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The original plan was to get a dinner reservation at Cali Grill and then go to the Polynesian Beach to watch the fireworks. The only time I could get a dinner reservation for Cali Grill was at 9:45. Will we have enough time to watch the fireworks from the beach, then hop the monorail to the Contemporary and arrive at our dinner reservations on time? Disney's website says Happily Ever After lasts 18 minutes.
Likely yes, but it will be close, since you'll hit crowds on the monorail at MK. What about watching the fireworks from the Contemporary, so you don't have to worry?
Watching the fireworks from the balcony at the Contemporary is great. We have done it several times
I had thought about doing that originally, but a lot of people on here said that it is better from the Poly Beach.
Are fireworks at 9:00? So they'll go to 9:20 or so. You'll have the walk to the Poly monorail, get through security. take the monorail all the way around to GF, MK (which will be very busy with the fireworks being over), and then CR will take some time. But it seems like even if you get to the Cali Grill a few minutes late, they're not going to give away your table at 10PM.
On the other hand, I would also recommend watching from the Contemporary. I'm not sure watching from the Poly Beach is THAT much better. And if you're standing on the beach constantly looking at your watch worrying about dinner, will you really enjoy them? I also believe if you have a Cali Grill reservation, you are entitled to go up early to stand on their deck to watch the fireworks that night. The fireworks from the CR are really nice, whether it's from Cali Grill and the observation deck. And you'll be much less stressed about your dinner. Just going to the CR and taking Poly out of the equation that evening might make your fireworks, dining, and parking plans much simpler. Save the Poly Beach as an excuse to go back again for another trip in the future!!
Thanks for the advice guys. I think we will just watch from the Contemporary. Hopefully we can watch it from Cali Grill. Our next to last day, we will be at DHS, which closes at 8 pm. Maybe we will go to the Poly Beach to watch the fireworks that night since our last day will be at Epcot instead of MK like I usually do. It would be nice to have a little castle magic before we leave.
I know u made a decision and I have done both recently and both views are good. They are different though. Given the choice I prefer the Poly Beach. If the Fireworks are at 9 why couldnt you just take the boat launch (basically steps away from you would presumably watch the fireworks) to MK (5 minute ride) and then walk to the Contemporary. This would be a much shorter time frame than the monorail option.
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We’ve watched from the Poly beach many, many times. We preferred watching Wishes from the beach more than the new show, but it’s still a nice treat. That said, we have also watched the fireworks from the observation deck at California Grill each time we have dined there and we fell that is the better viewing spot over the Poly beach. I would not rush to try and watch from the poly beach if I had the opportunity to watch from Cali Grill.
I loved Wishes. It was my favorite. This will be my first time seeing the new fireworks show. I skipped it on my last two visits.Quote:
Originally Posted by buzznwoodysmom
I didn't realize there was a walk way to the Contemporary.Quote:
Originally Posted by deedee73
Yes - it is about an 8 minute walk IMHO. Here is a description that I found...
As you leave the park and walk towards the bus stop, or ferry, it is on the left. The easiest way to think of it, is that it basically runs right underneath the monorail track all the way to the Contemporary. It is marked with signage as well.
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Thank you for that information. I will keep an eye out for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by deedee73