Description And Comments

Parades at the Magic Kingdom are full-fledged spectaculars with dozens of Disney characters and amazing special effects. We rate the evening parade as not to be missed.

The evening parade is a high-tech affair that employs electroluminescent and fiber-optic technologies, light-spreading thermoplastics (don't try this at home!), and clouds of underlit liquid-nitrogen smoke. Don't worry, you won't need a gas mask or lead underwear to watch.

F or those who flunked chemistry and physics, the parade also offers music, Mickey Mouse, and twinkling lights.

The evening parade is staged once or twice each evening, depending on the season. During less busy seasons, the parade is presented only on weekends, and sometimes not even then.

The Main Street Electrical Parade returned to the Magic Kingdom in 2010 after running there from 1977 to 1991; it also ran until recently at Disney California Adventure. It replaces - temporarily, we hear - the popular SpectroMagic parade. There's no word on how long the Electrical Parade will last in its current run, but the soundtrack, a synthesizer-tinged ode to country music, is a classic. In our opinion, the Magic Kingdom's nighttime parade is always the best in Walt Disney World, and the Electrical Parade is the standard against which everything else is judged. If you're at Disney World while the parade is running, make a special trip to see it.

Touring Tips

In addition to providing great entertainment, parades lure guests away from the attractions. If getting on rides appeals to you more than watching a parade, you'll find substantially shorter lines just before and during parades. Because the parade route doesn't pass through Adventureland, Tomorrowland, or Fantasyland, attractions in these lands are particularly good bets. Be forewarned: parades disrupt traffic in the Magic Kingdom. It's nearly impossible, for example, to get to Adventureland from Tomorrowland, or vice versa, during one. Also be advised that the Walt Disney World Railroad shuts down during parades, thus making it impossible to access other lands by train.

Special Comments

Not to be missed

Other Attractions in Main Street, U.S.A.

Touring Plans with Magic Kingdom Evening Parade

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Lands