As a First Time Visitor what shows or parades are a Must See?

[OscartheSnail]

Hi friends!

My family and I are going to be in Disney World the week after Thanksgiving. As this is our first trip our main focus will be on rides but I wanted to know if there are any parades or shows we need to see. Or any other activities that we must do in order to miss out on anything great. I know it's all great, but I also know we can't fit everything in one 6 day trip.

To help out I'll let you know we have a toddler and a tween, both boys. So princess are not must see item. But they do love anything Pixar or Disney Animation related.

Thanks in advanced!
MW

 

[Robo]

MK- Fireworks
MK- Festival of Fantasy (2:00 Parade)
Epcot- IllumiNations (park closing show)
DHS- Fantasmic! (Evening show)

to the DISboards, OscartheSnail!!

 

[Stitch813]

MK Fireworks

Agreed Happily Ever After is a must

 

[YesterDark]

That's a really hard question. Like everyone has said, see the fireworks every night if you can.

Shows and parades is up to you. They're all pretty decent. The one in MK (like someone mentioned) is probably the best. With a toddler I'd say any and all shows just so you can get off your feet!

 

[Huff]

Animal Kingdom's Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo are both excellent shows.
Boys would probably like the Indy stunt show at Disney Studios and possibly any of the Star Wars activities.
Illuminations at Epcot and Fantasmic at Disney Studios should not be missed!

 

[DisDreaming4116]

The Frozen Sing Along show in DHS is a must-see in my opinion. Many people assume it's for 4-7 year old girls but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's 25% singing, 25% about the Frozen characters and 50% humor, much of which is targeted for the adults in the audience.

 

[only hope]

Illuminations is more of an adult show. The kids may be bored. There are no Disney/Pixar characters in it (which is appropiate for the World Showcase). However, if you and the other adult(s) in your party want to see it, it is closing next fall so this could be your only chance.

If your family likes fireworks, Disney puts on awesome fireworks shows (though I preferred Wishes over the new show). The pyro is timed and themed very carefully to the music, unlike most displays elsewhere which feel like fireworks with background music.

Fantasmic is filled with Disney characters, as is the parade at MK.

Festival of the Lion King is one of the most kid friendly shows on property, but it’s not a kiddie show; it is an amazing production with singing, gymnasts, an aerialist, dancers, and a fire eater. If your kids like Nemo, that show is very good too. It’s a Broadway quality musical, just shorter.

 

[Klayfish]

Yes, I'd highly suggest Happily Ever After

Next on my list would be Festival of the Lion King, it's a fantastic show

Some of the street performers are a lot of fun to see...in HS, the Jammitors in Epcot, several in the World Showcase (the guy who balances on chairs in front of France, the show in front of China....)

 

[mkla2015]

As others have mentioned, Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom is fantastic! It's a must see for us each time we go to Disney!!

If your family likes fireworks, I suggest seeing the Star Wars fireworks at Hollywood Studios. We aren't big Star Wars fans but those fireworks are my family's favorite.

 

[Princess Merida]

Festival of the Lion King
Rivers of Light (if your boys like animals)
Happily Ever After
Fantasmic
Illuminations

I also agree with the post above that the Frozen sing a long is awesome for everyone.

 

[hakepb]

At MK
Definitely: Philharmagic (don’t waste a FP+, it’s mostly a walk on)
Monsters Inc Laugh floor (unless a time constraint)

 

[Katie Dawn]

Welcome to the DIS!

With a toddler, staying up late may be a factor for you (it's still a factor for us with an 8 year old! Nothing ruins a Disney Trip faster than exhaustion and grumpiness) We tend to limit the late nights to only what we really GOTTA see!

Night Shows:
*Happily Ever After. If you only see one, definitely see this one!
*Fantasmic would be my next choice but if you can't fit it in that's ok. BUT, the Star Wars fireworks are often happening at the same time (in the same park) so if you do a 2nd late night you might do Star Wars instead or split up and do Fantasmic with the toddler and Star Wars with the older if he's a fan? (Edited to say someone said there are no Star Wars fireworks during your trip, just Jungle Bell Jingle Jam. Not sure the timing but maybe you could do that and Fantasmic? Sounds fun either way!)
*Illuminations is a favorite for some, but for us it's the least entertaining of the 3 "fireworks" shows
*Rivers of Light is pretty but I wouldn't keep a toddler up late for it

Daytime shows:
*Festival of the Lion King will be a great choice for all of you!
*The Disney Junior On Stage show was FANTASTIC for toddlers/preschoolers, and it's now closed and they're creating a new show (with a new name I currently can't remember. ) I'm sure it will great so I'd definitely fit this in!

