Fireworks from the Train Station

[gatorfreud]

Has anyone watched the fireworks from the train station? Is there somewhere that you can stand up at the top? How crowded is it? Can you hear the music? I assume the view isn't super since you are pretty far away but I am ok with that.

I am trying to make it from the Light Parade at 8:45 at DCA - tight!!

Thanks for any insight!
Kim

 

[Albort]

its quite hard to get from ELP --> Fireworks. Almost everyone will try the same thing and create a jam at the enterance.

I do believe however, the train station is actually a Priority sitting area. I remember seeing someone stopping ppl from going up as the train station does stop for the fireworks due to the fallout by toontown train station.

 

[ballarinamom]

Hey Albort,
How do you get that priority seating for the fireworks? We always go during Tgiving and do the holiday tour for the parade, F! seating but have not figured out how to get the fireworks area. However, the tree is there so it may not be beneficial.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

You can choose to go up left stairs or right stairs at the train station. We have watched the fireworks from the right stairs (facing the train station). We had a decent view, some trees were in the way, so was the flag pole. You can hear the music just fine. The PS area Albort is talking about is smack dab in the middle, it's roped off so you can't go there.

 

[NostalgicDad]

Last year, I stood right behind the VIP seating which is the couple of rows of benches right at the railing over the stairs. The benches were roped off but there was plenty of area to stand to the side and behind. Here's an idea of what the fireworks look like from that vantage point......

 

[gatorfreud]

Do you think it's possible to watch from there at sort of the last minute?

And nice pics! Thanks for sharing those!

Kim

 

[DangerMouse]

When is your trip? Your signature indicates a September visit? The EP normally does not run after Labor Day, so this might not even be an issue.

EDITED TO ADD: Ok, I just saw your other post about going in August. I would recommend watching the DEP by the old Golden Dreams Theater so that you are very close to the escape path behind GRR. If leave PRIOR to the America float passing, you should be fine getting over to DL in time for the fireworks. You may even find that you have time to get a spot closer to the hub on Main Street and not have to use the Train Station platform.

Good luck!

 

[gatorfreud]

Thanks! Yes, we are likely going a weekend in August as well - we just got AP's so need to use them! Still trying to work out the driving down Friday night thing... yuck.

OK I will check out Golden Dreams theater... I am trying to figure out if we are up at the front of the parade (like no one is in front of us, against a rope if there is one) how we can sneak out if there is a crowd behind us... I am happy to camp out a little early with an ice cream to get the proper spot.

I think I will attempt that and we'll probably just have to play it by ear. If we miss the fireworks it's really no big deal, just that they are different for summer I want to try and catch them.

Kim

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We did this earlier this month ~ (we even saw the 2nd F! show) we watched the EP right by the Golden Dreams theater as soon as we saw the US Flag float coming we headed towards the exit, walking by GRR and Soarin' ~ we had a great view of the fireworks near the Plaza Inn restaurant, we even stopped twice for rest room breaks! Very easy to do and I had a stroller to push ~ after the fireworks was a different story, very difficult to get over to the F! area but we didn't need to be in such a big hurry we had a long wait for F!

 

[NostalgicDad]

Do you think it's possible to watch from there at sort of the last minute?

And nice pics! Thanks for sharing those!

Kim

Thanks Kim. When I did this a little over a year ago, I was quite surprised how late it was for the spot to fill with people. If you end up watching from there, I would say you might have a good chance if it's last minute. Things may have changed since I did it though.

 

[lark]

If there is a 9:00 p.m. fantasmic, you don't need to stress too much about the fireworks. At least not if this past weekend was any guide.

If you're a group of 10 or something, maybe it will be tough, but we just literally got a great spot right near the circle in front of the castle at 9:22 p.m. for a 9:25 fireworks. The fantasmic area, meanwhile, was mayhem.

But I think the key to seeing the ELP and the fireworks on the same night is positioning to get out of CA. Once you're out, you should be able to find a place on main street if there is a fantasmic also that night at 9:00, and need limit yourself only to the train station if you don't want -- although the train station stairs are good, but were full the nights we were there because they provide a quick exit after the show.

 

[gatorfreud]

Hmmm... lots of good ideas!

I am thinking if we watch from the train station, we can then take the train around to F!. Is that good thinking or flawed in some way? I thought it would be easier than fighting the masses of people on the ground. If that does make it easier, I am happy to watch from the station assuming we can get a spot there.

I think we can do it! DH is very good at pushing strollers through masses of people!

Kim

 

[Captain Redbeard]

Do you think it's possible to watch from there at sort of the last minute?

And nice pics! Thanks for sharing those!

Kim

I watch from there every time...it's super easy even last minute!!!!

 

[Czardas]

This is exactly what we did, we watched ELP near jumping jellyfish (we could get a great spot without too much hassle), then when we saw the American Flag float we raced off through GRR exit area. We then headed to the train station and stood directly behind the priority seating.

We loved the view straight down mainstreet and didn't have any problems with the crowd. We will stand in exactly the same spot next time. We didn't feel we were too far away but then again we didn't know any differently.

 

[ballarinamom]

Has anyone watched from here during the holidays? I am curious to hear if the tree is way in the way or do you still have a good view?

 

[oc_tony]

During the holidays, the tree does block your view significantly. We've tried this and found it better to stand at "ground level" when the tree is up.

 

[pixiewings71]

We watched the fireworks a couple weeks ago last minute, we walked from DCA just as the EP was ending (we didn't watch it that nite, we'd seen it the nite before), the girls wanted to ride ToT so DBF and I waited at the Golden Gate for them, they got to us just before the EP was over and already hoardes were leaving DCA for DL. We got into DL pretty quickly because we know what gates to use at that time, go all the way to the right and use those, the lines are usually shorter, then we walked down MS to the hub and got a spot right off to the side of the statue, we had a GREAT view of Tink & Dumbo flying and it was not too crowded. It got crowded after they were over and we were trying to walk to TL but that's to be expected.

Oops, forgot to add that if anything is flying you won't be able to see it at all from the train station, it's too far away. We were lined up perfectly and they were still tiny.

 

[TheZue]

We watched the Fireworks from the train station in 2004. It was awesome! But we were really lucky we weren't moved. We camped out for over an hour on the front row of benches. Right before the show started they moved all the other people on the other half of benches for priority seating. We fluked out and picked the right side, but I certainly wouldn't try it again.