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Credit: Jess Colopy, Inside the MagicWhen something new launches at Disney World—especially in Magic Kingdom—you can pretty much guarantee a flood of guests trying to be first in line, first at the rope, or first to grab a front-row spot for a show.
Parades are no exception. In fact, they might be the worst offenders when it comes to crowd control, especially when fans camp out hours early and stake their claim along Main Street, U.S.A.
So with the launch of Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away coming up on July 20, Disney is making a preemptive move. One that’s aimed squarely at crowd chaos.
Disney Added a New Rule for Annual Passholders, But Is That All?
Starting July 20, Annual Passholders will need a Magic Kingdom reservation all day—no more sliding in after 2 p.m. without one. That’s a big deal considering Disney has allowed Passholders to visit any of the parks (except Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom) after 2 p.m. without a reservation for over a year now.
This rule change only applies to Magic Kingdom and is directly tied to the anticipation for Disney Starlight, which is being billed as the first year-round nighttime parade at the park in nearly a decade. EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios will continue operating under the previous rules—no reservation required after 2 p.m.
Inside the Magic confirmed these changes, and while some Passholders aren’t thrilled, Disney’s clearly trying to avoid the kind of parade-night madness that can turn Main Street into gridlock.
Could This Also Mean More Structure Coming to Festival of Fantasy?
At this time, we don’t expect Disney to make any major changes to Festival of Fantasy or how guests gather to view the daytime parade. But it’s hard to ignore the growing buzz online. There have been rumors about Disney introducing a marked-off viewing section for Festival of Fantasy that would be accessible through a Lightning Lane purchase—basically, a pay-to-reserve parade spot. That would be slightly different than the Festival of Fantasy Dining Package that used to be offered with the parade, but currently is not offered.
That concept hasn’t been confirmed and, as of now, nothing has materialized. Still, Disney clearly understands just how popular parades are, and how hard it is to manage the free-for-all crowd strategy. If the new rules for Disney Starlight prove effective in keeping things more organized, we could eventually see similar approaches rolled out for daytime offerings like Festival of Fantasy.
It’s worth noting that Disney has done stuff like this in the past, so monetizing parade spots isn’t out of the realm of possibility—especially if the company sees a demand for it.
Why These Changes Matter
The last thing Disney wants is for guests’ memories of a new nighttime parade to be dominated by crowd stress, territorial disputes, or safety concerns. Guests standing shoulder to shoulder in the Florida heat or rain—fighting for curb space or blocking pathways—doesn’t exactly scream “magical.”
With the launch of a highly-anticipated new parade like Disney Starlight, Disney’s betting that a little more structure on the front end will save a lot of headaches later.
And let’s be honest—this probably won’t be the last crowd-related rule we see adjusted this summer. As the park gears up for one of its busiest seasons in years, don’t be surprised if other experiences start seeing new policies too.
Bottom line? If you’re a Passholder planning to see the new parade, make that reservation. And if you’re a guest hoping to snag a perfect parade-viewing spot in the future, keep an eye out—Disney may be laying the groundwork for a new kind of experience, one that’s a little less chaotic and a little more controlled.