One of the big changes that’s come to Walt Disney World since its closure is the addition of new cavalcades. Even though we’re long past the reopening (and, indeed, character greetings and the parade are back), the cavalcades have stuck around. In this post, we’re going to discuss this entertainment offering (beginning with “what is a cavalcade?”).
What is a Cavalcade?
A cavalcade is “a formal procession of people walking, on horseback, or riding in vehicles.” (Oxford Languages)
So…a parade…sort of. At the Disney parks, a cavalcade is basically a miniature parade. Instead of a full-fledged 20-minute spectacle of floats, it’s a few characters on a few vehicles passing by and waving.
Disney Parks have Long Had Cavalcades
Cavalcades aren’t entirely new to Walt Disney World. Most commonly, they’ve been used when weather made it dangerous to run a full parade. If it’s unsafe for a parade but safe enough for a cavalcade, Disney will run the cavalcade instead:
So cavalcades aren’t entirely new, we’re just seeing more of them these days. But why?
Why are there new cavalcades at Disney World?
The cavalcades debuted when the parks reopened as part of the overall safety enhancements at the resort. At the time, character greetings were completely gone, and the Festival of Fantasy parade was assumed to encourage people to crowd together too much. The cavalcades—shorter than parades—allowed guests to see characters in passing without huge crowds.
Now, character greetings and Festival of Fantasy have returned, but the cavalcades have also remained, presumably because guests like them.
How are Disney cavalcades different from parades?
Here are the three ways Disney cavalcades differ from parades.
First, they are shorters and simpler. These aren’t 20-minute productions with a dozen-plus floats. In most cases, you can catch the entire thing in about 30-90 seconds.
Second, there are more of them. While each park used to have multiple cavalcades, things have simplified a bit. Epcot no longer has any cavalcades, and Hollywood Studios only has one. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom still have multiple cavalcades.
Finally, most cavalcades occur multiple times each day. So that’s multiple cavalcades, each at multiple times.
How Many new Disney World cavalcades are there?
As of March 2023, there are around seven active cavalcades at Disney World—two at Magic Kingdom, one at Hollywood Studios, and four at Animal Kingdom.
Where are the cavalcades?
Even though they’re randomly scheduled, the cavalcades do have fixed routes in the park. These are always subject to change, but here’s how they went the first week. I’ve described the routes best I can. So far, I haven’t seen any reports from someone who followed it from start to finish, so it’s hard to place to precise start and endpoints.
What is the Magic Kingdom cavalcade route?
The Magic Kingdom cavalcades follow the traditional parade route. They begin in Frontierland, pass through Liberty Square and the hub, and finish down Main Street USA. Some cavalcades may run a more limited route only along Main Street U.S.A.
What is the Hollywood Studios cavalcade route?
The Hollywood Studios cavalcade route starts near the park entrance and goes up Hollywood Boulevard before turning left and ending near Star Tours.
What is the Epcot Cavalcade Route?
When they occurred, the Epcot Cavalcades took place in the World Showcase.
What is the Animal Kingdom Cavalcade route?
This one is interesting. The cavalcades at Animal Kingdom aren’t really cavalcades. Sorry! Instead, they’re Character Cruises—small boats that carry characters or performers.
The boats traverse a closed path along the Discovery River, the river that encircles the center of the park (Discovery Island). You can view it from any of the bridges in the park or from the grandstands previously used for Rivers of Light seating.
What are the new Disney World cavalcades?
Here are some the new cavalcades, with links to video. These change, with characters swapping in and out, so you shouldn’t expect the exact cavalcade to happen during your visit.
the Magic Kingdom Cavalcades
I’d add that the Main Street Philharmonic also performs along the cavalcade route.
The Hollywood Studios Cavalcades
None
The Epcot Cavalcades
None
The Animal Kingdom Cavalcades (Character Cruises)
Discovery River Character Cruise (specific characters vary)
Holiday Cavalcades
These are special cavalcades that are available only during the holiday season:
Animal Kingdom - Santa Claus Festive Flotilla
Hollywood Studios - Santa Clause Motorcade
How long will Disney World cavalcades be around?
Disney World has been moving away from cavalcades. Epcot and Hollywood Studios no longer have any, Hollywood Studios only has one, and Magic Kingdom is down to one as of the end of the 50th Celebrations. Animal Kingdom is an outlier, with multiple cavalcades going on throughout the entirety of the day.
With that in mind, it’s a bit hard to say whether these will end soon or stick around. With the Festival of Fantasy parade back, I don’t see any reason they’d keep the other cavalcade at Magic Kingdom much longer. Since the Animal Kingdom flotillas have persisted, it’s reasonable to think these are a longterm addition to the park.
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