Theme Park Fireworks in a Social Distancing World

As July 4th approached, there were cancellations of fireworks displays across the nation due to social distancing concerns. So it took me by surprise when I saw SeaWorld Orlando still had their fireworks celebration on the books. I made reservations for my family to visit the park on July 3rd. I have been to SeaWorld a few times since its reopening and have felt comfortable being there enjoying the parks. But, those visits didn’t consist of numerous people gathering to see a large scale spectacular.

As the date approached, I started to get nervous about how crowds would be managed. Fears of lack of social distancing crept in. How would the additional crowds be kept safely apart? Would there be enough staff to enforce new procedures? The rise of Covid-19 cases in Florida as well as other considerations, including the chance of rain, made me hesitant to attend. Ultimately, I didn’t feel comfortable with the unknown and we did not go. HOWEVER, after hearing from a friend about how SeaWorld was handling the crowds, I ended up making reservations to attend on July 5th. Here’s how SeaWorld reassured me and how other theme parks might handle nighttime spectaculars.

Fireworks Viewing Areas

Fireworks were viewable from multiple marked out viewing areas. The fireworks display faces Bayside Stadium from the bridge. The best viewing areas are the Bayside Stadium or Pathway. However, you’ve got great views from all locations.

Bayside Stadium allows for greater capacity even with social distancing measures.

Large markers were placed throughout the viewing areas.

Reminders for safety precautions were placed throughout the areas as well. I would say the markers were about 6 feet apart.

 

Filling the Viewing Areas

There was a large number of SeaWorld Ambassadors in the viewing areas. While the walkway was open, they maintained the flow while making sure people also kept masks on. As the walkway closed, Ambassadors directed guests to open spots. When the section was full, guests were directed to other viewing areas around the park. 

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of open space remaining, even when the area was considered full.

Viewing the Fireworks

We had a great view of the fireworks. Everyone pretty much stayed in their designated areas during the show.

The show lasted about 15 minutes. The fireworks were coordinated with music. It sure felt nice to see a full-scale night-time spectacular for the first time in months.

Exiting the Park

We watched the fireworks from the Waterfront, which allowed for quick access to the exit. After the fireworks, we opted to leave as opposed to waiting for crowds to thin. Unfortunately, there was no social distancing while exiting the park. While some guests attempted to keep their space, it became difficult as the path narrowed. We stayed towards the edge of the crowd and kept spacing from the people in front of us.

My Overall Opinion

We enjoyed the night. The fireworks display and music were nice. We were pretty close to where the fireworks went off, so it was plenty loud.

I noticed many more Ambassadors walking around than previous visits, which was nice to see. We found a spot on a bench that provided a greater distance between viewers. But even if we had not, the number of people allowed in our section was reasonable. 

The snag was the exit. Improvements must be made on procedures for exiting the park after shows. With everyone leaving at the same time, it was crowded. Not everyone chose to maintain social distance, or simply were unable to do so. It may have done better by exiting guests by section. But I could see some guests not being happy about being made to wait to exit.

We know Disney is not planning night time shows upon reopening. But do you think Disney could do viewing around the castle much like SeaWorld did with fireworks? What additional safety measures would make you feel comfortable with nighttime shows?

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