Disney Reviews: Show Edition #5 - Wishes

This is a bit of a broad review, simply because all the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom are wonderful and all variations of one another. During the normal season, you have Wishes fireworks each night. On Halloween party nights, you have Happy Hallowishes (see Halloween party review HERE) and on Christmas party nights you have Holiday Wishes. The party night fireworks tend to be my favorite, but Wishes is another one of those special moments that cause this hard-hearted Asper to swell tiny tears in the corner of her eyes!

Disney fireworks are not like your local 4th of July explosions, they are massive and they occur every single night (sometimes more than once). Disney World is reportedly the single largest consumer of fireworks in the world. And it's not just Magic Kingdom that gets in on the act...Epcot has Illuminations (which I will review later) and the Studios has Fantasmic (which I have reviewed HERE). Animal Kingdom obviously doesn't have fireworks due to the animals, but they are getting a water show late next year. On New Years Eve, even Downtown Disney gets in on the act with their own impressive display (although you will NEVER catch me at Downtown Disney on New Years Eve...way TOO many people!).

We don't always actually watch the fireworks...it's the best time to ride rides (because everyone else is watching them). But you can hear them all over, so you're never really far away. They have changed throughout the years though, with additions of projections onto the castle and all advancements in fireworks are implemented almost immediately (at least there are some areas that Disney doesn't slack too much on).

Depending on where you stand in the Magic Kingdom, the experience can be completely different, no matter which version of Wishes you are watching. You can watch from Main Street USA (my favorite place, obviously):
Regular Wishes (and these are BAD because they are from 2005):
2005-0249
2005-0258
2005-0260

Hallowishes:
2010-0251
2010-0290
2005-0650
2005-0653
2005-0707

Holiday Wishes:
2013 (12)-4120
2013 (12)-4158
2013 (12)-4295


Or other lands - here's Holiday Wishes from New Fantasyland:
Looking toward Cinderella's Castle:
2013 (12)-1227
2013 (12)-1293
And toward the Beast's Castle:
2013 (12)-1326
2013 (12)-1321
2013 (12)-1408

Hallowishes from Casey's Corner seating area (off Main Street, on the way to Adventureland):
2009-1010
2009-1053
2009-1405
2009-1495
2007-0229

From the bridge to Liberty Square:
2008-0273
2008-0302

From old Fantasyland, looking toward Pinocchio's Village Haus:
2009-2319
and around:
2009-2337
back toward the castle:
2009-2336
you are literally right under the fireworks here, so if you're scared of them (or falling debris), this is NOT the place to be.

from Tomorrowland Terrace (before it was confiscated for the fireworks dessert party):
2006-0143
2006-0145


They can even be seen (and definitely heard) from the Magic Kingdom area resorts like Wilderness Lodge:
2012-0697
2012-0700


and the finale of every show pretty much turns nighttime into daytime:
2013 (12)-4381
2009-1058

Wishes has been around a very long time, and there is talk that it's soon to depart (and they are really going to have to outdo themselves to top it). There are purchasable CD's in the parks (and Downtown) that have the soundtracks to all versions of Wishes, and I highly recommend getting them! Granted, the Boo To You Halloween Parade is my current ringtone, but there are times I switch it out with selections from the various Wishes as well, so the music of the show is just as important as the show itself.

Comments

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