Disney Starlight Parade Review: Complete Tier List & Float Ranking

Is Disney World’s newest nighttime parade worth the hype? After experiencing one of the very first showings of Disney Starlight at Magic Kingdom, I’m breaking down every float, song, and magical moment to give you the complete verdict.

Does Starlight shine bright…or fade away? Let’s find out.

Is Disney Starlight an S-Tier Parade – Video

Disney Starlight: Magic Kingdom’s Long-Awaited Return to Nighttime Parades

Magic Kingdom has finally debuted Disney Starlight, its brand new nighttime parade, marking the end of a nine-year drought since the last regular nighttime parade graced Main Street U.S.A. and Frontierland. But does this luminous spectacle live up to the legacy of legendary parades like Main Street Electrical Parade and Spectromagic?

As someone who’s been covering Disney World extensively, I was lucky enough to be at Magic Kingdom for one of Starlight’s very first performances. But making a video about it was a challenge, because my go-to format is Upgrade or Downgrade. But since I’d be comparing it to the Nothing Parade, the video would have ended up being 10 seconds long.

Instead I decided to put every aspect through the ultimate test: a comprehensive tier list ranking. After all, doing critical analysis of a parade kinda feels like doing critical analysis of a surprise party. Then again, some parties are better than others.

The Tier List Breakdown: How We’re Ranking Disney Starlight

For those unfamiliar with tier lists, here’s how the grading works:

• S Tier: Absolute perfection, the best of the best
• A Tier: Excellent, minor room for improvement
• B Tier: Good, but with notable shortcomings
• C Tier: Fine. Not bad, but has underwhelming elements
• D Tier: Needs significant improvement
• F Tier: Complete failure

To put this in perspective, I’d rank Disneyland’s Paint the Night as S tier perfection, while the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade would earn a solid B tier (great music and nostalgia, but not always worth staying up until 11 PM).

Float-by-Float Analysis: Ranking Every Disney Starlight Element

The Blue Fairy Float: S Tier

The parade opens with an absolute showstopper. The Blue Fairy float is genuinely massive – it’s hard to convey the sheer scale in photos or videos, but she big. The Blue Fairy is an absolute unit, towering over guests. The surprise box featuring Pinocchio and Geppetto adds a delightfully retro touch. It triggered a wave of nostalgia pointing towards something I can’t quite put my finger on.

This opening serves as a perfect homage. The Main Street Electrical Parade also began with the Blue Fairy. But this is the best type of tribute – one that completely outdoes its predecessor.

Wish Float: D Tier

One of the most common gripes I’ve heard about Starlight is the inclusion of a Wish float. But hear me out on including Wish in the parade. The parade is called Starlight, and Wish features a literal star character… named Star…  It makes thematic sense. And yes, Wish did not perform at the box office, but judging properties solely on box office performance would mean Pinocchio (which flopped in 1940) shouldn’t be here either.

My issue isn’t with the property – Wish is perfectly fine. The problem is execution. This is the smallest float in the parade with only one human performer, and Star doesn’t pop visually the way it should. I actually found him pretty hard to see on the small screen. It feels underwhelming, especially following that magnificent Blue Fairy opener.

Encanto Float: A Tier

The Madrigal family brings serious magic with this beautifully designed float. The giant animating candle creating flowers and butterflies is gorgeous, and having three characters (Mirabel, Isabella, and Bruno) plus that earworm soundtrack creates real energy.

Fun dad fact: My 18-month-old daughter Tallulah is currently obsessed with Encanto, which led to me singing the entirety of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” at 2 AM just to get her back to sleep. So it’s a testament to how great the music from Encanto is that I was delighted to hear it during the parade.

Frozen Float: C Tier

This one’s tricky – it actually looks better in photos and videos than in person. While the design is solid, it’s just Elsa and some glowing diamonds leading the float. I wanted more dynamic choreography synced with the light changes to create that magical transformation feeling. The potential is there, but like Frozen 2, it ends up being a bit underwhelming.

Royal Couples Float: B Tier

A mainstay of Magic Kingdom parades, and this version is beautifully executed. While the float design is more straightforward than some of the other more inventive floats in the parade, the choreography and music are gorgeous. The Royal Court dancers flanking the float elevate everything, and it’s perfectly placed as the parade’s middle act.

Coco Float: A Tier

Many people have told me this is their favorite, and I understand why. The intricate design is fantastic, plus there’s a giant Pepita with steam coming out of its nose (amazing). But this float is just missing another element. My only wish is for one additional element visible as the float passes – maybe Dante flying above the city or some skeleton dancers on the ground.

Still, the overall design quality pushes this into A tier territory.

Moana Float: A Tier

By this point, the parade hits full stride. The scale on the Moana float is impressive, the waves are beautiful, and Grandma Tala rising up creates a genuine wow moment. It could use more ground support (more dancers would help), but this definitely earns its A tier ranking.

Peter Pan Float: A Tier

Probably my favorite design with Big Ben and the London skyline. Tinker Bell’s choreography actually interacts with the float (unlike Frozen), and the music gives me legitimate goosebumps.

