3. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Image: DisneyAn amazing but true fact about IllumiNations is that it’s the most decorated nighttime exhibition of the 21st century. Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards have chosen this fireworks display as the best in the industry for 12 out of the last 13 (!) years. It effectively has the same glowing critical reviews as an upper tier Pixar movie on Rotten Tomatoes.

Personally, I have the warmest of feelings toward the show. As I’ve chronicled, one of my family’s favorite things to do is book a 7:15 p.m. reservation at Rose & Crown at the United Kingdom Pavilion. The group will sit by the water and relish in the setting until the fireworks begin. The view from this spot is inimitable.

Why haven’t I ranked it higher? I’ve never loved the show itself as much as the one above it, and IllumiNations simply doesn’t have the tech of the top choice. To win an award for the body of 13 years, a show has to be, you know, older. It’s been playing since 1999. While I still love it, IllumiNations has lost something over the years, at least for me. Anyone who has never seen it before is in for such a special treat.

2. Fantasmic! Show and Fireworks

Image: DisneyThe same issue isn’t true of Fantasmic! even though it’s almost a year older. From day one, the story of this exhibition has elevated it above the competition. Literally dozens of your favorite characters show up to battle in a conflict for the soul of Disney. Mickey Mouse anchors the side of the angels while several members of Disney’s rogues’ gallery face off against him.

I’ve always felt that Fantasmic! has the perfect level of grandeur for the setting. I previously discussed some of the tricks from the show. The most important ones are the giant snake that seems like it will swallow our beloved Mickey and the dragon that towers above everything else in the show.

In terms of story, Fantasmic! is the grand champion of Orlando’s nighttime exhibitions. It’s also the ideal place to see many of your favorite characters. Until recently, I would have ranked it as the best over show. Alas, something better is already just around the corner at Disney…

1. Happily Ever After Fireworks Show

Image: DisneyWow. I know I’m supposed to be the wordsmith who elevates the discourse, but I feel like Keanu Reeves when I watch Happily Ever After. Every five seconds, I say, “Whoa!”

In 2017, Disney replaced its longstanding nighttime display, Wishes, with a new program. And while I desperately miss the song, Wishes, I’m so glad that they did. I’ve seen the old show dozens of times, negating its power. Happily Ever After is an entirely new ballgame, one popping with state of the art special effects.

The digital projections on Cinderella Castle aren’t new per se, but you’ve never seen them the way that they appear in Happily Ever After. You’re watching the highest quality graphics, ones that surpass what you’d see in your home, even with a 4k television. Scenes from beloved Disney films flicker on the castle, highlighting some of the greatest moments in Disney/Pixar animation.

A few movies including recent ones like Moana receive longer sequences, playing hit songs like “How Far I’ll Go” to punctuate the proceedings. It’s the most magical part of Happily Ever After. Your favorite Disney music meshes with some of your favorite characters in moments straight from their movies. It’s magical in the purest sense of the word.

More than any other nighttime exhibition in Orlando, Happily Ever After delivers escapism. While watching the 18-minute show, everything else in the world slips away in a cornucopia of visuals and song. It should stand as the best fireworks show in Orlando for several years to come…unless Universal ups the ante with Harry Potter.