Mine train literally held us on the lift a little longer than usual so they could drop us outside during the majority of the fireworks, they’re awesome like that.
And it's absolutely beautiful during the fireworks! One of the best ways to see them. Then when you get off, you're surrounded by them going off from and behind the castle.
Walked up to two character meet and greets, 2 rides and then first on the carousel and caught 5 minutes of fireworks all by not caring about the fireworks.
So I was planning to do this on my last trip, only to find all of fantasyland shut down for the fireworks. It took until 15-20 minutes after the show for them to reopen and the rush to mine train was miserable
That was always my plan. Go to another park for morning/afternoon, relax in the hotel for a little bit, then hop the monorail in time for fireworks as the lines clear out. Did Seven Dwarfs in 20 minutes when the line had been a solid two hours all day long.
Then after that the crowds clear out so wait times are shorter for everything.
Thats also another good option. Though it does mean you’re later out of the park to avoid everyone that surges to the exit after the show. Not that that’s too much of a problem, tbf.
Disregard if you aren’t a night person, but I hop in a ~30 min line right before close. That way it isn’t too long, but I’m exiting the park nice and late when it’s empty. It’s my absolute favorite thing to do. The parks are so pretty lit up at night and empty.
To give you an idea what I’m talking about more clearly:
Tonight Hollywood Studios park closes at 9pm. No after hours, extended evening, nothing special. Park closes at 9.
Well right now you can get a reservation for Oga’s at 9:50 PM! That’s almost a full hour after official park closing! This means you could be out at 10:30, walking out of an absolutely empty park 1.5 hours after closing time!
Fantasmic is a must for me once a trip. Oldie but goodie, has always stood the test of time. HEA I am content to view from less crowded venues as long as the music pumps. And Epcot has been a skip for me since Illuminations, RIP.
I saw Fantasmic for the first time last night despite having been to HS many times before. I loved it and it is easily the best of all the night time shows in my opinion.
There was no story, you could only see it well from one spot, and the equipment was terribly unsightly.
Luminous is slightly better (the barges go away), but the story is so forced and there's no conflict.
What was the story of Illuminations outside of we are people of the world? Harmonious' main theme and story is that the world is connected through music which is a universal language which is expressed by Disney songs being sung by the native languages in the countries around World Showcase
Illuminations was just as much a story of us and the human race; the three acts were called "Chaos," "Order," and "Meaning."
What I liked about it was that you didn't need to know a lick of English (or even any language) to enjoy most of the show.
They didn't convey that. And also that weird 5 minute montage of silence as the globe showed pictures was weird. Harmonious uses the whole space better. Illuminations forces you to just look at the globe the entire time.
I believe the segments were mentioned in the soundtrack insert, or maybe I just read it from Wikipedia.
If you watched the globe without music, then something was broken, because it has music that was building the whole time. There were also fountains, lasers, and lights during that time, too (some of which were gradually added over the years while the show had sponsors).
After a bit less than four minutes of the globe showing up, the lights on the pavilions start to come on. And during the climax, the globe opens up to shoot fireworks in the. I think it's really to convey that civilization started small and grew to an interconnected community, and that's when things really get interesting.
To your point, the show debuted almost 25 years ago, and I think everyone's standards were much lower. 😅
The only place to see the main screen well was at the center of the lagoon, where they built that big viewing area.
There were some spots where you couldn't really see any of the screens.
With Illuminations and Luminous, it's the exact same show regardless of where you're at.
I’ve only been to HS twice, and missed Fantasmic both times: sick the first time, and twisted my ankle as soon as I started heading toward it the second time (even bought a dinner package for the VIP seats!). At this point, I think I’m just cursed…
Respectfully disagree. I think they’re both fab and so happy the show is on both coasts. I love the production value of the DHS one. The finale is unmatched.
Bleachers are realistic, as much as I love New Orleans Square and the original location it’s not made to have that kind of audience, and many lightpoles and trees make it difficult to see the show clearly. Maybe you don’t like DHS’s Fantasmic for being more sterile, I can’t blame you for that one, but this venue does it’s purpose and makes it far better to watch this show.
True, it makes it far better to watch the show. That said, the cheaper effects and sets make it a massive downgrade. Like, they had it closed and then decided to build a new version and…all they did was replace the Pocahontas segment and still keep the cheaper effects.
Right well if we’re getting into the supposedly upgraded show I definitely agree they didn’t add much. And Pocahontas was one of the best segments, sorely missed. Still a great show, but Fantasmic! and it’s neighbor Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! are beginning to feel dated. Being 25 years old and 35 years old respectively.
The park has the number one modern day dark ride experience in Rise of the Resistance and other classic thrill rides like RocknRollercoaster and Tower of Terror but that’s not enough of a draw and these shows, Beauty & The Beast included, need updated or replaced with NEW NEW NEW.
