Best restaurant for fireworks/illuminations

[momof2forever]

Anyone have any suggestions on a good restaurant to watch the fireworks?

Thanks

 

[skunkvette]

Rose and Crown patio was outstanding last week. I like the way the staff lowers the patio umbrellas right before the show starts so that everyone has a better view.

 

[bicker]

Your safest bet is to not plan on watching Illuminations from a restaurant. The only table-service restaurant with any signficant number of tables with a view of the show is Rose and Crown, but it is still only a 30% chance. (We've been extremely lucky, getting a view of the show three times out of eight times we've had dinner there.) There is a counter-service eatery in Mexico with tables with a view, but you need to camp out there a couple of hours before the show. Too much wasted time for my tastes, and I cannot really enjoy myself while people are coming over ever five minutes asking if we're done with the table yet.

 

[momof2forever]

Thanks so much.

 

[singingpixie]

If you do decide to eat at Rose and Crown, you don't have to have a patio table to view the show. There is a VIP viewing area that they will let you go to before the show is to start if you are sitting inside. That said, Rose and Crown is still a good bet.
One thing that worked for us was eating at Teppanyaki and timing it so we finished in time to walk out to the balcony and watch from there. It's public, but not the first place people think to find a spot so we were able to take our positions 2 mins before the show started in January.
Have a great trip! -Meg

 

[madalex]

Your safest bet is to not plan on watching Illuminations from a restaurant. The only table-service restaurant with any signficant number of tables with a view of the show is Rose and Crown, but it is still only a 30% chance. (We've been extremely lucky, getting a view of the show three times out of eight times we've had dinner there.) There is a counter-service eatery in Mexico with tables with a view, but you need to camp out there a couple of hours before the show. Too much wasted time for my tastes, and I cannot really enjoy myself while people are coming over ever five minutes asking if we're done with the table yet.

Amen to this. Have dinner anywhere in Epcot and then just find a spot around the lagoon to watch for the fireworks. It's fairly easy to find decent spots (maybe not the best spots, but still good ones) 15 - 30 minutes before the show. For me, this has always been preferable to having to hope for a table somewhere and then having to camp out for an hour or more to see the fireworks.