Credit: Mom2amara, FlickrGuests staying near EPCOT this week may want to prepare for a much later night than they originally planned.
Walt Disney World has issued an official warning about upcoming fireworks testing at EPCOT that will stretch well beyond the park’s normal nighttime spectacular. While the notice currently appears at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, the noise could potentially reach several hotels surrounding Crescent Lake and the EPCOT resort area.
That includes Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, along with the nearby Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels.
For families hoping to get an early night of sleep before another long park day, the timing isn’t exactly ideal.
Disney Warns Guests About Late-Night Fireworks
Disney has posted a “Fireworks Notification” inside the lobby of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, alerting guests that they could hear fireworks during the overnight hours.
According to the notice, routine fireworks testing is scheduled to take place at EPCOT from 10 p.m. Tuesday, September 1, through 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 2.
Disney specifically warns that guests may hear “sporadic fireworks” during that three-and-a-half-hour window.
That’s considerably later than guests around the EPCOT resort area are accustomed to hearing fireworks.
EPCOT currently presents Luminous The Symphony of Us at 9 p.m. most evenings. Under normal circumstances, that means the loudest part of the night around Crescent Lake is finished well before many families head to bed.
This test changes that equation.
Fireworks could continue intermittently until 1:30 a.m., potentially creating some unexpected noise for guests who booked one of Disney World’s more expensive hotels expecting a relatively peaceful night.
Yacht and Beach Club Guests Could Hear the Testing
Disney’s warning appears at Yacht Club for a reason.
The Deluxe Resort sits immediately beside EPCOT, making it one of the closest Disney hotels to the park. Guests can walk from Yacht Club and neighboring Beach Club to EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance in a matter of minutes.
That proximity is normally one of the biggest selling points of staying there. Guests can leave EPCOT after a long day and return to their rooms without relying on buses or driving.
On September 1, however, that location could come with a downside.
If Disney is conducting fireworks tests inside EPCOT until 1:30 a.m., guests staying at Yacht Club could potentially hear those tests from their rooms. The same could reasonably apply to Beach Club because the two resorts sit beside one another.
Exactly how noticeable the testing becomes will likely depend on where guests’ rooms are located, weather conditions and the nature of Disney’s tests. The notice doesn’t say fireworks will continuously launch for three and a half hours. Instead, Disney warns of sporadic fireworks.
Still, even occasional explosions can be difficult to ignore when you’re trying to sleep.
BoardWalk Guests May Want to Prepare Too
Yacht Club and Beach Club aren’t the only Deluxe Resorts sitting close to EPCOT.
Across Crescent Lake, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn places guests within walking distance of both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
That makes BoardWalk another resort where guests could potentially hear some of the testing.
Disney’s notice doesn’t specifically warn that every surrounding hotel will experience disruptive noise. However, considering BoardWalk’s proximity to EPCOT, guests staying there Tuesday night may want to keep the testing window in mind.
That’s especially true for families with young children, light sleepers or anyone planning to wake up early Wednesday morning.
A 1:30 a.m. end time doesn’t leave much room between Disney’s testing and the start of another park day.
What About the Swan and Dolphin?
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin could potentially experience some of the noise as well.
Both hotels sit within the same general EPCOT resort area, near BoardWalk, Yacht Club and Beach Club. While they aren’t Disney-owned hotels, their location still puts them relatively close to EPCOT.
Again, Disney’s notice doesn’t confirm that guests at the Swan or Dolphin will hear the fireworks. How far the sound travels will depend on the testing itself and conditions that night.
But anyone staying at either hotel should at least be aware that EPCOT may be launching fireworks as late as 1:30 a.m.
That could be particularly useful information for guests choosing an early bedtime specifically because they have an early park morning planned.
Deluxe Resort Prices Make the Timing Tough
The warning also serves as a reminder of one of the tradeoffs that comes with staying incredibly close to a Disney theme park.
Yacht Club, Beach Club and BoardWalk are Deluxe Resorts, and their locations represent a major part of their appeal. Guests pay a premium partly because EPCOT sits practically outside their hotel door.
Most nights, that can be a major advantage.
Guests can spend the evening in World Showcase, watch Luminous The Symphony of Us and then walk back to their hotel. They can also quickly reach EPCOT the following morning without dealing with some of the transportation headaches guests encounter elsewhere.
But being that close also means nighttime operations inside the park can become much more noticeable.
This particular situation is unusual because Disney’s testing will continue long after EPCOT’s normal fireworks presentation has ended.
Instead of hearing fireworks around 9 p.m., guests could potentially hear additional bursts more than four hours later.
Guests May Want to Plan Ahead
Disney hasn’t provided additional details about exactly what will be tested or how frequently fireworks will launch during the testing period.
For now, the important information for resort guests is the timing.
Testing begins at 10 p.m. September 1 and could continue through 1:30 a.m. September 2.
Guests staying at Yacht Club have officially been warned about the possibility of hearing sporadic fireworks during that period. Given the close proximity of Beach Club and BoardWalk, guests at those Deluxe Resorts may also want to prepare for potential noise.
The Swan and Dolphin could potentially experience it as well, though Disney’s notice does not specifically address those properties.
For most guests, it may amount to nothing more than a few unexpected booms in the distance. For someone trying to put a child to sleep—or hoping to get some rest before an early morning at the parks—it could be considerably more frustrating.
Either way, Disney is giving guests advance notice.
And if you’re staying around Crescent Lake Tuesday night, don’t necessarily assume the fireworks are finished once EPCOT’s normal nighttime spectacular ends.
