Best Disney’s Hollywood Studios Fireworks Spots
The Star Wars : A Galactic Spectacular fireworks are the perfect way to end a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; with our tips, you can watch them with the best views in the park. These fireworks debuted in Summer 2016, and should continue until Star Wars Land opens in 2019 or 2010.
UPDATE: The information that follows was written for the previous incarnation of the fireworks, called Symphony in the Stars. That show was much heavier on pyro, and did not feature projections or other effects. The new, Galactic Spectacular fireworks show is light on pyro and heavy on projections. As such, our recommendations are now dramatically different–we now highly recommend viewing the show near Grauman’s Chinese Theater/The Great Movie Ride, as much of the show is projected on that.
Location 4 is now the best spot (an ideal position just beyond the end of Hollywood Boulevard towards Great Movie Ride), with the viewpoints being worse the farther you are from Great Movie Ride. The following information is included for general reference, but has not been updated in light of the new show.
For starters, if you haven’t seen the new Star Wars fireworks, you need to make a point to watch the fireworks on your next trip. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is in a state of “transition” (to put it kindly), but even if you didn’t plan on visiting the park this year, location #5 provides an excellent vantage and does not require theme park admission.
As for the map above…isn’t it lovely? You can really tell we spared no expense in designing this thing…or that I just quickly colored in a park map scan with MS Paint (disregard the stars–they don’t mean anything). We’ll discuss the specific numbered locations in more detail below, and why each of them is good or bad. As for the general colors, think of it like a stoplight. Green is the best, yellow is okay, and red is a no-go. Areas that aren’t colored are also considered red.
We watched the Star Wars fireworks 5 times during our January 2016, and will go back to see it again on our next trip. We love it. Funny, because we wondered if we’d visit the Studios at all this year. These fireworks really pack a punch, especially for Star Wars fans. Don’t miss the show.
Now let’s talk specific locations. In no particular order…
1. Sweet Spot – Anywhere on Hollywood Boulevard is great, but my “sweet spot” for the show if you’re after photos is about a third of the way up the street, almost directly in line with the Pluto’s Palace sign. If you’re after photos, this will put fireworks both directly behind the Chinese Theater and also high in the sky–but not too high–while also giving you some of Hollywood Boulevard in the frame. If you’re not concerned with photos, move a bit closer, near Trolley Car Cafe.
2. Echo Lake – This ranks as one of my favorite spots for a couple of reasons: first, the beautiful reflections of the fireworks in Echo Lake. Second, and more important for non-photographers, it’s not nearly as crowded as Hollywood Boulevard. As of the date of this post, crowds on Hollywood Boulevard for the Star Wars fireworks are not a major issue, because it’s Walt Disney World’s slow season. However, when I’ve watched other fireworks shows at the Studios during busy seasons, Echo Lake is a nice respite from the wall-to-wall crowds of Hollywood Boulevard. Expect the same to be true this summer.
3. Crossroads of the World – This isn’t a dramatically different vantage than the “Sweet Spot”, but the benefit of watching in the general vicinity of the Crossroads of the World is that you’re right by the exit for a head-start on the crowds exiting the park after the fireworks. Also, for whatever reason, this area is pretty sparsely crowded, so it makes for a relaxed vantage. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but certainly not a bad spot, all things considered. (The above photo is from Fourth of July a couple of years ago–it’s not nearly this crowded on regular nights.)
4. Close Encounters – This is against the rope blocking the fallout zone–as close as you can get to Grauman’s Chinese Theater. It’s a yellow area on the map, and that’s mostly because you’re a bit too close to see the fireworks bursts that are shot behind the park. The upside–if you like your skull rattled–is the intensity of the show from this location. You are right in the midst of the action and I swear I felt the ground shake while standing here.
5. BoardWalkWay – The walkway to Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Epcot’s International Gateway is like the TTC for the Magic Kingdom fireworks. Free, outside the park, and really adds to the scale of the show. The downside is that the score is quite as audible from out here, so I would first recommend viewing the show from inside the park. That is, if you plan on visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios this year. The nice bonus here is that you can easily walk to Epcot and make it inside the park in time for IllumiNations at 9 p.m. when the Star Wars fireworks run at 8 p.m. Check out our Best IllumiNations Viewing Spots post for our preferred locations for those fireworks.