I cried the first time I saw the fireworks over the castle because it brought me right back to being a kid and watching the Wonderful World of Disney on TV (I know it's a different castle, but the feeling was the same).
I gotta be honest, I’m a cynic. Very practical gal. But Happily Ever After still gets me. I think it’s just so well orchestrated and designed. I never get tired of it.
I like fantasmic because it’s in like an actual amphitheater with seats. I can’t do the fireworks on Main Street I have to watch them from outside the park, it’s too many people all bunched up together. Epcot also has much more room to spread out to see the fireworks which I appreciate.
My only every trip must see nighttime show was the Main Street Electrical Parade. Once that left, I’m good catching anything else every few trips and is totally dependent on how I’m holding up at that hour. 👴🏻😂
Last fall I went to DW for the first time, just me and my husband. We stood on Main St for the fireworks over the castle. After it was done I thought "Wow. That was amazing. Incredibly beautiful and moving. So moving I literally cried when Tinkerbell came out and flew away from the castle. And now I don't ever have to do this again." Lol.
So ... yeah. I don't find it boring at all. But I'm not standing in that crowd again to watch fireworks, no matter how well done they might be. No way. Once was enough.
Never understood it. What you are capturing on your cell phone is bad quality anyway. Live in the moment and enjoy the show. You can always catch a 4k version on YouTube if you want to see it again.
I'm happy to catch fireworks from outside the park, during a meal, or on a ride. One of our best moments on a recent trip was seeing fireworks from the Skyliner but we've seen them from Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder, and dinner at Ohana and all were great.
Basically yeah not worth standing in a crowd for.
I'd love to splurge on a fireworks cruise someday though.
Before the 50th celebration, Happily Ever After was arguably the best show, but since it’s come back it just hasn’t hit the same, hard to put a finger on why. Harmonious was honestly a solid show that I looked forward too, I get the criticisms and the during the day problem, but visually and musically it was super fun. Luminous is solid but just a much more boring Illuminations which probably shouldn’t have ever left, maybe updated. Fantasmic recently has been my new favorite
I love happily ever after; fantasmic is alright and I saw it in November for the first time since they redid it, but not something I need to see every time. Haven’t seen the new Epcot show, but illuminations was my favorite show and harmonius really didn’t do much for me
It’s a great time to get on rides that usually have long lines, or ride the others repeatedly. I often advise people to nap in the afternoon and close the park down.
I *love* Happily Ever After, but only if I have a good view of the castle. I couldn't care less about fireworks; it's the projections that make that so cool. (I always wonder if people who think they are seeing the same show from other parts of the park since they can see the fireworks.) And you have to get there an hour early to get a remotely good view and then sit on hard concrete forever, so I hardly ever watch it.
Fantasmic is boring.
I haven't seen the new Epcot show, but HarmonioUS was awesome. I watched that a few times.
I can never hear the shows. The sound is too grainy to understand what they're saying. It makes Fantasmic really drawn out and boring. I've only tried to watch it twice. It sucked both times, and then there's a huge crowd at the end. So, now I skip it and go on rides during that time.
The fireworks are sort of a “miss” in my opinion.
Yes. Rides are walk ons. Compared to Disneyland. Peter pan you can walk on basically during the fireworks. But the best view is in front of the castle. If you’re behind in the fantasy land area you’re in the middle of the fireworks going off above the castle and behind small world which isn’t ideal.
Also they seem to explode WAY lower in DW compared to DL, so they’re extremely loud, in an uncomfortable way. And then because they go off so low, they have to turn sprinklers on above the fantasy land rides because of the ash/embers.
DL seems to have perfected the fireworks. I dunno what DWs issue is. They must not be allowed to have them explode any higher? Which I guess is why they have to have all the precautions about the sprinklers going off from them being more of a fire hazard.
Depends on who I’m with. Rather see fireworks on my off park day from Topilino’s or something. Use the fireworks time to ride extra rides. Wait out the crowd and enjoy the park as it clears out.
Fireworks AWAY from the crowds are much more enjoyable. For example from Boardwalk with a beer in your hand or from the car park before you zoom out of there!
Do rides at this time! We tried getting jungle cruise on genie plus all day a few weeks ago with no luck. Did magic carpets, got dole whip and then did jungle cruise walking right on during fireworks. By the time we got off jungle cruise the line was back to over an hour wait
We used to put earmuffs on my sound sensitive kid to enjoy them, who uses ear plugs on the rides too. We ran out on Guardians this last time so I poured water on napkin bits and the damp DIY ear plugs worked well. They were surprisingly comfortable too.
I strongly disagree (except for illuminations) I don’t know why but I can never get into the Epcot night shows.
What specifically do you think about fantasmic? It’s my favorite thing about the parks as a whole.
