The 2024 solar eclipse is tomorrow, Monday, April 8th, and we have a few tips on how to view it from Walt Disney World. The last time we experienced a solar eclipse at Disney World was October 2023. We were in EPCOT that day and happened to catch the partial eclipse from inside the park.
Of course, there are safety measures that you need to take such as not looking directly at the sun without proper eye protection, but we found other ways to SAFELY enjoy the partial solar eclipse while at the parks. First, some details on what to expect in terms of timing and coverage.
When Does the 2024 Solar Eclipse Happen at Walt Disney World?
The 2024 solar eclipse will happen in the afternoon of April 8th. In terms of exact timing for Walt Disney World, data from NASA shows that the peak coverage will be somewhere around 57% at 3:02pm. You will start to see the moon eclipsing the sun around 1:48pm and the eclipse will conclude around 4:15pm. The sun will be visible in the southwest skies at around 60° from the horizon.
Currently, there is a forecast for a cloudy day tomorrow, which might make the solar eclipse difficult to see. Data suggests a coin flip (50%) on whether or not the skies will be cloudy.
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse at Disney World
Again, do not look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. Here are some tips and info from NASA:
Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.
When watching a partial or annular solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers.
In October, we enjoyed the solar eclipse by finding areas with pinhole camera-style effects around EPCOT. There were even some wonderful PhotoPass Cast Members in front of Spaceship Earth creating makeshift pinhole viewers by punching holes in the Memory Maker cards and handing them out to guests. If the sun is out, you should also be able to see the solar eclipse in shadows cast by trees as well.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!