Electrical Water Pageant Viewing Tips and Tricks

TouringPlans is pleased to welcome guest author Shannon Loehrlein.

Disney’s Electrical Water Pageant premiered in Walt Disney World in 1971.  It features several floats with lighted screens that can be viewed from several Magic Kingdom resorts on Seven Seas Lagoon.  The show runs nightly and lasts about 15 minutes at each location.

Disney describes the water pageant as “A bright green sea monster leads an enchanting, twinkling musical pageant you can see and hear from locations along the shore. The procession includes a stirring and inspirational medley of patriotic songs while stars and stripes float along the shimmering water.”

The water pageant was closed temporarily post-COVID and reopened December 20, 2020, My family was able to see it opening night from the Grand Floridian Resort.

The show starts at the Polynesian Resort at 8:45 p.m., followed by the Grand Floridian at 9:00 p.m., Wilderness Lodge at 9:30 p.m., Fort Wilderness at 9:45 p.m., and Contemporary at 10:00 p.m.  The times can fluctuate depending on the operating hours of Magic Kingdom on the day of your visit.  Make sure you check the MyDisneyExperience app or the front desk of your hotel for more information.

The best place to view the electrical water pageant is from one of the listed resorts but, you may also be able to see the show at the Magic Kingdom park exit. During our March 2021 trip, we saw the water pageant near the Magic Kingdom bus stop after exiting the park. During crowded times, this can be impossible to stop and watch due to people exiting the parks in masses.  You may want to take the monorail or boat to one of the resorts or plan a dining reservation at one of the listed resorts if you want to guarantee you see the show.

When we saw the full show in December, we watched it from the Grand Floridian Villas.  It is important to note if you are staying at the Grand Floridian Villas, you will actually see the Polynesian show due to the location of the villas. Grand Floridian Villas has a section in between the villas and Polynesian Resort with several beach lounge chairs where we could sit and enjoy the show without crowds.  In 2019, we were able to watch the show from our Grand Floridian lagoon view room.  At the Grand Floridian you can also watch the show from the boat pier, beach, or Narcoossee’s restaurant.  Since the fireworks are not currently running you may want to reserve a late evening Narcoossee’s dinner to see the show from your window view table. Narcoossees also has an outdoor patio that is ideal to watch the show.

The best place to view the Water Pageant at the Polynesian Resort is near the Volcano Pool or the boat pier.  If you can afford one of the Polynesian Bungalows, you can also see the show from these rooms.  Some of the other lagoon view rooms at the Polynesian may also give you a view of the show.

At Wilderness Lodge the best place to watch the show is at the beach or the boat pier or one of Copper Creek’s lakeside cabins.  At Fort Wilderness you can see the show from the marina or volleyball court.  Contemporary Resort provides a view at their beach and boat pier.

The Electrical Water Pageant is a classic Disney show and is worth seeing during your Walt Disney World trip!

Are you a fan of this Disney classic? Let us know where you love to watch the Electrical Water Pageant during your trip.

Shannon Loehrlein lives in Evansville, Indiana, and is a mom of two young daughters, ages 7 and 2.  Shannon’s day job is a school social worker and her husband is a middle school teacher. Shannon is an avid Disney parks and Universal Orlando fan.  Shannon is a Disney Vacation Club Member and Annual Passholder at both Disney and Universal. Shannon shares her love of Disney Travel with others as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner with MickeyTravels. She provides FREE travel planning for anyone looking to book a Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise, Adventures by Disney, or Aulani Vacation.  Shannon also runs a travel blog called Mommytravel.net. You can find her on Facebook or contact her through email at Sloehrlein@mickeytravels.com.