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Credit: Disney Parks BlogDisneyland Guests were excited to welcome the first new parade in the park since 2020. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Disneyland has not had a consistent daytime parade.
The Main Street Electrical Parade was retired in 2022, and other than the seasonal parades throughout the year, there has not been another one implemented. The “Magic Happens” parade originally debuted in 2020 before the pandemic shut down the Disney Parks for the better part of the year. Now, “Magic Happens” is back and delighting Guests of all ages. One of the most unique things about this parade is the inclusion of rare characters. Moana has her own float, as does Miguel from Coco, but there are two floats that make this parade truly magical.
The first is the inclusion of the eclectic wizard, Merlin, and his young friend, Arthur, from the Disney animated film, The Sword in the Stone (1963). The 1963 film has seen little in the way of merchandise or references in either Disneyland or Walt Disney World, with the exception of King Arthur’s Carousel in Disneyland and the interactive sword in the stone prop at both parks. This parade marks the first time that these characters have been seen in-park in years. The other magical sighting is Sleeping Beauty herself.
They didn’t have to give Merlin and Arthur a float in a DL parade in 2023 (errr 2020) but they did, and I am grateful for it. But my kids asked who those guys are and I immediately fixed that before we went to bed. 🦉✨🗡 pic.twitter.com/3dnzBqRfOD
— Sam Carter (@Cartarsauce) February 27, 2023
While Princess Aurora is not a rare character as she does meet and greets at both Disney Parks, she does have an entire float to herself, including Prince Phillip and her three fairies. What makes it so special though, is her dress, which features a magical reference to the scene from the film as her dress changes from pink to blue. Typically, Guests can only meet Aurora in her pink dress, and she appears most often on merchandise and marketing products in pink, even though she spends most of her time in the film in the blue dress. This changing dress is an incredible feat of costuming magic and makes the float feel special.
It remains to be seen if Disneyland will introduce a new nightly parade, or if Walt Disney World has any plans for one after the Main Street Electrical Parade was retired from Disney World in 2016. For now, though, Disneyland Guests can enjoy the daytime wonder with “Magic Happens”.