A Walt Disney World Resort guest captured an unusual sight while watching the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom Park. Shortly after the first floats passed Cinderella Castle, the procession stopped.
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade is Magic Kingdom Park‘s daily celebration. At least once per afternoon, characters like Belle and Beast, Anna and Elsa, Peter Pan, and the villainous Maleficent dragon make their way through Frontierland, Liberty Square, and down Main Street, U.S.A. They’re joined by hundreds of decorated dancers and intricately designed floats.
Typically, Magic Kingdom Park cancels parades if heavy rain, thunderstorms, or wind threaten performers or technical equipment. If weather conditions permit, characters and dancers will surprise guests with a smaller “Rainy Day Cavalcade.”
However, Walt Disney World Resort can’t always predict how quickly the weather will change. TikTok user @nikkolynn was watching the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade from Main Street, U.S.A., when the Beauty and the Beast (1991) inspired opening float suddenly stopped in the rain. The Disney Park guest shared this video of the incident:
@nikoolynn When the Festival of Fantasy Parade gets stuck in the rain.. 😂☔️ #waltdisneyworld #disneyparade #festivaloffantasy #festivaloffantasyparade #rainydisneyday #disneyrain #belle #beast #beautyandthebeast #magickingdom #magickingdomparade #disneyintherain #disneytravel
Managers and entertainment techs surrounded the float to help Belle and Beast evacuate. As the Beast stepped down from the float, his tail appeared to fall off, but his Disney Princess counterpart quickly noticed his emergency signal and helped cover up the mishap.
Belle removed her gloves, sat, and slid down the side of the float before walking down Main Street, U.S.A., with the Beast. Both entertainment cast members stayed in character, waving and smiling even as they were pelted with rain.
When parade floats stop and won’t restart, Walt Disney World Resort engineers use a small vehicle to tow them down the parade route and backstage. It’s unclear if this was required in this incident, but most characters on subsequent floats were also likely evacuated for their safety and to protect their costumes.
What’s the most unusual mishap you’ve witnessed at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments.