Making sure I've got everything straight

[mgmgbooks]

We're starting our trip in April at Legoland/Sea World and then heading to DL. We couldn't get a reservation at HoJo on Saturday night so we're going to arrive on Sunday. We won't get an early start at the park that day but I think we'll need a slow start that day anyway. Here's my plan and I wanted to see if I'm coordinating things well. I need to get a few questions answered that I couldn't quite understand in other threads.

Sunday - Fantasmic - There are 2 adults and 2 kids (9yo's) - We should look for a spot to sit around 8pm for a 9pm show? Will we be sitting through the whole show? (I'd love to do the second show instead of the first one but we are all early risers so I think I'd have 2 exhausted kids on my hands.)

Monday - not planning to stay late because MM is next day

Tuesday - MM - If kids can handle being out late then we'll do the fireworks. What time should I find a spot? I want to be able to see the castle - right? How close do I need to be?

Wednesday - WOC - I plan to get the picnic so I don't need to run to DCA for fast passes - correct? I just pick up my picnic box whenever I want that day. Do I have that right? Then...I should get in line for a spot about an hour before the show? It sounds like I'm shooting to be up against the rail so the kids can see. (Gads - I hate all this waiting).

Thursday - The Magic, the Memories and You

Friday - home

I also want to hit Aladdin at some point during the week. Does it matter which day?

Thanks for all your help. This disboard has been full of great info!

 

[DahliaRW]

If you want a good fantasmic spot, I would plan on waiting at least 2 hours, more if you want a really good front center spot. Bring coats or blanket to spread out to claim your spot, and you guys can rotate who guards it and who goes off and does rides.

I would check the schedule, they don't always have fireworks every night. They might in April for spring break, but no guarantees.

 

[skiingfast]

I would check the schedule, they don't always have fireworks every night. They might in April for spring break, but no guarantees.

I'd wait and see on the point Dahlia made befor planning a FW and F! night. Maybe the shows won't be so late to stay up either. As the sun sets later toward the June solstice the shows push back to later times. Maybe you can make it to the late show maybe not. Just make those plans real soft right now.


I'd plan the memories, magic and you any night since it has mulitple showtimes, the are by small world is also good for watching the firsworks. If the hub is a 10 of 10 for the FW and mainstreet a 9/10. ROA area as often advised is a 5/10 but Small world plaza a 7/10. So not a bad place to double up shows.

Alladin plays multiple time per day so fit that in on any day. Maybe while waiting for a ToT FP window to open.

 

[mgmgbooks]

I'm basing the times on what they have posted on DL's Daily Calendar for those days. I was surprised to find Fantasmic and Fireworks listed every night. Is it possible that there might be an error?

 

[mgmgbooks]

If you want a good fantasmic spot, I would plan on waiting at least 2 hours, more if you want a really good front center spot.

2 hours!!! To quote Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride "I hate waiting".

 

[Disney Dreams]

Fireworks: I would suggest finding a spot about an hour prior, maybe more since it's Spring break season. If you want to be in front of the castle, others will start "camping out" probably about 2 hours prior. Seriously!

I personally do not like being that close because you don't get the overall view. Think of it as the front row of the theatre or about 10 rows back. I like to be 10 rows, not the back, but not front.

The most important thing with the fireworks is to plan on seeing them the very first night you can. It is not unusual for the fireworks to get cancelled due to wind. You want to allow yourself a "second chance" night to see them in case you get winded-out.

Fantasmic: By 8pm the area will be pretty crowded, especially since you will be there during Spring break time. The seating area probably will not have anything open an hour prior. There will probably be standing areas that you can find, but again, 1 hour prior it will be crowded. The 2nd show makes this a little easier as it is not as crowded, for the exact reason you are doing the 1st show.

And if you are in the seating area, yes, you must remain seated for the entire show. 23 minutes.

I'm basing the times on what they have posted on DL's Daily Calendar for those days. I was surprised to find Fantasmic and Fireworks listed every night. Is it possible that there might be an error?

No error. Spring Break.

HTH,
Dreams

 

[DLtorgo]

No error- it is spring break time. I don't like the waiting either so sometimes I just show up later and accept a crummier spot. It depends on how important the shows are to you.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I'm basing the times on what they have posted on DL's Daily Calendar for those days. I was surprised to find Fantasmic and Fireworks listed every night. Is it possible that there might be an error?

There have been errors in the past, but I would go with the Disney schedule as posted. March and April are spring break times, so longer hours are the norm. Evening entertainment is also more frequent.

