Magic Kingdom Character Cavalcades (Times and Routes)

Magic Kingdom’s character cavalcades are an excellent way for guests to see some of their favorite characters without much fuss. And thankfully, Disney has announced that cavalcades are here to stay!

Cavalcades occur daily between Frontierland and Main Street, U.S.A. at specific times. These special pop-up parades feature multiple characters riding through the park on unique floats. They are an experience unlike any other!

In this review, we’ll cover everything you need to know to see these cavalcades on your next visit to Magic Kingdom Park. We’ll discuss timing, schedule, and what characters you can expect to see throughout the day.

This article was updated on January 23, 2023.

Character Cavalcades at Magic Kingdom

Here are the original character cavalcades at Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, since I wrote this article, some have retired.

Here are the ones that we still see daily as of 2023:

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade
Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade (50th Anniversary Celebration)

Retired Cavalcades:

A Royal Princess Processional
Disney Friends Cavalcade
Magic Kingdom Cavalcade
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
Fantasyland Friends
A Goofy Cavalcade

Character Cavalcades Times

Thankfully, Disney has added the exact timing for these cavalcades to the My Disney Experience App. Since the times are listed, it’s easier to see each one during your visit.

For example, here is a sample schedule for Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade:

10:45 a.m.
1:35 p.m
4:25 p.m

You can check availability and exact times here for your visit.

And the times for the Disney Adventure Cavalcade are usually:

5:10 p.m.

You can check availability and exact times here for your visit.

Additionally, the Festival of Fantasy Parade has returned to Magic Kingdom. Showtimes for the parade are usually at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

However, those times change seasonally, so check for exact times here on Disney’s site. Or you can check the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit.

Follow these instructions for finding the listed times for each cavalcade in the My Disney Experience app.

Open the app and select the location button at the bottom of the screen. (It’s the second one from the left.)
At the top, where it says “Wait Times,” select “Entertainment” in the drop-down menu.
On the top left-hand side, select Filters and choose Magic Kingdom Park.
On the top right-hand side, select show list.
A list will display all of the entertainment offerings for that day. In addition, each offering will list the times for the specific cavalcades.

You can also use this portion of the My Disney Experience app to see wait times, attractions, dining, and character meet and greets, among other things.

Magic Kingdom Character Cavalcades Route

Character cavalcades begin in Frontierland and end on Main Street U.S.A. Disney uses the same route as the regular parades at Magic Kingdom.

The cavalcades step off near Splash Mountain, where Frontierland meets Adventureland. A large gate opens, and a cavalcade appears shortly after.

From there, the cavalcade will stay straight until it reaches Liberty Square. There it will turn in front of the Hall of Presidents and begin making its way toward Cinderella Castle.

After circling the hub in front of Cinderella Castle, the cavalcades will continue up Main Street U.S.A. Once the mini-parade reaches the Walt Disney World Railroad, it will retreat into an offstage area.

Therefore, if you want to see the cavalcade at the start, you’ll want to be in the Frontierland area. However, I enjoy the charm of Main Street U.S.A. and find that area offers better photo opportunities.

Just know it will take a few minutes for the cavalcade to arrive versus the time it’s listed to begin.

Now, if you don’t necessarily want to take the time to see the cavalcades, you can still enjoy them if you randomly run into one. My best tip is to listen for changes in the background music in the area you are touring.

As a cavalcade approaches an area, the background music in the vicinity will suddenly change. The closer it gets to your location, the louder the music will get until it reaches you.

Since these are smaller entertainment offerings, it will only take a few minutes of your time to enjoy. And it’s undoubtedly worth taking a moment for you or your children to wave hi the characters.

Below is a look at all the character cavalcades and a few pictures of what to expect.

Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade

Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. This cavalcade provides an opportunity to see classic characters in their celebration outfits.

The cavalcade is adorable and plays the tune, The Magic is Calling. Mickey and Minnie usually ride together on top of this float.

*Make sure to see this limited-time offering during the 18-month-long celebration. We should see this cavalcade retire at the end of March 2023.

