Does anyone feel there'll ever be a nighttime parade again?

[epcotty]

I don't think there ever will be, but interested to see if anyone feels so and why. We haven't been since June, so was wondering now that since the ending of MSEP there probably won't be a nighttime parade at MK anymore except for MNSSHP and MVMCP, how does it feel at night? Does it feel like something's missing or have people gotten used to it? I remember sometimes going when Spectromagic wasn't playing and it was kinda boring. But probably no nighttime parade again ever, really? That's going to be tough to do. Disney seems to be taking their customers for granted too much these days

 

[bryanb]

Ever? I can see them taking a break from nighttime parades, which has happened every once in a while on both coasts. But I'm not sure on what basis one would think it will not happen ever.

There will be a point when a new nighttime parade will be introduced, and it will have a huge marketing campaign to drive fresh attendance and excitement to the park. Because that will make money.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that there will be a nighttime parade. Years ago Spectromagic was not offered nightly, so you had to choose carefully when you went to the MK in the evening if nighttime parades were important to you. Entertainment is added, removed, added and then changed again.

 

[Missyrose]

I'd put money on MK getting a night time parade just in time for the 50th anniversary celebration in 2021. MK is way too popular as it is, the last thing Disney needs to do is add a shiny new parade to attract even more guests in the evening.

 

[Oswin]

I'm hoping WDW gets Paint the Night for the summer.

 

[Travis B]

I'm sure there will be another eventually. I've seen nothing indicating that they've eliminated night time parades completely. As @Missyrose said, I'd look to the 50th for a new parade. It would be nice if they had something to fill space in the meantime, but who knows. Disneyland's 60th was such a success for that park WDW will be looking to recreate that success for themselves if they can.

 

[epcotty]

Thanks for the responses. If they ever will again it's probably not until the 50th i guess. They're too concerned about saving money and figure no matter if they disappoint people

 

[BebopBaloo]

Just a guess, but I bet there will be a new one around the time Wishes goes away and a new fireworks show comes in. I love Wishes, so I really am not looking forward to it leaving, however, I feel like it will probably get switched out in the next couple years.

 

[BrianL]

I think there will be a new one, and probably sooner than the 50th. I see no reason to believe they won't ever have one again.

 

[rteetz]

I'd put money on MK getting a night time parade just in time for the 50th anniversary celebration in 2021. MK is way too popular as it is, the last thing Disney needs to do is add a shiny new parade to attract even more guests in the evening.

Adding a parade gives people something to do though. Disney used to have two parades at MK, one at Epcot, one at DHS, and one at AK. Now they have one at MK...

They really should get a parade back at DHS to give people something to do.

 

[totallyhufflepuff]

I can't say for sure, but my heart says oh yes

 

[OKW Lover]

We haven't been since June, so was wondering now that since the ending of MSEP there probably won't be a nighttime parade at MK anymore except for MNSSHP and MVMCP,

Not sure how you reach this conclusion. Just because MSEP ended, doesn't mean there isn't something in the pipeline to replace it.

 

[sohryu]

I'm hoping WDW gets Paint the Night for the summer.

You stay away from my Paint the Night parade! *shakes fist* You're more than welcome to visit it in Disneyland.

Being a Disneyland AP who's in love with PTN, it's hard for me to imagine not having a nighttime parade. They took away PTN in September this year and didn't bring it back until the holidays (even then only for the weekends) which I thought reeeeally sucked. I'm going to WDW for a trip next summer and just found out that the afternoon parade in AK has been cancelled. I was so excited to have a great view of it from our lunch resv at Yak & Yeti then I read it was no more.

I know parades are a relatively big thing at DL, is that just not the case at WDW as far as folks scoping out seats in advance (sometimes hours in advance, ugh)?

 

[epcotty]

If nothing is mentioned, usually it means nothing is planned. Iger likes DL a lot more so WDW's guests feel taken for granted. I still say there's only so much you can disappoint people, even if you are Disney

 

[HopperFan]

YES!

WHY?
All the stuff I keep hearing from my MK insider.

 

[Accident]

Last night, I was wondering this myself. All my secrets for why closing the place down instead of rope dropping just don't happen anymore. First thing I noticed is the crowd remained spread out and while the hub got busy, main street and the rest of the parade route was not and people were all the way in the back still riding things when normally that area goes ghost town. Second is the order of the shows and they ran the fireworks first.. It was interesting to see how many didn't care about the project show 15 minutes after it and got out of there after the fireworks (I hope this remains and disney realizes the projection shows are interesting but the crowd is there for the fireworks that are a draw).

So do I think a night parade will not return? no, I think we'll see another one. Do I think it will be soon? I honestly don't think it will return until 2021. This missing night parade is spreading out the crowd better, there is multiple years of new things coming to keep the crowds up. i'm also wondering if they might have plans to make a new parade route for epcot with that transformation. It's possible when a night parade returns, it's not to magic kingdom and it'll be used to draw more crowds to other parks as MK can hold it's own.

 

[bryanb]

If nothing is mentioned, usually it means nothing is planned. Iger likes DL a lot more so WDW's guests feel taken for granted. I still say there's only so much you can disappoint people, even if you are Disney

Three thoughts about this:

• A lot of things are planned that aren't announced. Ideas take many years to come to fruition, and there are always multiple ideas on the drawing board for years into the future. Disney is a high performing organization. I am confident that the people who run Imagineering and Entertainment aren't just sitting back. The question is, what's the next idea, how much will it cost, how much interest/attendance/revenue will it generate, and when will it launch? Maybe that's already decided, maybe it's not. But people aren't getting paid salaries to plan nothing.
  
• Iger makes the big decisions at the top, but there are a lot of people in charge of maximizing profit for their divisions. WDW managers aren't timid second-fiddlers to any other division, and if they were they'd be replaced quickly.
  
• I'm genuinely sorry that you think that Disney is so disappointing to people! The nighttime parade is a very fond part of my Disney memories, so I can understand why it's disappointing to not have one. There are lots of decisions that are disappointing. But also a lot of things they do that are exciting. Overall, I think your sentiment comes from a place of love, but is a bit more pessimistic than I would agree with.

 

[DebbieB]

I'm hoping WDW gets Paint the Night for the summer.

From what I've heard, Paint the Night floats will not fit over the Liberty Square Bridge. I've also heard it's had some issues and will likely be back at DL next summer. I hope so, I'm going in July to DL. Maybe MSEP will return to WDW.

I think that there will be a nighttime parade. Years ago Spectromagic was not offered nightly, so you had to choose carefully when you went to the MK in the evening if nighttime parades were important to you. Entertainment is added, removed, added and then changed again.

On my first trip in October 1994, MK closed at 7:00 each night, no parade or fireworks. From what I recall, that was the schedule from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. Very disappointing. We saw Illuminations and MGM had Sorcery in the Sky on Saturday.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I enjoyed not having a nighttime parade on my last trip. I always feel like I'm dodging those so I am kind of hoping they don't have one again.

 

[Matty_Disfan]

I am really going to miss getting stuck in the Splash/BTMRR area during a parade and riding nonstop. I am going to miss the hour before when so many people sit down and wait for the parade and leave the rides with lower lines.

But that was not your question: are they going to do another one? Yes. It sells popcorn and ice cream and glow-toys.