Non Main St Wishes Viewing

[Hopefully]

Where is the best non Main St Wishes viewing area?
I know @Robo has posted a map in the past, but I don't remember. I hope he will repost that map.

We will be coming from the 6:15 HDDR to MK for EMH on 10/26. Wishes is at 10PM. I will be using an ECV - my third trip, so not a newbie driving. But I am a bit worried about arriving to a mobbed Main Street after dark on the scooter.
We do have a Jungle Cruise FP+ around 9 which I hear is fun in the dark. So we will be on that side of the park.
Suggestions?
TIA

 

[Robo]

Where is the best non Main St Wishes viewing area?
I know @Robo has posted a map in the past, but I don't remember. I hope he will repost that map.

We will be coming from the 6:15 HDDR to MK for EMH on 10/26. Wishes is at 10PM. I will be using an ECV - my third trip, so not a newbie driving. But I am a bit worried about arriving to a mobbed Main Street after dark on the scooter.
We do have a Jungle Cruise FP+ around 9 which I hear is fun in the dark. So we will be on that side of the park.
Suggestions?
TIA

You also want to be able to see the spectacular show that is actually projected on the front of the Castle, "Celebrate the Magic," which begins about 15 minutes before the fireworks.
It must be seen from a spot with a clear view of the front of the Castle, which would be in or near the Hub or the northern end of Main Street.

If you don't want to be in any of those places, you can "kind of" see the fireworks from a spot in Liberty Square that is in front of the Riverboat entrance area.

 

[Hopefully]

Why NON-Main Street viewing?

Only because I am a bit worried about navigating the crowd in an ECV. I haven't been to the MK at night for many years, but I am imagining it very congested. If that is not the case I am delighted. All advice and guidance is welcome.

 

[Robo]

Only because I am a bit worried about navigating the crowd in an ECV. I haven't been to the MK at night for many years, but I am imagining it very congested. If that is not the case I am delighted. All advice and guidance is welcome.

Oh, it won't be easy.
It's not ever going to be easy for anyone.
But, Disney has created a bottleneck "monster" by adding a popular spectacular one-of-a-kind show (Celebrate the Magic) that must be seen from in front of the castle.

CtM is often performed for a SECOND time, 30-45 minutes after Wishes.
THAT show will be much, MUCH easier to see than the one before Wishes.
But, you need to check the Times Guide when you are there to make sure if and when
CtM runs for a second performance.

 

[ktlm]

I always like the fireworks from fantasyland where they are all around you. You don't have the view with the castle in the background, but you don't have a mob around you where all you see if you are short is the back, head, or raised iPad of the person who invariably steps two inches in front of me right as the fireworks are starting on Main Street. It is a totally different perspective that might not be for everyone, but we like it.

 

[Lyricallie]

On our second night watching wishes we stood on the bridge near where the steam boat is. We couldn't see the castle show, but as we had seen it a few nights previously that was fine. It was really dark and very quiet round there. Spectacular fireworks. Although my ankles did get bitten a lot due to being close-ish to the water.

 

[Hopefully]

Oh, it won't be easy.
It's not ever going to be easy for anyone.
But, Disney has created a bottleneck "monster" by adding a popular spectacular one-of-a-kind show (Celebrate the Magic) that must be seen from in front of the castle.

Yup. That's what I thought.
So --- back to my first thought.
If we (3 adults) skip Celebrate the Magic, and avoid the mob of Main Street, where is the next best spot to watch Wishes?
Adult DS has never seen Wishes, so I want it to be special and I will bite the Main Street bullet if that is still the best plan
Thanks

 

[Robo]

Yup. That's what I thought.
So --- back to my first thought.
If we (3 adults) skip Celebrate the Magic, and avoid the mob of Main Street, where is the next best spot to watch Wishes?
Adult DS has never seen Wishes, so I want it to be special and I will bite the Main Street bullet if that is still the best plan
Thanks

You can see all of the fireworks from a spot in Liberty Square that is in front of the Riverboat entrance area. It won't be what can actually be called, "Wishes" as the angles will be very bizarre, but the fireworks can all be seen, and the audio will be very good there.

