Disney Shares First Look at the Floats for ‘Disney Starlight’ Nighttime Parade Coming to Magic Kingdom

First Look at Magic Kingdom’s “Disney Starlight” Parade Floats

Magic Kingdom is gearing up for the highly anticipated debut of “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away,” its first regular nighttime parade since the “Main Street Electrical Parade” concluded its run in 2016. Disney has offered fans an exciting sneak peek at several of the parade’s dazzling floats, revealing intricate details and innovative technology that promise to illuminate Main Street, U.S.A.

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The latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering” provided an extensive look at the new entertainment offerings across Disney’s global theme parks, with a significant portion dedicated to “Disney Starlight.” Imagineers took viewers backstage, offering a rare glimpse into the creation and storage of these magical floats.

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A Glimpse at the Illuminated Creations

Concept art for most of the floats and their complete order has already been revealed, featuring beloved stories like “Encanto,” Disney Princesses and Princes, “Moana,” “Coco,” “Wish,” “Peter Pan,” and “Frozen,” culminating in a grand finale with Mickey and Friends. The “We Call It Imagineering” episode brought these concepts to life.

One of the standout floats showcased was the “Encanto” float. It’s adorned with glowing flowers along its base, with the iconic Miracle Candle taking center stage. The candle’s innovative lighting scheme mimics a projection, creating a modern and dynamic effect.

The “Moana” float also received an extended preview, designed to resemble Moana’s boat gracefully sailing on ocean waves. Imagineers shared the challenge of creating a “sense of motion” for the water, revealing that the waves incorporate roughly 50,000 pixels for “definition and density” to achieve this fluid appearance. Adding to its magic, the “Moana” float utilizes new UV technology on Moana’s sail and the stunning stingray form of Gramma Tala, described by Imagineers as “very elegant, but also very sharp and musical.”

Introducing Whimsy: The Parade’s New Character

Perhaps one of the most exciting revelations from the episode was the identity of the grand finale float. While concept art previously showed a train, the video confirmed that this train is, in fact, an original character named Whimsy. Whimsy, whose face will adorn the front engine, embodies a childlike, whimsical, and playful spirit, inspired by vintage Disney animation. The train cars that Whimsy pulls will feature smaller sections themed to classic characters, including Mickey, “Snow White,” “Tangled,” and “Aladdin.”

The “We Call It Imagineering” episode also teased other elements, including a first look at an original animated classic character and new costume designs, further building anticipation for the parade’s debut.

Debut and Showtimes

“Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” is set to officially debut at Magic Kingdom on July 20, 2025. The parade will perform nightly at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., though Disney has confirmed it will not run on nights with seasonal entertainment offerings, such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

Get ready to dream the night away as Magic Kingdom’s newest spectacle lights up the park!