“Anybody Who Says Anything Else Is Wrong” — Disney Fans Have BIG Thoughts On These Popular Nighttime Shows

There are few more iconic parts of a Disney vacation than the company’s nighttime spectaculars. From the earliest days of fireworks exploding over Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle through the groundbreaking Fantasmic up to today’s effects-filled extravaganzas, these sweeping spectacles have been sending guests home happy from Disney’s parks for seven decades.

Recently, we asked our readers on Facebook which Walt Disney World nighttime spectacular was their favorite, and there were two distinct favorites.

Since its 1971 opening, the Magic Kingdom has played host to several fireworks extravaganzas, including the original Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks, Happily Ever After, and Disney Enchantment. However, our readers had a clear choice for their favorite: Wishes!

Debuting in 2003, Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams used 683 fireworks to light up the sky above Cinderella Castle for a show “hosted” by Jiminy Cricket and featuring the voices of numerous Disney characters including Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Aladdin, the Genie, the Evil Queen, and the Blue Fairy, as well as songs like “Go the Distance” and Friend Like Me.” Over the course of its decade + lifespan, the show became beloved by several generations of Disney fans, and led to several Holiday spinoffs, before closing after 2017.

Despite being closed for nearly a decade at this point, Wishes received more votes than every other Magic Kingdom show — including the current Happily Ever After — combined. As reader Ashley put it, “Wishes and anybody who says anything else is wrong but they’re entitled to their wrong opinion.”

While Wishes trounced the Magic Kingdom competition, there was an EPCOT show that ran neck and neck with Wishes: The ever iconic Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.

For the first 18 years of its existence, EPCOT’s World Showcase Lagoon played host to several nighttime shows, including Carnival de Lumiere, A New World Fantasy, Laserphonic Fantasy, and several initial versions of IllumiNations, before IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth opened as part of EPCOT’s Millennium Celebration in late 1999.

The show, which featured fireworks, pyrotechnics, water fountains, fire effects, lasers, searchlights, and a large rotating globe that split into specially curved LED screens, became a massive success and was extended long past the Millennium Celebration. It ran, with a name change to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, until September 2009. Since the show closed, there have been three further lagoon shows — EPCOT Forever, Harmonious, and Luminous: The Story of Us — all of which have had their fans, but none of which have matched the enduring popularity of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, judging by our readers’ responses.

When it comes to nighttime fireworks spectaculars, Wishes and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth still reign supreme according to our readers. If you’re interested in sharing your thoughts on this, or any other Disney or travel-related topic, follow us on the AllEars Facebook to join in on the next conversation!

A Complete History of Magic Kingdom Fireworks Shows

Which nighttime spectacular is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.