EPCOT Fireworks

[Arbond]

So, I would like to bring a group of students to Florida. I know we will go one evening to Disney Springs. I was wondering, is it possible to just take our bus over to the EPCOT parking lot to watch the fireworks at 9pm? Or, do we really need to buy tickets to the park for the afternoon and evening?

 

[Matt_Black]

There's a lot more to Illuminations than just the fireworks. If you just witness that, I'd say you're missing out. Anyway, if you DO want to do it, I'd say the parking lot is a bad choice. Better choice would be to hit the Boardwalk, as that's closer to the action.

 

[Wdw62114]

In the parking lot, atleast you can spare yourself the boredom of watching a stupid globe spin around for 10 minutes

 

[AndyS2992]

So you want to bring a group of people all the way to Florida to shop in a half finished shopping mall and spend the evening stood in a parking lot with a very bad view of a firework show (since Spaceship Earth will blocking most of it) Why? Just pay the ticket price and spend the day in Epcot. Sounds like a bad idea to me. If I was a student and was taken to WDW I would at least like to enter a park rather than just stand outside it whilst people stared at us for being cheap lol

 

[Matt_Black]

So you want to bring a group of people all the way to Florida to shop in a half finished shopping mall and spend the evening stood in a parking lot with a very bad view of a firework show (since Spaceship Earth will blocking most of it) Why?

Lots of reasons. Monetary restrictions, and if they're students, actually attending a theme park might require more in the way of permission slips and other legal business than simply going to Disney Springs.

 

[carriebeth]

You will have to pay parking...not sure what that is for a bus.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Viewing fireworks from anywhere but in the park that's doing them is generally a bad idea.

The music, viewing angle, and full show experience are very important for Disney fireworks.

 

[marni1971]

You'd be better off watching Wishes from the Poly (on the strip of land where you still can)

RoE from the Epcot parking lot is not a great idea.

 

[JIMINYCR]

What are you thinking????? If I was one of the students I'd hate being bussed over to Epcot, sitting in a parking lot, having a limited view of a fireworks show, missing out on all the fun inside. I'd get all the students together and we'd mutiny.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

You'd be better off watching Wishes from the Poly (on the strip of land where you still can)

RoE from the Epcot parking lot is not a great idea.

Completely agree with this. Wished from the Polynesian is nice because they still play the music of the show so you get a pretty good experience. And you can also get Dole Whip.

 

[thomas998]

You'd be better off watching Wishes from the Poly (on the strip of land where you still can)

RoE from the Epcot parking lot is not a great idea.

Actually I was going to suggest if you want to be as cheap as possible, go to magic kingdom parking lot, take a tram to the transportation center and then ride the ferry back and forth till they are over.

 

[GVentola]

Actually I was going to suggest if you want to be as cheap as possible, go to magic kingdom parking lot, take a tram to the transportation center and then ride the ferry back and forth till they are over.

Actually, unless they changed it, you can view Wishes right from the Ticket & Transportation Center, near the ferry boat landing, and they pipe the music and dialogue in.

 

[bingie]

You could ride the monorail to epcot from the ttc around 850 and hope it breaks down as it goes through the park

 

[Disone]

So, I would like to bring a group of students to Florida. I know we will go one evening to Disney Springs. I was wondering, is it possible to just take our bus over to the EPCOT parking lot to watch the fireworks at 9pm? Or, do we really need to buy tickets to the park for the afternoon and evening?

To take a Disney bus from Disney Springs to Epcot? No. There is not transportation from Disney Springs to any of the four theme parks. Taking your own bus.... sure.

The Poly Beach is probably the best free viewing of a Disney Fireworks show Park at Epcot and take the Monorail to TTC. From TTC you can walk to the poly. After the fireworks you can Monorail back to Epcot. You will get a far better fireworks viewing experience, get to ride the monorail, and get a quick inside the park tour of Epcot via the monorail on your return trip.

 

[Arbond]

So you want to bring a group of people all the way to Florida to shop in a half finished shopping mall and spend the evening stood in a parking lot with a very bad view of a firework show (since Spaceship Earth will blocking most of it) Why? Just pay the ticket price and spend the day in Epcot. Sounds like a bad idea to me. If I was a student and was taken to WDW I would at least like to enter a park rather than just stand outside it whilst people stared at us for being cheap lol

So, I probably should have written more. We will be coming for 3 nights and 4 days. We are spending our well-earned money where teenagers would rather go, at Universal amusement parks. I know that is probably blasphemy to most of you on this board, but honestly, teenagers (seniors) would much rather go to US and IofA, than any of the 4 parks at DW - it is what it is. We think the fireworks show is outstanding at Epcot, and, we think, of all of the parks at DW, Epcot, especially the World Showcase, could provide a bit of a more adult aspect to add on to their "amusement" park events. If we can't afford to do two trips to Universal properties AND a trip to Epcot, we would instead take a trip over to Disney Springs (as mentioned above), as this is what we generally do instead. I was only wondering if we could pull off seeing the fireworks from an easy location with our own tour buses. Sorry, I should have been more thorough in my first post. But thanks for your snarky and condescending reply all the same.

