Casey Jr. pulling Mickey Mouse’s drum float initially, as that’s the iconic visible for Disney evening parades. Reprising this after such a protracted hiatus for Magic Kingdom is a slam-dunk, no-brainer choice for which followers of all ages will go wild. This is able to 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 formulation from Dreamlights, which is Disney’s #1 evening 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–probably within the finale?), or each. Regardless, the higher restrict on floats might be 10.
When is “Disney Starlight” Coming to Magic Kingdom?
Based on 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 season 2025 is already off the desk. If you happen to’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 all the time the opportunity of an earlier-than-expected debut, however it’s extremely uncertain at this level.
On extra of an optimistic word, the very existence of this ‘All the pieces 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 meant to debut by now. Sadly, there have been a number of inner delays to Starlight, however Disney is throwing all attainable assets at this parade to have it prepared ASAP. Relaxation assured, Disney isn’t sitting on its fingers with this–reasonably, it’s an all fingers on deck scenario.
Nonetheless, the parade nonetheless hasn’t began correct rehearsals, and it’s very troublesome for administration to know when Starlight shall be able to roll till it has, fairly actually, began rolling down Predominant Road with each float and a full forged of performers. It might be like asserting the opening date for a brand new experience with out even beginning any sort of check and regulate, until 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 aim at this level continues to be July, however it’s going to come back all the way down to the wire. That presents a dilemma for Disney, as asserting sooner is all the time higher for bookings, however there’s comprehensible reluctance to disclose a date they’re undecided they will make, after which miss that.
Talking of which, keep in mind the Walt Disney World Calendar Adjustments Hinting at Starlight Evening Parade Opening Date? If you happen to missed that, Fortunately Ever After strikes to 10 p.m. nightly beginning on July 6, and stays at the moment by means of 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 by means of a minimum of early August, strongly suggesting it’s not an anomaly. Once more, I might be very stunned if Prolonged Night Hours returns to Magic Kingdom earlier than the second week of January 2026. Actually, I wouldn’t be stunned 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 Solid 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 modifications, this isn’t regular. All of that is Walt Disney World laying the operational groundwork in anticipation of Starlight’s debut.
These schedule modifications nonetheless enable for the chance for Starlight to debut as early as July 6, 2025. It nearly actually is not going to come earlier than then, and what we’ve heard strongly suggests it gained’t debut even that early. The schedule modifications 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 life like best-case state of affairs. Once more, Walt Disney World is throwing all attainable assets to have Starlight prepared ASAP. This isn’t a deliberate selection for the goal debut date to maintain slipping. There’s each need to have the parade open sooner reasonably than later, and ideally earlier than late July.
Nonetheless, we wouldn’t be stunned 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 a couple of months to go, so Walt Disney World might get Starlight again on monitor, however there’s additionally plenty of work to be finished.
Magic Kingdom can’t be closing early a number of nights per week initially of Starlight’s run. That may throw an enormous monkey wrench into crowds and trigger chaos on the nights when Starlight is operating–even worse than what we already see with Fortunately Ever After. In order that probably explains why Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Social gathering 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 attainable as a launch valve on demand and crowds earlier than Social gathering Season begins. Ideally, Starlight would debut a minimum of one full month earlier than the primary Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Social gathering, so by July 15, 2025 on the newest. As soon as Social gathering Season begins there’s nearly 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 in some unspecified time in the future, 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 Social gathering Season? Exterior of fan circles, Starlight will not be one thing that’s being anxiously-awaited by common visitors. It’s already too late for it to generate a significant variety of new summer season bookings. Paradoxically, it will likely be very fashionable with common visitors as soon as it does debut, inflicting crowding and congestion, which shall 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 plenty of locals, Annual Passholders and Disney Trip Membership Members. Not solely that, however Starlight is brand-new and Paint the Evening is a decade previous! It’s going to be extremely standard 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 attainable that an surprising concern arises, and the choice is made to punt on it. Hopefully, that’s not the case–and that the following 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 Could 31, 2025? Optimistic that it’ll debut by July 15, one month earlier than Social gathering Season begins? Trying ahead to Walt Disney World’s first brand-new evening parade in a long time? Are you excited by Magic Kingdom getting its personal gentle parade in Summer season 2025? Every other questions or remark? Listening to suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
