No nighttime spectaculars on weekdays in early 2020?

[dizzylandparis]

I'm planning a trip to Disneyland on weekdays during the first week of February and was disappointed to see the park calendar show that none of the park's major nighttime shows, Fantasmic or the fireworks show, would be playing on weekdays. (Aside from the lame Mickey's MixMagic without fireworks)

Is Disneyland attendance really so low during weekdays in February (even with ROTR, a major new attraction, opening in the same timeframe) that they will not perform any major nighttime spectaculars at all? Is there hope that at least Fantasmic would be shown on weekdays?

Does being able to see Fantasmic make it worth dealing with the higher crowds (especially surrounding Star Wars)and visiting the parks Sunday-Monday rather than Monday-Tuesday?

According to theme park attendance estimates, Disneyland is the second most-visited theme park in the world. Aren't these numbers strong enough to support a nightly fireworks show as seen in the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Epcot, or at least a nightly fireworks show that's low on pyrotechnics like Shanghai's? Even if you were to visit on weekends, the situation isn't much better: you would be subjected to the cringeworthy Mickey's MixMagic (with fireworks). The park hasn't seen a great regular nightly fireworks show since Remember...Dreams Come True (which I saw during my last visit 15 years ago during the 50th). A great nighttime show is a quintessential Disney park experience... Disneyland deserves better

 

[StageTek]

Yes, Disneyland's attendance is really so low weekdays in Feb that they do not do any nighttime spectaculars.

I agree - Disneyland deserves better.

 

[DLgal]

Disneyland is not permitted by the City of Anaheim to shoot fireworks off on weekdays during the school year, excluding the Christmas and Easter break weeks. It's a noise ordinance. It's not a matter of crowd levels.

If you want nighttime shows, plan a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night visit.

 

[midnight star]

Yes this is normal. Even during Halloween when crowds are big during the weekdays. Entertainment is only Friday-Sunday.

 

[dorchrislen]

How do you see the showtimes for future dates? I can’t figure it out on the mobile app. Do you have to use the full website? I am going January 7-9.

 

[Geemo]

I'm planning a trip to Disneyland on weekdays during the first week of February and was disappointed to see the park calendar show that none of the park's major nighttime shows, Fantasmic or the fireworks show, would be playing on weekdays. (Aside from the lame Mickey's MixMagic without fireworks)

The Disneyland Schedule has been like this for years.

If you want to see the nighttime shows it will most likely require a weekend day in the parks.

At least you know prior to your trip.

Geemo

 

[dizzylandparis]

How do you see the showtimes for future dates? I can’t figure it out on the mobile app. Do you have to use the full website? I am going January 7-9.

The official calendar at Disneyland . com

 

[dorchrislen]

The official calendar at Disneyland . com

Oh shoot! All this time I was planning on watching fireworks from near the millennium falcon on the seventh of Jan, and now I see there are no fireworks that night. Darn it!

 

[dina444444]

They will likely being showing mickeys mix magic without fireworks on weeknights starting next week and the fireworks added in on weekends. World of color should be playing nightly unless there is a refurb.

 

[dizzylandparis]

Does being able to see Fantasmic make it worth dealing with the higher crowds (especially surrounding Star Wars and Rise of the Resistance)and visiting the parks on the Sunday-Monday of the first week of February rather than Monday-Tuesday?

Making things more complicated is that the Sunday in question is the first Sunday of February: Super Bowl Sunday

 

[mom2rtk]

Disneyland is not permitted by the City of Anaheim to shoot fireworks off on weekdays during the school year, excluding the Christmas and Easter break weeks. It's a noise ordinance. It's not a matter of crowd levels.

If you want nighttime shows, plan a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night visit.

What? Kids aren't on Christmas break in early November, yet they shoot fireworks every night of the holiday season.

 

[dina444444]

Disneyland is not permitted by the City of Anaheim to shoot fireworks off on weekdays during the school year, excluding the Christmas and Easter break weeks. It's a noise ordinance. It's not a matter of crowd levels.

If you want nighttime shows, plan a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night visit.

This is slightly incorrect. They launch fireworks nightly for the entire holiday time frame in early November through early January.

 

[mom2rtk]

This is slightly incorrect. They launch fireworks nightly for the entire holiday time frame in early November through early January.

And didn't they run Disneyland Forever during the anniversary year?

And when Mickey's Halloween Party was in DL, didn't they run full fireworks during the week on party night?

 

[dina444444]

And didn't they run Disneyland Forever during the anniversary year?

Yes they did. The noise ordinance has more to do with them needing to be done with fireworks by 10pm on the days they launch them.

 

[dizzylandparis]

Yes they did. The noise ordinance has more to do with them needing to be done with fireworks by 10pm on the days they launch them.

That might play into it but this seems like more of a cost-cutting measure, with Disney wanting to save money by doing away with expensive fireworks shows as much as possible and earning higher profits in Anaheim, where guest spending on food and merchandise is lower on average and the parks are less profitable, compared to the tourism-driven Florida parks. Even when fireworks are shown in the low season, the show is usually shorter, low on pyro and more reliant on projection mapping.

 

[IslaLila]

I’m not an expert like many on this board, but I have found Mondays to be very busy with shorter park hours. We avoid Mondays now. If you want lower crowds, T W Th are best, and if you want longer park hours and nighttime shows, go on F, Sat, or Sun. We did F/Sat in October and will do Th/F in March - I’m hoping for low crowds on Th and fireworks on F.

 

[dieumeye]

That might play into it but this seems like more of a cost-cutting measure, with Disney wanting to save money by doing away with expensive fireworks shows as much as possible and earning higher profits in Anaheim, where guest spending on food and merchandise is lower on average and the parks are less profitable, compared to the tourism-driven Florida parks. Even when fireworks are shown in the low season, the show is usually shorter, low on pyro and more reliant on projection mapping.

The Disneyland fireworks / Anaheim government / local neighborhoods situation has been complicated and ongoing for years.

It has involved multiple lawsuits, political groups, campaign contributions, environmental studies, media campaigns, technological innovations, and has been going on for years.

It’s not as simple as “there’s a noise ordinance” and it’s certainly not as simple as “cost cutting”.

Just one example: Disney put money into designing and implementing a new fireworks launch system to reduce noise and waste. If they just wanted to cut costs, why bother?

Also, Mickey’s Mix Magic is fun. Of course, as with everything else, you have to go in with the right attitude. Those determined to be disappointed will most certainly always have their expectations met!

 

[Aurora0427]

It gets dark so early beginning as soon as the time changes, that they could easily shoot off fireworks as early as 5:30pm during the winter months in total darkness, well before anyone needs to be in bed for school.

I wonder why they don’t, and as others have noted they’ve had fireworks and Fantasmic on weekdays during the school year excluding winter break, so there’s more to this than just an ordinance.

 

[lcp9]

And didn't they run Disneyland Forever during the anniversary year?

And when Mickey's Halloween Party was in DL, didn't they run full fireworks during the week on party night?

Yes - and my kids were old enough the anniversary year to start going regularly, and so we thought nightly fireworks and parades were the norm. There was some disappointment the next year. ha.

 

[DLgal]

And didn't they run Disneyland Forever during the anniversary year?

And when Mickey's Halloween Party was in DL, didn't they run full fireworks during the week on party night?

They had to get special permission to do this during the anniversary year.