Which nighttime entertainment is not to be missed?

[ewasilau]

We have a 5-night stay coming up in May, which, in theory, means that we could hit each park at night. However, we are planning to RD all mornings but one, and arrival night might be rough (waking up at 5 am that day) so I'm not sure that we want all late nights too. (Kids are 10, 12 and 14 and while the older two love to stay up late and still get up early, the youngest requires more sleep.) We are also planning an Ohana dinner one night, and have a 7:15 ADR, so we plan to see HEA that night, but from a distance (either from Ohana or from the Poly beach).

We also have an evening (7:50) reservation at Spice Road Table one night, so Illuminations would be easy that night, but otherwise have no set plans besides our Ohana night (Ohana is not negotiable - that ADR is staying!). Spice Road is cancellable though if we decide we want to do other things more.

What is everyone's favorite nighttime entertainment? And least favorite? Should we see HEA again (besides on our Ohana night) inside the park? What if I told you that my youngest does not love to be close to fireworks? And which is the best show at HS, if we are only there once at night? FYI, we are staying at YC, so HS and EP are most accessible.

Thanks for any insights!

 

[disneyvoice]

This will probably be unpopular opinion but we can take or leave any of the night time shows/fireworks. In general we tend to be rope drop people but we end up getting tired around dinner time so we are rarely in the parks later than that. I don't think any show or attraction is worth it if it is going to be pushing tolerance limits or will result in a cranky, overly tired child. Granted we go to WDW all the time and have seen all the shows and fireworks before so we don't feel like we are missing anything. Are your kids just dying to stay and see the night time shows? If not, I honestly would just skip it.

 

[pitpat]

Illuminations looks like it will be easy to stay for. Nighttime entertainment at HS is not usually late - you would know if your kids would prefer Star Wars or Fantasmic with Disney characters. No need to bother with rivers of Light.

HEA is better in the park of course, but if you'll be at the Poly, sometimes convenience wins out.

 

[fhtpdw20]

If you should want an out of park night's entertainment, please go to River Roost and catch Yeehaw Bob's show at 8:30. Much fun and is very family oriented.

 

[stace1214]

HEA is so wonderful, I couldn't miss it on a trip, but if your kiddo doesn't like fireworks all that much, seeing it from a distance at Poly isn't a bad idea. Illuminations is also great and if you have Star Wars fans, they might love the HS fireworks. I'm not a Star Wars fan and don't care for Fantasmic personally, so they are last on my list. Haven't seen Rivers of Light, we've skipped it our last two trips, didn't look like something my kids would be into.

 

[loves to dive]

This will probably be unpopular opinion but we can take or leave any of the night time shows/fireworks. In general we tend to be rope drop people but we end up getting tired around dinner time so we are rarely in the parks later than that. I don't think any show or attraction is worth it if it is going to be pushing tolerance limits or will result in a cranky, overly tired child. Granted we go to WDW all the time and have seen all the shows and fireworks before so we don't feel like we are missing anything. Are your kids just dying to stay and see the night time shows? If not, I honestly would just skip it.

I sort of agree with this. Since HEA and Star Wars are very heavy on projection, unless you can get right up front and center and are tall and like to be squished in with a lot of unhappy people, you are going to miss a lot of it. HEA is more FW heavy than Star Wars. I'm not a fan of Illuminations, never have been, it's another projection heavy show but it is on the lake so easy enough to get a spot. Fantasmic is fun if you like Disney characters, you can sit so that's nice and while there are fireworks it isn't too bad. ROL is nice, you can sit and there are no FWs at all, a lot of people don't like it but it might be our favorite because it is pretty, again heavy on projection.

 

[ArielSRL]

Favorites are HEA, Fantasmic, and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.

ETA: Nighttime in the parks is my favorite time so even though I have littles (3 and 5 on our last trip), we also spend nighttime in the parks. We usually do rope drop then a 4 hour midday break. I am not giving up my nighttime in the parks.

