Bonjour et bienvenue Josephine, I'm always so glad to be able to help fellow Canadians making their way down to Walt Disney World Resort in search of warmer weather and fun-filled days in the sun!
I'm so glad that I have the chance to answer this question, as my husband and I had the same situation this month; initially we weren't planning on eating at
Be Our Guest Restaurant but by a stroke of Disney magic, we found a last-minute reservation time and jumped on it. The unfortunate thing is that this was directly after the fireworks and it would definitely be cutting it close for such a lucrative dining location.
Looking at the
Hours & Events Calendar for the week of your visit, it appears that
Magic Kingdom Park hours end at 10:00 p.m. EST. Luckily in our experience, it remained open for us and fellow guests who were still dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant as the other lands were cleared and closed for remaining day guests. We were even some of the very last to exit the park alongside guests who were still departing from their meals at
Cinderella's Royal Table!
It also appears that the showtime for
Happily Ever After fireworks is currently scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EST beginning that week in mid-May. I would say that since this very popular nighttime spectacular has a runtime of approximately 18 minutes, it would definitely be a bit of a risk if you wanted to watch it from anywhere deep within crowds corralled and stanchioned off in the Hub or on Main Street U.S.A. in front of Cinderella Castle. Here are a few ways that you may be able to make it work so that you're back in time for "Bon Appétit":
- The easiest option is watching the fireworks directly in front of Be Our Guest Restaurant. In our experience the Cast Members allowed fellow diners with reservations around that time to stand along the bridge leading up to the Beast's castle which is a very cool and unique experience feeling the fireworks launch from behind you - it feels like you're surrounded by explosions and is definitely a bit of a louder experience. (This works well as long as you also don't mind missing the projections that appear on the front face of Cinderella Castle.)
- If you still want to be able to catch a glimpse of the projections for the first part of the show, we've had luck finding a spot adjacent to the rock formations by Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. The Cast Members kept a clear pathway behind us for an easy getaway and we found that as long as we left by the time Mulan launches a rocket into the sky about 12 minutes into the show, we'd be able to walk for just over five minutes during the action sequence and make it in time for our reservation.
Alternatively, you can also inquire with the Cast Members at the entrance of the restaurant whether there is later availability; be sure to check your
My Disney Experience Mobile App frequently leading up to your vacation in case a later spot opens up! Please come back to planDisney again to
ask me for more Tips and Tricks!
Here's to your upcoming Disney adventure; on fait la fête!
Prince