They cancelled fireworks last night for 'high winds' does that happen alot?

[MateasMom]

I was shocked. I didn't think it was windy at all We've never actually gone to the front of the castle to see them so we were really excited. Not excited enough to wait hours like other people but excited. They started making announcments about 30 minutes prior that they 'may' be cancelled, and then about 5 minutes prior starting taking down the ropes (but still kept saying 'maybe'). Well, at that point I knew they weren't going to happen. Like in the next 5 minutes when the supposed wind died down they were going to run around putting the ropes back up but I felt so bad for the people that had waited forever, wasted 1/2 the night just to get a prime spot.

Anyways. I was just wondering. If last nights supposed wind was bad enough to cancel the show then it must happen alot???

 

[Harmony]

It happened one night during our vacation back in June. The night didn't seem at all windy but then again, I'm not an expert when it comes to stuff like that. I felt really bad for the family that bought pizza so they could eat during the fireworks. The pizza cost them $120 and shortly after he paid for them, they cancelled the fireworks. Poor guy and his family. Lucky for us, we caught them the next night. I would suggest that families plan for this to happen...just have a plan B in place 'cause you never know.

 

[minnietoo]

This August (and now Sept) it has happend often. Not sure how many days - but it has seemed like a lot from reading the boards.

 

[Another^Dimension]

Remember... actually cancels due to 'prevailing winds above the Magic Kingdom' quite often.

It's not the ground level wind they are testing with gauges on the Matterhorn and above the Camera Shop and by releasing balloons some nights, it's the winds much higher up.
Disney emphasizes strict safety when dealing with wind, relating to Tinker Bell and with the wind potentially blowing ashes and smoldering embers back into the park, especially from the Castle launches and the other various launch locations inside the park.

On some nights the CMs will cycle out It's a Small World until the attraction is empty and then rope off the entire area around the attraction (up past the stroller parking area) because of the direction of the wind is blowing and the higher potential of ashes being blowing into the park.

I have seen many Remember.... shows where Small World was closed and the immediate area around it was roped off, but Remember... was still a go.

But I have sat thru a fair share of cancellations.

Many more Remember.... cancellations than I ever waited thru for either Believe show, Imagine or Fantasy in the Sky over the years...

 

[HydroGuy]

This summer they have gotten cancelled more often than last summer, it seems. To maximize your chance of seeing them, follow "HydroGuy's Fireworks Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199851

 

[lulubelle]

I agree. They have been cancelled many times lately. I don't know if the reasons are legit or not

But it seems like a high percentage rate to me. We recently visited for three nights and the fireworks did not complete their show or start at all two of the three nights. JMHO!

 

[carinv]

We were there for 5 nights Nov '05 and the fireworks were cancelled 4 out of the 5 nights!!

The high Santa Ana winds are the real problem, we were told.

At least we got to see them once

 

[Ginarella]

I was shocked. I didn't think it was windy at all We've never actually gone to the front of the castle to see them so we were really excited. Not excited enough to wait hours like other people but excited. They started making announcments about 30 minutes prior that they 'may' be cancelled, and then about 5 minutes prior starting taking down the ropes (but still kept saying 'maybe'). Well, at that point I knew they weren't going to happen. Like in the next 5 minutes when the supposed wind died down they were going to run around putting the ropes back up but I felt so bad for the people that had waited forever, wasted 1/2 the night just to get a prime spot.

Anyways. I was just wondering. If last nights supposed wind was bad enough to cancel the show then it must happen alot???

I was there last night SEPT 2. Is that the date you were talking about? Because they did not cancel the firework show. Yes they did make a few annoucements regarding high winds for cancellation but they went through with the show.

I'm not sure if it happens a lot but I do know they will cancel the firework show if the winds are really kicking up.

Sorry you missed it because that show gives me the chills everytime I see it.

 

[tlovesdis]

We were there in April for 4 nights and it was cancelled for three of them! We actually waited for two hours right at the front of the castle on our last night there. It didn't seem windy to us at all, but a few minutes before the show started they released a balloon that went flying across the sky really fast. Then they announced it was cancelled!

