Hi Bethany!
Welcome to planDisney! What a special night that will be!
As a mom to 3 young kids, I like to avoid crowds as much as possible, too! Of course, the Starlight parade and Happily Ever After fireworks will bring along increased crowds, with how popular they are. But I’ve found a couple of go-to areas for my family to have a little more space.
For the
Starlight parade, you’ll likely find fewer crowds in Frontierland or Liberty Square, whereas you’ll find the highest crowd levels along Main Street and right by Cinderella Castle. If your little ones can make it later into the night, the second parade of the night usually has lower crowd levels overall.
As far as
Happily Ever After fireworks go, if seeing the projections on the castle isn’t a high priority, I highly recommend watching the fireworks from back in Fantasyland. We once had a whole area with only a couple of other families near us when we watched from Storybook Circus.
From that angle, you’ll notice the fireworks all around you, too, which ended up feeling so magical!
Something else to consider if you’re looking for something extra special is to reserve a
Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party. That includes a specific viewing area, so you wouldn’t have to worry about crowds. I also loved that the area is fenced in, so my kids were somewhat contained as we waited for the fireworks to begin.
The one thing that I’d say about that area is that it would be a little difficult to see the Starlight parade from that specific viewing area, so you would likely need to change spots to see both.
Remember, the Starlight parade and Happily Ever After fireworks will not be shown on nights when Magic Kingdom hosts
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The park closes at 6 PM to park guests without a party ticket on those nights, and the party will offer its own unique entertainment.
I hope that gives you some guidance as you plan! If you have any other questions for us, feel free to come back and visit. We’re always happy to help!
Jenn J.