Disney theme park visitors will once again end their days with a bang starting next month.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland will resume their nightly fireworks shows on July 1 and July 4, respectively. This will be the first time the parks have offered the display since last March, when the parks closed.
Orlando’s Epcot theme park also will resume its nightly fireworks show on July 1.
Fireworks have been a part of the Disney theme park experience since 1957. Walt Disney referred to them as the “kiss goodnight” after a day at the park. But even when the parks reopened last July, fireworks were not part of the experience, due to social distancing concerns. Character meet and greets also were suspended and have not yet returned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bN5b11H4_s
“As we continue to see more communities adjust and ease COVID-19 guidelines, there’s a new sense of optimism with many positive signs moving forward,” the company said in a blog post. “We’re encouraged by it too, seeing more families making travel plans, friends dining out together more often, and more Americans returning to work. And at Disney theme parks, we’re gradually bringing back more of our beloved park experiences.”
Fireworks are the latest step back to normalcy for the parks—and one that many Disney enthusiasts have been clamoring for. Additionally, starting Tuesday, guests to Disney theme parks who are fully vaccinated will not be required to wear masks in most locations. (The parks are not requiring proof of vaccination.) The parks have also removed social distancing requirements.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, and as the park reopens, it’s planning a number of events to celebrate the occasion, including updates to Cinderella Castle, Epcot’s Spaceship Earth, Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life, and the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.