When you think of Disney World, you probably think of rides, characters, and of course, parades! Magic Kingdom has had its fair share of wonderful parades over the years, including the Festival of Fantasy parade. Debuting back in 2014, Disney’s Festival of Fantasy parade has quickly become a fan favorite. This celebration of beloved Disney characters such as Ariel, Peter Pan, Anna, Elsa, Flynn Rider, Princess Tiana, and Prince Naveen strolls down Main Street U.S.A. every day to the amusement of frog families everywhere! There’s something so magical about hearing the brass fanfare round the corner signifying the start of the parade! We have some tips for the best places to watch Disney’s Festival of Fantasy parade. Read on for our froggy tips and tricks to view the parade at Magic Kingdom!
How to View the Magic Kingdom Parade
As mentioned above, many parades have journeyed down the streets of Magic Kingdom over the years. The current version is the Disney Festival of Fantasy parade, which debuted on March 9, 2014. Celebrating the beauty and enchantment of Fantasyland, you can see characters from films, including "Tangled," "The Little Mermaid" and "Peter Pan." For frogs who love Disney royalty, you can see the majority of the princesses throughout the parade.
This includes:
- Anna from "Frozen"
- Ariel from "The Little Mermaid"
- Belle from "Beauty and the Beast"
- Cinderella from "Cinderella"
- Elsa from "Frozen"
- Princess Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog"
- Rapunzel from "Tangled"
- Snow White from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
With intricate floats and gorgeous costumes, this parade is sure to wow frogs of all ages!
Where the Festival of Fantasy Parade Starts and Ends
The parade begins in Frontierland, travels through Liberty Square, turns right onto the Liberty Square Bridge, circles the castle hub and ends in Main Street, U.S.A. It usually completes the circle in Town Square before finishing.
The parade takes about 12 minutes to see from the beginning float to the end float but may take some time to make it to your spot. Remember if the parade is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and you're standing at Main Street, you'll be waiting until about 3:15 p.m. for the parade to appear, as it needs to make its way from Frontierland.
Tips for Viewing the Magic Kingdom Parade
Here are our froggy favorite tips for viewing Festival of Fantasy:
- With the parade currently hoppening once a day at 2 p.m., you can imagine the crowds form well ahead of time. Main Street and the hub in front of the castle are often the most popular spots, so we recommend grabbing a spot at least 30 minutes before. Sometimes during peak times, you may need to get there an hour before, especially if you want a chance for a "front-row" view.
- Make sure that everyone uses the restroom beforehand, or that you'd be able to take turns and swap. Plus, as it gets closer to parade time and other frogs are filling in, it's harder to leave or come back to your spot, and you risk staying separated from your group. You could also pair your wait with food or snacks to keep spirits hoppy! We like to munch on corn dog nuggets from Casey's while we wait and watch the parade.
- Choosing between Frontierland or Main Street depends on your family's priorities. If you want to get the full ambiance and picturesque setting, view the parade on Main Street or by the castle. If you want to limit waiting, view it in Frontierland or Liberty Square and get back to riding some rides. Since many people will be waiting for the parade, you can be one of the first to hop in line at Haunted Mansion or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Likewise, if you don't want to watch the parade, this is a great time to take advantage of low wait times for rides!
- Look out for white tape on the ground indicating where you can and cannot stand for the parade. There may be spots taped off for walkways or for wheelchair access. You also shouldn't sit right in front of a trash can. If you stay in any of these blocked-off areas, a cast member will tell you to move, and you'll likely miss the opportunity to find another good spot.
- Be sure to double-check the parade's start time on the My Disney Experience app. Times can change every now and then!
- Sometimes parades or cavalcades may be delayed or canceled for rainy and severe weather. However, there is a special Rainy Day cavalcade if it's only lightly raining without thunder nearby!
New Nightly Parade Coming to Magic Kingdom in 2025
There's even more fun coming to Magic Kingdom with the recent announcement of the Disney Starlight parade! First announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Starlight (inspired by the Main Street Electrical Parade) will tell the enchanting stories of beloved Disney characters from "Frozen," "Peter Pan," "Encanto," and more, all led by the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio!"
Though details about this parade are limited, we do know it's expected to arrive at Magic Kingdom in the summer of 2025! Be sure to check out our What's Coming guide for more exciting attractions coming to Walt Disney World! (Because there's A LOT! Villians Land, anyone?)
Cavalcades and Other Character Sightings at Magic Kingdom
If you missed the Festival of Fantasy parade, no worries because you can still catch your favorite characters in a cavalcade! Cavalcades debuted in 2020 as mini-parades that occurred randomly throughout the day. They have a specific theme and a limited amount of characters. The cavalcade times are listed in the My Disney Experience app or in the paper times guide, so you can take the guesswork out of when they should appear. Currently, there is only one cavalcade at Magic Kingdom called the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade.
- Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade: Nick and Judy from "Zootopia," Baloo and King Louie from "The Jungle Book," José and Panchito from "The Three Caballeros," Miguel from "Coco," Merida, Moana, Mulan, Elena of Avalor, Pocahontas, Mary Poppins and Bert, Aladdin and Jasmine, The Incredibles, Woody and Jessie from "Toy Story," Meeko, Marie, Max Goof, Stitch, and Mirabel and Bruno from "Encanto."
The Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade typically runs daily at 11:15 am, but times are always subject to change.
If parades and cavalcades aren’t for you, there are plenty of meet-and-greet options available to you at Magic Kingdom. You can visit Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater or Ariel inside her grotto and snap a (what do you call ‘em) oh, picture! At Princess Fairytale Hall, you can meet Cinderella, Elena, Princess Tiana, and Rapunzel.
Characters can pop up randomly at outdoor locations, such as Drizella and Anastasia at Cinderella Fountain. Throughout the park, you may see characters such as Mulan on the Town Square Theater Porch, Chip 'n' Dale floating in Frontierland, Stitch in Tomorrowland and Peter Pan by the Never Land map.
Where is your go-to spot to watch the parade at Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!
Related: The Very Best Places to Watch Fireworks at Magic Kingdom
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Characters
Hoppy planning!
