Anyway, I got to thinking about the Chip/Dale campfire, and we had already agreed on HDDR. (We did MBYBBQ for Thanksgiving in 2018 - that was fun!). I also read that you can watch HEA fireworks from the beach and the water pageant comes by. Staying at AoA, what should we think about regarding transportation and the time to do as much as we can leisurely at FW? Is there an early show of HDDR? How do we get from the beach/HDDR area to where the campfire is? Does the campfire event conflict with fireworks/water pageant? At that time of night, how can we get back to AoA? Are there buses or water taxi going back to MK or Epcot for bus/Skyliner back to AoA?
A couple of times related to your request are fixed and others float. Let's review:
- As stated above, HDDR has shows at 4pm, 615pm, and 830pm. The middle time is the most popular being nearest most people's dinner hour. The show is approximately two hours.
- In June the Campfire/Singalong/Movie is at 8pm (summer hours). The fire is lit a couple minutes before 8pm, songs are sung while Chip & Dale mingle for pix for 40 minutes, and the movie rolls by 845pm. It occurs every night of the year (subject to weather).
- The Disney Electrical Water Parade down at the beach is 945pm.
The wild card is the HEA fireworks time which varies during the year but usually in the summer it's at 915pm assuming the MK is open still past that time (using last year's operating hours as a guide). But let's assume 915pm.
To work in HDDR you need to book the 4pm show (we love it). You have time to kill after 6pm when you get out before the Campfire/Singalong. You can do the wagon ride (a few $$$) or mosey up to the Campfire Singalong area which is a 15 minute walk over level ground or internal Fort short bus ride.
Enjoy the Campfire Singalong with Chip & Dale starting at 8pm. Chip takes one side of the audience and Dale the other, posing for pictures and signing autographs. It is possible to get pix with both if you hustle (as I do from one side to the other). The movie, if you aren't interested, started about the time you need to head back (by walk or bus) back to the beach for HEA at 915p and EWP at 945p. The music for HEA is generally piped into the beach speakers.
Since your adventure starts down by Bay Lake (HDDR is near the Fort boat dock) and ends there with EWP, boat transportation to/from MK off the Fort dock is your friend. Take a bus from your resort to MK then take the boat (STRAIGHT down from the turnstiles) to the Fort. On the return, boat back to MK. Once to MK, head over to the bus area to get back to AoA or whereever. The boat ride is quite pleasant in the evenings (the bus ride, no opinion).
If money is no object, Minnie Vans can get you close (not doorstep to HDDR as it is in a pedestrian zone) but as close as the buses can get which is a few hundred feet at the Settlement Bus Depot. It depends on the weather, the folks in your group, and your spirit of adventure after a couple hours at the Fort.
We do all these things on our visits to the Fort (Fire, Singalong, HDDR, HEA, EWP) although not in the same night since we are lucky enough to stay at the Fort. Some resorts are places to sleep at overnight while going to the parks in the daytime. The Fort is a daytime destination and we do a day or two of parks each stay. Depends if you want to wear yourself out on vacation or relax on vacation.
Have a great trip.
Bama Ed