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This Beloved Magic Kingdom Experience Is Still Missing A LOT of Performers

The Walt Disney World Resort is home to several memorable live performances, most of which have returned to the theme parks since prior closures due to the pandemic in 2020.

Parades were among the last forms of live entertainment to return to Disney Parks, with the Festival of Fantasy Parade only back at the Magic Kingdom since March 9, 2022.

festival of fantasy parade

Credit: Disney

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The parade originally debuted in 2014 to celebrate the stories featured in New Fantasyland, which opened two years prior in 2012. As such, Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade features sequences with characters and dancers from Disney films and related attractions like The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Dumbo the Flying Elephant (1941), and more.

In addition to featuring iconic Disney characters, the parade comes with a catchy soundtrack and lots of additional dancers and performers. While the parade has been back at the Magic Kingdom for nearly a year, several of these elements are still missing.

festival of fantasy parade

Credit: Disney

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Many dancers, and even a full unit, are still missing from the parade. Currently, Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade does not feature the Swan Court dancers that opened the parade, along with the bubble dancers that were a part of The Little Mermaid sequence and the circus dancers.

The floral maiden dancers who accompany the Tangled (2010) have only had a couple of dancers featured in the parade since it returned to the Park, not the whole group they had before, and some of the raven dancers have been missing as well. The entire unit inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Brave (2012), which included Merida and the Highland Dancers, has also not returned to the parade as of this writing.

Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade

Credit: Brittany DiCologero / Disney Tips

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Disney’s official website makes no mention of the missing parade elements and refers to Festival of Fantasy with the following description:

Magic Marches Down the Street
The unbridled enchantment and vivid pageantry of Fantasyland—and its many inhabitants—winds its way through the park in a thrilling parade spectacular. The dazzling mix of floats, motion and original music will keep you humming along for days to come.

See Disney Characters and Much More
Be a part of this grand gala, with spectacular, state-of-the-art floats starring some of your favorite Disney Characters from Tangled, Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid. It’s a festival of fun for everyone!

We will continue to monitor updates to Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade, and hope to be back soon with information on the return of the missing dancers and unit here on Disney Tips.

About Brittany DiCologero

Brittany is a New England-based writer focused on the history of the Walt Disney World Resort. She is the author of "Red, White, and Disney: The Myths and Reality of American History at the Walt Disney World Resort," and "Brittany Earns Her Ears."