Setting Sail on a Disney Specialty Cruise with a Private Fireworks View

With the July 4th fireworks at Walt Disney World canceled this year, we figured it was the perfect time to reminisce about a special fireworks experience we had last fall. We are always amazed at the amount of special activities and tours available at Disney and booking a private specialty fireworks cruise was one awesome time. Technically our friends Max and Niki had booked the experience for their honeymoon, but they let us crash the party and come along (how nice are they right?). One night last fall our group of four enjoyed some drinks at the Top of the World then set sail on our private pontoon. Read on to hear all about our enchanted evening sailing. 

Details and Pricing

The Disney recreation team offers special bookings of boats for private groups. The nighttime cruises provide the perfect opportunity to watch Happily Ever After or Epcot Forever right from the water with synchronized audio onboard to fully immerse you in the moment. The experience starts about an hour before the show and the entire experience is approximately 1.5 hours. Each cruise is accompanied by a captain, and includes assorted snacks and soft drinks.

Locations

Disney offers specialty cruises for two locations:

• International Gateway near World Showcase Lagoon to watch the skies light up over Epcot

• or embark on the waters of Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake cruises to Magic Kingdom park

Depart from Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort to experience Epcot Forever or sail from the following marinas to view Happily Ever After:

• Contemporary Marina

• Polynesian Marina

• Grand Floridian Marina

• Fort Wilderness Marina

• Wilderness Lodge Marina

For our cruise we departed from the Contemporary Marina for a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

A view of the Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower from the water.

Pricing

Pricing can vary depending on the specific day (for instance a July 4th cruise will cost WAY more than a standard night). Currently rental prices for fireworks cruises start at:

• The 21-foot pontoon starts at $299 plus tax (seats 8 Guests)

• The 25-foot boat starts at $349 plus tax (seats 10 Guests)

• The Grand 1 Yacht starts at $399 per hour, plus tax (seats 18 Guests—or 17 if traveling with a butler)

Note: discounts are available for Annual Pass Holders and Disney Vacation Club members too.

(If you don’t want to quite splurge on a private sailing you can also check out the Ferrytale Fireworks Dessert Cruise or the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage.)

Booking

To reserve a cruise, please call (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529. Before you book, please be aware of the following information:

• Please note—in rare instances, fireworks shows may be rescheduled or canceled. Guests are encouraged to call and confirm the schedule at least 2 weeks prior to arrival.

• Please arrive 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to fireworks start time.

• Boats are not equipped with full-size dining tables—food is served on cocktail tables.

• For Guests with limited mobility, wheelchair/ECV transfer is necessary.

The Boat

After checking in at the Boat Nook behind Disney’s Contemporary Resort we were led to our private boat for the evening. We met our CM Captain Shannon and CP Courtney, who would be our hosts for the night. We had booked the smaller Pontoon option which can seat up to 8 people plus 2 cast members. Festive banners and balloons are also included in the cost—and can be requested at the time of booking. Our friends Max and Niki had noted it was their honeymoon, but since there were four of us they must have been confused as they had set up the boat with a “Happy Anniversary” banner and celebratory balloons (whoops sorry guys!). The pontoon has comfy seating and plenty of cupholders and such. The CMs had also prepared the boat with towels which we didn’t need but we assume could be useful for messes, rain, or if it were chilly. (They even included some hidden Mickeys too!)

Our boat decorated with “Happy Anniversary” decor.

Thanks for letting us crash your cruise Max and Niki!

Enjoying a seat onboard.

A hidden Mickey towel!

Included Snacks

The boat was set up with a basket of snacks and a cooler of drinks included with the cost. There were plenty since there were only four of us and options included:

• Salty snacks like chips, Chex Mix and Cheez-Its

• Sweet snacks like cookies and Rice Krispy treats

• Sodas (Coke, Diet, and Sprite)

• Bottled Water

• Juice Boxes

A selection of sweet and salty snacks.

Assorted non-alcoholic beverages.

Private Menu Add-Ons

While the cruise comes with the included snacks above some guests may want to enjoy something a little more, especially for a special occasion. Since it was our friends’ Honeymoon we decided to enhance the experience and order some Private Dining Menu options. Here are the options that were available through the Contemporary Resort Private Dining menu:

Beverages

• Additional Non-Alcoholic Beverages

• Beer and Cider options

• Wine, Champagne, and Sangria

• Specialty Cocktails and Full Bar Menu

• Spirits by the Bottle

Food

• Fruit platter

• Cheese and cracker platter

• Veggie platter

• Chicken Nugget platter

• Pizza

• Salads

• Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

• Mickey shaped cookies

• and also Mickey Celebration cakes for special celebrations

Our Order

We ordered a cheese and cracker platter for $30.00. It was quite large and included a selection of cheeses and accompaniments. We also ordered a Magical Star Cocktail for each of us for $12.75 (which includes a festive glow cube). These were really fun to have and really added to the experience. It’s good to note that Private Dining adds a delivery charge of $5.00 & 18% Gratuity & Sales tax to all orders, so things can add up quickly. Our order of five items added up to over $100 when all was said and done.

If you are interested in adding private dining items to your specialty cruise you must contact the resort your boat is departing from:

• Disney’s Contemporary Resort – (407) 824-2955

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – (407) 824-2474

• Disney's Polynesian Village Resort – (407) 824-2165

• Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort – (407) 934-3105

Our private dining selections arrived wrapped up and ready.

We thought Magical Star Cocktails were perfect for this occasion!

Pre-Fireworks Views

After departing from the Contemporary Marina we boated around Bay Lake for a little bit. With about an hour before the fireworks we were able to cruise around and see some sights from the water. We were able to park and see the Electrical Water Pageant right in front of us in the water which was really cool. Our CMs Shannon and Courtney shared some fun Disney facts/history and showed us some special spots that you could only see from the water. We were also able to get some pretty nighttime views of several resorts such as the Wilderness cabins, Grand Floridian, and more.

We loved our front row seats for the Electrical Water Pageant.

The music was piped in for us to enjoy with the sights.

The Main Event

Shortly before fireworks time we moved closer towards the park entrance to stop next to a few other private boat parties. The fireworks music was piped in and we got a nice centered view of the show above the Train Station. While the best view of the fireworks is inside the park with the castle projections, we both admit this water view was the next best thing. While we have seen the fireworks from some of the Monorail resorts, this unique view was pretty spectacular. Another thing that is good to note is we weren’t viewing the standard “Happily Ever After” fireworks but happened to see Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular (a special show only available for Mickey’s Not So Spooky Halloween Party). This was cool for two reasons: we were able to see a special show without a special ticket, and this particular show spreads across the sky more providing a better experience from further away in the water.

Final Thoughts

We absolutely loved this experience and we are so grateful our friends let us join them for this great memory (THANK YOU Max and Niki!). A private cruise truly felt special and offered a unique view at parts of Disney. The service was great and we loved chatting with our CMs Shannon and Courtney. The included snacks were a nice perk and we were surprised by some of the special additions like decorations and a beautiful dessert tray presented during our sailing. In all honesty the pricing for this isn’t bad. While a private romantic cruise for two can be a splurge, if you break down the price of a full boat of 8 guests it would be less than $40 a person, which is a steal compared to most dessert parties. We certainly would go on another specialty fireworks cruise again, and hope they are available again sometime soon! Is a fireworks cruise on your Disney bucket list?