The Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party began running up and down Main Street USA in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in January 2019. It is part of “Mickey and Minnie’s Surprise Celebration, which takes place throughout the park and celebrates our favorite mice turning 90.
So what IS the “Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party”?
Though we tend to refer to it as a parade, “street party” really is a much better phrase. Featuring five floats and some dancers in between each, the Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party is much smaller than a typical Disney Parks parade. The route reflects this; instead of passing through multiple lands, it steps off near the fire station in the Magic Kingdom’s Town Square, turns left to continue up Main Street, USA toward the hub, parks around the hub for the “party” part of “street party”, and returns back down Main Street in the opposite direction.
It isn’t actually an entirely new event, either. Beginning in 2009, the park ran Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It! several times daily; it received some some small updates and a new name in 2014: Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!
Should we plan to see it?
I’ll be honest. In the past, we may have caught a glimpse of the street parties here and there, but it was never a priority to stop and participate. If anything, the fact that it ran through the hub multiple times per day was sometimes considered an annoyance.
I’m now a bit unsure whether that’s because they weren’t as fun or if – probably more likely – we just never gave the predecessors a fair chance.
So when a dear Cast Member friend of ours said he was “so excited for my kids to see” this one, I was a little confused. The more he went on about it, though, the more I decided we’d have to make it a priority on the next trip.
And I made outfits that sort of matched. Because apparently I can’t do anything halfway. (I can avoid doing stuff entirely just fine, thank you, but that’s a different topic…)
I’m so glad we did! I think I’ll have to refresh my memory with some YouTube videos, but this one just felt… different. Maybe it’s the live vocalists (a first for this kind of “parade” at the Magic Kingdom). Maybe it’s the fact that simple dance moves are taught to everyone, giving guests a way to move without having to be creative 🙂
Whatever it was, we loved it. The songs were super catchy and sweet, the floats were adorable, and then the dance party! So much fun.
Right now, Move It! Shake It! Mousekedance It! runs anywhere from two to five times daily, so be sure to check a Times Guide or the Walt Disney World app when you’re in the park so you can catch it at least once!
What is the best place to watch the Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party?
On one of our first visits to the Magic Kingdom this past trip, we happened to be near Town Square when the Street Party started. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the floats go by – especially because they star some super fun, fairly rare characters!
When we went back another day and actually planned to experience the Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party in its entirety, we wanted to be sure we were in the right spot to enjoy it.
The best spot to watch – and participate in – the party is definitely around the hub. The float in the front of the procession will go all the way around the hub and park toward the Crystal Palace restaurant. The second float to pass will end up near the bridge to Liberty Square. Mickey and Minnie – the guests of honor – always park right in front of the castle. Finally, the fourth and fifth floats flank the entrance to Tomorrowland.
If you know who you’d prefer to party with, you can grab a spot near where their float will end. Be aware though, Mickey and Minnie remain on their float throughout; only the characters on the other four floats get down and dance with guests. There are plenty of other dancers and people with whom you can interact though, so it will be fun no matter where around the hub you might find yourself!
Other Tips for the Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party
- If experiencing the dance party at a particular location is important to you, be sure to scope out a spot a bit early. You don’t need to be there nearly as long as you do for a regular parade; we were there on President’s Day week (10/10 crowds) and got our ideal spot about 10-15 minutes before the floats began their tour of Main Street, USA.
- Photopass photographers will likely be on hand, and can scan your child’s Magic Band after taking a few shots. You’re more than welcome to dance along too, so grab your camera or phone and hit the street.
- The Move it! Shake it! Mouskedance it! Street Party is about 15 minutes in length; keep in mind though, that’s when it starts. If you’re at the hub, you will probably finish up about 20 minutes after the scheduled start time. We were able to fully participate in a 12:30pm show and make it to Tony’s to meet a tour guide by 1pm.
- If possible, be near the gift floats (the four with additional characters) when the street party ends for a fun little surprise!
- Characters appearing in the Move it! Shake it! Mouskedance it! Street Party seem to change. Many people report seeing Donald Duck, the Genie, Mr. Incredible, Frozone, Stitch, the Mad Hatter, Lumiere, Sebastian, Nick Wilde, and Judy Hopps. We saw Clarabelle Cow, and Clarice, Goofy and Max, Donald Duck and Panchito, and Daisy Duck and Dale. Just be aware that – other than Mickey and Minnie – you may have to wait until the day you’re there to know who you might be dancing with!
- Each float has the lyrics to the songs if you want to sing along! Just keep an eye on the “gift tags” – which also serve as video boards.
More from Mickey and Minnie’s Surprise Celebration
In addition to the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, you’ll want to check out all of the fun things happening for Mickey and Minnie’s surprise celebration. There are fun photo opportunities and delicious treats throughout the park. Mickey and Minnie are dressed in their super cute party clothes – and meet together in Town Square (where Mickey usually greets guests by himself).
Stop in the Celebration Station – located in the Town Square Theater – to find out all that is taking place while you’re there. You can even sign Mickey’s guest book, and score some adorable birthday Mickey and Minnie stickers!
Want to win Potion Purple Minnie ears (only the hottest new color of sparkly ears…)?!
Our friends at EZ Dis/Instant Impressions Travel provided me with the adorable ears my daughter rocked for the dance party. Even better, they sent an extra pair for one of you!
Booking a Disney vacation EZ Dis doesn’t cost you a thing. Your package, room, and ticket prices will be exactly what you could get from Disney – or perhaps even better. The owner and/or the Instant Impressions travel agents travel to Walt Disney World every 3-5 weeks to make sure they’re up to date on the latest changes, down to the details. They will get to know your family and what you want from your vacation, and can then help make hotel choices easier, book dining reservations or Fastpasses, and so much more. If you want to go dance in the hub in honor of Mickey and Minnie’s 90th birthday, check in with EZ Dis for more information or a quote. Be sure to use my referral code, DL19.
Want to win those super fun Minnie Ears?! Head on over to this Instagram post to find out how to enter – before the giveaway ends on March 5, 2019!
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