Nighttime Shows

[lynzi2004]

We will be at Disney in February and have 7day parkhoppers. We have been to Disney one other time back in April but only did MK. Our schedule is tentatively,

Day 1. AK morning EMH-MK evening (BOG 515pm)
Day 2. Epcot (2ish arrival time-planning to stay till close) Via Napoli 7:15
Day 3. Hollywood studios
Day 4. MK (PPO BOG)- Maybe go to AK for dusk safari/tree lighting/Rivers????
Day 5. Rest day or hop day/catch favorites or catch nighttime show???
Day 6. Epcot (EMH-morning)
Day 7. MK (EMH-morning) watching wishes for sure as this is our last night!

I'm curious what you all think of the nightly shows? For instance in our first 3 days we plan to catch Wishes, Illuminations, and Fantasmic. But other than our last night I'm wondering if it's worth it to hop to another park to catch a show we've already seen? Hoping Rivers of Light is going by then. I realize we have some long days but we aren't relaxing type vacationers. Any input is welcome! Thanks!

 

[glassslippergirl]

I love the fireworks shows at WDW, but I think you'd be fine seeing them once. It's kind of neat that you're doing them straight on your first three nights-- we call it the Disney Trifecta to see all three shows in three nights (not sure what we'll call it after RoL starts). After that, you can always play it by ear and see the shows again if you want or do rides at that time. Show time is always a good time to experience shorter wait times. In Epcot, you can get in FEA line just before the park closes. You still have to wait, but you're not wasting time that you could have spent on another ride. Trick also works with TSMM, any of the mountains, basically anything you want to ride with 60 minute+ wait times.

 

[lynzi2004]

Thank you for the reply! I don't know why I didn't think about just staying and riding rides. I was thinking it would just be an early night if we didn't watch a show. I think the kids would love that!

 

[Accident]

most parks a lot of rides, especially the family ones turn into walk ones once peopel start to eat and claim their spots for the night entertainment. in feb, it's going to be very close in time from dinner to night entertainment (tsmm it's the perfect time to ride it a lot in a row for example). planning some late lunches and dinner after the park closes can be a good way to get yourself avialable for easy access to many rides. popular rides sometimes also go down for example splash mountain right now was going down to 5 minute waits during the msep but it's still holding a decent time during the hub shows now that the parade is gone. just an example. now once the shows are over you get a mass run to the popular rides so try to save the more family oriented ones for when that happens if you can stay out that late.

If you want to catch whatever the fireworks in HS are and fantasmic, you are probably going to need to hop back in a second night as they tend to overlap the shows because they can't handle the crowds trying to see both the same night. In feb the park usually isn't opened as late as you might think it should be because it's still getting darker kind of early and they don't have to stay opened just for the shows.

 

[thelittlemermaid2]

You can always play it by ear! Do them the first night and if there is one you would like to see more than once you can add it in for another night