READ TIME: 3MINS

Festival of Fantasy has finally returned to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World! It’s been no secret that I have been begging Disney to bring back live daytime street entertainment for a long time (specifically parades). Over the last two years I’ve been very critical of Disney for removing key parts of their theme park experiences, such as fireworks and parades, in the name of health and safety, but then create After Hours up-charge events that include the very thing they removed. The message they sent was: if you want to have a full Disney experience, then paying for a day ticket isn’t enough, now you need to pay us extra to get the essentials. Needless to say, I was very critical of, and disappointed in, the way Disney looked at their world renowned offerings.

However, the dark times seem to be fading behind us in the rear view mirror, and more offerings are returning back to us seemingly every day! The future of daytime street entertainment at the Magic Kingdom is bright, and I brought my shades to celebrate! Not only has Mickey's Magical Friendship Faire stage show returned at the Cinderella Castle, but they’ve also added a brand NEW cavalcade that features thirty beloved Disney characters called Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade! And now, after being away for nearly 24 months exactly, Festival of Fantasy finally returns! 

On Wednesday, March 9th, The Drop Podcast crew and I, all went out to Magic Kingdom to celebrate its return, and we had a blast! Although there have been some minor changes made to the parade (several costume updates, and a change to the opening monologue), we were overwhelmed with nostalgia! It’s hard to explain how much more Magic Kingdom feels like home with the return of its daytime parade. With all the changes we’ve seen in the parks as of lately, it is so amazing, and such a treat, to have something familiar and friendly return to the park. As the music began, and the first parade float turned the corner with Belle smiling and waving to guests, the crowd erupted with cheers. Looking around, I didn’t see a single person without a smile on their face - regardless of the less-than-ideal weather conditions. Needless to say, we had a great time. Unanimously we all agreed that it’s good to have our old friend Festival of Fantasy back with us at the most magical place on earth. 

Have you seen Festival of Fantasy? Is this parade something you’re looking forward to experiencing on your next Walt Disney World trip? Let us know in the comments down below!