Walt Disney World park hours, fireworks and parade times, Disney World park hours

"Wishes" Exploding with vivid color, sound and gut wrenching emotion, "Wishes" is the largest fireworks display ever presented at Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom.

The night time spectacular is narrated by the voice of Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy. Guests of Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom are told a thrilling "story in the sky" featuring hundreds of brilliant pyrotechnic effects exploding above and around Cinderella Castle.
Show Details

The Show specifics
Running time: Approximately 12 minutes
Fireworks firing cues: 557
Individual pieces of pyrotechnics: 655

"Wishes" is roughly five minutes longer and several times larger than the long running fireworks show "Fantasy in the Sky," which was previously being shown at the Magic Kingdom.

The Storyline.
"Wishes" With the use of classic Disney songs and well know Disney character voices, guests will be told a story about making a wish come true, accented by using timely choreographed fireworks.

The Cast of "Wishes" features the voices of:

Jiminy Cricket , the Blue Fairy and Pinocchio (from 1940's "Pinocchio")
Snow White and the Evil Queen (from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs")
Cinderella (from 1950's "Cinderella")
Peter Pan (from 1953's "Peter Pan")
Ariel (from 1989's "The Little Mermaid")
Aladdin and Genie (from 1992's "Aladdin")
Tinker Bell, flies from atop Cinderella Castle during a dramatic moment in the show.

The Crew that created "Wishes"

Creator/show director: Steven Davison - Davison, creative director with Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, also developed the "Believe...There's Magic in the Stars" fireworks spectacular at Disneyland.
Fireworks designer: Eric Tucker - An award-winning pyrotechnics designer whose credits span the globe, Tucker previously designed the fireworks for "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" at Epcot.
Music director: Steve Skorija - As music director for Walt Disney Entertainment, Skorija oversees music production for live entertainment and special events at Walt Disney World Resort.
Composer/arranger: Gregory Smith - Smith previously worked on such Walt Disney World productions as "IllumiNations 25" and "Splashtacular" at Epcot, and the "Mickey Mania" parade at Magic Kingdom.

The Music used in "Wishes"
In addition to Gregory Smith's original theme, which is based on the children's nursery rhyme "Starlight, Star Bright," the score for "Wishes" contains portions of 12 songs from 10 classic Disney animated features:

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) ,
"Pinocchio" (1940)
"Fantasia" (1940)
"Cinderella" (1950)
"Peter Pan" (1953)
"Sleeping Beauty" (1959)
"The Little Mermaid" (1989)
"Beauty and the Beast" (1991)
"Aladdin" (1992)
"Hercules" (1997)

The Fireworks
"Wishes" uses several new locations around the Magic Kingdom for launching fireworks that create brilliant bursts of light around Cinderella Castle. The show features new pyrotechnic effects never seen before in a Disney theme park, including several developed especially for this show:

The show's "wishing star" will crest approximately 100 feet above the castle's bright spires.
The Blue Fairy is represented with a spectacular star-shaped shell that "paints" each wish high in the sky with starlight.

"Wishes" was created in honor of the launch of "Magical Gatherings", a celebration of the magic that occurs when friends and extended family members gather at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in the months to come. The show is designed for a heart-tugging spectacle in the sky that will create lasting memories for everyone to take home with the

Early reviews indicate that this is the Share A Dream Come True parade with the snow globe portions of the floats removed. The music and dance routines have changed, but the floats themselves appear to be recycled.

1st Debut: Oct. 1, 1991 - 2nd Debut:April 2, 2001
Show Length: 20 minutes.
"SpectroMagic" began its second run at the MAGIC KINGDOM, replacing the "Main Street Electrical Parade" which ended its second run on April 1, 2001.
This parade features Disney characters in sparkling detail, flowing fiber optics, holographic images and old-fashioned twinkle lights.

During Disney's Year of a Million Dreams, guests at Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park can participate in this fun event.

The patriotic theme is divided into seven segments. Those who take part will be placed in one of these areas and then joined by Disney characters.

After parading down Main Street in this red, white and blue celebration, everyone gathers around Town Square for a rousing, flag waving finale.

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is the recipient of Amusement Today's 2006 Golden Ticket Award in recognition of being the top evening show in an American theme park

Opened Oct. 1, 1999 Show length: 12 minutes, 32 seconds
A nighttime spectacular where thunderous fireworks and lasers fill the skies above World Showcase Lagoon. Video images are displayed across a giant sphere in the middle of the lagoon that tell the Earth's incredible tale. The sphere then blossoms like a flower, exposing a ball of fire and leads to the shows finale.
Fun Facts - 1,105 firework shells are fired during each show.There are 19 torches located around the World Showcase Lagoon. The inferno barge weighs 150,000 pounds with 37 nozzles that shoot propane flames upward.

Disney's Hollywood Studios Block Party Bash features more than 20 Pixar characters, acrobats, trampolines and retro tunes.

Along the parade route, the show stops and the performers interact with the guests.

Block Party Bash originated at Disney's California Adventure Theme Park and replaces the Disney's Hollywood Studios Stars and Motor Cars Parade.

If you want to take a look back at the Motor Cars Parade, here are the links:

Opened Oct. 15, 1998 Show length: 26 minutes
6,900 seated guests | 3,000 standing guests

Fantasmic! is a festival of lasers, lights, dancing fountains, and dazzling special effects. Join Mickey Mouse is his dream where he creates dancing waters, shooting comets, animated fountains, and swirling stars. When Disney villains turn his dreams into nightmares, he uses the power of good to prevail.

FUN FACTS:
- The moat surrounding the show contains approximately 1.9 million gallons of water.
- The mountain stands approximately 57.5 feet above the water.
- The fire-breathing dragon rises 50 feet into the air and has a wing span of 50 feet.

Opened Oct. 1, 2001
Show length: 15 minutes
Disney characters participate in a wild and larger-than-life tribute to their animal friends.

Electrical Water Pageant

This nightly "parade" was first performed on October 26, 1971 during the dedication of the Polynesian Luau.

While old fashioned by today's standards, it's still fun to head to the resort beachfronts to watch it go by. There are two segments, one is a King Neptune theme, the other a salute to America.

(You may want to check with the resort just in case the schedule changes or if its canceled due to the weather that day)