Epcot Illuminations

From Magic Maker® Dawn Crowder

Although I love pretty much every aspect of a Walt Disney World® vacation, I have to say that my favorite part are the NIGHTTIME SHOWS! They are breathtakingly beautiful, full of great music and there’s always a good lesson behind the storyline. And who doesn’t enjoy a great fireworks show? It’s the perfect end to any day at the Walt Disney World® Resort!

I will start with my favorite regularly-scheduled nighttime show at the Walt Disney World® Resort, Wishes fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom® Park! This fireworks spectacular is shown nightly at the Magic Kingdom® Park unless there is inclement weather or another scheduled event (i.e., Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party). My favorite spot to watch the Wishes fireworks show is on the Main Street U.S.A. side of the “Hub” (the area around the Walt Disney & Mickey “Partners” statue) and near a trash can. but really anywhere near the “Hub” area and into the Main Street U.S.A. area is fine. Try not to get too close to the castle as you won’t be able to see all of the fireworks. I absolutely love taking as many pictures as I can of the fireworks shows to see how they turn out. When shooting fireworks, you have to be sure that your camera is held perfectly still. That’s where the trash can comes in. I have a twelve-inch tripod that I sit on top of the trash can. I also put my camera on the setting that will allow my shutter speed to slow down. This will allow the picture to display trails of light as the fireworks light up the sky! Watch for Tinker Bell to fly from Cinderella Castle to the Tomorrowland® area just after Jiminy Cricket says, “And it all starts with a wish!” (Although on windy or rainy nights she may not fly – Tinker Bell is not a fan of storms!) I always try to get a spot about 45 minutes before the show starts, then send my husband to get some yummy popcorn while we wait!

Next we have Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot®. This is shown every night at park closing from the middle of World Showcase Lagoon. It’s a beautiful show, bringing about a message of world peace and unity. The music is moving and inspirational. My favorite place to watch Illuminations is either from the France pavilion while sitting at the little tables near the water or in the area between the Germany and Italy pavilions. Just make sure you can see the center of World Showcase Lagoon and that the wind is not blowing in your face; otherwise, you will be fighting smoke the entire show! To get good fireworks pictures just be sure to utilized the tips given above for Wishes. I would recommend getting your spot for the show at least 30 minutes before it starts.

Lastly, there is the Fantasmic! show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. This is another favorite of mine. This is shown on select nights (usually about 3-4 times a week) near closing time at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. Because it is not shown every night, I recommend participating in the Fantasmic! Dining Package so you will be guaranteed a seat. Basically, you enjoy a delicious dinner at either Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose Restaurante Italiano, or The Hollywood Brown Derby and pay a set price for dinner.  You are then are given a pass for the reserved seating area. Reservations for this MUST be made in advance. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, you can use 1 table service credit for the first two restaurants listed and 2 table service credits for The Hollywood Brown Derby. If you don’t want to do the Fantasmic! Dining Package, I would get to the amphitheater about an hour before show time, earlier if you are there during busier times. Any seat is good in this amphitheater. If you sit near the front you might get slightly wet. The theme of the show is about the power of your imagination. Mickey Mouse is the hero and the finale includes Sorcerer Mickey conquering the villains and creating a beautiful fireworks display from on top of the mountain! The villains are featured quite a bit in this show, including Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin turns into a giant snake and Maleficent from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty becomes a huge dragon. All of this takes place a good distance away from the crowd, across the water on the stage, but it’s good to be aware of these features in case you have a child who you think may not enjoy the show. Have your camera ready when you see a big white boat heading your way from the right!

A couple of other tips I would like to share for all the nighttime shows is to bring ear plugs for the little ones who may not like the loud noises of the fireworks. Also, buying a few tubes of glow jewelry before you arrive is a good idea. It will entertain the kids (and the adults!) and may save you some money as they sell various glow toys and jewelry at the shows. As I said before, these shows are my favorite part of our Walt Disney World® vacations. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

What tips do you have about seeing the nighttime shows at the Walt Disney World® Resort?
Share with them with us below in the comments.