Fireworks Viewing

[mom4praise]

I just learned that Wishes FP+ is going away, and I was kind of counting on it for viewing. My family and I were in MK in 2014 and I was fully mobile then, now I am learning to see an ECV as a tool to continue enjoying my life. While we were there I did not notice a handicap viewing area for fireworks. So my question is where is the best place to view them from where you can see the show and not just the behind parts of the people in front of you? I'm wondering the same for Hollywood Studios. Thanks for the guidance.

 

[loves to dive]

Is it really going away for good or is just for a few nights? I don't know that it was ever confirmed that they were doing away with it but I could be wrong. If so, how about on top of the train station. I've never done it and I imagine you'd have to get there real early, like maybe a hour but it certainly would be a birds eye view.

 

[SueM in MN]

As far as I know, there is no handicapped viewing area for fireworks. At least there never was one, so if there is now, it was added recently

 

[gap2368]

I am here now and I was going to ask if it is goi g away for good or not as I need the space with fier works so I can let you all know

 

[RachelKS]

We are traveling to Disney World in May and have been making plans. We are going through a travel agent and have turned in our Fast Pass choices and one of them is for Wishes. So far she has not contacted us to say that isn't possible. On January 31, I used the Disney Chat to ask about wheelchair seating because of course we would hope for a spot where we can be assured that people won't be standing in front of my husband blocking his view. I was told that wheelchair seating would be located "within the Rose Garden Location that is in front of the the Magic Kingdom Park Castle. Cast Members may also be able to further assist with possibly bringing closer to the castle if this location happens to get a little crowded." So I'm not entirely sure from that last part if it means if it gets crowded with wheelchairs and companions or if it is open to all guests but it is the most accessible area for wheelchairs. In any case, it sounds like even with a Fast Pass you need to get there early to get a spot in an accessible area. I'm hoping that it is amazing viewing but I'm bracing myself for frustration. I'm excited and anxious to read other posts from people who have experienced it.

 

[BillSears]

The Rose Garden used to be a good spot for wheelchair users. It wasn't a dedicated wheelchair user spot but instead was open to the public. It had a nice path with a railing that overlooked the grass in that area. I used to get there about 45 minutes before the show and I was able to get a spot right up against the railing.

However, the Rose Garden was removed with the new Hub redesign. You still might be able to find a spot with a railing and bushes in front of you and still have a view of the Castle but it will be out in the open now and much harder to get.

The Wishes FP area are the two areas at the bottom of this photo. You still might be able to get into them but they won't be reserved. The Rose Garden used to be on the right side of the Hub where the outer walkway of the Hub is, just above the lower bridge.

http://themeparkuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/overview-550x291.jpg

 

[RachelKS]

The Rose Garden used to be a good spot for wheelchair users. It wasn't a dedicated wheelchair user spot but instead was open to the public. It had a nice path with a railing that overlooked the grass in that area. I used to get there about 45 minutes before the show and I was able to get a spot right up against the railing.

However, the Rose Garden was removed with the new Hub redesign. You still might be able to find a spot with a railing and bushes in front of you and still have a view of the Castle but it will be out in the open now and much harder to get.

The Wishes FP area are the two areas at the bottom of this photo. You still might be able to get into them but they won't be reserved. The Rose Garden used to be on the right side of the Hub where the outer walkway of the Hub is, just above the lower bridge.

http://themeparkuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/overview-550x291.jpg

Yikes! So maybe the information I am getting from the Disney Chat service is not current or valid?

 

[PatMcDuck]

I also loved the FP+ area for Wishes for my son in his WC. We finally could see the castle projections before the fireworks! We arrived early and got a spot up front in the area. In front is a walkway they keep moving, so no kids on shoulders immediately in front of us. Made a huge difference.

I will be sorry to see it going away, if this is true. I did read it was being eliminated due to budget cuts.

 

[BillSears]

Yea, it's old information. If you look at this old map the path above the bridge with the circle on it was where the old Rose Garden used to be.

https://cache.undercovertourist.com/blog/2014/03/magic-kingdom-msep-location.jpg

 

[RachelKS]

Yea, it's old information. If you look at this old map the path above the bridge with the circle on it was where the old Rose Garden used to be.

https://cache.undercovertourist.com/blog/2014/03/magic-kingdom-msep-location.jpg

Well that is disappointing since I just asked the chat service in January! That makes me very apprehensive about questions I've asked through there. Now I'm freaking out a bit. I barely have my husband on board about the trip in the first place and I'm trying to make everything as seamless as possible. And now I'm unsure about the things that I thought I had figured out. This just brought my level of confidence about making this work way down.

 

[BillSears]

WDW is still the most wheelchair accessible place I visit. Even with all of the changes it's still great. As a T6 complete paraplegic since 1977 I've been many times. A lot of them were solo trips and I can handle most things fine just by myself.

