Old Photo: Holiday Wishes Fireworks at Walt Disney World

Fireworks flare up behind Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom during the Holiday Wishes fireworks show in this Old Photo from December 2011.

In the past, while Holiday Wishes is usually used for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which requires a special ticket, the special holiday fireworks are shown for everyone as Christmas draws near. That is how we have seen them, since I don’t really see the point of paying extra for what you can do with your regular admission another time.

Interestingly, when we saw the show in 2011, everyone up near Cinderella Castle had sat down to wait for the show to start, and we found a place behind them. When the fireworks started, they all remained seated, as you can see here, which gave a better view for those of us behind them. It was somewhat different from some of the pushing and shoving crowds we have encountered for the fireworks at other times. Was it because it was the Christmas season? Or was it because everyone was just in a good mood in general? Either way, it was nice.

There are several great moments in the show, but I particularly like the one pictured above near the end of the show when the Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle are turned on, adding nicely to the fireworks behind. You can read more about the Dream Lights in an earlier Old Photo post:


Just for fun, here is a bonus photo from the same night:

You can read more about that one in the old post Daily Photo: Blue Castle from a few years back. I like that moment in the show, too.

The Lord will send His faithful love by day; His song will be with me in the night— a prayer to the God of my life. - Psalm 42:8

About the photo:

I have used this photo for a few different posts before, the most recent time being for a post over at Beyond the Berm last month. But this version above is an entirely new edit from the original Raw file. It may not look all that different from the earlier versions, but there are some slight differences, such as the removal of some light flares in the sky caused by dirt on the camera lens. I also darkened up the sky in general, too, causing the fireworks and lights to stand out even more. Always interesting to see what new you can do to a photo that you have worked on in the past.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Date: December 20, 2011
Location: Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, Florida