What is the Flag Retreat Ceremony at Walt Disney World?
On such an important day, we here at MickeyBlog thought we’d celebrate Memorial Day by sharing with you one of our favorite moments at Magic Kingdom that may be slightly under the radar – the daily Flag Retreat Ceremony.
Each day, around 5:00 pm at the Magic Kingdom, Disney the Flag Retreat Ceremony, a heart-warming tribute to honor America as well as former and current Military Personnel. It takes place near the Fire Station on Main Street U.S.A.
This touching tribute centers around a retiring of the colors ceremony featuring the iconic American flag hanging high over the theme park as it is being taken down for the day. This fifteen-minute ceremony is sure to be a moment you’ll never forget. Children are selected from the audience to guide visitors through the Pledge of Allegiance. The Philharmonic is on hand to take you through a moving rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Oftentimes you’ll also see the Dapper Dans on hand and members of Disney’s Color Guard to guide you through other patriotic numbers like “God Bless America”
But by far, the highlight of this daily ceremony is the fact that a veteran is selected by the Cast Members at the Magic Kingdom each day to take part in the ceremony. They have the honor of carrying the flag through a short procession down Main Street U.S.A.
Disney sees this ceremony as a tribute- a thank you to veterans for their services, sacrifice and dedication to protecting our country. You can check out a moving video of the ceremony here:
If that short video made you a bit teary-eyed then you definitely won’t want to miss the magic of checking out this touching tribute (first started by Walt Disney World in 1971) during your next Walt Disney World visit.
For guests wondering how to be selected as the veteran to lead the ceremony at the Magic Kingdom, there is no way to sign up or register an interest. However, what we do know is that selections typically take place in the morning as the park is opening. Guests I’ve spoken to in the past that have been selected say that it helps to wear an item of clothing that will identify you as a veteran!
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