The Magic & Wonder of Disney Fireworks

Disney & Fireworks.   It's a  classic combination.  Like America and apple pie, cookies and milk, peanut butter and jelly...you get the idea.  The iconic image of beautiful fireworks exploding over a castle is what most people picture in their minds when they think of Walt Disney World or Disneyland.  And let's be honest, whether we're 2 or 102 we all love a good fireworks show.  I know I do!

I think we would all agree that Disney offers some of the best fireworks displays in the world. Sure Macy's does a good  job, and the fireworks on the Mall on July 4th in DC are excellent too.  But my favorite fireworks are at Disney.   Night after night guests crowd the parks to watch some of the most amazing fireworks they'll ever see.  And, for those lucky enough to visit a Disney park during a holiday, the fireworks shows jump to whole other level of magic and wonder. You can even experience fireworks aboard a Disney Cruise ship!  Now that is really something to see!

Sure, I could go on and on about how super-duper fantastic, magical, wonderful, thrilling, exhilarating, breathtaking and absolutely extrordianary the Disney fireworks shows are.   But many other writers have already done that and my 2 cents won't really change what we know about how wonderful they are.  Not really. So, while it is fun to describe the color, sound, magnitude and splendor of  Disney's fireworks there's more fun to be had with this topic than mere descriptions allow.

What I really want to talk about is where to watch the fireworks.  Why?  Well, there are a lot of awesome places to watch fireworks from at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  And, because you can have a completely different experience depending on the spot from which you choose to view them.  It is fun to try a new place each night of your trip.

I'm going to share a few of my favorite places to experience Disney fireworks at Walt Disney World.  Then, I hope you'll add your favorites as comments in response to this blog. And, please feel free to include great spots at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, aboard a Disney Cruise ship...if its Disney fireworks, bring it on!   Let's share the magic & wonder of Disney's fireworks by sharing our favorite places to watch them.  I'll bet we'll all discover a new place to try!

Main Street USA
Let's start with a classic spot to see the Walt Disney World fireworks.  Whether you choose to see them from the foot of Main Street near the train station or at the top of Main Street near the Hub, the Main Street USA firework-watching experience is something we should all try to do at least once.  Being part of that crowd, taking in the yummy aromas of popcorn and sweet treats, seeing the lights, hearing the music, listening to the gasps of awe from the little ones... life just doesn't get better than that, does it?  Unless you hate large crowds, like my husband.  In which case, I recommend:

The Beach at the Polynesian Resort

This is my favorite place to see the fireworks at Walt Disney World. Probably because my husband is so relaxed here.

You can see why:

 

 Picture this at night!  You can swing in a hammock and watch fireworks!

See those lounge chairs...that's our favorite place to watch the fireworks.  At night, of course!

And my son loves standing ankle deep in Bay Lake, splashing around with the other kids as the Electical Water Pageant floats by before the fireworks begin.

The Patriotic Section of Disney's Electrical Water Pageant on Bay Lake

Here's our recipe for enjoying Disney fireworks in a beautiful, relaxed and crowd-free setting:   We throw a couple of beach towels in our backpack and after a yummy dinner at 'Ohana we wander out to the beach, grab a couple of lounge chairs, kick off our shoes to get some sand between our toes and settle in.  Sometimes we even bring a "beverage" from the lounge out with us...and for you Dole Whip lovers this is a great time to enjoy one! 

Then, we wait. And the waiting is blissful. The stars twinkle in the sky, a gentle breeze swirls around, the water laps on the beach, the boats toot their horns as they ferry guests from place to place.  Can you feel it?  It is a completely different experience than on Main Streeet.  There are usually other families on the beach and its fun to watch the kids build sand castles and splash around at the water's edge.  As the time for the show nears, excitement builds and the anticipation is off the charts! 

Then, suddenly, you hear the narration and music from the show!  That's right, the audio from the show is piped through speakers that play directly onto the beach.  Talk about awesome!  You get the real deal, complete fireworks show right on the beach at the Poly. Not too crowded.  No jockeying for a better view.  No crushing crowd at the end of the show.  The view is always good.   And when its over, it is easy to hop on a boat or monorail to get back to your car or resort. 

You must try this at least once!  I bet you'll love it!  Unless you hate sand between your toes. In which case I recommend:

California Grill, atop the Contemporary Resort

 Inside California Grill atop the Contemporary Resort.  Look at that view.  Imagine it at night!

This one takes some planning, but it is soooo worth it!  Book a table at California Grill about an hour to an hour and a half before the fireworks are scheduled to start.  True, you'll need to do some research to figure this out, but wait!  That's why you have a Mickey's Dream Vacations travel agent, right?  You'll have us do all the work for you, so you can have a great dinner and see the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary.  No sweat, no stress.  That's what we're here for!

OK so back to why its great to watch fireworks from this amazing restaurant:

First, the setting is spectacular. High atop the Contemporary Resort, California Grill is surrounded by windows that overlook the Magic Kingdom, Bay Lake and the other Disney resorts on Bay Lake.

Those windows right at the top are at Cali Grill!

                             

As the sun sets in the Magic Kingdom, the castle changes colors.

From just about anywhere in the room you can watch the castle as it changes from color to color, see the lights bloom throughout the park as night falls  and watch the sun set. 

Next, I have to mention the food.  It is yummy. Really yummy.  And so is the wine.  The service is excellent as well. It really is a not-to-be-missed dining experience on its own.  And feel free to bring the kids.  Like all Disney restaurants (except V&A) California Grill is family-friendly. 

My family at Disney's California Grill, June 2008

Then, as the time for the fireworks nears, diners are invited to go out on a catwalk on the roof to watch the show. Even if you have a window-side table, I suggest going out on the catwalk.

The catwalk atop Disney's Contemporary Resort Hotel, outside California Grill Restaurant

You can feel the gentle breezes and hear the boom and crash of the fireworks. And, yes! The narration and music is played too. From this location, you almost feel Jimminy Cricket is talking just to you. This top-of-the-world view of the fireworks is amazing and very special.  

An amazing view!

I strongly recommend that you plan this experience into one of your trips to "the World."  You won't be sorry!

So there they are, my top 3 choices for places to watch Disney's magical, wonderful, breathtakingly spectacular fireworks shows. 

Next on my list: Seeing the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party! Yum!

Now, please share your favorites!  Respond to the blog by telling us your favorite spot to watch  Disney fireworks.   I can't wait to add some new places to my list for my next trip to Walt Disney World!