Magic Kingdom Starlight Parade Brings New Annual Passholder Park Reservation Rule

Posted: Wednesday May 28, 2025 8:55am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Starting July 20, 2025, Disney is introducing a temporary change to the Annual Passholder park reservation system tied to the debut of the new Disney Starlight nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom.

Starlight Finale Float

Here’s what you need to know:

From July 20, 2025:

Annual Passholders must hold a theme park reservation to visit Magic Kingdom at any time of day — even after 2:00 pm.
Park hopping to Magic Kingdom will still be allowed: if you have a reservation at EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom and visit that first park, you can hop to Magic Kingdom, but entry is subject to capacity.
This change is specifically due to the expected high demand during the launch of the Starlight parade.

Other parks:

You can still visit EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom after 2:00 pm without a reservation, as usual.

Before July 20, 2025:

You may visit the parks without a reservation on a Good-to-Go day or after 2:00 pm, except Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom, which continue to require a reservation.

Important points:

Theme park reservations remain limited and depend on availability.
Reservation rules and blockout dates can change, so check the system regularly.

If you’re a Passholder planning to catch the Starlight parade, make sure you secure your Magic Kingdom reservation early.

Discuss on the Forums

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Disgruntled Walt12 days ago

Isn't it possible they could start the parade in one location and then the other location for the second showing? They've done that before.

DisneyHead12312 days ago

Ok thanks. I wasn’t understanding why a night parade would be particularly different than a day parade, but the people leaving the park for the evening makes sense.

Tony the Tigger12 days ago

Either way, the parades always block my way as I’m trying to get from one walk-on attraction to another, while everyone else stands there lining the parade route. 😆

jrhwdw12 days ago

It Works for FOF too... Party Parades didn't move to Splash till the 2000s l believe Who really knows how MK determines Direction.... The problem with TBA Starts is you have the whole Parade Route(if Guests follow) landing at the Exits... When Parades start at City Hall, the exits are much nicer and fewer people.

Andrew2512 days ago

If you start at Frontierland, guests who want to leave the park afterwards will have to wait behind the parade as it crawls through MK. If you start the parade at Main Street, as the parade moves north on MS, guests will fill in behind the parade as they line up for the fireworks after.

DisneyHead12312 days ago

Genuine question… what is the issue with this route?

ToTBellHop12 days ago

I think they’ll foolishly start in Frontierland and switch direction by Labor Day. That direction only works with evening parades at parties since most people stay in the park after. Get your photos of it coming down MSUSA while you can.

peter1143513 days ago

Highly unlikely

THEMEPARKPIONEER13 days ago

I think they’ll start both runs at different locations

DisneyHead12314 days ago

I like my story better, lol… the final move was a roundoff backhandspring into a flip on to a Mickey Mouse podium, but that lanyard ended up right under his foot.

Tha Realest14 days ago

By the looks of things he’s transferred his Covid alarmism mental anguish onto the “problem” of local APs

DisneyHead12314 days ago

I like to assume there is some dramatic issue in Donnie’s past involving AP holders. An origin story like Cruella’s mom and the Dalmatians. Perhaps as a child he was literal steps away from winning a big talent show, and the prize money that would have saved the family farm, and during the big finish he tripped over a broken AP lanyard carelessly tossed to the ground by an AP holder, who laughed in slow motion before continuing on to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. From then on he had to scratch out a living selling peanut butter sandwiches and Capri Suns to AP holders in the parking lot, and grew to hate them more each day.

jrhwdw14 days ago

YT has it, but I'd still call it rare...... Speaking of Direction, no matter where it Starts...I 'm not ready to join the "MK doesn't know how to run a Night Parade" Club!... ATM, I refuse to believe MK lost all knowledge from 1977-2016........

Mr. Sullivan14 days ago

Now this is also a completely insane take. But rummaging through your post history, it’s evident you like to rage bait (and also apparently don’t like to read?) so I’m gonna leave it there.