 

[MateasMom]

Yep Gina, 9-1 The thing says I posted today...it was probably today already on the EST, but was really yesterday.

What a bummer that it cancels so often! We're usually gone before the fireworks because we've got an hour drive home, I had no idea that they were constantly cancelled. Really, I feel so bad for all those people that sat there forever only for the show to be cancelled.

 

[minnietoo]

I was there last night SEPT 2. Is that the date you were talking about? Because they did not cancel the firework show. Yes they did make a few annoucements regarding high winds for cancellation but they went through with the show.

I'm not sure if it happens a lot but I do know they will cancel the firework show if the winds are really kicking up.

Sorry you missed it because that show gives me the chills everytime I see it.

Ah nuts! - I was there on the 1st and it was cancelled and we didn't go back last night - we going to try aging Monday.

 

[spazzyjazzy]

It's the weird weather we have been having. It may not seem windy down where we are but it's windy up in the sky. I am very happy that they think of the safety of people in the park and the people in surrounding neighborhoods and not have the show if it is too windy.
We were there for 5 nights in July and it was cancelled one night in the middle of the show. Oh well. Can't blame Disney for the winds.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I felt really bad for the family that bought pizza so they could eat during the fireworks. The pizza cost them $120 and shortly after he paid for them, they cancelled the fireworks. Poor guy and his family

sheesh was that pizza made of gold or did he have 100 people in his family?

 

[xmelissax]

sheesh was that pizza made of gold or did he have 100 people in his family?

Haha, that's what I wanted to know as well!

 

[Kitty-chan]

We tried to see them on Saturday August 19, but they were cancelled. DS10 was pretty heartbroken; he'd heard how cool this show was, and that it included Star Tours audio.

I was up in the very front, near the castle. When the cancellation announcement was made, somebody shouted "Storm the castle!" It was almost a mob of angry peasants out there, I gotta tell ya!

 

[mikayla73]

When we went in May, I think it was only cancelled on one of the days we tried to see it. We were there for 7 days. The year before, I think we saw them on a few different nights and I don't remember any cancellations that time, it was in May also. I definately understand the need to cancel for safety.

I would definately get there early in your trip to see the fireworks (see Hydoguys info), that way if they get cancelled you'll have more days to check them out. If they don't, you can see them more than once and it's DEFINATELY worth that!

It is the best fireworks show I have ever seen.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

We were there last month (8/20-28) and it didn't run at all one night(8/24) and stopped half way through another night (8/25). We've seen it a few times so it wasn't really a big deal. Dd & ds were in Pinocchio's Workshop the night it didn't run at all and they were disappointed when they went to the 6th floor of GCH and saw no fireworks. My mil, sil and gil only got to see half the fireworks in the hub on 8/25 when it was cancelled in the middle of the program. They saw it on Saturday (8/26) from our room balcony, but alas it isn't the same as hearing the music and being in the middle of it.

 

[EnnEss]

I was there in December, it was cancelled about 4/6 nights and fantasmic was cancelled nearly every night. At no time could one feel any wind, but it must of been a different story at elevation.

 

[merela]

About 40 minutes before the start of the fireworks, an announcement was made that due to high winds, the fireworks may be cancelled. I was at the spot since 6pm so I prayed very hard that it will go on as scheduled. They kept announcing this all the way until 5 minutes before showtime. Then we felt the lights dimmed and then the announcement came that the show will go on as usual. You should have heard the cheers that followed. I knew our chances were 50/50. It could have gone the other way easily.

Before this, I had taken for granted that the fireworks would take place each night at 9:30.

 

[hookedup]

We were there for 3 nights in February and the show got cancelled the whole time! The first night I was soooooo sad because we had stood there for quite a while and had a killer spot. They did the PA announcment that it might not happen due to weather. We had a very chatty CM stationed right next to us and he explained in great detail about the high winds issue. It was not windy at all and I would not have really even called it very breezy. But he said they send up a balloon and if it drifts a certain distance at a certain rate at above a certain elevation they cancel the show. He kept going on and on about the higher elevation winds are what they are using as their criteria.
We were so bummed my ds was even crying! I hate ending the evening on a letdown!