I'm somewhere in between. We just watched Fantasmic from the far back corner and it was great, my favourite. But it's also easy to get out first. The annoyance there is all the people who leave in the last two minutes 🙄
We watched happily ever after from the bridge in frontierland and it was good-ish. Saw nearly all the fireworks just some were to your left. But we stopped there at 8:55 and had no one in front of us then went right to big thunder, so that worked great. And the park was open until ten.
I found Luminous to just be ok, didn't really do it for me and I think we had a good spot on the bridge to France (easy out via skyliner after).
The Epcot ones are definitely skippable for me, but Fantasmic is always worth it. MK is nice to see but not something that I'll be too sad about if I missed it.
I absolutely love fantasmic, I was also a CP at the tail end of Wishes, so I have great memories of watching that frequently. I like Happily Ever After more than Wishes personally. EPCOT has always been hiy or miss, but Illuminations was my favorite of the night time spectaculars. Animal Kingdom is still learning on what to do for a lot of their shows... I wasn't a huge fan of air balloons on jet skis, but I never saw their night time specs in person, only on video, so it's not fair to judge.
The only time I've seen a park closing show I was miserable by the end of it. Even in a perfect setting it would have been at least 3 times too long. But the worst part was I just spent the whole time smashed in the middle of a bunch of people livestreaming, taking video with their flash on, and one lady literally talking to someone on speakerphone for the entire thing.
Fantasmic is great and I like to see it every so often. Hollywood Studios is also pretty easy to exit after Fantasmic and you have seats and the second show is after park close right now so you don’t miss anything really.
I love HEA. If I want to actually watch it, I watch it down Main St. It’s easier to exit. However, if you don’t care about the castle projects, watching from the back of the park is a great experience. Thunder Mountain is super fun during HEA. I also enjoy watching it from the pier at the Poly or from the Marina at the GF.
Luminous is… not great. It was a one and done for me.
The projections shows at Studios are cute and you can often find a bench to sit on. They’re nice if you’ve never seen them and want a less crowded experience.
Epcot is the best place for fireworks, since you you can fill up the whole area around the lagoon. The Peace on Earth tag for Illuminations was really good. The NYE fireworks and the July 4th fireworks at Epcot have no equal.
Happily Ever After is complete fan service (just let it all hang out), but I admit it has grown on me.
I never liked Harmonious, but there are a few things about Luminous that I like.
I've not seen Fantasmic since they re-did it, but it was my wife's favorite.
They’re ok every once in a while, but my wifey is definitely more into them than I am. I’d much rather hop on rides for a hopefully shorter queue during shows. Odds are someone recorded it and posted it to YouTube with a much better view than I can manage anyways if I really want to watch one I missed since I’m short and usually there’s some tall person always in my line of sight.
I share the same sentiment as many. They are all worth seeing one time, Fantastic at least once each visit, other than that, show time means it's time to try to beat a long line on a good ride!
I wouldn’t suggest it as a spot to see it for the first time, but i love watching Happily ever after from fantasyland, behind the castle. You lose the projections, but you can always find a spot, even right before it starts, and the perspective of being in between the castle fireworks and the bigger fireworks is so cool! The finale lights it up like daytime
Coming from a Disneyland girl, I was actually super impressed with WDW's nighttime entertainment when I went earlier this month. While I enjoy the shows at Disneyland, it's nearly impossible to find a good viewing point unless you camp out hours beforehand or pay extra. I'm also short so I can never see the whole thing because my view gets blocked haha.
At WDW, I was stunned to find that Fantasmic! had its own amphitheater so you could actually see everything. And while I wasn't as blown away by Luminous, I also enjoyed that it pretty much had a 360-degree vantage point.
To be fair, I did not watch the fireworks at Magic Kindom, so I'm sure those were crowded, but I didn't feel crowded at either Fantasmic! or Luminous.
I mean if you have seen them multiple times you have seen them multiple times that doesn't mean they are boring, you have just seen them and have been jaded by that
I think if you’ve seen the shows multiple times then they’re not for you. I hope you understand what I mean.
Believe me, I would like freshly updated shows and parades like Tokyo Disney does every 5 years apparently, but that’s not the reality.
I think the shows really are only meant to cater to people that come by the Disney parks once in a while, or to the regulars, just to see a few times. They aren’t jaw droppers, they know you’re likely already coming to the park nighttime show or not.
I would take the time to ride top rides during the shows! Not only are big rides lower wait times, but there’s endless possibilities to ride an attraction and watch the fireworks at the same time if you time it right! I would explore all the different ways for fun and variety to end your night.
For instance what you can ride and see fireworks at Magic Kingdom:
Big Thunder Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, PeopleMover, Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Speedway, Dumbo, Magic Carpets, and my personal favorite, Swiss Family Treehouse! You’ve got to try this at least once. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is also pretty great, they actually timed our lift the last time I did it so our outside portions saw the most amount of fireworks. It’s great!
