With so many wonderous sights and attractions that greet you every second of your visit to Disneyland, it can be hard to pick the ultimate highlight of your (very long) day at Disneyland Park California. Still, undeniably one of the Must- Do’s on your Park itinerary is to see the Fireworks show above Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. it’s non-negotiable, right? Except that, in recent years, Disneyland has changed its Nighttime entertainment schedule almost continuously, and it’s no longer safe to assume you will catch the particular fireworks show of your dreams, or even if there will be fireworks at all. Here, we explain all there is to know about fireworks shows at Disneyland in 2024 with our Ultimate Disneyland California Fireworks Guide.
100 Years of Disney
First off, it’s important to note that 2023 was the 100-year Anniversary of Walt Disney Studios. That’s right, the animation studios of Walt Disney have been thrilling us with their entertainment for over 100 years now, and boy are we thankful! This rightly deserves a Celebration and as any die-hard Disney fan is aware, the Walt Disney Company knows how to put on a Celebration! The 100 Years of Wonder celebrations ran across all Parks in the world for the entirety of 2023 and into 2024. This of course includes new Nighttime shows and Fireworks!
Disneyland California had 2 new Nighttime shows at its park for 100 Years of Disney Celebrations:
Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland Park and World of Color: ONE at Disney California Adventure Park.
You can read about the Nighttime Show World of Color: ONE in our Nighttime Shows at Disney California Guide but here, we are focusing on the fireworks show at Disneyland.
Along with Wondrous Journeys, Disneyland Park also has the following Nighttime shows throughout the year:
- Fantasmic
- Mickey’s Mix Magic
- Halloween Screams (seasonal)
- 4th July (Independence Day)
- New Year’s Eve (obviously only shown on 31st December)
- Believe in Holiday Magic (seasonal)
The bottom four shows are clearly only available at certain times of the year so it’s best to check if any of these seasonal shows are running during your visit before you go!
Nighttime Shows mean Fireworks, right????
Well… Unfortunately, NOT necessarily … Let us explain:
This is where the bad news part comes in… Disneyland sometimes only has Fireworks on select nights.
So does this mean you won’t get to see Fireworks Shows during your trip? To answer, YES and NO.
To be clear, Disney pretty much has Nighttime Entertainment every night. Fantasmic and Wonderous Journeys both show daily but are only accompanied by fireworks usually at the weekends. So generally, on weeknights, you will still be able to see the nighttime spectaculars but they won’t be accompanied by the amazing pyrotechnics. Confusing and disappointing, we know.
Now, Disney does like to keep us on our toes so every now and then there will be nighttime shows during the weekdays WITH fireworks. This is usually reserved for holiday dates and special celebrations and can be for a limited time only. There is often little or no notice about whether there will be fireworks at Disneyland Park in the week so it’s really hard to try and plan your trip around this factor. As you get close to your visit date, you can always check the Entertainment Schedule for any updates.
Here is a breakdown of all the Night-time Shows at Disneyland California, when they are on, and if they usually include the magical Disney Fireworks.
Wondrous Journeys
- Duration: 13 mins
- Location: Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street USA
- Time 9:30 PM
- Variations: Wondrous Journeys with Projections and Wondrous Journeys with Fireworks
- check Entertainment Schedule for details
As already mentioned, this nighttime spectacular was created by Disney to celebrate 100 years of animation storytelling by Disney Animators. Beloved Disney characters are brought to life with stunning state-of-the-art projection technology, accompanied by classic Disney music to engulf you in the 100 years of Disney Magic all in one show! Our only complaint about the show was that it is too short, 13 minutes is NOT enough to fully celebrate all the magic and wonder the Walt Disney Company has created in the last 100 years. Still, I teared up as my favorite Disney moments appeared on the screen, accompanied by my favorite Disney music and the all-important Mickey-shaped fireworks high above the castle. The projections and music alone are enough to delight any die-hard Disney fan but the fireworks just add that extra level of magic. And Wondrous Journeys is set to return in Spring 2024.
Fantasmic!
- Duration: 25 mins
- Location: Frontierland, Rivers of America
- Time: 9:00, 10:30 PM
- No Variations, Projection Show Only
- check Entertainment Schedule for details
Returning in May 2023, Fantasmic is back!! After a long break since an unfortunate technical difficulty in February 2023, Fantasmic has finally returned to Disneyland. The show is a thrilling almost half-hour featuring Disney’s best villains. Mickey’s sweet dream as the Sourcerers Apprentice takes a dark turn when he is pulled into the Magic Mirror and the Evil Queen sets her Disney villain pals on poor Mickey. Featuring a fantastical array of live performers, enhanced special effects, and state-of-the-art projections, Mickey has to do his best to banish the Villains from his dream. Since the fire that broke out last year, the dragon sequence has been removed from the show and the new Fantasmic now features scenes from Peter Pan. This is added to the already memorable moments from The Lion King, Tangled, Aladdin and more Disney classics.
