February 2020 – present
LOCATION
Fantasyland & Main Street USA – The parade starts in Fantasyland, at the plaza in front of It’s A Small World. From there, it winds down past the Mad Tea Party and the Matterhorn, along the right side of the castle, and down Main Street USA. The parade then ends at the corner of Main Street, next to Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.
BACKGROUND
Disneyland frequently cycles through new parades, so despite Paint the Night’s popularity, we all knew a replacement would pop up eventually. In 2020, the resort launched a new parade that would run in both the daytime and at night, unlike Paint the Night, which only happened after dark. Magic Happens had really unfortunate timing with its original opening; debuting less than three weeks before the park closed for COVID. It made its “reopening” in February 2023, 3 years later.
EXPERIENCE
Details:
- Single Rider Line – no
- Fast Pass – no
- Height Requirement – none
- Duration – 14:00
The parade begins with Mickey himself, leading his friends Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, and Dale down Main Street and ushering in some magic along the way. Close behind them come a number of floats celebrating classic movies and their characters, with a grand finale featuring a few favorites in rapid succession:
- Moana (Moana, Maui, & Pua)
- Coco (Miguel & Dante)
- Frozen 2 (Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, & Sven)
- Cinderella (Cinderella)
- Sword in the Stone (Merlin & Arthur)
- Princess and the Frog (Tiana & Naveen)
- Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Phillip, Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather)
MY RATING: ★★★★★
The floats, costumes, and performers in this parade are truly incredible. There is so much detail to every single aspect of the show, and I think it works equally well in the daytime and under the Main Street lights at night. I personally prefer the daytime show just because the colors on the floats are a little bit brighter, but both versions are incredibly entertaining and worth seeing if you are into parades.
VISITING TIPS
Like any parade, if you want a curbside seat, you need to plan ahead. Cast members will typically rope off seating areas 1-2 hours before the parade start. But if you’re like me and don’t care that much about camping out, your best bet is to head to the Fantasyland end. There are some places by the Matterhorn and Alice in Wonderland where you can see pretty much everything without losing a lot of your evening waiting around.
TRIVIA
In total, the parade features approximately 90 performers and 25 characters.
Todrick Hall co-composed Magic Happens, which includes two original songs.
Pay close attention to the Moana float and you’ll spot Nemo and Dory swimming in the ocean. If you get extra lucky with timing, you’ll see the heart of Te Fiti in the water too.
The Moana float is the first constructed for that movie in any Disney park.
At 39 feet, the Frozen 2 float is the longest. The tallest award goes to Sleeping Beauty, at 30 feet tall.
