The Walt Disney Company announced that starting in 2017, all fireworks shows will take place in the pre-dawn hours, instead of the evenings. This includes the popular Illuminations at Epcot as well as the Wishes fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom. The move comes as Disney looks for new and innovative ways to dazzle park guests around the clock.
“We’ve always thought of our evening fireworks shows as the perfect ‘kiss goodnight’,” Judy Trent tells us. Trent is the brains behind the morning fireworks idea. “What’s better than a kiss goodnight? I’ll tell you: a slap-on-your-ass good morning.”
The fireworks shows will take place early each morning at each of the four theme parks. The shows will be timed to conclude just as the sun is starting to peak on the horizon. Guests will then be free to roam the parks until the attractions open at their regularly scheduled times.
“We don’t have any plans to open our rides and attractions any earlier,” Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III, Vice President of Pre-Dawn Guest Activities tells us. “We’ll open the parks early for guests to stake out a good spot to view the fireworks. After that, they will be free to shop in our stores and purchase breakfast items at select dining locations until the attractions come online at their normal times.”
Geronimo did acknowledge that at certain times of the year, guests could be waiting up to three hours for rides to open after the fireworks have concluded. He mentioned that past guest surveys have indicated that guests feel that there is never enough time to shop for souvenirs. This will solve that problem.
“Personally, I don’t think there’s a better time to shop than after fireworks have gone off,” Geronimo concluded.
For guests not attending the fireworks displays in person, Trent assured us that the sound of the fireworks exploding will be amplified so that nearby hotels can experience the excitement without ever leaving their beds.
“We promise that our fireworks will wake even the heaviest sleeper,” Trent said. “Our fireworks display is going to be the perfect way to alert guests that it’s time to get up and start spending money.”
