ADR for Illuminations viewing necessary in off-season?

[M2J3]

We'll be at Epcot on Sept. 10 (me, DH, DS 13, DS 10, DD 3). Currently have ADRs at Rose and Crown for 7:15pm, figured it would be good to rest & eat and have guaranteed good spot to view Illuminations at 9pm (we've never seen it before!) But now rethinking . . .

Is it really necessary to use a TS to secure good viewing during off-season? We're on the free DP, & I could use those TS credits for, say, dinner with Cinderella at the Grand Floridian on another night. Epcot is said to have plenty of good CS options, so should we just grab a CS meal & wing it with viewing location, figuring the crowds won't be too much to battle? Any thoughts/experiences are appreciated!

 

[JohnNYC]

Not at all. We have gone the last five years at the end of August and always have a great spot at the last minute (we like the area between France and Morocco).

 

[gator girl]

ADRs are NEVER necessary for good Illuminations viewing. Keep the ADR if you want to eat at Rose & Crown, otherwise you will be fine without one, off-season or not. And keep in mind that even a Rose & Crown ADR does not guarantee that you will have a view of the lake from your table... you are just as likely to need to get up & go outside to see.

There are literally acres of land all around a sizeable lake where you can see Illuminations. Try not to stand behind a tree or downwind of the smoke. Other than that, you should be able to find a good spot with minimal fuss. In the 2nd week of September? You can probably just stop wherever you are at 8:45 pm & look toward the water. If you feel like there are too many people between you & the water, walk a little further to an emptier spot or look for higher ground to stand, like the steps in front of the Japan pavilion.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

The other thing to consider is wind direction. You might not want to watch from the UK because the smoke is blowing in that direction.

I've never found it necessary to get that 'perfect' spot for Illuminations. Unlike Wishes (which is truly designed to be viewed from Main Street), Illuminations is truly designed to be viewed from anywhere along the showcase lagoon.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Like the PP said, eat at Rose & Crown if you really want that meal, but it's not necessary nor does it guarantee you'll have a lake view. If there's a meal you'd rather use that credit for, by all means, do it!

There are tons of great viewing spots for Illuminations. We also go at slower times and have gone at exactly the same time you are. Great time to go, btw!! We usually find a good place to stand by 8 pm then one of us runs for snacks and we hang out until the 9 pm start. It's usually a very relaxing wait and fun to people watch. Most of the time, we end up between UK and Canada to have a great view and a relatively easy route out at the end. (OK, and the beer stand in UK sells Stella....you got me.)

Just pick out a spot that you like somewhere, making sure you're not downwind or the smoke will kill you, and hang out. Also, don't sit down away from the railing though or someone will very likely decide that between you and the railing is a great spot to stand. We usually stand right up against the railing or sit with our backs to the railing until it starts so we don't get pushed back. It sounds a little extreme to type that out, but a couple of trips ago, we had a family send their kids up one at a time to get in front of us then joined them "because they didn't want their kids to be alone." After that, we stake out a claim like we're in the Oklahoma land rush!

Enjoy your trip and have a magical time!!

ETA: Just noticed that the PP said UK is a bad spot because of the smoke heading that way. That's been our favorite spot for the last three Illuminations we've seen and each time the smoke was heading the other direction. I guess just lick your finger and stick it up in the air before you choose a spot!

 

[chartle]

I think most would say you never need to make an ADR to get a good view of Illuminations in any season. Except maybe Xmas week.

 

[M2J3]

Wow! Thanks so much for all the helpful replies! Looks like we'll use the TS for 1900 Park Fare instead! (DD will be so happy -- DSs not so much!)