Related: Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade

The Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade debuted earlier this year. This cavalcade features up to 30 different characters!

Here are a few of the characters you might see: Miguel, Jesse and Woody, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Elena of Avalor, Moana, Merida, Mirabel, Pocahontas, Mulan, Meeko, Terk, Timon, King Louie, Baloo, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Clarabelle Cow, Nick Fox, Judy Hopps, Panchito, Jose, Marie, Stitch, Max, Bert, and Mary Poppins.

We have a complete photo guide for the cavalcade here.

Retired Cavalcades at Magic Kingdom

Unfortunately, the following cavalcade has concluded. We’ll leave the photos below with links to where to find these characters in the parks.

A Royal Princess Processional Cavalcade (Retired)

Probably the most popular character cavalcade was the Royal Princess Processional. When these cavalcades began, Merida rode her horse in front of the procession.

Related: Meet Merida at Disney World

As of late, I haven’t seen as many horses incorporated into the cavalcades. So you may or may not have the opportunity to see a cavalcade with a horse.

The princesses ride on the ever-popular mirror float that’s been around for quite some time. If you’ve visited Walt Disney World within the last ten years and watched a parade, you’ve likely seen the float.

Several princesses are usually present on the float. For starters, we typically see Ariel in landform waving to the crowd.

Belle is usually somewhat bubbly in her yellow ball gown. But, if you’re lucky, you might catch her in her red velveteen dress during the holidays.

Related: Meeting Belle at Disney World

Cinderella sits atop her area of the float. She has the best wave. You can also meet her in the Magic Kingdom at Princess Fairytale Hall.

Additionally, Elena of Avalor holds a spot in the processional.

Snow White always makes her presence known with her quirky expressions. I can relate.

You’ll also see Princess Aurora and Princess Jasmine from Aladdin.

And the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella is perched on top of the float. She is a sight to see coming down Main Street, U.S.A.

This cavalcade provides a wonderful opportunity to see many Disney Princesses. You might also want to learn about their character meets at Epcot.

Disney Friends Character Cavalcade (Retired)

Unfortunately, this cavalcade has concluded. We’ll leave the photos below with links to where to find these characters in the parks.

Since Mickey and Minnie Mouse are now appearing in the celebration cavalcade, you can expect to see different characters on this float.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Retired)

Lastly, we look at the Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure cavalcade. Like the other cavalcades, she steps off in Frontierland as she journeys to Main Street, U.S.A.

For this one, if you blink, you will miss it. She literally rides through, perched on top of the lost treasure. There are no other characters that make up this cavalcade.

But given it’s Tinker Bell, I guess she enjoys not having to compete for anyone else’s attention.

Fantasyland Friends Cavalcade (Retired)

Unfortunately, this cavalcade has concluded. We’ll leave the photos below with links to where to find these characters in the parks.

This cavalcade usually has Gaston, Alice, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins, and Aladdin.

Related Character Meets:

Final Thoughts on the Magic Kingdom Character Cavalcades

Most of us were happy to hear that character cavalcades are here to stay in the different parks. Cavalcades have been a great addition and provide a simple way for guests to see their favorite characters.

If it weren’t for these fun character interactions, I wouldn’t enjoy my time in the parks as much as I do. Plus, it’s nice to have an offering that doesn’t require much effort to see.

Since so many characters meets have returned, you might enjoy our fully updated guide.

Disney World Character Meets

Or try these individual guides:

Additionally, since the holiday parties have returned, we have a guide for meeting characters at each one:

You might also like to learn more about character dining at Disney World. My top recommendation for this type of experience is the character breakfast at Disney’s Riviera’s Topolino’s Terrace.

For more information pertaining to planning a stay at Walt Disney World, browse our list of Disney World Resort Reviews. In addition, we offer an extensive look at many on-property resorts and a list of the best off-property hotels near Disney.

In the Comments

Are you planning to enjoy any Magic Kingdom character cavalcades on your next vacation? Feel free to comment below with your thoughts or any questions you might have.

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Magic Kingdom Character Cavalcades (Times and Routes)