 

[Robo]

And, the reason I'm using that Riverboat loading area reference is that it will be easy to get there after your Jungle Cruise ride.
Still in Adventureland, just head toward the hub,
then cut through the restrooms area
just before you get to the new Jungle Cruise "Skipper Canteen" Restaurant.
(You can see that "Cross Over" on the map below.)
That will put you near Diamond Horseshoe and Liberty Tree Tavern in Liberty Square, not far from the Riverboat loading area (the northernmost "hook" on the Parade Route line.)

 

[Hopefully]

Thank you @Robo I appreciate your wonderful maps. Armed with options we will play it by ear. I didn't know about the second CtM. We will be in MK prior to HDDR so I will check the Times Guide.

 

[kbmartin]

I don't know if you're open to watching it outside the park, but a few weeks ago, my DH and I watched from the beach at the Polynesian Resort, and it was magical. Loungers were all filled on the beach, but it didn't feel crowded at all. The music was played, the lights dimmed, and you could see everything - a perfect view. It was so pleasant. We had Dole Whips while we waited for the show to begin, and that really added to the feel of being at the Poly - it was a perfect atmosphere. I'm not sure of your mobility, but there was a sidewalk behind us where you could park if walking a short distance in the sand would not work for you.

That being said, when we went, they were not showing Celebrate the Magic, so we didn't miss out on that. Even if they were showing it, I wouldn't care, as we have seen it before. I doubt you could see it from the Polynesian if they are showing it while you are there, so if that's important to you, ignore my post.

Personally, I do not enjoy watching the fireworks while inside the park unless I'm in an area most people don't watch them from, like in Fantasyland, or from the side, like at Sleepy Hollow. My DH and I hate feeling crowded and being herded like cattle towards the exit afterwards. I'm also very short, so oftentimes I cannot see when I'm in a crowd of people. Now that we have found a couple of locations we like outside of the park, I doubt we would ever watch Wishes inside MK ever again!

Just wanted to put this out there in case you hadn't thought of it.

 

[Jennasis]

For a unique view, we watched the fireworks for the first time from FANTASYLAND...specifically while sitting on a stone wall right by the archway to New Fantasyland. It was practically empty there! The fireworks were directly overhead and in some cases behind us so that we had to turn around to see them, but it was a really neat new one to watch them. We couldn't see the castle show from there,but we'd seen it before so it was fine with us.

 

[vleeth]

I agree with Fantasyland. You have the fireworks going off over both castles and there is no crowd.

 

[old feller]

You also want to be able to see the spectacular show that is actually projected on the front of the Castle, "Celebrate the Magic," which begins about 15 minutes before the fireworks.
It must be seen from a spot with a clear view of the front of the Castle, which would be in or near the Hub or the southern end of Main Street.

If you don't want to be in any of those places, you can "kind of" see the fireworks from a spot in Liberty Square that is in front of the Riverboat entrance area.

will this be the same with hallow wishes....never been to wishes at all but,hope this will not be as crazy crowded at mnsshp. Thanks @Robo

 

[pookybean]

we watched it for the first time over by gaston's tavern. it was different because the "wishes" (white straight shot fireworks) were either to the left or behind us depending which way we were facing and the big fireworks were towards the front/right. Despite this.....they were amazing! I have never felt so close to fireworks in my life. The walkway was very dim and there was no crowd. We missed the castle show, but that is alright by me.

My favorite place used to be on the tomorrowland bridge, where tink flies right over, but the new area and how they are taping it off made it too crowded and not very enjoyable. I think gaston's will be our place from now on.

 

[Robo]

will this be the same with hallow wishes...

Yes.

 

[pixiedust10]

Is there anywhere on Main St to watch where you don't feel like you are packed in like a sardine? I am very claustrophobic. I would love to see the fireworks and Celebrate the Magic but it's not worth passing out from not being able to breathe. I did watch the fireworks from Fantasyland once and they were pretty.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

And, yet again, @Robo steps up to the plate!

 

[Robo]

Is there anywhere on Main St to watch where you don't feel like you are packed in like a sardine?

You might try on the bridge to Tomorrowland (in the area I tinted orange on my map in Post #2 of this thread.)

 

[Robo]

And, yet again, @Robo steps up to the plate!

Put me in, Coach!