Ranking the Walt Disney World Nighttime Shows (updated with Epcot Forever)

When it comes to theme park nighttime shows, nobody can hold a handle to Disney. We unfortunately said goodbye to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot in September 2019, but the Walt Disney World Resort still hosts six different nighttime spectaculars. That’s not even including projection shows like Tree of Life Awakenings. If you have young kids like me, even with a week in Orlando you won’t have time to see all the shows – too many late bedtimes.

So I thought it might be fun to put together a biased, totally subjective list of the Walt Disney World Fireworks shows.

Best Disney Nighttime Shows

A couple notes before I start. The direction Disney is heading towards – as evidenced by Happily Ever After and Epcot Forever – seems to be moving more towards using Disney intellectual property. We’re starting to see more and more Disney characters in their nighttime shows. Now that Illuminations is gone, every nighttime show has some sort of Disney IP in it. Even if Disney characters aren’t your thing, however, there’s something for everyone in the Walt Disney World nighttime shows.

Secondly, my daughter, like many preschoolers, gets scared by loud sounds and intense images. So I’ve added an intensity rating for each of the shows for parents of young children, named after my daughter’s favorite villain, Captain Hook. 5 out of 5 Hooks means the show can get very intense, while 1 out of 5 Hooks would be…It’s a Small World. All the shows are more intense than that though. 🙂 I’ve included Youtube links for parents who want to preview the shows before deciding to keep their kids out late to see these shows at the Disney parks.

Finally, I must mention that all these shows are amazing. Walt Disney World nighttime spectaculars just cannot be topped. But I’d love for you to tell me where I’m wrong in the comments, too, so let me know your favorites. Without further adieu, here’s my list (in reverse order)!

6. Rivers of Light (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

Year Opened: 2017

Length: ~30 minutes

Intensity: 1 out of 5 Captain Hooks

I loved the ambitious ideas from Disney imagineers for Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but the show just doesn’t have the wow factor of other Walt Disney World nighttime shows. I wrote up my impressions elsewhere, but basically, the number of moving parts and the technology being used make Rivers of Light one of the most visually impressive Walt Disney World nighttime shows. But the lack of fireworks really works against Rivers of Light for most people – with the notable exception of kids like mine!

Like I said, my children don’t love loud noises so they loved Rivers of Light. So if your child is frightened by super loud noises, Rivers of Light might be the best option for a nighttime show. Some of the water projections are truly beautiful. I can’t wait to get back and see the show again!

5. Once Upon a Time (Magic Kingdom Park)

Year Opened: 2016

Length: ~14 minutes

Intensity: 2 out of 5 Captain Hooks

In October 2016, Once Upon a Time replaced the Celebrate the Magic projection show at Magic Kingdom park. I feel bad putting Once Upon a Time so far down the list, but Celebrate the Magic may have vied for my #1 Walt Disney World nighttime show so Once Upon a Time is a victim of my bias.

(TDAD Tip: Try to find a spot at the end of Main Street – you don’t want to be too close so you can enjoy the projections!)

The show projects incredibly clear images on Cinderella Castle (the tech gets better and better) as Mrs. Potts and Chip narrate some of the most iconic Disney fairy tales. Relying heavily on Frozen and Beauty and the Beast, the Once Upon a Time marvels visually. I just miss Celebrate the Magic a lot. It all started with a mouse!

4. Fantasmic! (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)

Year Opened: 1998

Length: ~30 minutes

Intensity: 5 out of 5 Captain Hooks

Fantasmic and Rivers of Light run for almost half an hour each, so both require a longer time commitment. Fantasmic! has some amazing moments, especially the finale, but it also has a very intense villains scene that could be frightening for young children.

Fantasmic! definitely is a full length Walt Disney World nighttime show. It tells a story as we enter Mickey’s dreams and nightmares. Of course, Mickey triumphs in the end but the story definitely takes a villainous turn in the middle. What I love about Fantasmic! is the great nostalgia strings it pulls – you’ll see a lot of your old favorites in this show. It’s an intense but fun walk through a lot of past Disney films with a great conceit tying everything together. If you’re a fan of the Disneyland version, I must say that version is definitely more enjoyable, but Orlando’s version is still pretty good!

3. Epcot Forever (EPCOT)

Year Opened: 2019

Length: ~ 11 minutes

Intensity: 4 out of 5 Captain Hooks

Epcot will be introducing a brand new nighttime spectacular, HarmonioUS, in 2020, but in the meantime Epcot is celebrating Epcot’s past, present, and future with the new Disney fireworks show Epcot Forever. It’s a stroll down memory lane for Epcot geeks like myself, featuring songs and callbacks to some of Epcot’s most iconic attractions.

But if you don’t know Epcot history, don’t worry, Epcot Forever is a great fireworks show in its own right. And the great thing about Epcot fireworks, which take place around the World Showcase, is you don’t have to worry too much about camping out for the best viewing spots. As long as you’re at World Showcase you’ll have a good view of the show.

I won’t spoil the surprise, but Epcot Forever does feature a very clever use of kites that had my wife’s jaw dropping when she visited last month. Trust me on this one, video doesn’t do that particular effect justice!

2. Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular (Hollywood Studios)

Year Opened: 2016

Length: ~ 14 minutes

Intensity: 5 out of 5 Captain Hooks

Now we’re getting to the real Disney fireworks spectaculars. Disney purists may disagree, but for my money Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios ranks near the top of my Walt Disney World nighttime shows list. For any fans of Star Wars, this show is a dream. It winds and weaves its way through the highlight of all the major films (though it is thankfully sparing with the prequels) with the iconic Star Wars music in the background. The facade of the entire Chinese Theater is used to great effect. The projections are amazing, the fireworks are amazing, there are lasers firing, explosions: what a treat!

Of course, all that means this is probably the most intense show on property. It can be a bit much for a young child, so be careful. But even if you’re not a fan of Star Wars, you can appreciate the painstaking work that was put into this show. I especially loved the ending – forget the video just go see it for yourself!

1. Happily Ever After (Magic Kingdom)

Year Opened: 2017

Length: ~ 18 minutes

Intensity: 4 out of 5 Captain Hooks

When Disney announced the new show Happily Ever After would replace Wishes, everyone questioned whether the new could live up to the old standard Disney had set.

As I wrote in my Happily Ever After review, Disney completely exceeded my expectations with this show. They have really perfected the projection technology used in both Once Upon a Time and Star Wars. Happily Ever After is Disney at its best. The music, characters, fireworks, projections, lasers – the whole package is displayed beautifully and thematically. And of course it has powerful emotional moments that will hit any Disney fan (or really, anyone who is breathing), right in the heart strings.

(TDAD Tip: If you don’t want to fight too much for space and have the budget for it, make a reservation for the fireworks dessert party which will allow you to view the show from a special section.)

If you’d like to know more, check out my review, but otherwise run, don’t walk to go see this show!

Final Thoughts

Composing this list, I marveled at just how much fun Walt Disney World nighttime shows are. If your kids can handle it, it’s definitely worth pushing bedtime for. My daughter has already asked when we are going to return to go see Happily Ever After, despite the loud noises. It’s that good. Let me know your favorites in the comments and enjoy the shows!