 

[ewasilau]

Thanks - it's especially helpful to know that Star Wars fireworks are heavy on projections and that you really need to be up close to see well, and that ROL doesn't have fireworks. I'm curious to see if others say ROL is skippable. Does it end late and is it crazy getting out of AK (and back to a resort) afterwards? We will be at AK in the evening for a FOP FP+ (window is 6:45-7:45) but it's the evening before a planned 8 a.m. MK RD, so I think it might be too much to stay at ROL that night. There is another free night though if we were to decide on ROL (which I think we only would because of the lack of fireworks - youngest kid might like it).

Are the Fantasmic fireworks just at the end? I saw it with my daughter 5 years ago, but the rest of the family hasn't seen it and I can't remember the details. I think it maybe had fireworks briefly at the very end. I like that we can walk back from HS so it makes Fantasmic appealing.

We will definitely do some nighttime stuff but not all. I can't imagine spending all of our evenings in the hotel while on vacation! We just can't make every night late, so we will have to make some choices.

 

[ArielSRL]

Thanks - it's especially helpful to know that Star Wars fireworks are heavy on projections and that you really need to be up close to see well, and that ROL doesn't have fireworks. I'm curious to see if others say ROL is skippable. Does it end late and is it crazy getting out of AK (and back to a resort) afterwards? We will be at AK in the evening for a FOP FP+ (window is 6:45-7:45) but it's the evening before a planned 8 a.m. MK RD, so I think it might be too much to stay at ROL that night. There is another free night though if we were to decide on ROL (which I think we only would because of the lack of fireworks - youngest kid might like it).

Are the Fantasmic fireworks just at the end? I saw it with my daughter 5 years ago, but the rest of the family hasn't seen it and I can't remember the details. I think it maybe had fireworks briefly at the very end. I like that we can walk back from HS so it makes Fantasmic appealing.

We will definitely do some nighttime stuff but not all. I can't imagine spending all of our evenings in the hotel while on vacation! We just can't make every night late, so we will have to make some choices.

I did not enjoy ROL. I would never tell anyone not to do it at all though. But the seating was really uncomfortable...I basically had to scrunch up so my knees would not hit the person in front of me and I am only 5'5". Plus we were all made to squeeze together so it was very, very hot and muggy. I won't do it again.

 

[piratepride]

The Stars Wars nighttime show at DHS is fantastic! We watched the fireworks at Poly last August....very good view! The pipe the music in for your entertainment too!

 

[Louie7080]

I had a very good view of the Star Wars show a few weeks ago and while I am glad I saw it, I wasn't all that impressed with it. I like some the Star Wars movies but am not a huge fan so maybe that is why. That said I love the parks at night and light shows so I plan on seeing it again and there isn't a ton else to do at HS. I liked HEA better though my daughter liked Star Wars better but she isn't into princesses and most of the animated Disney movies. ROL is ok - the problem I have with it is that AK doesn't seem to stay open late with Extra Magic Hours and there are other things at that park I want to experience while dark. I have seen Fantasmic in DL and it is better than the one at WDW so I skip it there. In fact I prefer the night time shows in DL better. World of Color is awesome and the Paint the Night parade is too (it is returning to California Adventure soon). If you ever get to DL, make sure you see those 3 night time events. It is hard balancing rope dropping with staying late though I think I prefer staying late in the parks to getting to the parks early. That said we try to get to the parks on most days at opening or a little before (we skip morning EMH parks) and don't try to get at the turnstiles 45 minutes to an hour early like many do who try to rope drop. We also usually take an afternoon break to recharge - that is when we shower too to save time in the mornings and we eat breakfast in our rooms for the same reason.

