By Frozen Diva
With Disney’s new FastPass+ system, guests may now reserve spots for entertainment experiences such as shows, character meet and greets, parades, and the nightly firework spectaculars. Nightly at the Magic Kingdom, “Wishes” lights up the sky and is a vacation highlight to many. That being said, it is not un common for the Magic Kingdom to get very crowded and hard to maneuver as the nightly spectaculars approach.
One common assumption is that in order to experience Wishes, you should get a FastPass+ reservation in order to have the best viewing of the show. While the reserved area for FastPass+ viewing is a good spot, and you are not being trampled by others, it is just an average view. As of right now, the viewing area is located in the Rose Garden right off of the “Hub” and leading into Tomorrowland.
Reasons why you should book Wishes FastPass+:
1. You are visiting during “peak season”: If you and your party is visiting Disney World during some busy times of the year, such as holidays, a FastPass+ reservation wouldn’t be the worst idea, because it would separate your party from the mass of people that stand on Main Street to view the show.
2. More than one trip to the Magic Kingdom: If your party is planning on visiting the Magic Kingdom for more than one day, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to save one of your FastPass+ reservations for this spectacular. It would not feel like a waste of a FastPass, and with this reservation on the initial group of three, one would be blocking themselves out from adding additional FastPasses because of the rule that one has to finish their group of three, or the time has to expire before they can add additional selections.
3. Celebrations: If you and your party is celebrating something, a birthday, anniversary, or engagement. This is a great FastPass+ reservation for you. From personal experience the cast members that help organize the FastPass+ viewing area are spectacular, and can make any celebration magical. Plus, in that location, Tinkerbell flies right over you!
A FastPass+ reservation is not required to experience the fireworks show, and the need is in the eye of the beholder. I have viewed the fireworks in the FastPass+ location, and in other areas of the park and one of the reasons why I liked the FastPass+ viewing area over others is the fact that you don’t have to wait on Main Street well before hand to see the show. With a FastPass+ reservation, one can simply show up five to ten minutes before the show starts and have a spot waiting for your party. Its all about convenience. That said, there are also locations around the park that provide great viewing locations without dealing with the crowds on Main Street, such as Fantasyland and the also popular Tomorrowland bridge area.
Overall, I think that a Wishes FastPass+ could be better selected if a party would come across it throughout their day when choosing their additional FastPass+ selections, or if your party meets one of the categories listed above.
