Night Time Shows and Fireworks
When it comes to fireworks, light shows, and other nighttime spectaculars, no one does it quite like Disney! They are definitely worth waiting for!
Each day in the Walt Disney World theme parks is packed with fun… but when the sun goes down, the evening entertainment in the parks is second to none!
Animal Kingdom – Tree of Life Awakenings
The Tree of Life is the central focal point of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. It is an impressive sight during the day but be sure to plan to see it at night! Once the sun goes down the “Tree of Life Awakening” happens every 10 minutes until the park closes.
The awakening celebrates the harmony and balance of all living things. The tree lights up with flickering fireflies and colorful lights illuminating the animals carved into the tree’s trunk. This is a sight you won’t want to miss!
Animal Kingdom – Rivers of Light
Several times each night, the Discovery River in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park comes alive for the Rivers of Light show celebrating the beauty of all living things. The show combines, water, music, and light effects in a stunning display.
Guests are transported to faraway destinations such as African savannahs, Asian jungles, the mountains of North America, and the depths of the ocean as they watch the light displays transform into the spirit forms of elephants, tigers, birds, and turtles.
You’ll want to find a spot for the show early to get a good view!
Epcot – Epcot Forever
The popular Illuminations: Reflections of Earth show at Epcot ended September 2019 with a new show titled Epcot Forever to debut on the park’s anniversary on October 1st.
The new show focuses on the “spark of imagination” that started all of the Disney magic guests have come to love and will celebrate all things Epcot and will include fireworks, lasers, choreographed kits, and even jet skis all set to classic theme park music.
Epcot Forever takes place nightly at 9 PM in the World Showcase Lagoon.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! Is a fan favorite at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland… it is one of Disney’s classic nighttime entertainment options. During the show, Mickey Mouse dreams that he has become a sorcerer’s apprentice. In the dream, he has powers that allow him to control water, color, and magic as he fights off some of Disney’s most notorious villains.
Along the way, Mickey is joined by lots of classic Disney characters including Belle and the Beast, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Arielle, Aladdin, and the Simba. Of course, the villains come out to play too including the Evil Queen from Snow White and Maleficent, who takes on the persona of a giant, fire-breathing dragon.
This show can be a little intense for small children. If you are concerned, check out videos on YouTube to see if you think it will be right for the little ones in your party.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
If you’ve got Star Wars fans in your travel party, you definitely won’t want to miss Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. The show features thrilling special effects, fireworks, lasers, pyrotechnics, and action sequences starring some of your favorite Star Wars characters all set to the tune of John Williams’ familiar Star Wars soundtrack music.
You’ll want to find a spot out in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater (Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway) well in advance to make sure you have a great view of the projection show.
Magic Kingdom – Once Upon A Time
This unique projection show is displayed right on the face of Cinderella Castle each night. Narrated by Mrs. Potts and her son, Chip from Beauty and the Beast, the Once Upon a Time show features scenes from classic Disney films such as Frozen, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Beauty and the Beast.
Magic Kingdom – Happily Ever After Fireworks
No Walt Disney World vacation is complete without watching fireworks exploding over the Magic Kingdom! If you are visiting near a holiday, or for a special event, there may be a unique, custom fireworks display but most nights the Magic Kingdom will feature the “Happily Ever After” fireworks show.
Since the show, which tells the tales of “heart and heroism” from several Disney classics, features both fireworks and projection displays on the front of Cinderella Castle, the best views will be around the castle hub and down Mainstreet, USA.
With all of the nighttime spectaculars, you will want to consult the theme park calendars for available dates and times. You will also want to plan to arrive and stake out your spot well in advance of the show times.
Don’t want to brave the crowds to find a good spot? Many of the nighttime shows offer special events or dessert parties with reserved viewing areas (these events are reserved in advance at an additional cost.
Of course, we also love making sure our guests have scheduling and tips for all of the evening entertainment to make sure they know how to avoid crowds and find the best viewing areas to watch the shows.
