My thoughts on the Magical Gatherings Fireworks Voyage:
1) Book early. It is a bit more complicated than just making PS's. Some things you will need are your Grand Gatherings # and the confirm #'s, names, ?-ages of all the people in your party.
2) Arrive early to get the most out of the dessert buffet and characters. We got there right when they told us to arrive and all the desserts were pretty much demolished (except for the fruit) -- so that was a bit disappointing. Thankfully, we were stuffed from our dinner.
3) Each member in your party receives a special MG FW pin -- neat little extra.
4) You don't have to arrive together, but it's preferable if you do. Don't knock yourself out though if someone's late and wants to meet up with you there (There -- being the Contemporary).
5) Our reception was held on a patio adjacent to the pool, out by the Contemporary marina. But the CM's told us it changes frequently due to weather (wind) conditions and such. So, once you arrive at the Contemporary, don't be afraid to ask, and ask again to get clear instructions on where the reception is being held. We had a CM "call" to find out where it was and then he actually walked with us to the location. Very helpful!
6) Two boats typically set sail (Capt Hook's boat and Smee's boat -- they don't actually join you on the boats, just lead you to them) -- a total of 109 people are at the reception and then split up into the boats. Why 109 and not an even number, say 110 -- I don't know. Anyway, that means about 55 people per boat. The boats are basically like pontoons with several rows of benches that seat about 4 adults on each bench with an aisle in the middle.
7) Families are assigned benches on the boats, grouped together... more or less. I don't know if this always applies, but on our voyage, the side of the boat that the steering wheel was on was the side that was closer to the FW. All seats are good, but I had to contend with getting "boat canopy" in my pics from the side I sat on (the side farther from the FW).
8) GO TO THE BATHROOM! You are on the boat for about an hour and there are no bathrooms.
9) Brush up on your Disney pirate/ocean themed trivia. The pirate host on the boat plays trivia w/prizes. Fun! The host on the boat is very funny and I think they enjoy feeding off of funny guests, so don't force the funny, but definitely bring your sense of humor! The host also does a good job of making everyone feel "like family," meaning it's not awkward having more than one family on the boat.
10) It's cooler on the water and at night so dress warmer for that purpose.
11) You also get to see the Electrical Water Pageant from the boat, which is cute.
12) Peter Pan meets you when you get back to the Contemporary.
13) If you are using Disney transportation, know ahead of time how you will get back to your hotel (if not staying at the Contemporary). Most likely you will go back to your resort via the monorail to the MK (if not staying at a monorail resort), which will have closed right after the Fireworks, but since you still are taking the boat back to the Contemporary and spending time with Peter Pan, you won't arrive back to the MK until about 60-90 minutes after the fireworks have ended. Be prepared for crowds at the MK and for getting on one of the last buses back to your resort.
14) If you enjoy fireworks, the Peter Pan characters and boat rides, this will be right up your alley. We loved it... a highlight for us too!