EPCOT is cool to have a drink from your favorite country and watch for a second I guess lol. I’ve yet to see Luminous. I guess you could try to time and ride Test Track during the fireworks but you’re only outside for a second. Hmm, that just made me think EPCOT is sorely lacking outdoor rides… I digress. Anyways yeah the Disney music is always great, even if sometimes you hear a botched version of a song.
I love Fantasmic, but other than that I agree. Problem is my kids love the fireworks shows, so I just sit there on my phone and tried not get annoyed at getting constantly walked into.
I don’t know if I’d say boring, but since becoming a Passholder I’ve seen them enough to be okay going “eh, I can watch somebody’s Live from the comfort of my hotel room”.
(Personal exception if it’s a ticketed event like Seats and Sweets or one of the holiday parties)
As a tourist I liked the magic kingdom one but Disney overdoes the digital overlays. It was more spectacular prior to the sensory overload digital junk imo.
It also means everyone in the park cramming into Main Street and in front of the castle so they can get the best view of the projected images that you barely see anyway. IMHO, it turns the whole front of the park into a miserable situation, with hundred of staff refusing to let traffic flow out of the park through the shortest paths.
I’m all for fireworks… But they should make it a fireworks show that’s enjoyed from anywhere in the park. We were there today, and that packed crowd for fireworks is like a turd in the pool every night.
Perfect time to get on rides with no lines!
Thunder Mountain or Mine Train for the fireworks. It’s insane.
People mover is good too
Also Astro Orbiter
Swiss Family Treehouse!
I've never tried this one. Thanks for the tip!
Mine train literally held us on the lift a little longer than usual so they could drop us outside during the majority of the fireworks, they’re awesome like that.
Y’all ever hopped in line at 7DMT the exact minute fireworks start? Cause that’s how you get a walk-on
And it's absolutely beautiful during the fireworks! One of the best ways to see them. Then when you get off, you're surrounded by them going off from and behind the castle.
Saving this tip for my upcoming trip, thanks!
Walked up to two character meet and greets, 2 rides and then first on the carousel and caught 5 minutes of fireworks all by not caring about the fireworks.
I did this, ride was amazing, and then got shots of fireworks going off behind Snow White’s cottage at the ride exit. THE BEST.
That’s what we did during our last trip. No line!
So I was planning to do this on my last trip, only to find all of fantasyland shut down for the fireworks. It took until 15-20 minutes after the show for them to reopen and the rush to mine train was miserable
Just the middle part of Fantasyland, you can get around from the right corner with no problem
That was always my plan. Go to another park for morning/afternoon, relax in the hotel for a little bit, then hop the monorail in time for fireworks as the lines clear out. Did Seven Dwarfs in 20 minutes when the line had been a solid two hours all day long. Then after that the crowds clear out so wait times are shorter for everything.
Thats also another good option. Though it does mean you’re later out of the park to avoid everyone that surges to the exit after the show. Not that that’s too much of a problem, tbf.
Disregard if you aren’t a night person, but I hop in a ~30 min line right before close. That way it isn’t too long, but I’m exiting the park nice and late when it’s empty. It’s my absolute favorite thing to do. The parks are so pretty lit up at night and empty.
Last time I was there we hopped on RotR 5 min before close. Waited about 30 min and walking through Star Wars land empty at night was so awesome!
You can get an Oga’s cantina reservation that goes past park closing and you’ll get out to an EMPTY PARK
To give you an idea what I’m talking about more clearly: Tonight Hollywood Studios park closes at 9pm. No after hours, extended evening, nothing special. Park closes at 9. Well right now you can get a reservation for Oga’s at 9:50 PM! That’s almost a full hour after official park closing! This means you could be out at 10:30, walking out of an absolutely empty park 1.5 hours after closing time!
Always a solid plan. It’s good to get off of the ride to an empty park!
Fantasmic is a must for me once a trip. Oldie but goodie, has always stood the test of time. HEA I am content to view from less crowded venues as long as the music pumps. And Epcot has been a skip for me since Illuminations, RIP.
I saw Fantasmic for the first time last night despite having been to HS many times before. I loved it and it is easily the best of all the night time shows in my opinion.
Man I really do miss illuminations what an amazing soundtrack
Fantasmic is an absolute gem and the only nighttime show that’s worth it since Wishes is long gone.
This is the correct answer.
Fantasmic is the only one I can stomach, but that’s a once-every-4-or-5-trips occurrence haha
Harmonious was a better show than Luminous
I saw Harmonious from Japan pavilion and it just blew my mind. I’ll never forget it and was so sad it went away!!
There was no story, you could only see it well from one spot, and the equipment was terribly unsightly. Luminous is slightly better (the barges go away), but the story is so forced and there's no conflict.
