Florida Guide > Magic Kingdom
Wishes Firework Display
The perfect ending to a perfect day at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has to be Wishes firework display. This particular extravaganza of pyrotechnics began in 2003 when, in October of that year, it replaced the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks which had been showing since the park’s opening.
Before the show starts, Tinkerbell “flies” from the tallest spire of Cinderella’s Castle, disappearing somewhere in the area of Tomorrowland. You need to watch carefully for this or you may miss it! For safety reasons Tinkerbell will not fly if it is very windy or if the weather is particularly bad.
The narrators for Wishes are Jimminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy who tell the story of the wishes of famous Disney characters. The Blue fairy starts by telling us that stars have the power to make wishes come true and the music begins with starlight star bright before Jiminy Cricket joins in to tell us how he came to believe in wishes.
The fireworks reflect the stories being told and are enhanced by music and lighting as Cinderella’s Castle changes colour to match the mood of the story being told. The castle also acts as a screen for images being projected as the story unfolds.
There are two clear themes to the firework display; the good wishes of characters such as Ariel, Cinderella , Peter Pan and Aladdin who ponder magical wishes and wishes for adventure and love, then there are the bad wishes of the Disney villains all led by the evil queen from Snow White. During this part of the show the music is low and the fireworks noisy enough to frighten very small children so be ready to offer reassurance. As with all Disney stories there is a happy ending and fittingly, at the end, the theme from Pinocchio, “When you wish upon a star” is played.
The most popular vantage point to view wishes is from the square in front of the castle but be aware that this gets crowded and the best viewing points are secured at least thirty minutes prior to the show starting. There are other good viewing points within the Magic Kingdom, refer to your park guide for details. Outside the park itself there is first class viewing of the fireworks from The California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the lights are dimmed and the narration and music are piped into the restaurant, likewise Ohana at The Polynesian Resort and Narcoosees at The Grand Floridian. The fireworks can also be viewed from the beaches along The Seven Seas Lagoon.
Away from Walt Disney World, many of the higher floors of the hotels and motels on the 192 provide spectacular views and some of the homes on the Orlando Villas website boast great views of the fireworks, although away from the park there is obviously no music or narration.
The Wishes firework display takes place nightly, although, throughout the year it is temporarily replaced by seasonal displays; Happy Hallowishes at Halloween during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Holiday Wishes during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This year, 2010, for the first time there has been the Summer Nightastic display. The time of the fireworks varies depending on the park’s opening hours and the time of year and you will need to check the Walt Disney World website for details.
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