Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away will debut at the Magic Kingdom on July 20! We’ve been without a nighttime parade in Florida for way too long, so this is great news. There’s some not-as-good news for Annual Passholders, though.
Right now, Annual Passholders need to have a Disney Park Pass Reservation to enter the Magic Kingdom after 2:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Starting on July 20, that will change. Annual Passholders will need a Disney Park Pass Reservation to enter the Magic Kingdom every day. Here’s what Disney has to say:
- Before July 20, 2025:Annual Passholders may visit the theme parks without a theme park reservation on a good-to-go day or after 2:00 PM (except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom park).
- For a Limited Time, Starting July 20, 2025:Due to anticipated high demand, upon the opening of the Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away parade on July 20, 2025, Passholders visiting Magic Kingdom park at any time of day (including after 2:00 PM) must have a theme park reservation. Passholders will continue to be able to enter EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park after 2:00 PM without a theme park reservation.
For those who don’t know, here is how it works right now. Annual Passholders need to have Disney Park Pass Reservations to enter any theme park before 2:00. Reservations aren’t needed after 2:00, except at the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays.
I’m sorry, but I can see no reason why Annual Passholders should still need reservations. You can Park Hop at any time. If you can’t get a reservation for Epcot, just make one for Studios, scan in, then hop over to Epcot. The crowd control excuse from the early days no longer stands. Making Disney Park Pass Reservations is just an extra step for Annual Passholders, one that we should no longer need to make.
I feel bad for the Annual Passholders who think they’ll be able to get into the Magic Kingdom after 2:00 to see Disney Starlight, only to be turned away. As far as I know (and I’m an AP), there’s been no email about this to Annual Passholders, and no notification in the My Disney Experience App. Disney needs to do more to let their most loyal guests know what is going on.