Mickey’s Mix Magic
- Duration: 10 mins
- Locations: Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street USA, It’s a Small World
- Time: 9:30 PM
- Variations: Mickey’s Mix Magic Projections and Mickey’s Mix Magic with fireworks
- check Entertainment Schedule for details
Get ready to Party with DJ Mickey! Well, for 10 minutes anyway. Shown at 3 different locations across the Park, DJ Mickey spins a playlist of remixed Disney songs including Friend Like Me, Let It Go and I wanna be like You. Mickeys Mix Magic is a spectacular show with kaleidoscopic projections, exciting lights and lasers all set to some of your favorite Disney song classics. Mickey’s Mix is due to return on January 8th, 2024.
Seasonal Shows
- Halloween Screams
- Sweethearts Nite
- 4th July
- New Year’s Eve
- Believe in Holiday Magic
To celebrate various Holidays, Disneyland has seasonal shows that are only available around the holidays and for a limited time only. Depending on when you are planning your visit, you may be able to see some of the shows mentioned above. With the exception of the New Year’s Eve fireworks show, the seasonal nighttime entertainment can run for a couple of weeks or even more depending on the Holiday. Halloween Screams and Holiday Magic shows can run for up to 8 weeks. Again, during the week, these shows tend to be Projection only, with Projection and Fireworks only available at the weekend. Check the Entertainment Schedule before you go to see if any Seasonal shows are running.
So I can only see Fireworks at Disneyland on the Weekends?
Pretty much, Yes. Nighttime Entertainment is projection-only on weekdays at Disneyland California, or at least this was the case until June this year when they started showing Fireworks on select weekdays too. Until then, apart from special Holiday dates or celebrations, you could only see Fireworks at Disneyland California at the weekends.
If watching Fireworks over the castle is a MUST- DO then you did need to plan your trip to Disneyland for during the weekend days. There is no guarantee that there will be Shows with Fireworks during the weekdays when usually they are scheduled for the weekend days. You can check the Entertainment Schedule for more accurate information nearer the time but as most people book their Disneyland trips way in advance, this does not give enough previous information when booking your trip. To be safer, it’s best to book a Disneyland trip over the weekend so you have a better chance to see Fireworks.
Only being able to see Fireworks at Disneyland at the weekend brings with it a major issue that all Theme Parks suffer with; Weekends are busy. Apart from Holidays, Weekends are the busiest time at Disneyland as most Guests visit when they are off work or school, etc. And more Guests means a fuller park. And a fuller Park means long wait times for the rides.
However, if seeing those fireworks is non-negotiable then you are going to have to visit at some of the busiest times. But don’t panic, you can visit the Park to see the Fireworks at the weekend AND still get the most out of your trip all while enjoying yourself too. Here are some tips on how to still get the most enjoyment out of your visit to Disneyland Park on the weekends:
How to get the most out of your Trip to Disneyland at the Weekend
- Select Dates: Yes, traditionally weekends at Disneyland are busy. But if you plan strategically, you could pick a Weekend date that will be quieter than your typical weekend. If you visit off-peak the Park is quieter during those months compared to others. January and February are traditionally quieter than the rest of the year. Likewise, if you pick a weekend after a major holiday, the Park will have been rammed the week before so it’s likely that numbers will drop considerably right after.
- Use Genie+: Using Genie+ in Disneyland Park is the most time-effective way to get the most out of your trip when it is busy. Yes, it comes at a cost but using the Genie+ system is really the only way you are guaranteed to achieve everything you want to do during your time at the Park. Read more about how to use the Genie+ system effectively HERE
- Purchase Lightening Lanes: In the same concept of purchasing Genie+, paying for Lightening Lanes could be the only way you can get on a certain ride without a long wait time. Skipping the queues is time-effective and allows you to do more in your day, especially when the Parks are busy. Unfortunately, Lightening Lanes are not cheap so it really depends on your budget on whether this is a viable option for you. Read more about Lightening Lanes HERE
- Use Single Rider: Some rides at Disneyland operate a Singer Rider lane, which typically queues are shorter. If you and your party are willing to ride separately, it could be a good way to beat the long wait times when the park is busy. Please read our article about the Single Rider system at Disneyland to learn more.
Time to watch the Fireworks!
Hopefully, if you follow some of our time-saving tips, you will have enjoyed your day at Disneyland California with plenty of time to spare to watch the Fireworks. Because that’s what you came for, right?
Have Your Say
Do you think visiting Disneyland at the weekend is worth witnessing the fireworks show? Or are you planning to visit sometime in 2023 on a weekday now they have opened up the schedule? Let us know what you think of the Fireworks in our comments section below. Or perhaps like us, you agree that the projection stand-alone shows are just as good. If so, let us know in the comments section below! If you have any questions on how to watch the Fireworks at Disneyland please ask in the comments section and we will get back to you.