New Year's Eve Fireworks, WHat did you think?

[crazydaveh]

now that the traffic jam has cleared, what did you think of the fireworks display?

I saw the one at MK, and in my opinion, it was awesome! With the multiple launch sites around the park, it made for a very explosive and colorful night!

Happy New Year!

 

[MonorailGreen]

I was going to be at the Magic Kingdom but it was already at level two (resort guest and annual passholders only) by the time I got there. I was looking forward to the fireworks and seeing Mickey's PhilharMagic for the first time.

I ended up at the Disney-MGM Studios and had a great time there. There was music throughout the park and the atmosphere was very lively. Sorcery in the Sky was awesome, as well. People were blowing horns during the narration making it impossible to hear it though. Everything was great besides that... I was really impressed with the party they put on =)

I'll try for Magic Kingdom again next year... :slurp:

 

[ghostygreeter]

Well to complete the list of parks celebrating the new years on this thread I was at Epcot. Of course Illuminations was excellent... but in the end... The New Years fireworks were phenominal!!!!! They introduced each country that had already celebrated their new year with their own little fireworks display, and then on to America, Canada and Mexico. WOW!!! My body felt every explosion because they were so loud!! It was like a machine gun was going off right next to me!! I viewed from the bridge connecting France to the U.K. Awesome show, and I should be there again next year!

 

[surfsupdon]

Yes, Epcot was a lot of fun. They had each country ring in the New Year with fireworks behind their pavilion. Then it went crazy for US, Canada, and Mexico. The grand finale countdown was off from "real time" however, probably about 3 minutes late. But you wouoldnt know if you didnt have a watch. It was great fun. We watched from Japan at the video dance party and then quietly escaped to Yacht Club via International Gateway!!

 

[MonorailGreen]

Originally posted by surfsupdon
Yes, Epcot was a lot of fun. They had each country ring in the New Year with fireworks behind their pavilion. Then it went crazy for US, Canada, and Mexico. The grand finale countdown was off from "real time" however, probably about 3 minutes late. But you wouoldnt know if you didnt have a watch. It was great fun. We watched from Japan at the video dance party and then quietly escaped to Yacht Club via International Gateway!!

The grand finale was a little bit off... I got out of the studios and everyone could see the finale at Epcot as we walked out after Sorcery In The Sky ended =) I guess it counted as our finale as well. It doesn't matter though because as you said, you would only know if you had a watch on and were actually looking at it!!

 

[Goofster]

New Years Eve I walked out of Philharmagic (which was amazing, and had a pleasantly short line even on New Years) just in time for the end of the early showing of Wishes, it was amazing being that close to where they launched the fireworks off of the Fantasyland buildings, and I couldn't wait to see the show later at midnight. Alas, I was hoping for a New Years Eve version of Wishes, but was kind of dissapointed by the New Years version of Fantasy in the Sky. Still, the show was amazing, but i was hoping for something new. Even in the 2002 New Years Fantasy in the Sky show they shot fireworks along mainstreet, and that didnt happen this time either. Maybe next year they'll get a new years version of Wishes.

 

[surfsupdon]

At Epcot, as was mentioned, they had a special announcement and shot fireworks off from behind each World Showcase country that had celebrated New Years and in the order in which they met 2004, which was new from last year's show.

That addition made the fireworks that much better than the normal fireworks on New Years. We were in Japan and when your country's time was up, it was like another celebation in preparation for USA's New Years. Everyone was going crazy and the fireworks were perfect. It did not even matter that the time was off by a good amount of minutes.:sohappy:

 

[kurros]

I agree. I did MK last year and did Epcot this year. Will be doing Epcot next year as well! It's like the whole park turned into a 300 acre Pleasure Island.

 

[wdwjmp239]

Originally posted by kurros
I agree. I did MK last year and did Epcot this year. Will be doing Epcot next year as well! It's like the whole park turned into a 300 acre Pleasure Island.

Yes! I thoroughly enjoyed Epcot New Years Eve. When the countdown at Epcot started, it was already 2 mins into the New Year. So, the timing was off, but if you weren't so about it (like me), you wouldn't have noticed. Still.. excellent display of fireworks.. it was way cool that the park was open until 1am!

By the way -- I did Mission: SPACE that night and had a BLAST!!! Needless to say, I was back on the ride again when Epcot opened in the morning! LOL

Look mom! No puke!!! :hurl:

 

[wdwjmp239]

Originally posted by crazydaveh
now that the traffic jam has cleared........

It was busy New Years Eve??!?!?

YES IT WAS!!! The three hour wait to get on Mission:SPACE was nuts, but still, it was worth it. It's a shame that my g/f and I didn't get to do the things we would have liked to do.

We were a bit disappointed that we couldn't get into the 50's Prime Time Cafe at MGM, but oh well, there's always next time, right?

By the way -- we also tried out the Primevil Whirl at Animal Kingdom and that was fun, as well. Kali River Rapids at AK was a soaker (the wetter.. the better!)

 

[Michael72688]

ugh, I wish I go to go! I was gonna go for 2002 going into 2003 but it rained and my passes expired last year so I couldn't go!

 

[AnimeNut]

Originally posted by surfsupdon
At Epcot, as was mentioned, they had a special announcement and shot fireworks off from behind each World Showcase country that had celebrated New Years and in the order in which they met 2004, which was new from last year's show.

Okay, I'm starting to think that I'm the only one here who actually endured the rain on December 31, 2002 to celebrate the arrival of 2003 at Epcot. Why do I say that? Because EVERYBODY here seems to believe that this year's show at Epcot was brand new, or "new from last year's show", as surfsupdon put it.

