Which resort view would be best for fireworks?

[FSU Girl]

I'm planning a trip to Disney for NYE next year. Right now I have the Contemporary theme park view club level booked. We'd be going from 12/29 - 1/1, so I'm pretty sure we will be going into the parks, but I can only imagine how insanely packed it'll be for the fireworks at night. I thought the Happily Ever After fireworks were really packed so I don't think me or my boyfriend can handle it. So I figured with a theme park view close by we could watch from our balcony for a relaxed environment.

Will the view be good from the room I currently have booked? I'm worried I could end up all the way at the end near the garden wing and we might not be able to see much. Does the club lounge have a view to watch fireworks from?

My other thought is getting a theme park view at Bay Lake Tower. I can't book this yet since it's more than 11 months out so I don't think they open cash bookings before DVC members can book. Would this be a better option? I really enjoyed my view from there when I last stayed. Does anyone know when cash bookings open for DVC?

Thanks!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I'm planning a trip to Disney for NYE next year. Right now I have the Contemporary theme park view club level booked. We'd be going from 12/29 - 1/1, so I'm pretty sure we will be going into the parks, but I can only imagine how insanely packed it'll be for the fireworks at night. I thought the Happily Ever After fireworks were really packed so I don't think me or my boyfriend can handle it. So I figured with a theme park view close by we could watch from our balcony for a relaxed environment.

Will the view be good from the room I currently have booked? I'm worried I could end up all the way at the end near the garden wing and we might not be able to see much. Does the club lounge have a view to watch fireworks from?

My other thought is getting a theme park view at Bay Lake Tower. I can't book this yet since it's more than 11 months out so I don't think they open cash bookings before DVC members can book. Would this be a better option? I really enjoyed my view from there when I last stayed. Does anyone know when cash bookings open for DVC?

Thanks!

Hi there.

Yes, the Atrium CL lounge faces the MK and has a great view of the fireworks. The lounge is the length of three rooms, so has three “balcony sections” in which to watch. They play the music on the balconies.

The view from any TPV room is going to be generally the same as the lounge, even if you’re the furthest room south. It’s just shades of grey differences, not MAJOR differences in the view. At CR/BLT, there is a TV channel that plays the fireworks music for when watching from your room.

Generally speaking, those with TPV rooms are likely to opt to watch the fireworks from their room in many cases. The lounge is likely to be pretty full with folks from the Bay Lake side that don’t have a view. Normally the lounge isn’t all that crowded on any given night, but New Years could be a different story (have not done NYE at CR, so no direct experience). The balconies off the lounge only have so much capacity.

One note in case you don’t know this, for the NYE Fantasy in the Sky show they also shoot of fireworks from an island in the middle of the 7 Seas Lagoon. The shots from here are effectively a simulcast/copy of the large fireworks shot off from behind the castle in the traditional location. There are also perimeter fireworks later in the show. This makes the viewing from CR/BLT even better than a normal fireworks show.

I am pretty sure they run the same show both 12/30 and 12/31.

I love CR Atrium Club, FWIW - one of my favorite spots. Here are some recent pics if helpful. These are from a TPV room, three doors “left” or south of the lounge.

 

[FSU Girl]

Hi there.

Yes, the Atrium CL lounge faces the MK and has a great view of the fireworks. The lounge is the length of three rooms, so has three “balcony sections” in which to watch. They play the music on the balconies.

The view from any TPV room is going to be generally the same as the lounge, even if you’re the furthest room south. It’s just shades of grey differences, not MAJOR differences in the view. At CR/BLT, there is a TV channel that plays the fireworks music for when watching from your room.

Generally speaking, those with TPV rooms are likely to opt to watch the fireworks from their room in many cases. The lounge is likely to be pretty full with folks from the Bay Lake side that don’t have a view. Normally the lounge isn’t all that crowded on any given night, but New Years could be a different story (have not done NYE at CR, so no direct experience). The balconies off the lounge only have so much capacity.