I would suggest avoiding "It's Tough to Be a Bug" 3D movie at Animal Kingdom. It's pretty scary/intense for a show that you'd think would be designed for little kids. We were there last month and a little one was crying during the show.

Happy Planning!

 

[GAN]

I have to say one of the most overlooked events(sadly unfortunate these days) is the Flag Retreat on Main Street. Obviously, it wouldn’t be for the toddler but your tween should get something out of it. It is one of those incredibly well-done, and moving experiences that everyone should participate in at least once. It’s every day at 5PM.

 

[Mome Rath]

I have to add Voices of Liberty at the American Pavilion in EPCOT. There is plenty to look at while you wait for a performance or you can time it to walk in when they are starting to sing. I know it may not be a popular recommendation with younger kids, but I've always found kids to be entranced with the singing.

I will also say rides, of course, are a must, but much of Disney's fun isn't the rides, but the overall atmosphere as well. Take some time between running from ride to ride and take in the details, take breaks, listen to the Dapper Dans, etc...

 

[stsomewhere]

There ae no star wars fireworks during your visit. DHS will be Jingle Bell Bam

 

[B. Shoe]

We just returned from our first time trip; a 5-day adventure. I'll advise it as this; don't look at this trip as anything you need to do. Look at it as everything you want to do, and allow yourself the ability to be flexible (as much as you can be) with your overall plan. If you try to fill up your schedule with everything you feel like you must do, you're going to miss out on the things that you could do, because you're in the mindset that you have to get over to the next attraction, show, etc.

I had a wish list of items that I wanted to see/do with my daughter. We got through some of them, and not others. But between that, we discovered a lot of new things that we'd never even considered trying in the planning process. As I'm still mentally unpacking it all, I can tell you some of those unplanned memories down the road will be more special to us than anything I'd spent weeks/months trying to prioritize in our process.

Even the little things can be extra special at Disney. Don't get caught in a checklist. It's your vacation, not a mission. Good luck with all the planning, and I hope you all have an amazing time.

 

[BrianL]

People are covering everything, but Festival of the Lion King really is a can't miss. Of course Happily Ever After and Fantasmic! are as well, and the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular if you have any Star Wars fans in your party. I actually adore Great Moments in History with the Muppets at MK and the Muppet Mobile Lab at Epcot, so if you like the Muppets, they will be a ton of fun. The Frozen Sing Along is also pretty great, much better than one might think because the "hosts" of the show are hilarious and do a lot of references and even just slightly adult jokes. It's really quite enjoyable.

 

[HuskieJohn]

The projection show in the MK castle before the fireworks was my favorite. Granted that was with the last show but I am sure the new projection show is even better.

The MK firework show was second best and day time parade was third for me but that was only because of the Dragon...has it returned?


As for non-spectaculars attraction shows...
The Beauty and the Beast show at HS was my favorite.


That being said everything is a personal preference so if you dont mind "spoilers" I suggest you watch a youtube video of each show/attraction and see what your party might like or would be ok with skipping.

 

[mamaofsix]

We have 6 kids, ages 4-14. We also travel with my parents. The shows that everyone in our group likes the best are:

-Illuminations (not sure why so many people say kids wouldn't like it - it is our kids' FAV!)
-Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular in HS
-Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, MK
-Fantasmic
-Lion King

 

[Tksolomom]

MK - HEA fireworks, Laugh Factory and Philharmagic
AK - Lion King. I think this is best show on Disney Property. Finding Nemo is good too but my gut be a little long. Though it is not a show, make sure you
HS - Indians Jones stunt show. If you are staying late I would see JBJB over Fantasmic, it just depends on if you want a Christmas show.
Epcot. There is probably nothing here that is a must do, but I do really like Illuminations. It might be too late with the toddler though