Initially, I ranked this lower for one petty reason: Peter and Wendy should be flying! The float looks designed to support it, their dialogue is all about flying (“I can fly!” “You can fly!” “We can fly!”), and I sat there thinking “Well, why aren’t they flying?” After getting some sleep and perspective, I realized this nitpick was unfair. It’s definitely A tier, though adding flight would make it the best float in the parade.

Starlight Train Finale: S Tier

This finale completely won me over. The train is bright and beautiful, and when the Main Street Electrical Parade theme kicks in, it delivers pure joy. The new character Whimsy is genuinely charming. I’m including the Starlight logo with Jiminy Cricket as part of this unit, and together they create the perfect ending.

Category Rankings: The Technical Breakdown

Music: S Tier

This might be controversial since I’ve heard mixed reactions, but I absolutely love Starlight’s soundtrack. The theme has been stuck in my head for weeks, featuring a perfect blend of synth and orchestra with smart integration of the Main Street Electrical theme.

I think people are comparing it to Paint the Night’s “When Can I See You Again,” which had years to become an established earworm before that parade debuted. Starlight’s theme is genuinely catchy and iconic, but without lyrics and being brand new, it needs time to build that same affection.

Float Design: A Tier

The designs are gorgeous, inventive, and iconic – this is the most common praise I see for Starlight, and it’s deserved. My one complaint: the floats are too front-loaded. There’s not enough happening on the backs to maintain interest as they pass.

Use of Ground Performers: D Tier

Here’s where Starlight stumbles significantly. There simply aren’t enough ground performers, and it affects the entire experience. Only the Royal Couples float feels properly supported with its court dancers.

Encanto has butterflies that flutter by quickly. Frozen has glowy diamonds. Most critically, Tinker Bell is the only character walking the route. They need Maui with a glowing hook (or glowing tattoos), Luisa from Encanto, Anna and Olaf – the list goes on. Plus, the Encanto, Coco, and Moana floats all feel like they are begging for choreographed dancers. This feels pared back (especially compared to Paint the Night) and needs significantly improvement, because it really affects the next category.

Pacing/Overall Length: B Tier

At 14-15 minutes, Starlight is only 2-3 minutes shorter than Paint the Night, so length isn’t the real issue. The problem is pacing – without enough performers spacing out the floats, everything feels rushed. There were moments where I was trying to appreciate design details when the next float was already arriving.

To use my surprise party metaphor: complaining about too many floats is like complaining about too much cake and not enough chips. But sometimes the party needs more chips.

The Vibes: A Tier

This captures all the intangible magic – how it feels when lights dim on Main Street and that first musical note hits. The vibes are, as kids probably don’t say anymore, immaculate. It feels magical and dreamy, reminiscent of Spectromagic’s gentle wonder. Where Paint the Night feels like an exciting party, Starlight feels like the most pleasant dream.

The Final Verdict: Is Disney Starlight S Tier?

After all this analysis, the big question remains: Is Disney Starlight an S tier parade?

Not quite, but it’s close. Another minute or two of ground performers and a few more walking characters would make a tremendous difference. Like the Peter Pan float needing flight or the Coco float needing that extra element, Starlight needs something additional to truly soar.

But here’s the thing – I’m admittedly a sucker for nighttime parades, and Starlight is genuinely great. It clears the high bar of being a worthy successor to Main Street Electrical Parade and Spectromagic. While I prefer Paint the Night, this feels perfectly at home in Magic Kingdom.

Final Grade: A Tier

Starlight hovers between B+ and A- territory, but my love for nighttime parades pushes it into A tier. It’s a beautiful addition to Disney World that brings back the magic that’s been missing from Magic Kingdom’s nights for far too long.

Planning Your Disney Starlight Experience

Parade Route: Unlike other Magic Kingdom parades, Starlight starts at Main Street and moves to the hub and then through Frontierland.

Best Viewing Spots: Main Street U.S.A. offers classic views, especially near the train station or by the hub. But for less crowds, head to Frontierland.

Show Times: As of this writing, the parade takes place at 9 PM and 11 PM. Check the My Disney Experience app for current schedule, as times can vary by season.

Pro Tips:

• Arrive early for prime viewing spots, especially for the 1st parade. For the first showing of the parade, I’d recommend 1 hour early for Main Street or the Hub, 30 minutes early for Frontierland.
• The second running of the parade will always be much less crowded, and you can probably find a good viewing spot much closer to the start of the parade.
• The parade will not be shown on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights
• For a speedy exit out of the park after the parade, try to get a spot near Main Street or the train station.

What to Expect: A 14-15 minute dreamy, glowing parade featuring beloved Disney characters in stunning new presentations.

Disney Starlight may not achieve parade perfection like Paint the Night, but it successfully returns nighttime parade magic to Magic Kingdom. For Disney fans who’ve been waiting nearly a decade for this moment, that alone makes it worth celebrating.

What did you think of Disney Starlight? Share your float rankings and overall impressions – I’d love to hear how your experience compared to mine!