One thing I do every now and then is go watch the fireworks near the Carousel behind the castle. You don't get to see the Castle Show and the fireworks don't have that beautiful Castle in front of them. But it's much less crowded and you're right in the middle of the fireworks.

 

[RachelKS]

WDW is still the most wheelchair accessible place I visit. Even with all of the changes it's still great. As a T6 complete paraplegic since 1977 I've been many times. A lot of them were solo trips and I can handle most things fine just by myself.

One thing I do every now and then is go watch the fireworks near the Carousel behind the castle. You don't get to see the Castle Show and the fireworks don't have that beautiful Castle in front of them. But it's much less crowded and you're right in the middle of the fireworks.

Thanks for the information. I shouldn't be stressing about it. I think he is only going to humor me and probably doesn't even care about seeing them. It was just my dream to have our family be able to experience it together.

 

[SueM in MN]

WDW is still the most wheelchair accessible place I visit. Even with all of the changes it's still great. As a T6 complete paraplegic since 1977 I've been many times. A lot of them were solo trips and I can handle most things fine just by myself.

One thing I do every now and then is go watch the fireworks near the Carousel behind the castle. You don't get to see the Castle Show and the fireworks don't have that beautiful Castle in front of them. But it's much less crowded and you're right in the middle of the fireworks.

we often watch it from there too.
Even though you don't get the show from the front of the castle, there is something special about viewing it from there.
Less people view it from there, so it is somehow more intimate and special. You don't have to be right in front of the carousel. Going back a bit farther, there will be even less people

 

[TheRustyScupper]

As far as I know, there is no handicapped viewing area for fireworks

1) There is a handicapped area for the parades - one device (ECV or chair) and one accompanying guest (not the whole family).
2) You usually can stay there for the fireworks, as many other people do.
3) But, people do stand next to, or behind, their disabled relative and it does block the view of other people.
4) The best option is to stake to stake out a place 1/2-to-1 hour ahead of time, and stay there until the fireworks.

 

[gap2368]

when I rennuded myAP pass I askd the CM about this who went in the back and made a few phone calls he said one of two things is happing it is a glitch in the system ( witch I am hopping) or a group has rented it out for the whole week ( I hope one group is not using it the whole week)

 

[elmoandzoey]

Sorry for bringing this back up but I didn't want to open a new topic for this question.

So FP+ is gone and it has been announced that that area will now be used for the desert party so it's not going to be open space. I had hoped for us to use FP+ but there is no way I will spend money on the desert party for us (especially since I think DD3 will probably deep asleep in the stroller by then). There is also no way I will be able to stand for Wishes after a full day at the park so I will have to watch from the ECV. I am extremely worried now that we won't get a spot to see. My two older kids won't be much taller standing than I am sitting (DS7 and DS11 - okay, he might be a bit taller). I can't lift them up so if I can't see, they won't be able to see either. All railing spots I know have been removed with the remodel of the hub so we can't even take advantage of that.

This is sort of stressing me out now, especially since there are no dedicated wheelchair spots, right? I mean we could line up at the curb between Main Street and the Hub but we'd have to find a lowered curb to get down fast and easy. And I assume those spots will probably be roped off as safe walkways? What would be a good strategy? We don't necessarily need to see the parade before fireworks, there is a second parade scheduled on two of our MK nights, so we could stake out a permanend spot during the first parade. I really just don't know what to expect. We have never watched Wishes from directly on Main Street, we've always stayed to the side (Rose Garden or in front of Crystal Palace) so we were never caught in the mad dash into the streets after the parade has gone through.

 

[gap2368]

I watch the fire works from behind cenderla castle had almost a 365 view of them I was able to site and watch them yes there was people around but not nearly as many as on main street.

 

[elmoandzoey]

I watch the fire works from behind cenderla castle had almost a 365 view of them I was able to site and watch them yes there was people around but not nearly as many as on main street.

If it's just me, I'd probably do this, but two of my three kids have never seen the fireworks so I want to see them from the front, not the back, including the pre-show.

I've looked at one of Robo's maps and the old FP+ area doesn't stretch as far out as I though it would be. Do you know if waiting around the little gras areas with the fountains is allowed? I mean those patches that are across the walkway from the old FP+ area towards the castle. They are fenced off, right? If part of that walkway is allowed for standing and doesn't need to be empty, that could make for a nice spot for us. Or behind the fence of the old FP+ area - are you allowed to stand there? I think having a railing between us and the person in front of us would be just enough space we need to actually be able to look above them. If they stood like right in front of us, I am sure we couldn't see.

 

[gap2368]

I am almost sure behind the old FP is a no standing in front they have half the walk way saved for standing but you need to get there early for this area

 

[elmoandzoey]

I am almost sure behind the old FP is a no standing in front they have half the walk way saved for standing but you need to get there early for this area

The front would be better anyway. How early is early? Like half an hour before the 9pm parade for 10pm Wishes? That wouldn't be so bad. I could set up the kids in the area and hop over to Casey's to get some hot dogs for dinner.