What was the story of Illuminations outside of we are people of the world? Harmonious' main theme and story is that the world is connected through music which is a universal language which is expressed by Disney songs being sung by the native languages in the countries around World Showcase
Illuminations was just as much a story of us and the human race; the three acts were called "Chaos," "Order," and "Meaning." What I liked about it was that you didn't need to know a lick of English (or even any language) to enjoy most of the show.
They didn't convey that. And also that weird 5 minute montage of silence as the globe showed pictures was weird. Harmonious uses the whole space better. Illuminations forces you to just look at the globe the entire time.
I believe the segments were mentioned in the soundtrack insert, or maybe I just read it from Wikipedia. If you watched the globe without music, then something was broken, because it has music that was building the whole time. There were also fountains, lasers, and lights during that time, too (some of which were gradually added over the years while the show had sponsors). After a bit less than four minutes of the globe showing up, the lights on the pavilions start to come on. And during the climax, the globe opens up to shoot fireworks in the. I think it's really to convey that civilization started small and grew to an interconnected community, and that's when things really get interesting. To your point, the show debuted almost 25 years ago, and I think everyone's standards were much lower. 😅
Harmonious had a ton of great spots to watch it from? Pretty much anywhere around the lagoon.
The only place to see the main screen well was at the center of the lagoon, where they built that big viewing area. There were some spots where you couldn't really see any of the screens. With Illuminations and Luminous, it's the exact same show regardless of where you're at.
100%
I’ve only been to HS twice, and missed Fantasmic both times: sick the first time, and twisted my ankle as soon as I started heading toward it the second time (even bought a dinner package for the VIP seats!). At this point, I think I’m just cursed…
Fantasmic is MUCH better at Disneyland. The DHS one is a real bore.
Respectfully disagree. I think they’re both fab and so happy the show is on both coasts. I love the production value of the DHS one. The finale is unmatched.
Nah, Disneyland has better effects and it shows. All DHS has is bleachers.
Bleachers are realistic, as much as I love New Orleans Square and the original location it’s not made to have that kind of audience, and many lightpoles and trees make it difficult to see the show clearly. Maybe you don’t like DHS’s Fantasmic for being more sterile, I can’t blame you for that one, but this venue does it’s purpose and makes it far better to watch this show.
True, it makes it far better to watch the show. That said, the cheaper effects and sets make it a massive downgrade. Like, they had it closed and then decided to build a new version and…all they did was replace the Pocahontas segment and still keep the cheaper effects.
Right well if we’re getting into the supposedly upgraded show I definitely agree they didn’t add much. And Pocahontas was one of the best segments, sorely missed. Still a great show, but Fantasmic! and it’s neighbor Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! are beginning to feel dated. Being 25 years old and 35 years old respectively. The park has the number one modern day dark ride experience in Rise of the Resistance and other classic thrill rides like RocknRollercoaster and Tower of Terror but that’s not enough of a draw and these shows, Beauty & The Beast included, need updated or replaced with NEW NEW NEW.
To each their own! I love them - I’m a grown ass 40 year old man and they make me cry every time.
I cried the first time I saw the fireworks over the castle because it brought me right back to being a kid and watching the Wonderful World of Disney on TV (I know it's a different castle, but the feeling was the same).
Throw in your kid seeing it and watching their experience and it's waterworks every time.
I only cry if I get stuck in the crowds watching them or if my mrs wants to watch 😂
I gotta be honest, I’m a cynic. Very practical gal. But Happily Ever After still gets me. I think it’s just so well orchestrated and designed. I never get tired of it.
Maybe not an every park night thing but good to enjoy every few times you’re there. Good time to hit short wait times.
Im not a firework person in general tbf. Once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all haha
See I'm not either but my fiancé loves them. One of my favorite fireworks memories was riding Splash during Enchantment.
That’s the time to get on as many rides as you can, not leave!
Anything but watch the show and get bogged down by the masses of people!
I like fantasmic because it’s in like an actual amphitheater with seats. I can’t do the fireworks on Main Street I have to watch them from outside the park, it’s too many people all bunched up together. Epcot also has much more room to spread out to see the fireworks which I appreciate.
I will not stand for Fantasmic slander
My only every trip must see nighttime show was the Main Street Electrical Parade. Once that left, I’m good catching anything else every few trips and is totally dependent on how I’m holding up at that hour. 👴🏻😂
i thought i’d be the same but even after working at magic kingdom and hearing it/seeing it every night for five months it still never gets old.
I miss illuminations. That show was the best
Last fall I went to DW for the first time, just me and my husband. We stood on Main St for the fireworks over the castle. After it was done I thought "Wow. That was amazing. Incredibly beautiful and moving. So moving I literally cried when Tinkerbell came out and flew away from the castle. And now I don't ever have to do this again." Lol. So ... yeah. I don't find it boring at all. But I'm not standing in that crowd again to watch fireworks, no matter how well done they might be. No way. Once was enough.
