Crowds at MK for the fireworks

[Disneytam]

There may not be an answer to this question but here goes. What is the easiest way to watch the new fireworks show at MK without getting trampled? My husband and I were at the MK a couple of weeks ago and the mad house that was the crowd waiting to see the MK fireworks was not for the faint of heart! My niece was in the MK last night and found it so bad that they left the park before the show even started as they witnessed guests and CM screaming at each other! My son will be at the MK this Wednesday night and would really like to view the castle show and fireworks without the chance of being trampled or crushed. Is there any way to do this? Maybe another spot besides the hub or main street.

The problem seems to me to be that the hub and main street are really the only place to be to be able to view things on the castle the way they were meant to be seen. Open to any favorite viewing spots or suggestions. MK will be open until 1 am on the night that they will be attending.

 

[chris benton]

Crowd levels + crazy ppl are an issue. A lot of ppl do not have the ability to comprehend that there are other ppl on this planet, and they can't comprehend why everyone else should not allow them to stand in front of them, and they also believe that their children need to be on their shoulders to see the show, because they are the only ones who have paid for this vacation, not the hundreds of others around them.

Look into a dessert party. Sometimes, it's worth it.

My theory is that standing directly behind a border is a good option. Ropes or walls, for example. Nobody can stand in front of you. You can go to planning sites to find good spot suggestions, but if crowd levels are high, you have to stake a spot out early. All depends on how important it is to you.

 

[AnneK]

Your best option is going to be to book a dessert party. This is the only way right now to view HEA without being in a mob of people. We decided to do this for Dec. 9th.

 

[Disneytam]

Yeah I tried that months ago with no openings and for this Wednesday they don't have any scheduled.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Yes, it can get pretty bad. This is why we will only see them with a dessert party. If that isn't an option, I would recommend finding a spot really early in the garden area in front of Casey's. I would probably aim for the back railing in this section. They won't be in the "thick" of the crowd if they go there and they can also hang out there as most of the crowd dissipates after the show. This is exactly what we do when we book the plaza garden party (which is basically the same garden area, just in front of the Plaza instead of Casey's). We watch the show and then, literally, sit in the garden until most of the crowd has gone. Otherwise, we just don't go. The other option would be to leave MK and watch the show from one of the monorail resorts (Poly beach is nice). They won't see the castle projections, but they will see the fireworks. They could then monorail back to MK for the rest of the evening.

 

[Janet McDonald]

Yes, it can get pretty bad. This is why we will only see them with a dessert party. If that isn't an option, I would recommend finding a spot really early in the garden area in front of Casey's. I would probably aim for the back railing in this section. They won't be in the "thick" of the crowd if they go there and they can also hang out there as most of the crowd dissipates after the show. This is exactly what we do when we book the plaza garden party (which is basically the same garden area, just in front of the Plaza instead of Casey's). We watch the show and then, literally, sit in the garden until most of the crowd has gone. Otherwise, we just don't go. The other option would be to leave MK and watch the show from one of the monorail resorts (Poly beach is nice). They won't see the castle projections, but they will see the fireworks. They could then monorail back to MK for the rest of the evening.

What time do you recommend getting a spot there? We will be there the night of Dec 18th (Monday) and "gulp" Dec 23 (Saturday). The Dessert parties are sold out :\

 

[CAS239]

Wife and I usually head there around 20-30 min prior. Closer to the show they make everyone stand and fill in room by moving forward. So you can show up 5-10 min prior and get a decent spot.

I have yet to see fighting, screaming, trampling, death.. So odds are more likely a peaceful atmosphere.

The hub is not a free for all mosh pit every night

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Yes, it can get pretty bad. This is why we will only see them with a dessert party. If that isn't an option, I would recommend finding a spot really early in the garden area in front of Casey's. I would probably aim for the back railing in this section. They won't be in the "thick" of the crowd if they go there and they can also hang out there as most of the crowd dissipates after the show. This is exactly what we do when we book the plaza garden party (which is basically the same garden area, just in front of the Plaza instead of Casey's). We watch the show and then, literally, sit in the garden until most of the crowd has gone. Otherwise, we just don't go. The other option would be to leave MK and watch the show from one of the monorail resorts (Poly beach is nice). They won't see the castle projections, but they will see the fireworks. They could then monorail back to MK for the rest of the evening.

I was going to say something very similar. The garden area in front of Casey’s is my go to spot - if you can get there!

Good luck OP. I’m not one to complain or be bothered by crowds, but these HEA nights in between all the party nights this fall seem to be no joke!

 

[shh]

Can you hang way back, like by the train station - right before exit areas? Any room there if you don't care about a premium projection view?

 

[Happy_2_B]

Is there any way to do this?

