Last Updated on October 14, 2020
During our first visit to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, we were super excited to catch the Festival Of Fantasy Parade. The parades at Disneyland in California are always such a treat, so we knew this parade had to be something special, especially since this parade was a tribute to the tales of Fantasyland that we know and love.
Our highlights from Disney’s Festival Of Fantasy Parade were:
- The parade started with Belle and the Beast. If you know us, that highlight is a given!
- The Little Mermaid float was so colourful with conga dancing fish kicking up their fins and so many bubbles. The sea horse performers were especially fantastic — take a look in the photo below of their enthusiasm!
- The Lost Boys lead the way for Peter Pan and Wendy Darling soaring high in the Jolly Roger pirate ship, Captain Hook on a swinging anchor, Mr. Smee, and Tick-Tock the Crocodile.
- The Cinderella float included everyone’s favourite mice and the pink dress that the mice finished for her twirled like a turntable.
- The Tangled float was decked out with swaying pendulums that carried those dastardly thugs and Flynn Rider.
- Mickey and Minnie in a hot-air balloon was so colourful and just screamed magic and happiness.
- Merida atop an enormous bagpipe was a pretty neat sight, especially with the Scottish dancers stepping to melodies of the Great Highlands during the celebration.
- The Seven Dwarves really showed their individual characteristics well and was a good laugh to watch.
One sight we wish we could have seen is the Maleficent dragon that was removed when it burst into flames as it was breathing fire while the parade passed through Liberty Square. Thankfully nobody was hurt, but the floats head was completely destroyed. The dragon was replaced and returned shortly after our trip on January 25th, 2019, with some new colouring and non-flammable materials.
Take a look at some photos of the jaw-dropping detail of the Festival Of Fantasy Parade:
The parade did seem really short for what I expected coming from the Magic Kingdom, but to say it was dazzling is still an understatement. The number of characters they incorporated into the parade was impressive and was part of what really made it pack a punch. Getting a spot along Main Street to watch the floats and characters pass by with Cinderella’s Castle behind them was magical. We loved how colourful and vibrant the parade was and how some of the characters, like Chip and Dale and Goofy actually stopped at some of the kids (including ours!) for a quick high-five. It is so fun watching the parade through the eyes of the children, as they excitedly call out to every character as they appear; that is witnessing pure joy.