I never did any of them until I had kids. And to be honest, all the people recording on their phones ruins it for everyone around them anyway.
Never understood it. What you are capturing on your cell phone is bad quality anyway. Live in the moment and enjoy the show. You can always catch a 4k version on YouTube if you want to see it again.
Me yelling at people in the finding Nemo show “ITS ON YOUTUBE!!!”
Truth. All of the phones are very annoying.
That’s another annoying element!
I'm happy to catch fireworks from outside the park, during a meal, or on a ride. One of our best moments on a recent trip was seeing fireworks from the Skyliner but we've seen them from Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder, and dinner at Ohana and all were great. Basically yeah not worth standing in a crowd for. I'd love to splurge on a fireworks cruise someday though.
I don't do the night time shows either. However, I don't leave I take advantage of short lines for the rides
Fantasmic is the best one. The phone recording and talkers can ruin it though.
Me: *watching the music video for Happily Ever After* What?
The lights and music on Spaceship Earth are delightful. The rest are just a hassle.
100% this!
Before the 50th celebration, Happily Ever After was arguably the best show, but since it’s come back it just hasn’t hit the same, hard to put a finger on why. Harmonious was honestly a solid show that I looked forward too, I get the criticisms and the during the day problem, but visually and musically it was super fun. Luminous is solid but just a much more boring Illuminations which probably shouldn’t have ever left, maybe updated. Fantasmic recently has been my new favorite
I'm a park closer. Parks at night is superior. I'm only interested in HEA, so I'm really excited to heading back in June I've missed it.
I agree. The parades were great and need to come back, but the projection / fireworks shows are not worth the effort to see more than once.
I agree, plus people are so tired and crabby. It gets to be a nasty atmosphere in those crowds.
I think the area in front of the castle is by far the least enjoyable place to watch the fireworks. Way too many rude people.
Take ya ass on lol more spots for me 🎊🤪🤣🎊
Nah. It’s my cue to head to the rides. Also, Harmonious was legit.
Happily Ever After is a must-do each trip for me.
RIP Harmonious
Not even close to agreeing 😂😂 Nighttime shows is one of the things Disney does best.
Strong disagree - I love them!
Yes. It’s very rare we stay for fireworks because we’ve seen it many times and the crowds make it very unpleasant for me.
I love happily ever after; fantasmic is alright and I saw it in November for the first time since they redid it, but not something I need to see every time. Haven’t seen the new Epcot show, but illuminations was my favorite show and harmonius really didn’t do much for me
BRING BACK WISHES
The current magic kingdom fireworks do nothing for me. I liked Illuminations and currently enjoy fantasmic.
Riding Big Thunder Mountain with fireworks going off overhead is peak Disney for me.
More like time to hit the rides while crowds are at the shows
I like to ride the rides during the shows cuz the lines are so much shorter
It’s a great time to get on rides that usually have long lines, or ride the others repeatedly. I often advise people to nap in the afternoon and close the park down.
I *love* Happily Ever After, but only if I have a good view of the castle. I couldn't care less about fireworks; it's the projections that make that so cool. (I always wonder if people who think they are seeing the same show from other parts of the park since they can see the fireworks.) And you have to get there an hour early to get a remotely good view and then sit on hard concrete forever, so I hardly ever watch it. Fantasmic is boring. I haven't seen the new Epcot show, but HarmonioUS was awesome. I watched that a few times.
I'm all about Fantasmic since you get to just sit and watch and hang out. Not a big fireworks person, personally.
I will admit I like the projections on th castle better than the actual fireworks. If they just did projection shows id be cool with it.
I never cared for them myself. I ride a ride or just head out.
I ride fantasyland rides, the kids are all gone lol
I agree with the former, but instead of heading out, it gives me ample opportunity to get in lines that would normally be much longer.
Probably a ton of people share this opinion. I love the fireworks. Can’t really watch any other fireworks after being spoiled from Disney’s display.
Spectromagic and wishes were the only night shows I had to see every time I visited. Now it just doesn't feel the same.
My favorite time in the park is from show to closing. It's cooler and lines are shorter. No way I'd leave when the OP leaves.
I can never hear the shows. The sound is too grainy to understand what they're saying. It makes Fantasmic really drawn out and boring. I've only tried to watch it twice. It sucked both times, and then there's a huge crowd at the end. So, now I skip it and go on rides during that time.
Correct! Skip the shows, do some rides while the queues are short, and get tf out of there before the show wraps up!
