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Posted on Mar 7, 2016

One Current Magic Kingdom Parade You've Never Even Heard Of

It is rare to come across a Disney attraction or show that a veteran guest has never seen. However, there is one parade--reserved for special circumstances--that most guests and fans have never even heard of.

by Tavia B.

Community Contributor

It is rare to come across a Disney attraction or show that a veteran guest has never seen, let alone heard of. Nevertheless, this is the case for dozens of thrilled guests who have taken to the internet to report the most over-the-top Magical Moment of them all: a secret parade!

Over the years, Disney has done its best to keep this parade under wraps. Not only is the parade not listed on the site, but there seem to be no promotional materials surrounding it. The only proof of its existence lies in the approximately ten YouTube videos documenting it online--an outrageously low number considering the extent to which dedicated fans have documented every other Walt Disney World show or attraction.

Why have so few people seen or heard of this parade? Well, that all lies in the nature of the performance and the particularly rare situation which gives rise to it.

In order to understand why so many people have never seen or heard of this particular parade, it is important to understand the circumstances necessary for its performance.

Most outdoor Disney shows and rides are cancelled for safety concerns when a storm approaches--specifically, if there is lightning in the vicinity of the park, the various attractions will systematically begin to be cancelled. For example, lightning within 10 miles cancels outdoor events such as marathons, and lightning within 5 miles closes outdoor attractions--as a parade is a longer event which must be continued once it has begun, they are often among the first to be cancelled if a thunderstorm is predicted to cross that path at any point during the performance.

However, there are rare situations in which a heavy rain storm passes without any lightning. While it may be too wet to bring out the parade floats, the weather is still safe enough to have the characters out and interacting with guests. In these situations, a special parade is sent out to offer a substitute for the cancelled 3 O'Clock Parade (in recent years, Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade). This parade is appropriately known as the Rainy Day Cavalcade or the Rainy Day Character Cavalcade.

While the origins and evolution of this parade is unclear, in that it is not marketed or particularly acknowledged by Disney, it is fairly obvious that these parades are brought out either in place of Festival of Fantasy or Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! These two different situations appear to have given rise to two slightly different versions of this parade, which appear to be almost entirely interchangeable and distinct only in costuming.

Both parades feature performers on foot between street cars of characters who can wave happily at guests from beneath their shelter. Should the rain let up in enough time, it seems that the characters may even be allowed to walk the streets between floats, as to better interact with guests. All the while, an upbeat, rain-themed soundtrack rivaling the infectiousness of "It's a Small World" rings throughout the park.