The parade at Disneyland Paris, “Disney Stars on Parade”, first premiered as part of the 25th Anniversary celebration at Disneyland Paris and features 8 different parade floats!
The Parade has a range of characters and performers to bring the magic to life! From The Lion King, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Princes and Princesses, Frozen and of course, Mickey and his friends!
Disney Stars on Parade is a daily parade that runs for approximately 15 minutes, starting between 4:00pm – 5:30pm. The times for the parade can change depending on the season/daylight savings. In winter, when it gets dark early, the parade will usually start at 4:00pm. However, during the summertime when the park is open till late, the parade is moved to 5:00pm/5:30pm (be sure to check the daily program for the parade time during your visit, or download the Disneyland Paris App for Parade and show times).
The parade starts right next to It’s a Small World and makes its way down the park, finishing at Main Street. Your park map will show an outline of the parade route so you can clearly see what way it will go.
If you want a front row seat to watch the parade be sure to pick your spot at least 30 minutes before hand. During winter months, when crowds are fewer, it is much easier to get a front row view. However, during the summer months most guests begin to find a parade seat anywhere from 45-60 minutes or more before the parade, especially if you want a shady spot! This is always a good time to have a rest in the shade on a hot day, while you wait for the parade!
If you’re not fussed by the weather, you can’t go wrong with a spot right in front of the castle! Facing the castle that is. There’s something so magical about watching the parade go past with the castle shining in the background. You get a great view of watching the whole parade come around the corner right in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and it really is magical! Try to get a spot on the corner of the inner circle so you can see the whole parade coming around, rather than just each float when it gets in front of you! (It’s not the best spot for photos as you are quite close to the characters and floats, so your photos will be close up, but it is a great spot to be able to see the parade nice and up close!)
Another great spot is at the beginning of Main Street USA, directly as you enter the park. There is a small pavilion in the centre and watching the parade from this spot gives you another incredible view of the whole parade lighting up Main Street with Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in the background. It’s truly an incredible spot to watch from! (Be sure to get there early though to get a good view, especially during summer it can be a popular spot!) This is a great spot for photos as you are not so close to the parade, you can easily get photographs of the whole float and parade as it comes down.
Image from @Disneyland Instagram
If you prefer a shady area to watch the parade, here are some tips for the best spot. Along the parade route at the Castle end of Main Street USA, try to get a spot standing between the entrances of Adventureland and Frontierland. This area gets a fair bit of shade come parade time so it’s a perfect spot with a great view!
Another beautifully shaded area is located just near the Castle Stage. You will see two pink towers (also located right near the restrooms), that act as an entrance into Fantasyland. Standing along here is a great shady spot with an incredible view of the parade coming past, plus it doesn’t get as crowded here so you have a higher chance of interaction from the Characters and performers, Score!
I’ve included a picture below to help you locate the pink towers I’m talking about!
Image from @Disneyland Instagram
A handy tip, with all of that aside, if you watch the parade right at the beginning, next to It’s a Small World, once it’s finished it’s a great opportunity to go line up for some rides while the majority of the park is still watching the parade and you should be lucky enough to get some short wait times!
Guest Star Tuesday Parade
Every Tuesday, Disneyland Paris has a small pre-parade called Guest Star Tuesday! Each week there is a special guest character, usually a rare character you can’t meet in the park, who makes their way down the parade route just before the parade starts. This pre-parade starts from Main Street and finishes next to It’s a Small World (the opposite direction to the normal parade). The Parade runs every Tuesday, however, there are some exceptions so make sure to check your program guide on the day of your visit! Check out some of the photos below of previous Guest Star Tuesdays!
Images from Disneyland Paris Twitter
I hope you all love watching Disney Stars on Parade as much as i do! If you have any questions, let me know in a comment below! xx
All images from @disneylandparis Instagram/Twitter
Journey with Jade 