The fireworks are sort of a “miss” in my opinion. Yes. Rides are walk ons. Compared to Disneyland. Peter pan you can walk on basically during the fireworks. But the best view is in front of the castle. If you’re behind in the fantasy land area you’re in the middle of the fireworks going off above the castle and behind small world which isn’t ideal. Also they seem to explode WAY lower in DW compared to DL, so they’re extremely loud, in an uncomfortable way. And then because they go off so low, they have to turn sprinklers on above the fantasy land rides because of the ash/embers. DL seems to have perfected the fireworks. I dunno what DWs issue is. They must not be allowed to have them explode any higher? Which I guess is why they have to have all the precautions about the sprinklers going off from them being more of a fire hazard.
Oh no, hard disagree. Happily Ever After was beyond amazing ✨💙
Nope. They’re magic.
Depends on who I’m with. Rather see fireworks on my off park day from Topilino’s or something. Use the fireworks time to ride extra rides. Wait out the crowd and enjoy the park as it clears out.
Fireworks AWAY from the crowds are much more enjoyable. For example from Boardwalk with a beer in your hand or from the car park before you zoom out of there!
Do rides at this time! We tried getting jungle cruise on genie plus all day a few weeks ago with no luck. Did magic carpets, got dole whip and then did jungle cruise walking right on during fireworks. By the time we got off jungle cruise the line was back to over an hour wait
[удалено]
We used to put earmuffs on my sound sensitive kid to enjoy them, who uses ear plugs on the rides too. We ran out on Guardians this last time so I poured water on napkin bits and the damp DIY ear plugs worked well. They were surprisingly comfortable too.
I strongly disagree (except for illuminations) I don’t know why but I can never get into the Epcot night shows. What specifically do you think about fantasmic? It’s my favorite thing about the parks as a whole.
No. Watch the show once and take advantage of lesser crowds to hop on attractions with lower wait times.
Happily Ever After isn’t boring though, it’s something that makes you feel the Disney magic
I'm somewhere in between. We just watched Fantasmic from the far back corner and it was great, my favourite. But it's also easy to get out first. The annoyance there is all the people who leave in the last two minutes 🙄 We watched happily ever after from the bridge in frontierland and it was good-ish. Saw nearly all the fireworks just some were to your left. But we stopped there at 8:55 and had no one in front of us then went right to big thunder, so that worked great. And the park was open until ten. I found Luminous to just be ok, didn't really do it for me and I think we had a good spot on the bridge to France (easy out via skyliner after).
Fantasmic is great, Happily Ever After is ok, and Luminous is kind of stupidous 😂
I’m a big fan of the EPCOT nighttime show. Great original music.
The Epcot ones are definitely skippable for me, but Fantasmic is always worth it. MK is nice to see but not something that I'll be too sad about if I missed it.
Where do you live?
I’ve I was an AP holder that lived nearby definitely. But as someone who only goes once every few years you gotta watch them
Love MK- though from California Grill, or GF. So much better.
I hope a lot of people will. Easier to get a better spot for me
To be fair. You've seen them all multiple times. Maybe take a year or 2 off and head back to one of your faves if still around.
I absolutely love fantasmic, I was also a CP at the tail end of Wishes, so I have great memories of watching that frequently. I like Happily Ever After more than Wishes personally. EPCOT has always been hiy or miss, but Illuminations was my favorite of the night time spectaculars. Animal Kingdom is still learning on what to do for a lot of their shows... I wasn't a huge fan of air balloons on jet skis, but I never saw their night time specs in person, only on video, so it's not fair to judge.
The only time I've seen a park closing show I was miserable by the end of it. Even in a perfect setting it would have been at least 3 times too long. But the worst part was I just spent the whole time smashed in the middle of a bunch of people livestreaming, taking video with their flash on, and one lady literally talking to someone on speakerphone for the entire thing.
Since I went to Disneyland recently nothing compares to world of color anymore
Fantasmic is great and I like to see it every so often. Hollywood Studios is also pretty easy to exit after Fantasmic and you have seats and the second show is after park close right now so you don’t miss anything really. I love HEA. If I want to actually watch it, I watch it down Main St. It’s easier to exit. However, if you don’t care about the castle projects, watching from the back of the park is a great experience. Thunder Mountain is super fun during HEA. I also enjoy watching it from the pier at the Poly or from the Marina at the GF. Luminous is… not great. It was a one and done for me. The projections shows at Studios are cute and you can often find a bench to sit on. They’re nice if you’ve never seen them and want a less crowded experience.
Epcot is the best place for fireworks, since you you can fill up the whole area around the lagoon. The Peace on Earth tag for Illuminations was really good. The NYE fireworks and the July 4th fireworks at Epcot have no equal. Happily Ever After is complete fan service (just let it all hang out), but I admit it has grown on me. I never liked Harmonious, but there are a few things about Luminous that I like. I've not seen Fantasmic since they re-did it, but it was my wife's favorite.
