After a day of fun at the parks, seeing the Disneyland fireworks is the perfect way to end your night. Throughout the year, there are different fireworks shows offered that rotate with the seasons. With each one, Disneyland puts on a dazzling display with projections, soaring music, and fireworks, all woven together to tell a story.
We will take you through our top 5 tips for viewing the fireworks at Disneyland and everything you’ll want to keep in mind to make the most of your experience!
1) Don’t leave the fireworks for the last night of your trip. Fireworks are dependent on weather conditions, and they are more likely to be canceled on days with high winds. Make sure you plan to see them early on in your trip so you don’t miss them due to potential cancellations.
If you plan to see the fireworks on the first night of your trip, as we suggest in our 3-day Disneyland itinerary, you can always catch them on another day if they are canceled. You can keep an eye on the Disneyland app or Disneyland website to stay up-to-date on fireworks cancellations during your visit.
2) Be prepared to wait to secure castle viewing. One of the most magical, and popular, places to watch the fireworks show is in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. If it is a priority for you to enjoy this great view, you need to be willing to spend a significant amount of time saving a spot. For castle viewing, we recommend planning for 90 minutes of spot saving (and up to 3 hours if you want to sit right in front of the castle).
While you may not want to take the time to secure this coveted castle viewing every time you visit, we find that it’s especially worth it for the seasonal Disneyland Christmas show “Believe…In Holiday Magic.”
3) Bring snacks and a blanket for spot-saving if you do decide to spend some time securing a more popular fireworks viewing spot. This blanket is not only to sit on for comfort, but it will also help you clearly mark your space, especially in more crowded areas like in front of the castle.
As you’ll be waiting for a prolonged period of time, make sure to also bring some snacks to enjoy to help you pass the time while you wait, or you can grab something from one of the food carts on your way to save your spot. See some of the best Disney snack ideas we recommend bringing to the parks here.
4) If you’re interested in a less crowded fireworks spot, there are several great alternative places to watch the fireworks. One of our favorite spots is in front of “it’s a small world,” where you’ll be able to enjoy the projections on the facade and the fireworks off to the left. You can also watch the show from the Rivers of America in Frontierland, with music playing and projections on the water screens. If you’re seeing the first showing of Fantasmic, this spot is a great choice because you can just stay where you are. This is one of our favorite less crowded fireworks viewing spots at Disneyland.
If you want to avoid the parks altogether for fireworks, there are also places where you can see them outside of the parks, like the Esplanade and certain hotels near Disneyland. Some hotels have rooftop lounges and restaurants with views of the fireworks, like the RISE Rooftop Lounge at the Westin Anaheim.
5) Get a unique perspective on the fireworks from Galaxy’s Edge or on outdoor rides. The “Fire of the Rising Moons” experience offers a unique view of the fireworks from Galaxy’s Edge. The fireworks are accompanied by music including selections from John Williams’ Star Wars film scores. A new fireworks dining package is being offered for Docking Bay 7 which includes viewing for the “Fire of the Rising Moons” show.
You can also get a unique and memorable perspective on the fireworks by riding outdoor attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Dumbo while the show is happening! This time of night is a great time to enjoy popular attractions as lines will be shorter with visitors seeing the shows.
You can see more of our top fireworks viewing tips and details on the shows offered throughout the year in our full Disneyland fireworks guide.
At Mickey Visit, we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week, we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.