We did the dessert party a few days ago in between two party days, and were glad we did. The hub and a good chunk of Main Street were packed to capacity. About 30 minutes (maybe more) before the show, groups of three CMs on either side of the hub ( both front and back 'parts') were 'blocking' it off to additional people, and were directing people to use the walkways behind the shops that are normally closed to keep traffic flowing before the show. People would go down the back way then come back up Main Street as far as they could. They were not directing people to move forward- but were, as mentioned, directing people away from the hub to the far end of Main Street then back up. There were also additional CMs behind the garden area in the walkways preventing people from hovering there- and directing them towards the back walkways. A few people ‘snuck’ through, but there is no way that anyone was going to show up 5-10 min before the fireworks on the evening we were there and get a good spot in the opposite garden in front of Casey's- they wouldn’t even have been able to get anywhere near that area with all of the CM’s directing people away. I wouldn't say it was impossible- as with a lot of pushing and shoving a person 'might' have been able to wedge themselves through the throng of people to get there- and then someone 'might' magically yield their spot to the person- but it seems improbable to me- just my opinion. So...realistically...if your son really wants to see the fireworks from a good viewpoint in front of the castle area- tell him to get to the hub area at least 60 minutes beforehand. If the crowds were like what we saw and is typical of a non-party day this year, 60 minutes is pushing the outside limits of what I can, in good conscience, recommend as a MINIMUM amount of time to arrive.

 

[rbenn81]

What time do you recommend getting a spot there? We will be there the night of Dec 18th (Monday) and "gulp" Dec 23 (Saturday). The Dessert parties are sold out :\

We will be there the 18th as well! I have not tried them but as others have said the garden area near Casey's and the garden area on the opposite side of Main St would be great places. If you pick a spot near the fountains the ledge is large enough to be able to sit and wait. Then when the show starts you dont have to worry about anyone immediately in front of you or the dreaded kid on shoulders. I will be taking photos so I most likely will set up near "the hump" on Main St or possibly by one of the fountain areas below. In the picture below you can see what I'm talking about. The only downside is you'll have to scope this out an hour or three before the start of HEA. On July 3rd I sat up at 6:30 for fireworks at 9 and most of this area was already full. Hope this helps.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I like the platform of the Main St. train station. It doesn’t offer a close-up View, but it offers a good view, and no trampling! Not getting trampled is very important to me, so I sacrifice a little bit of a view. I actually watched the last show of Wishes from that spot back on 5/11. It was insane watching the crush of people down below.

 

[Blue32]

We got a spot on the bench behind the fountain on the Casey’s side on Thanksgiving night. We started holding the spot 2 hours prior but we felt it was worth it to have a mostly unubstructed view for my kids to see. There also not a ton of people behind us like I saw closer to the partners statue.

 

[LSUfan4444]

What is the easiest way to watch the new fireworks show at MK without getting trampled?

I agree with the dessert party. Happily Ever After is pretty much a must do and I hate dealing with those crowds.

 

[mom22boys]

I like the platform of the Main St. train station. It doesn’t offer a close-up View, but it offers a good view, and no trampling! Not getting trampled is very important to me, so I sacrifice a little bit of a view. I actually watched the last show of Wishes from that spot back on 5/11. It was insane watching the crush of people down below.

Are you able to see the projections a little bit from the train station platform?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Open to any favorite viewing spots or suggestions.

This is not a good suggestion for projection viewing, but I watched from BEHIND the castle back in September and really loved it back there. There are fireworks literally going off all around you and the show audio is great. We also walked up 3 minutes before show time and there were no crowds.

This is a good spot for someone who has seen the show from the front before and either doesn't want to fight the crowds in the hub or is OK with something different.

Some pics attached.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Are you able to see the projections a little bit from the train station platform?

I haven’t seen HEA from inside the park...it debuted on our departure day...I just saw some rehearsals from our room at WL. But I could see the Wishes projections from the train station, just not super clearly. It was enough to get the jist without fearing for my life.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Try to find a spot with a railing in front of you so the folks that will be ahead of you will at least be a distance away. I also try to stand with a trash can on one side to get some control over my personal space which isn’t easy to do at WDW. When the fireworks are over we stay put until the crowd dissipates to a level that doesn’t make me want to lash out irrationally.

 

[Janet McDonald]

We will be there the 18th as well! I have not tried them but as others have said the garden area near Casey's and the garden area on the opposite side of Main St would be great places. If you pick a spot near the fountains the ledge is large enough to be able to sit and wait. Then when the show starts you dont have to worry about anyone immediately in front of you or the dreaded kid on shoulders. I will be taking photos so I most likely will set up near "the hump" on Main St or possibly by one of the fountain areas below. In the picture below you can see what I'm talking about. The only downside is you'll have to scope this out an hour or three before the start of HEA. On July 3rd I sat up at 6:30 for fireworks at 9 and most of this area was already full. Hope this helps.

View attachment 286434

Thank you for the response! I wish I had gotten dessert party tickets as HEA is something Ive been looking forward to for months. We will for sure try to a spot in the areas you suggested and hope my hubby will have the patience to wait it out lol

 

[mamamelody2]

Wife and I usually head there around 20-30 min prior. Closer to the show they make everyone stand and fill in room by moving forward. So you can show up 5-10 min prior and get a decent spot.

I have yet to see fighting, screaming, trampling, death.. So odds are more likely a peaceful atmosphere.

The hub is not a free for all mosh pit every night

5-10 minutes early will not necessarily work as when we were there both November 18 and 19, they announced that the hub and Main Street were at capacity about 20 minutes before HEA was to start. This was frightening to us as we had watched HEA from Main Street November 13 and it was packed, but they had not closed it to capacity. I can only imagine what it was like those days. Luckily, since we had already seen HEA, we were in Fantasyland one day and Frontierland the other.