WALT DISNEY WORLD’S WISHES
Wishes is a 12 minute or so fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom.
It combines fireworks, music, narration, colors and images projected onto Cinderella Castle, and, weather permitting, live performers, into a spectacle and a spectacular show.
Narrated by the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Crickit, the show has the theme of believing in the power of wishes, and of good triumphing over evil.
I have never met anyone who does not love the show, and it is listed as a favorite on this site’s Comprehensive Guide to Rides.
HOW OFTEN WISHES HAPPENS
Depending on the time of the year, Wishes can be shown from nightly to twice a week. Sunday night is the most certain night for it to be shown.
Check the Magic Kingdom Calendar (find your month, then click on the days of your visit) to see when it is being shown during the time you will be at Walt Disney World.
(Disney’s calendars are harder to use than they should be–see this if you need help.)
WHERE TO PLACE YOURSELF TO SEE WISHES
Returning visitors have any number of favorite spots to see Wishes:
- Near the Tomorrowland Terrace
- From the waiting area of the Main Street railroad station
- From the top of the Swiss Family Treehouse
- While riding Splash Mountain
- From out of the park, including the California Grill at the Contemporary Resort, the beaches at both the Polynesian and Fort Wilderness, and other spots.
First time visitors should avoid all these.
Wishes was designed to be seen facing the Castle, with the Main Street railroad station at your back, and that is where you should position yourself.
Where in this axis you should stand depends on whether Wishes is closing the park or not.
- If it is closing the park, stand closer to the railroad station–for example, halfway down Main Street. This will limit the crowds you have to deal with on exit.
- If it is not closing the park, stand closer to the Castle–even as close as the hub in front.
See this for positioning yourself for both the evening parade and Wishes.
Seeing Wishes is in all this site’s itineraries. Many returning visitors have made a tradition of seeing Wishes on their last night at Walt Disney World, as a fitting coda to their experience.
Leave a Reply
30 Comments on "Review: Wishes at the Magic Kingdom"
Hiya Megan. Yes, you are a crazy woman. But Downtown Disney will be just as mobbed. If you go to MK–and NYE is the worst day of the year there–you’ll need to grab something at a quick service restaurant–and lines for them may be an hour long…
In general you can leave and then come back. But the park often closes on NYE, so you may in fact not be able to get back in that day. See this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/11/30/park-closings-at-walt-disney-world/
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
Ok, I am absolutely crazy for forgetting to make dinner reservations in the magic kingdom, but I totally forget and we will be there for New Year’s Eve…should we not even bother going? Or can we grab a bite down town disney and go back later? I also heard, once we leve we cannot re enter the park s that true?
Thanks so much….
Hi Kherie, if you mean literally New Years, there won’t be any discounts as it is such a wildly popular and crowded time. I’d stay on site as the parks close to off-site visitors at times then because of this massive crowding–see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/11/30/park-closings-at-walt-disney-world/
If you mean “just a little after New Years” then there’s already deals out for arrivals beginning Jan 2–see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/10/11/new-disney-world-package-deal-early-2013-not-free-dining-but-not-nothin-neither/
Hi Dave, we will be at Magic Kingdom for New Year’s. Do you know of any places that provide discount being as though we are on a budget?? Also, do you think we should stay at a Disney resort to get the extended hours or should we stay at a more economical hotel because the extended hours are not worth it??
Hi Jessica, I don’t think it’s worth it. The main reason is that the view is off center, and the Magic Kingdom fireworks are best seen looking dead at the Castle from the main street side…I’m not sure what the booking window is–you can call and ask…see this for the number: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/tomorrowland-terrace-fireworks-dessert-party/