Fireworks from beach still worth watching?

sharadoc

Visit WDW since '86, driving since '94.
Joined
May 6, 2008
Hi Folks, haven't been to the Fort in a few years and even when we don't stay there, we like to plan an evening of Trail's End, fireworks and EWP on the beach. Happily Ever After uses a lot of projections - is there still a good show on the beach and do they still pipe in music? Trying to plan our February trip and not sure if the fireworks are a must-do anymore. What's your opinion? we still want to do the Trial's End dinner and EWP, that's our fave.
 
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Hi Folks, haven't been to the Fort in a few years and even when we don't stay there, we like to plan an evening of Trail's End, fireworks and EWP on the beach. Happily Ever After uses a lot of projections - is there still a good show on the beach and do they still pipe in music? Trying to plan our February trip and not sure if the fireworks are a must-do anymore. What's your opinion? we still want to do the Trial's End dinner and EWP, that's our fave.

Depends entirely on your expectations. To us, being as the projections are so much a part of the show, we could not enjoy it anywhere except center front of castle. Also, we like to see all the fireworks - lower ones that can't be seen from the beach. But, you can see fireworks - it's just what satisfies you, and what you're willing to settle for. :goodvibes

We never leave the fireworks with the masses - we just relax, wait 15-30min and exit at our own pace. Just take a seat at one of the tables by Casey's Corner and enjoy the night ambiance.
 
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Expectations in a 1 = low to 10 = high. Want a 9/10, then NO. Want a 5/6, then maybe yes or maybe no. Will not know until you see them but for DW and myself, no crowd hassles leaving MK, 10 minute walk and we're back HOME in the motor home at FW not another resort, so it's a 7.5 for us. :)

Enjoy your stay.
 


I’ll never forget our very first Disney trip - February of 2012- sitting on the beach at night watching the fireworks- kids playing in the sand- all of us in shorts at 10pm at night relaxing in the beach chairs... I can still hear the water washing up on the shore and picture the moon shining....
All of this while back home in Minnesota they were having a ten day stretch of almost 30 below zero weather.... it seemed surreal that just 2000 miles away it could be so beautiful.
That was the moment I fell in love with the fireworks from the Fort’s beach- to me it will always be a “10” :love:
 
Well if you don't do the fireworks in MK then you can not stay for the "Goodnight Kiss" which I have to do at least once every trip.
 
Well if you don't do the fireworks in MK then you can not stay for the "Goodnight Kiss" which I have to do at least once every trip.
Goodnight kiss? We were there in June, but the magic hours were after hours at MK that night. I/we weren't aware of the "goodnight kiss" When is that supposed to happen? Lol. I'm sure my DW didn't know what it is, or I would have experienced it!
 


I’ll never forget our very first Disney trip - February of 2012- sitting on the beach at night watching the fireworks- kids playing in the sand- all of us in shorts at 10pm at night relaxing in the beach chairs... I can still hear the water washing up on the shore and picture the moon shining....
All of this while back home in Minnesota they were having a ten day stretch of almost 30 below zero weather.... it seemed surreal that just 2000 miles away it could be so beautiful.
That was the moment I fell in love with the fireworks from the Fort’s beach- to me it will always be a “10” :love:

Yes, you captured it - the first time we did it, we had no idea what to expect. My daughter was digging in the sand, we had a nice cocktail from Crockett's Tavern, and we loved the entire experience. It's why we also love the Water Electrical Pageant. It's corny as can be and we love it so much! The best times are the parade at 9:45 and the fireworks at 10. Thanks for reminding me.
 
Well if you don't do the fireworks in MK then you can not stay for the "Goodnight Kiss" which I have to do at least once every trip.

It will scare you if you don't know it's coming lol. Like a "what's happening???" We always are some of the last people out of the park, so we see it enough. Since we're staying at the Boardwalk this trip, we're making an evening Fort trip for dinner and the beach. It's a tradition, even if we don't stay there.
 
The fireworks music is still piped in near the beach lounge chairs and the speciality design fireworks are clearly visible even at that distance. My first time seeing them from the Fort's beach was last month and is now one of my favorite viewing locations outside the park. There is also now a Photopass photographer who comes around the beach area during that time with a lantern similar to the Tangled lanterns at the MK Photopass location.
 
The fireworks music is still piped in near the beach lounge chairs and the speciality design fireworks are clearly visible even at that distance. My first time seeing them from the Fort's beach was last month and is now one of my favorite viewing locations outside the park. There is also now a Photopass photographer who comes around the beach area during that time with a lantern similar to the Tangled lanterns at the MK Photopass location.

Wow, that's cool. Thanks for letting me know, hopefully the Photopass photographer will be there in February. Probably the same one that works the Hoop-De-Doo.
 
It's a bit of a yes AND no answer. The projections on the castle sort of change the show into a movie with firework accompaniment IMO, so in that sense the experience that you get watching from far away is more of a departure from the in-park view than it was during Wishes.

BUT, if you just want to appreciate it as a classic firework show, it is as good as or better than Wishes. It uses more shells and some higher ones, too. Plus, the spotlights might look even better outside the park than right next to the castle.

Short answer is yes- it's still awesome.
 
View attachment 351933 WE found this little corner last time we were there. It is a little farther away but rarely a crowd there.
Our family also found that area years ago- I have the most beautiful picture of space mountain taken from that area. I look back on that now with a mixture of thankfulness and honestly a little terror- my four kids were still fairly little back then. It was dark- we were right near the water- as Minnesotans it never occurred to us there could be any danger. After all- we were in Disney’s bubble- what could ever happen?? That was back in what I think of as “the age of innocence.”
Now I know and to this day I hug my kids close. I’m sorry to bring sadness to this ( or any) post, but that picture brought up a lot of memories...
 
We also found that spot. It is totally dark and the fireworks were much better there and space mountain is all lit up. You can even see the castle (not well enough to see the projections) we did not take the kids. There was an owl that was not happy with us so we didn’t stay long. I would not take kids back there!!
 

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