There are multiple short "events" that happen starting at "dark" and about every 10 minutes, or so, over the course of the evening until closing time.
As long as you can see the Tree of Life, (best if you are in "front" of the Tree or, now, in "back" of the Tree)
you can just stand there and see and hear the particular event happening at that moment.
Since the viewing can be in such wide areas of the park, none will be "crowded"
to the point of not being able to enjoy the event(s.)
Each event can happen at "random" (more or less) and each lasts about 3 minutes, give or take.
Remember the WDW commercials from the 80s, shortly after Epcot opened, that featured Mickey standing on top of SE? Maybe we should just ask him. Of course, there was no AK at the time...