Best spot to get best view of Illuminations for free???

[KayakDaddy]

I'm taking my family on a suprise long weekend trip to WDW at the end of the month. We will be staying at the Swan. I'd like to know if there are any good places outside of the park that you can see major parts of Illuminations for free. I'd like to be able to check it out on our arrival day (Thursday), without using a park admission. We'll be using up the last of a 7-day park hopper plus ticket from a previous visit. I'd really like to check it out that day because I don't think we'll be inside Epcot late at night on this trip.

So where can you go to get a good view? What can you see? What can't you see? Thanks!

 

[jmcross]

You can view the high fireworks from Illuminations from inside of the Swan. I have asked for and received an Illuminations view room both times I have stayed at the Swan or Dolphin.

I don't think that there's anywhere that you can truly view all of Illuminations unless you are inside of the park.

Maybe someone will correct me if they know of a place.

Hope this helps.

Joanne

 

[Cindy B]

We saw some of Illuminations at the MGM bus lot. I don't know if that helps, but as we were exiting MGM one night, we could see the fireworks while waiting for the bus.

 

[NCombs]

We were at BC last year and saw the high part of some of the fireworks in the Boardwalk area.

We then went to Illuminations the next evening in the park. There is no comparison to the fireworks we saw and what Illuminations really is because it is a lot more than the fireworks.

So, I don't think there is anyplace you can actually see Illuminations but you can see some of the fireworks around the Crescent Lake area.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[DebbieB]

You can walk over to the bridge just past ESPN or even the walkway towards the International Gateway.