This is where the Magic in Magic Kingdom comes from

There is an easy way to demonstrate how this is a great show that you must see at least once during your visit to Walt Disney World. Ready for it? 

This is a parade with top-notch, incredibly detailed floats representing Disney characters that range from Belle to Cinderella and Mickey, who waltz across Frontierland, Liberty Square and Main Street USA while waving to the crowd. Yeah, it’s a celebration of everything that Disney World represents, and it makes you feel all fuzzy and warm inside. Go see it.

Since this is a parade, the entire show takes place on the streets of Magic Kingdom, like a big carnival party. The parade is actually an old Magic Kingdom tradition that began more than forty years ago and changed names throughout the years, until it became the Festival of Fantasy in 2014. The parade used to happen twice a day, but since October 2022 it only happens once, usually at 3pm.

The parade starts in Frontierland, heads to Liberty Square, turns in front of Cinderella Castle and ends in Main Street USA. The parade is basically a ten minute carnival show featuring beautifully thematic floats which represent some of your favorite Disney franchises. So, Ariel’s float will resemble a big shell, Peter Pan will be in a flying ship and so on. You can also see and take pictures of a great number of Disney characters and princesses in costume, from Cinderella to Snow White, Belle, Elsa and, of course, Mickey Mouse. 

As of 2024, here are the characters and floats you can see in this beautiful celebration:

• The Beauty and the Beast, dancing on a float full of colorful flowers.
• Cinderella and the Prince. I don’t know his name, sorry!
• Elsa and Anna
• Rapunzel on a cool float that resembles a viking boat
• Ariel
• Peter Pan and Tinker Bell aboard a ship with air-blowing cannons.
• The Fairy Godmothers walking around
• A float that is basically Maleficent in her dragon form and looks awesome, one of my favorites. Oh yeah, it blows fire as well.
• Snow White and all seven dwarfs walking an interacting with the crowd
• Pinocchio on a float that resembles the Whale from the classic story
• Donald Duck and Pluto in a float inspired by a circus
• Goofy, Daisy, Chip and Dale walking and interacting with the crowd
• Mickey and Minnie in a beautiful balloon-shaped float

Not every character listed may appear in the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Sometimes, characters show up randomly or are swapped out for others. The time of year can also affect which characters you'll spot. It's neat that holidays like Christmas and Easter influence the floats. For instance, at Christmas, you might see Mickey and Minnie on a boat adorned with sparkling lights and reindeers.

Overall, this show gets a big Mickey-thumbs up. The craftsmanship is top-notch, with impressive costumes and intricate details on every float, just as you'd anticipate from Disney. Plus, all the performers seem genuinely happy to be there, which adds to the magic. Yep, it’s magical! Does that sound cliche? Sure, but I always leave the parade with a smile on my face.

The only downside? Huge crowds. Since the show takes place on the streets, there are no seats or anything similar for you to just chill and enjoy your time. So, yeah, you need to share small spaces with strangers, strollers, people in front of you, people next to you, people behind you. This becomes even more challenging during the summer when it looks like half the world has decided to visit Magic Kingdom. So, you have guests all around you and the scorching heat to deal with. It can get rough. 

If you manage to secure a good spot and avoid the crowds altogether, you're in for an amazing time.

Will Kids enjoy it?

Whaaaat? Of course they will! Even more so if you can snag a good spot to watch the show. Your kids will be happy to see some of their favorite characters appearing one after another. Some will be on floats, like Belle and Ariel, but there are also characters strolling around and dancing, interacting with the crowd. I've witnessed characters like Snow White and Alice high-fiving kids countless times, and our little ones truly love moments like those.

Again, make sure to get a good spot and keep your kids close. There are no “official” seats for Festival of Fantasy, so people just gather on the street to watch their favorite characters, which can get a bit chaotic.

One last thing to note is that while some characters do interact with the crowd by waving or giving high-fives, they won't stop next to you for photos, which makes sense. Just imagine if they had to stop for selfies with millions of guests. This just wouldn’t work out at all!