NIGHTTIME SHOWS AND SPECTACULARS

Whether you are going to Disneyland Resort in California or Disney World Resort in Florida, there are plenty of firework shows and spectaculars you can see at night to put the perfect ending to your day.I am going to briefly cover my favorites, but note that this is not a full list of shows. You can click here to see all the shows at Disneyland, and here to see all the shows at Disney World.Here are my favorites I want to talk about:• Happily Ever After fireworks (Magic Kingdom)• Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (Epcot)• World of Color (California Adventure)• Fantasmic! (Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park)

Happily Ever After

This firework spectacular found at the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida features brilliant fireworks, high quality 3D mapping, and a soundtrack featuring clips from various Disney and Pixar movies. This firework show replaced the long standing (and long loved) Wishes firework display in Spring 2017.It has been able to captivate audiences new and old due to the amazing quality of the projections on the castle during the show. It runs about 18 minutes long and includes other special effects such as lasers and pyrotechnics. This show is a must see/can’t miss!Check out Disney Food Blog's video on secrets for seeing Happily Ever After!https://youtu.be/g9ZfIO76o7AFun fact: you can view the fireworks from the Contemporary Hotel at their viewing area or on the beach of the Polynesian Resort. Both locations will play the music, but the additional visual effects may be hard to see.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

Illuminations is Epcot’s long running firework show. It is sadly coming to an end during the second half of 2019, though, so make sure you see if before its gone! This show is displayed from the center of the lake in the World Showcase Pavilion.The effects in this include fireworks, pyrotechnics, and 3D mapping projections. The best part of this show is that you can see it from multitudes of places throughout the World Showcase.Fun Fact: According to Disney Food Blog, you can see this show from inside Hacienda de San Angel restaurant in the Mexico pavilion. Be sure to make your reservations 180 days in advance, and make them for about 30-60 minutes prior to the show time. Though you can see them throughout the restaurant, make sure to request a firework view.

World of Color

World of Color takes place at California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in California. This show features dancing water, projections, and other effects like lasers and pyrotechnics.This show lasts about 20 minutes and features scenes from many Disney and Pixar movies. It is a true spectacle, with the light and water synchronizing beautifully. This show is loved by many, and is worth seeing. Be sure to get a fast pass for a better viewing area.According to website WDW News Today, World of Color is reported to return later this year. Fans in the park have also spotted test runs after closing! Read more here: https://wdwnt.com/2018/06/update-world-of-color-at-disney-california-adventure-will-not-return-until-late-2018//Fun fact: some California Adventure resturants provide a dinning package for the show, where you get a prefix menu and fast passes for a preferred viewing area. This is costly, but worth it if it fits your budget.

Fantasmic!

There are two versions of this show, one at Disneyland Park in California and one in Hollywood Studios in Florida. They are both similar in most ways, however, there are some differences between the shows.The main difference being the location/viewing area, with the Disneyland version’s viewing area being standing room only on a busy walkway in front of the Rivers of America, and Hollywood Studios taking place in a designated amplitheter. The big draw for the Florida version is the vast amounts of seating available.Both shows feature character acting, projects, water effects, pyrotechnic effects, and some fireworks. Fantasmic! really has everything you would expect to see during a night time show, so we recommend it at either park. We are partial to the Disneyland version, but that is only because the recent upgrades are phenomenal.Both versions also offer dinning package options, where you will get a preffered viewing area seating with your meal. For Disneyland, we recommend the Blue Bayou restaurant (a classic favorite), and for Hollywood Studios we recommend Mama Melrose (and order the steak! It is the best food we have eaten at the parks!)If you want to learn more about the Disney World nighttime shows and fireworks, check out this blog post from Disney Parks Blog, which highlights all the different ones you can see while you're out there! https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/06/enjoy-fireworks-nighttime-spectaculars-now-at-the-walt-disney-world-resort/