Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night?

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Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night? Yes! There ya go, that’s all you need to know, one simple word to the question of “Is Disney Stralight: Dream the Night Away worth seeing?, Yes! and we will go a little more in-depth, but for now, let me just give one of those quick Critics’ blurbs that a movie would use to advertise an upcoming movie.

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away made me happy! I walked away happy. Glad I watched the parade, happy I could experience the return of a nighttime parade to the Magic Kingdom. Pleased with the new technology, Disney Live Entertainment and Walt Disney Imagineering did a great job with the floats, the lights, the sounds, the characters, and the interactive elements. Disney Starlight just made us happy!

What is Disney Starlight?Disney Starlight” transports guests into the stories of our beloved Disney characters. Through the power of the Blue Fairy’s magic, you’ll watch dreams and wishes come true. As the lights dance from float to float, you’ll see favorite classic and contemporary characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Pixar films, some for the very first time in a Disney Live Entertainment nighttime parade!

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night
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We stood in Town Square from around 6:00 PM EST until Disney Starlight premiered for the first time at 9:20 PM, after a small weather delay. Then, once the nighttime parade passed us and moved down Main Street USA, we ran over to Frontierland to watch it again. We cannot say where the best spot to watch the parade is as of this writing. Since the parade route is reversed from the daytime parade, there are only a handful of spots to get a shot of Cinderella Castle in the background of the parade for good images.

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night?

The beginning of Disney Starlight can be heard throughout the parade route, but being in Town Square when the Blue Fairy comes out from behind closed doors is special. Blue Fairy starts the parade with “Why, Hello There! Come with me on a magical journey kissed by starlight! By virtue of Startlight and all that is good, may each and every one of your dreams come true. do as dreamers do, and wish upon a star” as her star wand lights up and she spreads pixie dust (imaginary pixie dust, she doesn’t spray glitter over people’s heads) over the crowd!

From that moment of seeing a 20-foot-tall Blue Fairy covered in lights that interact, change, and glisten like stars do, it just becomes more and more magical, and that is just seeing the front of the first new parade float of Disney Starlight. Because, when music changes to “When You Wish Upon a Star” and the Blue Fairy says, “Be Brave, True, and Selfless, and all your wishes will come true,” starlight glitters and moves down the float to reveal Pinocchio and Geppetto inside the float. Just Magical! Disney Magical!

The depth of the lights on the new floats, along with the audio, shows that Disney Live Entertainment has its finger on the pulse of what is the newest technology. These aren’t parade floats covered in one layer of light bulbs like Main Street Electrical Parade once was; these lights move, dance, and play. Showing depth and almost becoming characters, which the final parade float has turned into Walt Disney World’s first new character in years, called Whimsy.

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night
Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night Fantasy Land News Fantasy Land News

From the Blue Fairy, we move through Disney Starlight’s new floats themed after Disney’s Wish, Encanto, Frozen, Disney Princesses, Coco, Moana, Peter Pan with Wendy, and finally a Train called Whimsy. Each float has its personality, visuals, and lighting. Each character feels like they get a moment in the spotlight.

While some folks online are already complaining about the audio and not liking the song, we found that when we got a chance to really hear the new parade, the music complements each float, and the music blends really well between each Disney Character. The complaints could be coming from how far away a person was from a speaker. We did think that from where we stood, it felt quieter than it should be, but this was the first time Disney Entertainment ran the parade with a park full of guests, so this complaint will probably be addressed by tonight.

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night
Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night Fantasy Land News Fantasy Land News

If we wanted to truly nitpick and find something not perfect, it is in the performers between the floats. Not Tinkerbell, because Tink is magical as the only Disney Character who walks the parade. She appears like she is dressed to fly down from Cinderella Castle during Happily Ever After. Which makes us wonder, how does she go from parade to fireworks, then back to parade? Magic is what we assume. Back to the performers between the floats, sorry, I got lost on the Tinkerbell thing. Like seriously, she walks the whole parade route spreading magic, she covers Peter and Wendy’s float in pixie dust, then she appears at the top of Cinderella castle, flies down towards Tomorrowland, and then she is back spreading pixie dust one more time… ok, this time I am done.

So, the performers between the floats are hard to see. It has to do with how bright the floats are before and after them. The Butterflies are cute and amazing, but dull lights make them hard to see if you are behind someone else. Same with the Frozen fractals.

Overall, we loved the new floats and how well-designed the lighting package is! The audio coming from the floats is much better than anything we have heard before and makes the sound blend seamlessly throughout the parade route. There are Disney Characters that we all know and love spread out from beginning to end, and in the end, Whismy brings a nostalgic trip back to the sounds of Main Street Electrical Parade. All of this combined made us happy. We walked out of the Magic Kingdom being wowed. Do not miss

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night
Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night Fantasy Land News Fantasy Land News

For those going, there will be merchandise for sale when Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away officially opens on July 20th, 2025. Furthermore, a new popcorn bucket and interactive wand are available. Also, new Disney Photopass magic shots are available.

We cannot recommend this enough. Especially with Happily Ever After nighttime spectacular fireworks going off between performances. The Magic Kingdom will be the place to be at nighttime for the foreseeable future.

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night?

When does Disney Starlight officially premiere? Disney Starlight premieres July 20th, 2025, at 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM. The new nighttime parade will travel the Magic Kingdom starting in Town Square USA and follow the parade route to Frontierland.

Did Disney Starlight Live Up to the Hype on Opening Night Fantasy Land News Fantasy Land News
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Greg Gately Editor - Writer - Photographer - Podcaster
Central Florida's brightest and bluest, Disney expert (and quite possibly its brightest head!), Greg Gately, is the co-owner, photographer, podcaster, writer, and editor behind the award-winning Disney blog and news site, Fantasy Land News. More than just a fan, Greg boasts an impressive 4000+ articles on Fantasy Land News, showcasing his deep Disney knowledge. His unique perspective comes from years spent as an audio engineer and tour manager for legendary acts like Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, Collin Raye, and Dispatch. Now retired from touring, Greg dedicates his passion to bringing the magic of Disney to life. Catch him live on his weekly podcast, or collaborate with Sam’s Disney Diary on This Week at Walt Disney World. Looking for the ultimate Disney resource? Dive into Greg's insightful articles, stunning photography, and engaging podcasts at Fantasy Land News. Connect with Greg: Email: Greg@fantasylandnews.com YouTube: YouTube Channel Instagram: Fantasy Land News Instagram Disney Blog, Disney News, Disney Parks, Disney Photography, Disney Podcast, Disney Tips, Greg Gately, Fantasy Land News
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