I swear on all things holy that Epcot repeated the exact same show from 12/31/2002. I'm talking about the "Our friends in Japan and - just one hour later - China rang in the new year" all the way through to Morocco and United Kingdom, with each country launching fireworks from behind their pavilions in the colors of their flags. Everything that happened at Epcot last week was the same as the year before... except for the fact that the weather was near-perfect last week.

Can somebody else PLEASE back me up on this? I need to know that I'm not losing my mind here.

 

[kurros]

Originally posted by AnimeNut
Okay, I'm starting to think that I'm the only one here who actually endured the rain on December 31, 2002 to celebrate the arrival of 2003 at Epcot. Why do I say that? Because EVERYBODY here seems to believe that this year's show at Epcot was brand new, or "new from last year's show", as surfsupdon put it.

That could be true. But Disney announced them as new additions in the press release and announcements this past month, so I think that's what people assumed.

Maybe they added a bit more flourish, or maybe it was just an attempt to increase attendence (and apparently it worked, with it breaking Epcot records for Dec 31)

 

[wdwjmp239]

Originally posted by AnimeNut
Okay, I'm starting to think that I'm the only one here who actually endured the rain on December 31, 2002 to celebrate the arrival of 2003 at Epcot. Why do I say that? Because EVERYBODY here seems to believe that this year's show at Epcot was brand new, or "new from last year's show", as surfsupdon put it.

I swear on all things holy that Epcot repeated the exact same show from 12/31/2002. I'm talking about the "Our friends in Japan and - just one hour later - China rang in the new year" all the way through to Morocco and United Kingdom, with each country launching fireworks from behind their pavilions in the colors of their flags. Everything that happened at Epcot last week was the same as the year before... except for the fact that the weather was near-perfect last week.

Can somebody else PLEASE back me up on this? I need to know that I'm not losing my mind here.

Not everyone can go to Epcot every New Years Eve and even though I did go this year, I don't think I'll go back again due to the heavy crowd volume! Yes, the fireworks were nice and the show was nicely done, but next year, I'll stay home and watch ________ Clark LOL

Oh -- as far as the rain goes on 12/31/2002 -- You should've been in the Naples/Fort Myers, FL area! I was coming home from a friend's house a little after midnight (she lives 30 mins away from me) and the RAIN was OH MY GOD!!!!! It looked like a hurricane was making landfall down here!

Was anyone at The Walt Disney World Resort area when the 1993 "Storm Of The Century" blew through? How about the tornado outbreaks in February 1998?

Florida -- The Sunshine State? Hmmm.. only when it wants to be LOL

 

[surfsupdon]

I too endured the rain for the turn to 2003, but I dont remember each country bringing in the new year. I remember different entertainment they had in the American Theater, like a big band or something.

But maybe you are right. But Disney advertised the show as new and unique, so I assumed it was. But alas, I was at Epcot for the past 2 new years and had a blast at BOTH!!

 

[ghostygreeter]

Like I said before, Epcot's display was awesome. I went back on January 3rd and wouldn't ya know it... I got on Mission Space in about 15 minutes through the singles line.. I rode it three times. Illuminations: ROF has always been my number one memory since I first watched it. Since I'm a seasonal CM I get to go down and watch it quite a bit when I'm in fl... and it never gets boring. The New Year's Show just added to the memory... Excellent!!! Oh and did anyone check out China??? The flames going up to the rhythm?? It was really neat! Best in park party I've ever seen. Even beat out PI in my opinion.. hehehe

 

[wdwjmp239]

Originally posted by ghostygreeter
Like I said before, Epcot's display was awesome. I went back on January 3rd and wouldn't ya know it... I got on Mission Space in about 15 minutes through the singles line.. I rode it three times. Illuminations: ROF has always been my number one memory since I first watched it. Since I'm a seasonal CM I get to go down and watch it quite a bit when I'm in fl... and it never gets boring. The New Year's Show just added to the memory... Excellent!!! Oh and did anyone check out China??? The flames going up to the rhythm?? It was really neat! Best in park party I've ever seen. Even beat out PI in my opinion.. hehehe

Epcot seemed like PI New Years Eve -- what was up with the music!! I loved it!!!!

I got a kick when they played Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping"
Were they piping the music in from PI or was it already a set of music planned?

 

[kurros]

Originally posted by ntn_haqqer
Epcot seemed like PI New Years Eve -- what was up with the music!! I loved it!!!!

I got a kick when they played Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping"
Were they piping the music in from PI or was it already a set of music planned?

Each "DJ" had their own set (China, Japan, Canada, Fountain of Nations) China seemed to focus on pop, Japan on 80s and rock, I didn't make it over to Canada after 7pm but I saw signs earlier in the day that said Latin.

 

[wdwjmp239]

Originally posted by kurros
Each "DJ" had their own set (China, Japan, Canada, Fountain of Nations) China seemed to focus on pop, Japan on 80s and rock, I didn't make it over to Canada after 7pm but I saw signs earlier in the day that said Latin.

This was at about 8:30pm when I heard Tubthumping. We never made The World Showcase as we were waiting 2 hrs to get on TT

 

[surfsupdon]

Yes, each videodance party had different music. I know Future World had a lot of Top 40 and Japan had rock and 80s and Canada had Latin, not too sure about China.

It was an awesome night and my sister and myself got on the large TV screen very often--it was so much fun. We were dead center and the camera focused on us many times.