I had heard rumors of its existence but never wanted to actually leave the park to verify if it was true. At nine o’clock p.m. , if I am in any of the four parks of Walt Disney World, I want to stay in the park until they kick me out! But not too long ago I made myself leave to go and check out just what exactly the Electrical Water Pageant was all about.
We were staying at the Grand Floridian and after exiting the Magic Kingdom, my sister, cousin and I hopped on the boat to take us back to the hotel. It was starting to rain a bit but we didn’t care. When we arrived at the dock of the marina of the Grand Floridian, there was a crowd of people sitting and watching and waiting. Within minutes, the show began.
There, gliding across the water, was a parade of around fourteen gloriously lit floats depicting King Neptune and his many sea creatures and ends with a lovely tribute to Stars and Stripes. It is tame and low-tech by Disney standards but it is a quaint little show that is a very sweet and peaceful end to what is normally a hectic and tiring day.
One of the great things about the Electrical Water Pageant is that it can be see from all of the Magic Kingdom resorts so no matter which one you are staying at, you will get a good view. The pageant/parade does not begin until the nine p.m. fireworks at the Magic Kingdom are over but once they are (and what a great show to catch, too!) keep your eyes focused on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake!
The schedule usually goes with: The Polynesian viewing starts at 9:00, the Grand Floridian at 9:15, the Wilderness Lodge at 9:35, Fort Wilderness at 9:45, and then concluding at the Contemporary Resort at 10:05. On nights that the Magic Kingdom has extended night time hours then you can catch the parade/pageant floating passed at around 10:20.
What I think people should know before making the time to go and see this show is that if you are expecting the wonders of Wishes, Illuminations or Fantasmic, you may be very disappointed. What makes the Electrical Water Pageant something to see is the simplicity of it. It reminds you of Walt Disney World’s beginnings; at least it does for me.
As a seasoned visitor to “the World”, it was nice to experience something that I had not in all of my other trips. At the time of night that this water parade is put on, with careful planning, you can find yourself sitting on the beach of Polynesian or the dock of the Floridian (even if you are not staying at either of them) and not only catch the beauty of the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom but also the Electrical Water Pageant.
The beauty of doing it that way is that you are not stuck in the crowds watching the fireworks and then the mass exodus from the Magic Kingdom. If you exit the park right approximately thirty minutes before the fireworks are scheduled and hop the Monorail or a boat over to one of the deluxe Magic Kingdom resorts, you are sure to find some sweet spots to take in both shows and cap what was surely a magical day in the parks.
This is one thing that we haven’t done yet, but it’s on our must do list.