2 hours!!! To quote Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride "I hate waiting".

I'm with you there, but it seems to be what you have to do. PPs are right. If you want a good front and center spot, and you want the first show, you need to plan to stake out your spot and start waiting at least two hours in advance. We have done this on more than one occasion. Monday night when we were walking past the Fantasmic viewing area at 6 PM, there were already some people sitting on blankets waiting, and the show wasn't going to start until 9:05 PM. We weren't interested in seeing the show that night though, so I can't tell you when it filled up or how crowded it was that night.

We have watched the show from alternative locations and enjoyed it as well, but I agree that the front and center spot is a really great way to see it, especially if it's your first time, and I would recommend trying for it if you can make it work. We usually all sit and wait together except for a quick bathroom break as showtime approaches, but I have seen families rotate out a couple members at a time probably to do other activities. We generally keep our boys busy by bringing some card games they can play while the light lasts and having dinner or some treats to eat. You can ask at most counter service restaurants for your food to be packaged to go, so you can always send one adult for food and eat there while you wait.

If your timing doesn't work out though, scout the area near the Tom Sawyer raft dock and the smoking zone. There is sometimes still a decent place to watch from there if you arrive 30-60 minutes before showtime, but you will be standing during the show.

Many people on these boards also refer to the "light trick", but I have never tried it, so someone else will have to advise you on that.

Another spot that we have sometimes had success squeezing into closer to show time if the park isn't absolutely packed is near the wheelchair viewing area on the Frontierland side of the viewing area. You still need to be there quite early to get a close up enough view, say an hour, but it is something to consider.

Looking at your original post, it sounds like you understand the WoC situation pretty well. As for fireworks, to get that really good front and center castle spot during spring break times, our experience was that we needed to stake out our place anywhere from one to two hours in advance depending on crowd levels. We would start peeking into the hub as that time approached to see how things were looking and then make the decision when to sit down. We have watched the fireworks from many locations. For us, the castle isn't that important, so we have not made sure to have a great view of it more than twice. Often, we are happy to watch the fireworks from anywhere on Main Street because we don't mind missing most of the castle stuff and we don't worry about having a perfectly unimpeded view of the sky. We also enjoy the view from Small World, and there are some fun projections on Small World itself to accompany the show. It is more achievable to get an ok spot near Small World for the fireworks 30-45 minutes before showtime. We have found that our tolerance for waiting for things varies from trip to trip and experience to experience, and we often find being flexible and making some compromises works best for the whole family's enjoyment.

 

[mgmgbooks]

Do you guys think I should try to do fireworks the first night and Fantasmic Tuesday night if fireworks tend to be cancelled more often?

Thanks for all of the advice so far!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Do you guys think I should try to do fireworks the first night and Fantasmic Tuesday night if fireworks tend to be cancelled more often?

Thanks for all of the advice so far!

Fireworks are definitely susceptible to wind so will get cancelled more often than the other evening shows. If they are a must-see, you should definitely attempt them early as possible in your trip.

If having the primo spot is not your priority, you could plan on watching the fireworks from your Fantasmic viewing location that first night. You will not see the castle, you will not have the best view, but you will hear the music and you will see most of the fireworks up in the sky. Then you can still attempt to view the fireworks from a better location on another night, and if they are cancelled, at least you didn't miss out entirely.

I know that my family is used to going to bed earlier and rising early. We change our habits the best that we can for our Disney trips, but we do tend to wear out and find ourselves sometimes unable or simply disinterested in staying up late again just to get more Disney time (we go several times a year though). My boys are aged 9 and 11 currently. If you think the tiredness factor might really affect you guys, you may not want to worry about weather and the rest of it and simply prioritize your shows by what is most important to you, so that whatever you will be most disappointed to miss is what you do first. Then if weather, exhaustion, or a fed-up-with-waiting-for-everything attitude interferes with plans later during your trip, at least you know you will have seen your most important, can't-miss show first.

 

[skiingfast]

I'm basing the times on what they have posted on DL's Daily Calendar for those days. I was surprised to find Fantasmic and Fireworks listed every night. Is it possible that there might be an error?

If you look at how things are on tha calenday tonight or this weekend compare them to in a month of two months. It fills in as we get closer to the actual date. That's why it's best to make detailed plans closer to the actual date.

 

[danceanddisney2010]

Disneyland fireworks are some of the best fireworks i've seen in my life! Amazing

 

[sonnyjane]

Disneyland fireworks are some of the best fireworks i've seen in my life! Amazing

I saw them for the first time last year and cried So great!