Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy Parade has hit another bump in what has already been a difficult stretch for the popular Disney World entertainment offering.
Guests have reportedly encountered cancellations, missing floats, and altered performances over the past several weeks. Now, another unexpected breakdown forced Disney Cast Members to change part of the parade while it was already underway.
Disney managed to keep the show moving, but the latest incident adds another problem to a growing list.
Another Problem Hits Festival of Fantasy
Festival of Fantasy is currently scheduled to make its way through Magic Kingdom at 2 p.m., bringing a large collection of Disney characters and elaborate floats through the park.
One recognizable section includes Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty (1959). The three fairies travel along the parade route shortly before the massive Maleficent dragon arrives.
During a recent performance, however, something went wrong.
Merryweather’s rolling base became stuck on the trolley tracks along Main Street, U.S.A. The problem temporarily brought the parade to a stop while Cast Members responded.
Instead of canceling the remainder of the performance, Disney quickly changed the show.
Cast Members covered Merryweather with a black sheet while addressing the malfunction. She eventually stepped off the rolling base and continued through the parade on foot behind the other fairies.
Her broken-down base was also covered before being towed down Main Street.
Problems Continue to Mount
Under normal circumstances, the incident could be viewed as an isolated technical problem. Recent reports surrounding Festival of Fantasy make it more significant.
The parade has reportedly experienced several issues over the past few weeks, including missing floats and characters walking the route rather than appearing as they normally would.
A social media post included in the original report described Festival of Fantasy as having a “rough month,” specifically pointing to cancellations and missing floats. The poster claimed they hadn't witnessed a performance over the previous month that wasn't canceled or heavily altered.
That doesn't establish that every performance has experienced trouble, but it does suggest some guests have repeatedly encountered changes.
Disney Keeps the Parade Moving
Disney hasn't announced any permanent cuts to Festival of Fantasy, and the parade remains part of Magic Kingdom’s entertainment lineup.
In this case, Cast Members were able to adapt quickly enough to prevent one malfunction from ending the entire performance.
Still, Festival of Fantasy has now dealt with multiple reported disruptions in a relatively short period.
For guests planning their Magic Kingdom day around the parade, that recent history could make checking the latest entertainment schedule particularly important.
Festival of Fantasy may still be rolling through Magic Kingdom, but lately, exactly what guests see when it arrives hasn't always gone according to plan.
