Hey Howdy Hey, Gemma!
Welcome to planDisney! There is no better way to kick off the most magical time of the year than at
The Most Magical Place on Earth! From the extra holiday parties to beautiful resort decorations (and everything in between!), there are so many ways to
celebrate this festive time of year.
Gemma, I'm glad to see that you've already located the
Hours and Events Calendar on the Walt Disney World Resort website, as it gives you so much great information in one handy spot! While theme park hours and fireworks schedules have been posted, I don't see a schedule yet for parades. In my experience, these sometimes don't populate until a bit closer to your trip. Typically, the
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade takes place at 3:00 PM, but this fall, the parade time has shifted a bit, and you'll currently find it happening at 2:00 PM. You'll definitely want to check back closer to your trip to confirm, but I would plan on a mid-afternoon time and avoid any dining reservations around these times if seeing the parade is important to you and your family.
As far as nighttime parades, Magic Kingdom Park currently doesn't offer one except as part of special-ticketed holiday parties like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. However, you'll find the fabulous
Happily Ever After fireworks display lighting up the sky above Cinderella Castle on non-party days during your trip. It's a wonderful show that always brings a tear to my eye, so don't miss it. . .and maybe bring a few tissues! If you're a fan of nighttime entertainment, you may want to plan a return visit in 2025, as we recently learned that an all-new nighttime parade,
Disney Starlight, will be debuting at Magic Kingdom next summer!
Since I can tell you're a fan of entertainment, Gemma, I also have to recommend making plans to check out the
Eat to the Beat Concert Series while visiting EPCOT. These concerts are offered on select nights of the
EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, which is scheduled to run through November 23, 2024. There are some amazing performers during the dates you'll be in the parks, including Smash Mouth and 98 Degrees! The best part? These concerts are included for FREE with your admission to the park! Guests do start lining up early to grab seats when the theater opens, so make sure to plan accordingly or check availability for an
Eat to the Beat Dining Package. These dining packages not only offer a great meal at an EPCOT restaurant but also give your entire dining party guaranteed seating to the concert!
Gemma, I hope this information is helpful and that you enjoy a fabulous visit to Walt Disney World Resort! If you have any other questions, please stop by to see us again here at planDisney - we're all ears!
Cheers,
Kristi