Hi there Kathryn, I'd like to wish you a very Royal Welcome back to planDisney!
I hope that you had a fantastic time
on your last visit in March this year, and it'll be so nice to come back in September to celebrate 20 years of your Happily Ever After - Congratulations! As a
Disney Fairy Tale Weddings Groom, I spent so much time researching and planning out every possible venue for romantic moments in and around Walt Disney World Resort and I'm glad to be able to lend you my personal advice, tips and tricks on your upcoming anniversary!
My husband and I recently had the chance to celebrate our own anniversary with a plan to watch the fireworks from high up at
Topolino's Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera. (I must say that the full name of this particular restaurant is certainly already a mouthful to say before you even
get started on the menu!) Based off of our experience, here's a few things to keep in mind that may be helpful:
- Currently, the estimated time for sunset in the Lake Buena Vista area is around 7:45 p.m. at the start of September and even earlier towards the end of the month! We also arrived ahead of our reservation time and spoke with the friendly Cast Members at the host stand to ask whether we could check out its namesake outdoor terrace early and they graciously said that we could walk through to witness the sun setting behind The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the distance.
- There were already quite a few fellow diners out there with the same idea and policies are always subject to change without prior notice depending on the Cast Members and management on the evening that you visit, so just be prepared in the event that they may think that it's too busy to allow too many guests out there at once!
- The Walt Disney World Resort Hours & Events Calendar currently shows the scheduled times for the fireworks that you may be able to glimpse over the rooftops like EPCOT Forever at 9:00 p.m. which lasts for about 11 minutes. It's important to note that the music for the show was not playing within the restaurant for us and the terrace itself soon became packed with fellow guests heading out to listen to the speakers that surrounded us outside. In addition, certain segments of the show have pyrotechnics that are a bit lower on the World Showcase Lagoon so you'll likely mostly see the higher fireworks towards the second half of EPCOT Forever.
- We were able to spy a few bursts from Fantasmic and even Magic Kingdom Park way off in the distance, if it's a clear evening and you know where to look!
I hope that your plan to enjoy these spectacular views goes off without a hitch, just as you celebrate your own 20 years of being hitched! Be sure to
come back to planDisney again for any more anniversary-trip advice, I'm always happy to help bring all the romance at Disney destinations around the world.
Here's to so many more Happily Ever After anniversaries for you both in the years to come!
Prince