Disney Parade at Disneyland
Which ran from April 1, 2012 (the park's 20th anniversary) until March 24, 2017. This list related to film, television, or video is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. The 2005 edition of the parade won Harborlight Entertainment and ABC the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special. One of the most impressive floats is the 35-feet-long, 26-feet-high Steampunk-inspired Maleficent Dragon from Sleeping Beauty.
But, what character-filled processions are cruising through Walt Disney World in 2022 and into 2023, and where are the best places to watch them? Read on for our comprehensive guide to watching the Disney parades, including what’s showing and when and where you should sit along the parade route. As of March 2022, Disney parades are back at The Most Magical Place on Earth.
Located right near the start of the parade route, this is a great spot if you want to catch the parade before running to get in line for Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – and hopefully beat most of the crowds. For the biggest head start, stand on the same side as these Magic Kingdom mountains facing Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café. Much of Town Square near the park entrance offers up some of the best views of the Magic Kingdom parade, as well as picturesque photo backdrops. For slightly off-center views with Cinderella Castle rising in the background, post up near the flagpole off to the left of the Sharing the Magic statue across from the Fire Station facing up Main Street. Things tend to get pretty crowded along the route before the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, especially at the more popular viewing locations in Magic Kingdom.
That said, this Magic Kingdom Christmas parade has also been shown on a select few days during regular park hours in past years. The snowy display lasts approximately 25 minutes and usually jingles all the way down Main Street, U.S.A. at least a couple of times each day. In addition to these daily displays of Disney characters on parade, depending on when you visit, guests can also take in one of the seasonal spectacles that return for a limited run during the holidays.
Disney has devised a system – the "fast track ticket" – to reduce the amount of time that customers have to spend queuing for rides. The fast track ticket essentially gives customers an approximate time to arrive for the ride so that they can spend their time elsewhere in the park. Customers are happy because they don’t Disney Parade spend the whole day standing in a line up, and Disney is happy because customers have more time to browse in the shops and make purchases. Amber is a proud former Walt Disney World Cast Member, an unabashed travel addict, and a hospitality and tourism specialist with over 10 years in the industry.