So Disney CANCELED That Parade You Really Wanted to Watch — Here's Why

Don’t you just hate it when you want to do something at the Disney Parks and it gets shut down or canceled at the last minute?

Festival of Fantasy Parade at Disney World

We’ve all been there at one time or another. Whether it’s a ride breakdown or attractions being shut down due to inclement weather, the heartbreak is never easy. The same can be said for when Disney has to stall or cancel a parade. It stinks, but there is usually a good reason why parades are canceled at the last minute at the Disney Parks.

If you’ve ever been waiting to watch a Disney parade only to have it simply not happen, you’re not alone. While it can put a real damper on your park day, we’re here to explain why cancelations happen and what to do if they happen to you.

Main Street Electrical Parade when it returned for its anniversary at Disneyland

It’s important to remember that Disney put a lot of time and money into these parades — they aren’t canceling them for nothing. Maybe a storm is brewing, and the weather makes it unsafe to host a parade. However, sometimes the unforeseen circumstances that cancel a parade are much more behind-the-scenes.

Festival of Fantasy

Several other issues that could cause cancelation include costume malfunctions; technical issues that mess with lighting, mobility, or safety, understaffing, and other issues that ruin presentation or present safety hazards. Unforeseen circumstances like this are why performance schedules are subject to change without notice, so if you have to catch that parade or show, be sure to check your park’s respective app throughout the day to make sure the show is still good-to-go.

Anaheim Duck Days

So what happens after a parade is canceled? Disney Cast Members will usually let folks who are already waiting to watch the performance know the show has been canceled and, if possible, Disney will announce when the next showtime will occur. If another performance isn’t lined up or isn’t possible, Disney will apologize, but that’s all they can really do.

As for how you should handle it, the best course of action is to use the time you would’ve spent waiting for and watching the parade to do something else maybe you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do due to time constraints. When one door closes at the Disney Parks, another one typically opens.

Crowds gathered for the parade

As always, we’ll keep you posted on all the latest Disney Parks news, tips, and reviews so stay posted right here at the Disney Food Blog!

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What do you do when a parade is suddenly canceled? Let us know how you adjust in the comments below!