If your plan is to go and see the fireworks in the Main Plaza, plan to go early.

Also know that personal space ceases to be a thing during spectacles, so be prepared to have those 50 centimetres between you and your next of kin be filled by some enterprising soul in search of the best viewing angle for the fireworks

I recommend a polite, but firm, perimeter defence, where it is clear that no, thank you, it isn’t ok for someone to come up at the last moment before the spectacle to symbiotically bond with your left shoe. Again, the politeness is key here, but you can, and should, remain firm that you have done your homework by being there early, and they are not entitled to occupy the space within your right nostril.

The Priority Pass is only valid for three people during fireworks shows.

One additional option for those among us with a Priority Card is to make use of the priority viewing area.

Now, just like with the shows, the Priority Card allows the card-holder and two additional people access to the priority viewing area. Please do not try and bring more than two additional people into the area with you. If you do, the Cast Members will need to be polite, yet firm, with you, and they are already having a busy time of it. Not the least because they have to answer the question “what’s over there?” about 16 times per second. Every second. For an hour before the spectacle begins. Every night. So, when you see those hard-working Cast Members, give them a smile and wave, because you know they’ve just, politely and firmly, answered the same question 57,600 times.

Where do we even go?

*Please don’t make me put that horrible map up on this page, too.

But where are these smiling sentinels, you may ask? Well, look back to map in the last section,* and look for any place where the red-shaded area touches a non-shaded area.

As the red-shaded area is the access point for the priority viewing area, this is where we can enter to watch the spectacle. To gain access, simply show your Priority Card to one of the sentinel Cast Members, and they will direct you (and up to two others with you, remember!) where to go. That’s it.

Then, head down towards the viewing area in front of the castle, which is the Northernmost portion of the dark blue area on the map, where you will find a large, open area where you can choose a spot to watch the fireworks. Or, that is what might happen. Because unless you get there early, the area will still be large, but it will not be open.

This area often gets full. So full that it ends up being busier and more crowded than other parts of the dark blue area. As this press of people can be really stressful, you may want to consider not using the priority viewing area as a tactic to manage your sensory input. Alternatively, you may want to show up at least an hour early and pick a spot that is far from the entrance to the priority viewing area, in order to lessen the chances of being within a large crush of guests.

The good news is that there are many excellent ways to watch the fireworks and lights show spectacles. If one way doesn’t work for you, it is easy to try another one!