Credit: Brendan Bowen , Flickr (background)Reportedly, there is a new nighttime parade in development for Walt Disney World Resort.
If you have been craving a new nighttime parade at Walt Disney World, a trusted source in the Disney community has not stated this fact as a rumor, but rather a confirmed statement, which is highly exciting for fans.
Nighttime shows and parades have been an integral part of the magic at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom since its opening in 1971. The tradition of enchanting guests with nighttime entertainment began with the Electrical Water Pageant, a floating parade of illuminated sea creatures and patriotic symbols, which debuted the same year as the park’s opening.
In 1972, the first fireworks show, Fantasy in the Sky, premiered over Cinderella Castle, captivating guests with its dazzling display synchronized to beloved Disney music. This marked the beginning of a long-standing tradition of nighttime fireworks spectaculars at the park.
In 1977, the Main Street Electrical Parade made its debut at Magic Kingdom, featuring thousands of twinkling lights on whimsical floats accompanied by an infectious soundtrack. This iconic parade quickly became a guest favorite and remained a staple of Magic Kingdom’s nighttime entertainment for decades.
Over the years, Magic Kingdom has introduced several other nighttime shows and parades, each adding its own unique touch of magic to the park. These include SpectroMagic, a dazzling procession of illuminated floats and characters, and Wishes, a breathtaking fireworks display that celebrated the power of wishes.
In recent years, Magic Kingdom has continued to innovate its nighttime entertainment offerings with the introduction of Happily Ever After, in 2017 a state-of-the-art fireworks and projection show that combines cutting-edge technology with beloved Disney storytelling, which has just returned after the 50th anniversary show Enchantment came to an end.
YouTuber and Disney expert Brayden (@SirBrayden) typically shares theme park news and updates on his channel Mickey Views, and today on X, he has stated that, “There’s a nighttime parade currently in development for Walt Disney World”.
There's a nighttime parade currently in development for Walt Disney World
— Brayden (@SirBrayden) March 14, 2024
Brayden did not give further information regarding the parade, but it is certainly an exciting thought. Brayden has made other statements and predictions regarding the future of the Disney parks, which proved to be true due to his sources of information being knowledgeable on what changes are coming, so this new statement has a strong chance of ending up a fact.
Right now, Disney does not have any nighttime parades at any of the four parks, and while a parade does not have to go to Magic Kingdom — it is the theme park that makes the most sense as it has operated with a nighttime parade in the past and has a proper parade route that is used daily during Festival of Fantasy.
In the past, the Disney community had rumors swirling of the Main Street Electrical Parade coming back to Disney World and Paint the Night taking its place in Disneyland, and while this is certainly something that could happen, Brayden’s message seems to point the parade to be something new, as it is still in development.
We do know that Disney CEO Bob Iger will be putting $60 billion of The Walt Disney Company’s funds into theme parks, products, and experiences over the next 10 years. We know that the goal of this will be to expand Disney and create higher capacity within the parks for a more enjoyable experience. Of the $60 billion, $30 billion is set to go solely to parks and resorts, which could be in part dedicated to a new nighttime parade.
This summer D23 will be hosted in Anaheim, where a lot of theme park announcements are being expected to be made, and a new nighttime parade would be a possible announcement at the event, if this prediction is correct.
Would you like to see a new nighttime parade come to Walt Disney World?