By Diva Viva
For our honeymoon, my husband and were treated to luxury at Walt Disney World. Our family and friends arranged for top-notch meals, wine and gift basket deliveries to our room, and, my favorite gift, a private boat ride across Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake during the Magic Kingdom Wishes Fireworks.
Because we used the Disney Honeymoon Registry we knew ahead of time that we had been gifted the experience and we were able to book our boat ride before our trip. Before our trip, we called the Disney Events and Tours reservation line (407) WDW-TOUR. You can find the whole list of special tours and events on the Events and Tours website. We were able to arrange to meet our boat at the marina dock of our hotel, the Contemporary, in time for a ride around the lagoon before heading out to watch the fireworks.
The evening of the tour, we escaped the hustle and bustle of the parks and took a romantic walk around the waterfront area of the Contemporary on our way to the docks. It really set the mood and the pace for the rest of the evening.
We then met up with our private Skipper for the evening, and he gave us a few safety tips as he welcomed us on board and offered us food and drinks. He could not provide alcohol for us, but knowing this ahead of time, we had arranged for Champagne to be delivered to our room earlier in the day so that we could bring it along with us. He put it on ice for us and was ready to pop the cork and serve us later in the evening.
TIP: BYOB for a romantic evening tour by buying a bottle at your hotel or having a bottle delivered to your room earlier in the day so that your Skipper can serve you Champaign or wine while adrift.
The ride started with a tour of the Bay Lake, including waterside views of Camp Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge. Our Skipper gave us insider information and tips as we sailed along, like a behind the scenes tour. The sun was still shining and the weather was perfect, but a bit cooler since it was the end of the day, so we didn’t mind being with out shade. It is the perfect time of day to enjoy being out in the sun on the lake without too much Florida heat.
As the sun set, the Electric Water Pageant begins to make it’s way around the lake and our Skipper brought us up close for a peak before it was lit. This was another fun behind-the-scenes moment that was especially interesting to my husband who loves to see how things work. Afterwards, we made our way around Seven Seas Lagoon, and learned more history and trivia as we saw The Contemporary, The Polynesian, and The Grand Floridian from the lagoon, finally, making our way to a perfect spot in the center of the lagoon to prepare for the evening Wishes show.
Around us, but at a distance so that everyone had their own space, were other private boats and a large Party Boat that was the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage. They were having so much fun! They were YO-HOing and ARRRRRRRR-ing with such joy and lots of pirate geer. The prices are also quite reasonable at $34 per child and$59 per adult and includes a visit from Captain Hook and Mr. Smee who help the boat sail off from the dock. I have never been on the voyage, but I plan to in the future when our kids are the right age. It is something I don’t want to miss after seeing how much everyone on board loved the evening adventure.
Because our trip was much more romantic and a lot less buccaneer, our Skipper brought us to a quite section,a good distance from the other boats, popped our Champagne, and turned on the romantic music station of our choice. My husband is Dominican, so we wanted a Latin station. Then, as we sipped Champagne, and watched the lights of the hotels and the Magic Kingdom sparkle over the lagoon, we danced to the music on the boat deck. It was the most romantic and memorable moment of our entire honeymoon.
When it came time for the fireworks to start, the Skipper changed the station on the radio to one that syncs up with the music of the Wishes show, and we were able to watch the fireworks from one of the best views I have ever had of the show, and certainly the most private and romantic. It was truly magical.
TIP: Though this is a wonderfully unique way to see the Wishes Fireworks, it is probably better that those in your group have seen the display from inside of Magic Kingdom either on a previous trip or on an earlier night during your vacation. It would be hard to follow the story of the show from the boat viewing if you didn’t know what it looked like from a closer view.
After the fireworks, we headed towards the Electric Water Pageant to view it fully lit and then sailed back to our marina dock to end the evening. We were so happy with every part of the evening and the Skipper’s wonderful attention to us as he gave us an amazing experience. We did give him a generous tip.
There are also Motorized Boat Rentals available at The Contemporary and other hotels if you would rather sail without a Skipper, though you would miss out on the behind-the-scenes information and the specialty touches that our Skipper did to make the night more perfect. Check with the Marina for more information.
Though it was a bit of a splurge (around $350) it was worth it! The experience and the special feel of the whole evening was something you don’t always get in the busyness of the park. We won’t be able to do such specialty trips on a regular basis, but I know my family will plan one again for a special occasion. I am hoping to one day have a family reunion at WDW and a fun evening lagoon cruise to watch the fireworks would be a perfect event for such a group.
Happy Sailing! ~ Diva Viva