One note in case you don’t know this, for the NYE Fantasy in the Sky show they also shoot of fireworks from an island in the middle of the 7 Seas Lagoon. The shots from here are effectively a simulcast/copy of the large fireworks shot off from behind the castle in the traditional location. There are also perimeter fireworks later in the show. This makes the viewing from CR/BLT even better than a normal fireworks show.

I am pretty sure they run the same show both 12/30 and 12/31.

I love CR Atrium Club, FWIW - one of my favorite spots. Here are some recent pics if helpful. These are from a TPV room, three doors “left” or south of the lounge.

View attachment 278206 View attachment 278207 View attachment 278208

Thanks! These pictures look great. I didn't know about the fireworks from the lake, that's pretty cool. So would you recommend I keep my current reservation or try switching to Bay Lake Tower?

 

[sponica]

I'm planning a trip to Disney for NYE next year. Right now I have the Contemporary theme park view club level booked. We'd be going from 12/29 - 1/1, so I'm pretty sure we will be going into the parks, but I can only imagine how insanely packed it'll be for the fireworks at night. I thought the Happily Ever After fireworks were really packed so I don't think me or my boyfriend can handle it. So I figured with a theme park view close by we could watch from our balcony for a relaxed environment.

Will the view be good from the room I currently have booked? I'm worried I could end up all the way at the end near the garden wing and we might not be able to see much. Does the club lounge have a view to watch fireworks from?

My other thought is getting a theme park view at Bay Lake Tower. I can't book this yet since it's more than 11 months out so I don't think they open cash bookings before DVC members can book. Would this be a better option? I really enjoyed my view from there when I last stayed. Does anyone know when cash bookings open for DVC?

Thanks!

Just as an FYI when I went to the parks 13(ish) years ago on new years eve, they hit capacity by noon. If you do go to a park that day, I recommend Epcot as the walkways are wider and it doesn't feel as crowded as MK.

 

[FSU Girl]

Just as an FYI when I went to the parks 13(ish) years ago on new years eve, they hit capacity by noon. If you do go to a park that day, I recommend Epcot as the walkways are wider and it doesn't feel as crowded as MK.

Thanks that's a good idea. I think our plan will be to take the monorail so we don't drive or use a bus at all so Epcot will work perfectly.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks! These pictures look great. I didn't know about the fireworks from the lake, that's pretty cool. So would you recommend I keep my current reservation or try switching to Bay Lake Tower?

Yeah, they do the same fireworks launch points for 7/3 & 7/4. We watched from Poly this year - it was amazing! With all of the launch points it makes for a very good show.

I guess I’m biased, I like CR CL a lot and we’ve always enjoyed Atrium Club there. It’s maybe not the best CL out there but it’s one of our favorites. I have never stayed BLT so can’t really comment. I’d be a little worried about cash reservation availability over NYE there, but not sure if that’s a justified concern?

One annoying CR warning - the elevators are notoriously slow. It’s not horrible, but at times (especially evenings) you can be waiting for longer than you expect. Probably amplified over NYE with more foot traffic around the resort.

 

[FSU Girl]

Yeah, they do the same fireworks launch points for 7/3 & 7/4. We watched from Poly this year - it was amazing! With all of the launch points it makes for a very good show.

I guess I’m biased, I like CR CL a lot and we’ve always enjoyed Atrium Club there. It’s maybe not the best CL out there but it’s one of our favorites. I have never stayed BLT so can’t really comment. I’d be a little worried about cash reservation availability over NYE there, but not sure if that’s a justified concern?

One annoying CR warning - the elevators are notoriously slow. It’s not horrible, but at times (especially evenings) you can be waiting for longer than you expect. Probably amplified over NYE with more foot traffic around the resort.

