Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away at Walt Disney World Is the Nighttime Parade I've Always Been Waiting For

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away astatine Walt Disney World is the nighttime parade I've ever been waiting for, arsenic it celebrates the films and stories we cherish truthful overmuch portion besides reminding america of the powerfulness of wishing upon a prima and that dreams tin travel true.

Disney Starlight archetypal debuted astatine Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom connected July 20, 2025, and this was the archetypal clip I had seen it, acknowledgment to the Play 'n' Preview lawsuit IGN was invited to that showcased a spot of the aboriginal of Disney World and allowed america to get a archetypal look astatine the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Beak and Barrel.

This parade usually runs doubly per nighttime astatine Magic Kingdom and, "through the powerfulness of the Blue Fairy's magic, guests volition ticker dreams and wishes travel true." This is done via immoderate spectacular floats and characters from Moana, Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen, Pinocchio, and, of course, Mickey and friends.

However, Starlight is besides precise overmuch inspired by the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade that primitively ran, alongside much caller constricted showings, from 1972 to 1996 astatine Disneyland and 1977 to 1991 astatine Walt Disney World. This is demonstrated done the summation of a brand-new character, Whimsy the Train, who was inspired by the bid interval from the Main Street Electrical Parade interval that served arsenic an homage to Dumbo's Casey Junior.

From the start, this parade is afloat of surprises that are large for each guests but adjacent much peculiar for those who emotion Disney arsenic overmuch arsenic I do. The parade is led by the Blue Fairy, and determination is simply a ace peculiar infinitesimal wherever she uses magic and portion of her interval becomes transparent, revealing Pinocchio and Geppetto dancing inside. Another involves Moana and Gramma Tala that I won't spoil here, but suffice to say, the tears began to flow.

There are truthful galore much of these moments, and this astir 12-minute parade conscionable gets it right connected truthful galore levels. To larn a spot much astir however Starlight was brought to life, I was capable to talk to amusement manager Tara Anderson and Audio Systems Design Manager Clint Clarke astatine a caller media event.

"Disney Starlight is each astir the stories of the Magic Kingdom and the moments that spell on with that," Anderson said. "It's that thought of having a dream, declaring it, putting it retired to the world, going aft it, and celebrating it coming true. If you ticker the parade, we person truthful galore antithetic moments that hopefully each bash that."

I past asked some Anderson and Clark wherefore Starlight means truthful overmuch to them. For Anderson, it was each astir the music. There is simply a main Starlight theme, but each interval is accompanied by a mentation that incorporates songs from the films that inspired it.

"We wanted thing that felt ethereal, but besides soaring," Anderson said. "However, it could besides beryllium quiescent if we wanted it to beryllium quiet. Music is truthful important to me, right? Music is memory. And proceeding the songs made america consciousness similar we did thing close here."

For Clark, it's the connection and meaning that helium and the squad anticipation past with each impermanent agelong aft they permission the park.

"What I emotion astir Starlight, is that we're igniting that inspiration for the future," Clark added erstwhile asked wherefore Starlight means truthful overmuch to him. "It gives you capable of a motion to the past that radical consciousness nostalgic, but I stake erstwhile you near you were talking astir Starlight. It is taking you into the story, infusing it into the DNA of the Magic Kingdom, and giving our guests what they deserve. And that is the magic of Starlight."

I felt the magic of Starlight that night, and too Disneyland's Wondrous Journeys, it whitethorn beryllium 1 of my caller favorites successful the satellite of Disney Parks entertainment. Plain and simple, Disney Starlight gave maine that feeling I spell to Disney World and Disneyland for. It celebrated truthful overmuch of what we emotion astir these films and parks, and did it successful a beauteous mode that virtually lit up the nighttime and my heart.

For more, cheque retired our impressions from visiting the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Beak and Barrel Tavern astatine Magic Kingdom, each the large quality from Disney World's large 2025 and 2026 preview showcase, and everything other you request to cognize astir Disney World's Cool Kid Summer.

Adam Bankhurst is simply a writer for IGN. You tin travel him connected X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and perceive to his show, Talking Disney Magic.