 

[PSUGuy]

Illuminations is our only 'Must Do' evening attraction with the exception of the jugglers, magicians and carny acts at the Board Walk. We particularly enjoy Coney Island Chris and once on the 'boards, Illuminations is right there. If you're lucky one or more of your kids may get chosen to participate in an act as our grand daughter was made the Magician's Assistant a few years back.No wonder we always stay at BW.

Grand Daughter Sophia & Magician:

Bill From PA

 

[rentayenta]

Subbing.

Great thread and I as wondering the same thing. This will be our first trip in 6 years. I am a fireworks/parade/nighttime show junkie and DH can take them or leave them. I don't see us staying late more than one night, maybe two. We have seen F! and Illuminations though our view was not amazing for Illuminations.

I am thinking about Rivers of Light and maybe MK fireworks but cannot decide.

Having said all that we visit Disneyland weekly and see their fireworks often.

 

[CAS239]

Subbing.

Great thread and I as wondering the same thing. This will be our first trip in 6 years. I am a fireworks/parade/nighttime show junkie and DH can take them or leave them. I don't see us staying late more than one night, maybe two. We have seen F! and Illuminations though our view was not amazing for Illuminations.

I am thinking about Rivers of Light and maybe MK fireworks but cannot decide.

Having said all that we visit Disneyland weekly and see their fireworks often.

Please see HEA over RoL, it's like night and day. You won't regret that

 

[CAS239]

Must sees for me are Happily Ever After, Fantasmic, and Star Wars

Illuminations we'll catch if we happen to be at Epcot that late. RoL, we'd rather just walk to the car early

The good thing about the shows for those that don't really like fireworks: HEA and Star Wars, both shows have their big fireworks shot off from behind the parks so it's not too up close and loud. Still loud but not as if they were shot off right near you. Fantasmic has majority of it's fireworks toward the end but it does have a few during the show. It's not a heavy fireworks show

 

[biochemgirl]

My two cents is to check things out with online videos and get a little more information about your preferences. My personal favorites are HEA and F!. I like doing a dining package for F! and really making an afternoon of it.

 

[rentayenta]

Please see HEA over RoL, it's like night and day. You won't regret that

Thanks! Your avatar makes you extra convincing. LOL!!!!


What is the Star Wars entertainment and where is it?

 

[mamamelody2]

Boy, that's tough. We have only been to WDW 3 times, so haven't seen everything over and over, but still I could probably do just fine missing all of them. LOL. I enjoy them, but I don't enjoy having to stake out a spot early, then trying to navigate the throngs when it is over.

That said, the Star Wars nighttime show is very fun and my DH and boys are very into Star Wars, so we are planning to see that. We did see it in 2016 and really enjoyed it. DH and I saw Fantasmic for the first time last November, and it was fun, but not a must-do. HEA is good and I enjoy it, but I could easily just see the fireworks from Fantasyland or Frontierland and be just fine. My sons haven't seen it yet, though, so we will see it from the hub for them. Rivers of Light I have not seen and don't really care to. The descriptions I have read about the seating sound terrible. DH is 6'3" and would probably be terribly uncomfortable. If we were passing when it was about to start, and there was still plenty of room, we'd try it. Illuminations is nice, but again, I could skip it easily. The boys have only seen it once in 2010, though, so we will watch it again with them this September.

I just feel like it frees up a ton of time if you don't feel the need to see a "nighttime spectacular" every night. Ride lines are shorter during the shows, too.

 

[CAS239]

Thanks! Your avatar makes you extra convincing. LOL!!!!


What is the Star Wars entertainment and where is it?

The star wars show is right in the center of HS. You'll want a clear view of the Chinese theater as there's projections on the entire building. It's a smaller area than the hub at MK so I'd recommend getting there about 45-60 min ahead of showtime to get a clear view. The CM's put tape down and mark off walkways, so I prefer to try to get on the front side of a walkway so no one stops and stands in front of us

 

[shanew21]

Illuminations is the only fireworks show that I cannot miss. Do the show, then take a leisurely stroll around the world showcase right after. It's completely magical.