I haven't done club level anywhere. I do have a stay at the Beach Club club level coming up in May. So if I do this, it'll be my second time so I won't have much to compare it to. The thing I like about BLT is we get a one-bedroom so it guarantees a king bed and it's spacious. It might be hard to get, but I'd check right around when cash reservations are released to check. Plus I have this current reservation so it's not like I'll be without a room if I don't find one. For this year I found a one-bedroom theme park view room at BLT just randomly looking and almost did it, but decided against it. But next year it would be perfect. I just worry if I get the very last room and we felt like the view wasn't worth the cost. The club lounge could be fun because it would feel more like a party for NYE.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I haven't done club level anywhere. I do have a stay at the Beach Club club level coming up in May. So if I do this, it'll be my second time so I won't have much to compare it to. The thing I like about BLT is we get a one-bedroom so it guarantees a king bed and it's spacious. It might be hard to get, but I'd check right around when cash reservations are released to check. Plus I have this current reservation so it's not like I'll be without a room if I don't find one. For this year I found a one-bedroom theme park view room at BLT just randomly looking and almost did it, but decided against it. But next year it would be perfect. I just worry if I get the very last room and we felt like the view wasn't worth the cost. The club lounge could be fun because it would feel more like a party for NYE.

Well, I’ve stayed in the second to last room furthest from the MK before (Dec 2014). If it makes you feel any better, the view from that room didn’t bother me at all, I’ve stayed up and down that floor and don’t really feel much of a difference overall. What does bother me about that end is being over Chef Mickey’s, which I find to be noisy even inside the room at times. It’s not enough that I wouldn’t stay there, but it’s the one thing that’s gotten in my head about staying at CR that I can’t seem to shake!

In case helpful, here are a couple of links to CR post-trip reports I’ve done on the CL thread...some of my posts aren’t quite back to back so you may need to scroll a page or two. Lots of pics.

CR Atrium Club - Sept 2016

CR Atrium Club - Sept 2017

Sounds like either CR or BLT will work out well for your needs, happy planning!

 

[FSU Girl]

Well, I’ve stayed in the second to last room furthest from the MK before (Dec 2014). If it makes you feel any better, the view from that room didn’t bother me at all, I’ve stayed up and down that floor and don’t really feel much of a difference overall. What does bother me about that end is being over Chef Mickey’s, which I find to be noisy even inside the room at times. It’s not enough that I wouldn’t stay there, but it’s the one thing that’s gotten in my head about staying at CR that I can’t seem to shake!

In case helpful, here are a couple of links to CR post-trip reports I’ve done on the CL thread...some of my posts aren’t quite back to back so you may need to scroll a page or two. Lots of pics.

CR Atrium Club - Sept 2016

CR Atrium Club - Sept 2017

Sounds like either CR or BLT will work out well for your needs, happy planning!

Thanks! I'll take a look at those trip reports. I stayed in CR in a Bay Lake view room on the 11th floor and didn't hear anything from Chef Mickey. Hopefully that won't be an issue since I know I'll need to sleep in after new years

 

[GADisneyDad14]

BTW @FSU Girl, it’s hard to see but my profile pic is from that second to last room furtherst from the MK on the Atrium Club floor.

 

[FSU Girl]

BTW @FSU Girl, it’s hard to see but my profile pic is from that second to last room furtherst from the MK on the Atrium Club floor.

Oh that's not bad at all. For some reason I have it in my head I won't even be able to see Magic Kingdom if I had a room there.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Oh that's not bad at all. For some reason I have it in my head I won't even be able to see Magic Kingdom if I had a room there.

Here are a few more pics from that second to last room. No doubt it’s further away than being on the opposite end of the floor, but I personally don’t think it feels all that different. If anything you’re further from the MK bus area, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The fireworks pics were from a MVMCP night, hence the perimeter fireworks.

 

[FSU Girl]

Here are a few more pics from that second to last room. No doubt it’s further away than being on the opposite end of the floor, but I personally don’t think it feels all that different. If anything you’re further from the MK bus area, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The fireworks pics were from a MVMCP night, hence the perimeter fireworks.

These pictures are great! Thank you for this, I was stressing out a bit and these show the view will be great from any room.

 

[beccasmom]

We love the view from the BLT rooms. On our last visit we stayed in a room classified as lakeview, but it actually had a terrific view of both the lake and the MK. We were in a one-bedroom 8th floor unit and we really enjoyed the view. The fireworks were fun to watch from our terrace and the living room (it was August and meltingly hot and humid). A great treat!