On one of our park hopping days, we are doing morning at Future World Epcot, returning to Port Orleans Riverside for a break and then have ADR at Crystal Palace at 7:45 pm to enjoy night show. The park has EMH til midnight. I am now 2nd guessing myself. WIth the dinner reservation at 7:45 will we be done in time to get out on main street and see the night show. I was able to grab 3:30 ADR at Crystal Palace as well but that eats into our break time. We will already have spent 3/4 of a day at MK earlier in our trip so the priority is just to experience the night show for the kids. We are a party of 12 with all the challenges that brings.
With a party of 12 it’s really hard to tell. It depends on if you get seated on time, how much character interaction you want and how often you go back to the buffet. The fireworks start at 9:15pm. So… if it all goes smoothly you have approximately 75+ minutes – giving some time to find a viewing spot afterwards + people naturally slow to get up from dinner and possible bathroom on the way out.
Typically a full character dining experience takes at least 60 minutes, if you get lucky, and are seated at the starting point of the character rotation. I’d say 75 minutes in my experience is an average character meal. It’s a bit quicker, IMHO , at CP because of the buffet - not ordering & waiting for food. But if you want to meet Pooh, Tigger & etc… it’s a big place and it may take some time for all of them to get to you.
I’d hate to be the reason you cancel an ADR, especially at CP which I love, but with a group of that size I hate for you to feel rushed or pressured to be done in order to make a show. Plus, when kids think of MK they think of the castle & fireworks. If this were a family of four I’d tell you not to worry. This one is a judgment call based on how well you know how everyone in your group moves. (grandparents, toddlers, “laid back people” & etc…?)
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I’d allow 90 minutes to do CP to see all the characters. It’s great. Can you move it even a half hour earlier- set the reservation finder.
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Yeah, i hear what you are saying, I have 1 slow eater and there is no pushing unless you want tears.
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I am trying a couple times a day, looking for smaller group availability etc but the times are only getting worse. I will keep on it though and hopefully will be surprised one day.
Reservation finder is really good and rarely lets you down. It might be a few days before your trip but it will probably strike!
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I will put the request in the app. I have a request for O’hana’s as well. My challenge is when they find anything I can’t respond fast enough to grab the seats before someone else does.
Just keep resetting.
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The link only works once. But it’s always worth logging in and checking. I got one like that, even though the link didn’t work.
And each time you get a text / email, go back in and reset the search.
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We had an ADR for CP (group of 8) at 7:45 on a night with 9 pm fireworks. As it got closer to 9 we still hadn’t seen Pooh so we mentioned it to our server. She told us to go outside and watch the fireworks and then come back in when they were finished. They saved our table and we met Pooh. I don’t know if we just got lucky or if that is common.
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The link only works once but you can keep resetting the request if you missed it.
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When you walked out of CP to view the fireworks where did you go to view the show?
We walked out of CP and went over to right. Our view of the castle was a bit off center and we had some lamp poles and trees to deal with, but it wasn’t bad considering we walked out 5 minutes before the fireworks (and this was over spring break so a crowded time of the year).
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That’s what I said.
But also, just because the link doesn’t work, it’s always worth the effort to log in directly and check. Sometimes you can get something that way, I know I have!
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I agree with what others are saying as far as trying to modify your reservation to an earlier time. When we had a 7:45 reservation at BOG, by the time we ate and had our pictures with the Beast, we ended up walking out of the restaurant and the show had already started. Now, granted, it was still magical and amazing, but it wasn’t the “full” show. If you want to be able to see all of Happily Ever After I think your current reservation would be cutting it close.
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Newbie here. Does HEA at the MK include fireworks AND the parade down Main Street? If not, what is the actually name of the Main Street Parade? If it’s the Main Street Parade, please forgive me!
Is “Reservation Finder” on the WDE app? Thanks.
It is on the touring plan sight. I find it on my dashboard a little towards the bottom.
I can’t find it on the app but if I google or safari “touring plans reservation finder” the page comes up.
HEA is at night, and is fireworks with projections on the castle.
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade (FOF) is the daily afternoon parade. They are separate things.