BONUS: Anywhere Else – Although not on the map, it should be noted that you can see and hear portions of the fireworks from almost any outdoor location literally anywhere else in the park. Since there are no projections or other low-level visual elements, it’s not the end of the world if you’re stuck watching from a less-than-ideal location. You might not hear the soundtrack perfectly or see all of the fireworks, but you should be able to see some fireworks. Assuming, of course, that you’re outside. You won’t be able to see any fireworks if you’re waiting in line inside at Toy Story Mania. If you need us to explain why, you probably need more than just vacation planning help.
At present, the fireworks are shown once nightly, right at park close, and it is possible to view both Fantasmic and the fireworks in the same night. In busier months, we anticipate Fantasmic will be shown twice nightly, and the fireworks will continue to be presented at park close. If this proves true, we recommend watching the earlier showing of Fantasmic, as the later showing will likely conflict with the fireworks.
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Your Thoughts
Have you seen Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular? What did you think of the fireworks? Have a favorite viewing location? Are you planning on making a trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the Star Wars fireworks or other “Star Wars Awakens” entertainment? If you have any other thoughts or questions, please post below!
The current schedule during our trip has Fantasmic at 7:30 and the Star Wars show at 8, will it be possible for us to see both? If not, which do you recommend?
Thank you so much for your blog. You were right on with items to pack and where the best places are for fireworks and fast pass advice. First time at disney, you helped make the experience great. The frogg toggs are one of the best tips you had. Two younger kids who can’t take the heat were happy and excited walking around cooling down with their toggs. Ate at Mamma Melrose, fabulous.
Thanks again, following your advice 100 % and having a great trip.
We also use two insulated water bottles. Fill them with ice in the morning and still have ice in them 12 hours later. Lots of water, and the frog toggs and we are good to go. It’s in the 90’s now.
Did you mean to say the sound track is NOT quite as audible from outside the park?
We saw the fireworks recently at Echo lake, and I must say I was disappointed. The soundtrack was barely audible. I’m not sure I’ll have another chance to take my little ones before the time change, so we were kind of bummed. Was there something wrong with the speakers, or is it always quieter there?
This is a great writeup! We are headed to HS on 2/29, and were planning to see Fantasmic which is at 7p (the only showing that day, no 9p Fantasmic), and I saw that the dessert party also starts at 7p, so would they do the actual fireworks after Fantasmic ends? Or would it be during Fantasmic?
The fireworks are not always at park closing. Since they have started the fireworks, they have often run Fantasmic at 7 pm, fireworks at 8 pm, then Fantasmic again at 9 pm when the park was open until 10 pm and a few other times. The schedule was a little different at Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I would not always assume that the fireworks will be at park close. Jan 5-9, Jan 17-23, Jan 24-30 the fireworks have been at 8 pm, but the park closed at 10 pm on Jan 7, 8 and 17, and that doesn’t include Extra Magic Hours.
Does anyone know if you are able to hear the music when standing in the “green” area between the entrance gate and the lake? I think it might be a better place than standing near “Crossroads of the World” because after teh fireworks, you can walk quickly and be the first one at your bus stop!
You can hear the music by the Crossroads, but the view is a little better further up the road, about halfway between Crossroads and the Trolley Cart. You really can’t hear the music from the parking lot (maybe a little, if the wind is perfect) or from the path between Boardwalk and EPCOT.
Thanks a lot for your answer. This means that the music is only played inside the park, correct?
Another great article Ton. I really like the Echo Lake location instead of the Hollywoid Blvd location. I’m just not fond of the buildings being in the way…but that’s just me. I got some really good shots from SWW in 2014 there.
My family and I are going in April. Assuming it’s still running, is there a way you can see the fireworks and Fantasmic in the same night? Or do you have to choose one over the other? We love Fantasmic but are also huge SW fans but I’d like to limit going to DHS to a half day in the afternoon/evening. Thanks!
Yes. Very easy. I’ve done it twice in the past couple of weeks. I prefer going to the fireworks first, when they are at 8 pm, then to Fantasmic at 9 pm, but when I have the grandkids (5 & 7) it’s usually easier to go to Fantasmic at 7 pm, watch the fireworks at 8 pm and leave. They are grumpy and want to go to sleep by 9 pm.
