One of the best times to be at a Walt Disney World theme park is after the sun goes down. Some of the best fireworks and nighttime spectaculars are held each and every night at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
With the conclusion of the The 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World in early 2023, guests visiting from the late spring will enjoy a number of the classic nighttime spectacular shows which will cap off their extraordinary day at the Disney parks.
Following is the current lineup of fireworks and nighttime spectacular entertainment at the Walt Disney World theme parks as of the January 2024.
Happily Ever After
Happily Ever After is the signature show of the Walt Disney World fireworks spectaculars. Held at the Magic Kingdom with Cinderella Castle as the backdrop, the amazing nightly show replaced Disney Enchantment which ended on April 2, 2023.
In this classic show that inspired by several of the most popular Disney stories, the castle comes to life along with the sky being let up with with fireworks, laser lights and magical effects. Featured in Happily Ever After include characters and music from the movies The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Frozen, Up, Aladdin, The Lion King, Brave and Tarzan.
Happily Ever After typically starts are 9:00 PM and is just less than 20 minutes in length. The best places to watch the show is from in front of the castle or at the base of Main Street U.S.A.
Watch our video of the entire show.
Luminous The Symphony of Us
Luminous: The Symphony of Us is a fairly new nighttime spectacular at EPCOT in Walt Disney World Resort that aims to connect audiences through shared human experiences. The show features a series of movements representing a variety of different life experiences / stages of life.
The show is designed to be emotionally resonant and playful, incorporating original songs as well as selections from the Disney stories.
Held nightly around 9:00 PM, the best place to watch Luminous is from the entrance to the World Showcase just between the two free-standing gift shops.
Electrical Water Pageant
Disney’s Electrical Water Pageant takes place just outside of the Magic Kingdom on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. This “pageant” is the water borne version of the famous Electrical Light Parade that was features at the Disney theme parks for years.
The pageant is set to music and features a number of floating sea creatures as well as a patriotic ensemble that floats past a number of Disney’s hotels and resorts. These include:
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Guests not staying at any of these hotels can watch the Electrical Water Pageant from the waterfront in front of the entrance to the Magic Kingdom.
Wonderful World of Animation
The Wonderful World of Animation takes place nightly at Disney’s Hollywood Studios along Hollywood Boulevard with the Chinese Theatre (that houses the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction) as the backdrop.
In this 12-minute show guests will enjoy fireworks and a projection show featuring more than 90 years of Disney and Pixar amination including some of the most popular movies like The Incredibles, Sleeping Beauty, Coco and more. And of course Mikey Mouse is part of the show.
Typically starting at 9:00 PM, the best place to watch the Wonderful World of Animation is directly in the center of the elevated stage in front of the Chinese Theatre.
Fantasmic!
The premier nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Fantasmic! Located in an open air theater at the end of Sunset Boulevard, the show is based on a dream by Mickey Mouse of a battle with good versus evil.
Guests watch as over 50 live performers make up this amazing spectacular which features special effects, pyrotechnics, music and enormous theatrical sets. Characters included in the show are from a number of popular Disney movies like:
- Beauty and the Beast
- Sleeping Beauty
- The Little Mermaid
- Aladdin
- The Lion King
- Pocahontas
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Since this was a fairly popular show, guests may want to find a seat in the amphitheater more than 60 minutes before showtime.
Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular (Temporarily Unavailable)
Another amazing nighttime spectacular which is currently unavailable is Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. Held directly on the Chinese theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this projection show features some of your favorite moments in the Star Wars saga.
Including the projection, the show includes special effects, lasers, lighting and pyrotechnics to put you in the middle of the action with Luke, Leah, Han, Rey, Poe, Finn and Chewy.
As of December 2022, Disney has not announced when this show will reopen.
Tree of Life Awakenings
Located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life Awakenings.
Using the Tree of Life as a backdrop, guests will enjoy a story of animal spirits that includes music & images inspired by the iconic Disney movie The Lion King. The show features a dazzling display of lights, images and colors.
Typically, the Tree of Life Awakenings is shown after dusk every 10 minutes until Animal Kingdom closes.
