Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire (A Complete Guide to Seeing Magic Kingdom’s Stage Show)
This article provides a review of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, the castle stage show held multiple times daily at Magic Kingdom.
Between entertainment, parades, attractions, and character meet-and-greets, it can be challenging to prioritize the most important things to do during a day at Magic Kingdom Park. One of those entertainment offerings is Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, formerly Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is held multiple times daily on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage. The performance has an endearing storyline and allows visitors to see many characters—some of whom are rare!
But is it worth your time? For most, the answer is yes, with two important caveats you’ll want to consider before committing. Below, we’ll discuss Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire and highlight the pros and cons of taking time out of your day to see it. I’ll also provide a few tips on what I consider the best time to see the show and where to stand.
Showtimes for Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire can vary. At the time of this update, the showtimes are listed as:
- 10:00 a.m.
- 11:10 a.m.
- 12:50 p.m.
- 1:55 p.m.
- 4:00 p.m.
You can check the My Disney Experience app or Disney’s site for the show’s exact times on the day of your visit. Each performance lasts approximately 22 minutes. During the summer, the show is often performed later in the day, with the last performance usually around 7:00 p.m. Each performance of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is subject to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.
Update: Sign language-interpreted performances are available for this stage show two times a week. The schedule changes weekly. Guests can pick up a copy of the schedule at Guest Relations in any park.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is a musical extravaganza that can be divided into five parts: an introduction, three segments showcasing various characters, and a grand finale in which the entire cast returns to the stage.
During Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, the daily castle stage show returned to the park as Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire. To celebrate the anniversary, Mickey Mouse and the other classic Disney characters wore special Earidescent fashions. Some of the photos in this article are from when the stage show was held during the anniversary. Others are from after the anniversary when the characters returned to wearing their traditional outfits. You can tell the difference by the decorations and the 50th emblem on the front of Cinderella Castle. Our newest pictures show where the clock on the castle is uncovered.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire begins with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy. A crew of dancers joins these classic characters on the castle stage. A special song, Where the Magic Feels Like Home, was written and choreographed for the stage show. As you can imagine, the performances are exceptional.
Goofy leads up the first friendship segment introducing an array of characters from The Princess and the Frog. These characters spice up the show with a touch of jazz and a dazzling dance number. Excerpts from songs include Down in New Orleans, When We’re Human, and Dig a Little Deeper.
Characters include Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Louis the Alligator. Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is the only place to see Louis at Walt Disney World.
However, you can see Princess Tiana daily at Princess Fairytale Hall. She and Prince Naveen also ride on the first float in the Festival of Fantasy Parade.
Next, Donald joins the stage with a few friends from Tangled, like Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.
Upon first appearance, these friends appear a little rough around the edges. Daisy is upset with Donald for bringing these “Ruffians” to the party.
However, Rapunzel quickly explains that these guys aren’t so bad once you get to know them.
Next thing you know, they’re performing a song and dance number, I’ve Got a Dream, and it’s so catchy the entire crowd tends to get involved.
Last but by no means least, everyone’s favorite snowman shows up! Olaf loves warm hugs and taking part in the tale of friendship.
He even brings a few special friends to the Friendship Faire, Anna and Elsa from Frozen.
Related: Meet Anna and Elsa at Disney World
Of course, Queen Elsa adds a little sparkle with a blast of her icy magic during the Let It Go song and dance number. All the children in the crowd go wild, and a few adults, too.
Before Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire wraps up, Minnie gives Mickey a smack-a-roo on the cheek and tells him it’s been the best day ever.
Everyone comes back out on the stage for one final song and dance.
At the end of the performance, the characters line the stage holding hands as fireworks explode behind them.
As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to consider two things when committing to watch the show. First, you’ll want to take the weather into account. During the summer months, I attended a 5:35 p.m. and a 7:00 p.m. performance. There was a world of difference in the heat between the two times.
At 5:35 p.m., I felt as though I were melting. There’s no way I could have stood in the heat for the duration of the performance at an earlier showtime. At 7:00 p.m., it was still warm, but we weren’t standing in direct sunlight. That said, the later in the day, the more there’s a chance of an early evening thunderstorm.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is canceled in the event of a thunderstorm or rain. So if the show is important to you or your group, you might consider seeing it earlier in the day.
Naturally, showtimes will adjust during the winter months, so it won’t be as terrible to see the show as it is during the summer. Therefore, take into consideration the time of year you’ll be visiting, and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Additionally, you’ll want to consider where to stand for the performance. The closer you get to the castle, the ground slopes downward.
In the picture below, I’m standing in the outer circle, where I have a relatively eye-level view of the castle stage. You can tell that I can easily see the stage over the heads of the people in front of me.
When I returned for the later performance, I arrived early and stood in the front row. For this performance, I was leaning back and looking up the entire time.
While the characters might have been a little closer, I preferred the level spot further back. In addition, there’s one other issue with being so close to the castle. You might have to fight the crowd a bit to get out if a large group forms and you decide to leave early. But if you have small children, being near the front will give them the opportunity to see the characters up close without having to lift them.
Overall, most will want to see Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire during your visit to Magic Kingdom. But don’t forget to consider the weather and the best place to stand during the performance. Arrive early if you want to stand close to the stage.
For other entertainment that includes characters at Magic Kingdom, you might consider the following:
- Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade
- Meet Ariel in Her Grotto at Magic Kingdom
- Disney After Hours Magic Kingdom Review
Related: Entire List of Character Meets at Walt Disney World
In the Comments
What are your thoughts on Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire? Will you plan to see this on your visit?