 

[Disone]

So, I probably should have written more. We will be coming for 3 nights and 4 days. We are spending our well-earned money where teenagers would rather go, at Universal amusement parks. I know that is probably blasphemy to most of you on this board, but honestly, teenagers (seniors) would much rather go to US and IofA, than any of the 4 parks at DW - it is what it is. We think the fireworks show is outstanding at Epcot, and, we think, of all of the parks at DW, Epcot, especially the World Showcase, could provide a bit of a more adult aspect to add on to their "amusement" park events. If we can't afford to do two trips to Universal properties AND a trip to Epcot, we would instead take a trip over to Disney Springs (as mentioned above), as this is what we generally do instead. I was only wondering if we could pull off seeing the fireworks from an easy location with our own tour buses. Sorry, I should have been more thorough in my first post. But thanks for your snarky and condescending reply all the same.

No Blasphemy. Enjoy your Disney Evening, I know of plenty of high school aged students that have Disney annual passes over Universal. Just the same, The blanket statement "teenagers would rather go to Universal then Disney" is not something that can be support via any real statistics that I have seen. BUT if you feel our group of teens would prefer Universal...... then you know then better and sure, go sincerely stick to your gut because in your case your most likely correct. I don't think there is Blasphemy in that.

RE: World Showcase, it well may be more adult, its more adult in a sophisticated way that a thrill seeking Universal loving teenager would probably not appreciate. Adding that you would not be in world showcase so they would not be able to see it at all. I still say park at Epcot, enjoy the free monorail rail which will provide a fun way to get to Poly to experience a Disney Fireworks show, completely with the intended sound track piped in, and also a quick inside the park tour of Epcot on our way back.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Epcot fireworks without audio, hard to imagine. Does the soundtrack make it out to the parking lot? Boardwalk? Is audio piped to rooms in Swan or Dolphin? Not sure about alternate viewing locations in light of the perspective blockages (i.e. spaceship earth, trees, etc).

 

[AndyS2992]

So, I probably should have written more. We will be coming for 3 nights and 4 days. We are spending our well-earned money where teenagers would rather go, at Universal amusement parks. I know that is probably blasphemy to most of you on this board, but honestly, teenagers (seniors) would much rather go to US and IofA, than any of the 4 parks at DW - it is what it is. We think the fireworks show is outstanding at Epcot, and, we think, of all of the parks at DW, Epcot, especially the World Showcase, could provide a bit of a more adult aspect to add on to their "amusement" park events. If we can't afford to do two trips to Universal properties AND a trip to Epcot, we would instead take a trip over to Disney Springs (as mentioned above), as this is what we generally do instead. I was only wondering if we could pull off seeing the fireworks from an easy location with our own tour buses. Sorry, I should have been more thorough in my first post. But thanks for your snarky and condescending reply all the same.

Snarky and condescending? What? Lol I'm trying to help. If you can't afford to watch the show properly then don't go. You have to pay to enter the Epcot car park and you can't see the show from there anyway so it's an awful idea. Just stay at Universal and go to the nearby huge Florida Mall if they want to go shopping. You can't see the show from Disney Springs properly anyway and there's not that many stores there that teens would be interested in imo. Either charge more to go to Epcot or just ignore WDW altogether.

 

[wdwfan757]

When are you going? The star wars fireworks are more impressive from a distance and significantly more easily viewed from a freely accessible location. Bus from Springs to any of the boardwalk hotels and just walk over in front of HS and you can watch them. ESPN club might be appealing to some of you as well.

 

[danlb_2000]

So, I probably should have written more. We will be coming for 3 nights and 4 days. We are spending our well-earned money where teenagers would rather go, at Universal amusement parks. I know that is probably blasphemy to most of you on this board, but honestly, teenagers (seniors) would much rather go to US and IofA, than any of the 4 parks at DW - it is what it is. We think the fireworks show is outstanding at Epcot, and, we think, of all of the parks at DW, Epcot, especially the World Showcase, could provide a bit of a more adult aspect to add on to their "amusement" park events. If we can't afford to do two trips to Universal properties AND a trip to Epcot, we would instead take a trip over to Disney Springs (as mentioned above), as this is what we generally do instead. I was only wondering if we could pull off seeing the fireworks from an easy location with our own tour buses. Sorry, I should have been more thorough in my first post. But thanks for your snarky and condescending reply all the same.

I agree with others, Illuminations is probably the worst night time show to watch from outside the park. The new Star Wars fireworks show at DHS might be a good one to see from outside the park, but it has not premiered yet so no one can say for sure.