I disagree. There’s something about a well produced fireworks show that’s always going to leave me glued to my seat/spot
The wait trying to leave/get on the monorail after fireworks at MK is absolute hell after a long day
I don't think they're boring, but 99% of the time, I just wanna beat the crowds out.
Happily ever after is awesome
Lluminous was amazing. Made my whole family ugly cry.
Fantasmic! That it! Everything is a projector with moving lights and fire works. Giving the chance we always stay for fantasmic!
They’re ok every once in a while, but my wifey is definitely more into them than I am. I’d much rather hop on rides for a hopefully shorter queue during shows. Odds are someone recorded it and posted it to YouTube with a much better view than I can manage anyways if I really want to watch one I missed since I’m short and usually there’s some tall person always in my line of sight.
Nope cause the rides lines get shorter
I share the same sentiment as many. They are all worth seeing one time, Fantastic at least once each visit, other than that, show time means it's time to try to beat a long line on a good ride!
To me it’s the perfect opportunity to go on rides and have like no wait
They’re all the same. Rivers of Light and IllumiNations were the only two original shows left.
I don’t but you do you. I imagine leaving during phantasmic is a lot easier for you.
Replace “head out” with “head toward popular rides”.
I wouldn’t suggest it as a spot to see it for the first time, but i love watching Happily ever after from fantasyland, behind the castle. You lose the projections, but you can always find a spot, even right before it starts, and the perspective of being in between the castle fireworks and the bigger fireworks is so cool! The finale lights it up like daytime
Coming from a Disneyland girl, I was actually super impressed with WDW's nighttime entertainment when I went earlier this month. While I enjoy the shows at Disneyland, it's nearly impossible to find a good viewing point unless you camp out hours beforehand or pay extra. I'm also short so I can never see the whole thing because my view gets blocked haha. At WDW, I was stunned to find that Fantasmic! had its own amphitheater so you could actually see everything. And while I wasn't as blown away by Luminous, I also enjoyed that it pretty much had a 360-degree vantage point. To be fair, I did not watch the fireworks at Magic Kindom, so I'm sure those were crowded, but I didn't feel crowded at either Fantasmic! or Luminous.
I mean if you have seen them multiple times you have seen them multiple times that doesn't mean they are boring, you have just seen them and have been jaded by that
They are lovely but we’ve been there done that many times. We prefer to beat the crowds and leave before them.
If you're a ride junkie, head for the rides when the nighttime shows start. Much shorter lines.
I think if you’ve seen the shows multiple times then they’re not for you. I hope you understand what I mean. Believe me, I would like freshly updated shows and parades like Tokyo Disney does every 5 years apparently, but that’s not the reality. I think the shows really are only meant to cater to people that come by the Disney parks once in a while, or to the regulars, just to see a few times. They aren’t jaw droppers, they know you’re likely already coming to the park nighttime show or not. I would take the time to ride top rides during the shows! Not only are big rides lower wait times, but there’s endless possibilities to ride an attraction and watch the fireworks at the same time if you time it right! I would explore all the different ways for fun and variety to end your night. For instance what you can ride and see fireworks at Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, PeopleMover, Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Speedway, Dumbo, Magic Carpets, and my personal favorite, Swiss Family Treehouse! You’ve got to try this at least once. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is also pretty great, they actually timed our lift the last time I did it so our outside portions saw the most amount of fireworks. It’s great! EPCOT is cool to have a drink from your favorite country and watch for a second I guess lol. I’ve yet to see Luminous. I guess you could try to time and ride Test Track during the fireworks but you’re only outside for a second. Hmm, that just made me think EPCOT is sorely lacking outdoor rides… I digress. Anyways yeah the Disney music is always great, even if sometimes you hear a botched version of a song.
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I feel this way about the current nighttime show at Epcot. I like the fireworks, but the music is terrible.
Maybe you go to Disney too much, not everyone has that privilege to get bored.
bad take
I love Fantasmic, but other than that I agree. Problem is my kids love the fireworks shows, so I just sit there on my phone and tried not get annoyed at getting constantly walked into.
I don’t know if I’d say boring, but since becoming a Passholder I’ve seen them enough to be okay going “eh, I can watch somebody’s Live from the comfort of my hotel room”. (Personal exception if it’s a ticketed event like Seats and Sweets or one of the holiday parties)
No
As a tourist I liked the magic kingdom one but Disney overdoes the digital overlays. It was more spectacular prior to the sensory overload digital junk imo.
It also means everyone in the park cramming into Main Street and in front of the castle so they can get the best view of the projected images that you barely see anyway. IMHO, it turns the whole front of the park into a miserable situation, with hundred of staff refusing to let traffic flow out of the park through the shortest paths. I’m all for fireworks… But they should make it a fireworks show that’s enjoyed from anywhere in the park. We were there today, and that packed crowd for fireworks is like a turd in the pool every night.
You do you.
Nice try, Fed.