We’re going April ’16, too. Fantasmic starts 8:30pm & runs about 30 minutes. That gives us a small window to find a viewing spot for the 9:15pm Fireworks. It is doable- I’m currently trying to figure the best way. Have fun 😀
At the first SWW last May, we tried the Echo Lake spot (#2) and had a sound system fail–they kept piping in the Echo Lake background music instead of the glorious John Williams soundtrack for the fireworks. I also kept wishing they’d turn off the string of lights on the Min and Bill’s boat for the duration since the view is looking straight over it, but that was minor.
On the good side, we had a wonderful view from our BoardWalk resort room, way out on the end of one of the wings and high up. Now if they’d just have the soundtrack available on the in-house TV it would have been great–we did ask, but the CM said it wasn’t available.
They have been turning the lights off of Min and Bill’s boat this time. My favorite spot to watch is the front 4 tables closest to the Hyperion Theatre. Sometimes I sit there for a while with a couple of friends, then I’ll invite people to sit there right before the fireworks and I’ll stand with my back against this one palm tree, so not to block anyone’s view.
Great post Tom (as always).
Do we know “officially” how long Symphony of the Stars will be running? The hard ticket desert party is only running through mid-March. I can’t figure out why Disney would pull the plug on the desert party during Spring Break.
There is no official public end date, but it’s assumed based on the dessert party. Everyday I wake up, I’m expecting a Parks Blog post announcing an extension of the dessert parties.
WDW originally had it slated to run until mid-March ’16, but has now officially extended until August 2016. Yay!
The StarWars Dessert Party has not opened ressies past March yet. WDW should soon if they don’t wanna miss out earning $70 a head, lol.
I’d appreciate advice for places to view the 9:15pm fireworks after leaving Fantasmic around 9pm. I’ve read there’s an alternate exit that sometimes opens at Fantasmic… what is it, where will it take us & will it be a good way to quickly find a FW view?
Thanx Tom 😀 We all count on you for concise info to help us plan around constant changes at WDW
Assuming they are largely the same as the SWW fireworks, we really enjoyed one of your red spots. We watched the fireworks from Echo Lake, and then again from in front the Brown Derby – to the right of the Chinese Theater/(former) stage and pretty near the ropes. It was great – not crowded at all and the same intensity you get with location #4, but the building didn’t block anything.
The red is supposed to be the line you can’t cross. I might have it too far forward on that side. I’ll dust off my paintbrush and edit this tonight. Thanks!
Awesome, I was just looking for a post like this the other day. I’ve seen the fireworks from the road on the way out of MK (they were really cool!), but haven’t seen them with the soundtrack yet. I felt like the spot we caught the Frozen fireworks from was awful, so I was hoping to have an idea where to watch from when we go for the Star Wars ones.
Great timing for this post. I am headed to WDW in 6 days and I want to try some photos of this show! Thanks!!!
This is great! We haven’t been to WDW in 5yrs (we moved so we went DL a couple times) and so much has changed since then. I’m taking my son for his birthday this year & really looking forward to the fireworks at HS!!
We caught it from Epcot when we were there just before Christmas. No soundtrack, obviously, but watching it over the France pavillion was pretty cool. Can’t wait to see it from inside the park!
https://twitter.com/gluestickgirl/status/679644400620843009
Oh wow. That photo is awesome. Great idea on that!
Fun! While we were at WDW in December and staying in BWV, we could see some fireworks that I only assume were some test blasts for this show (it hadn’t officially started). I imagine some people staying at BWV on certain floors and views will have a fun view (though of course no soundtrack). Probably best to just walk to your #5 area if they didn’t have a park admission for that day.
Yep. It would be cool if they’d have audio on the TVs at BoardWalk, but sooner or later the audio will show up online (if it’s not already), so that’s a suitable alternative, I guess.
Looking forward to witnessing this next week. Thanks for the tips on where to get the best views – you never disappoint!
Last summer, it was a nightly treat to see the Frozen Fireworks at DHS from viewing spots at Pop Century. So generally having fireworks at DHS is an added amenity for those staying at nearby resorts.
I actually got to watch the Star Wars fireworks form Pop Century during Marathon weekend. I was surprised by how great the viewing was. You don’t get to hear the music but the convenience of walking out my door and seeing the fireworks with out fighting a crowd was worth it