Best spots for a guest in a wheelchair for Wishes/Illuminations?

[amycishere]

Hi, I am in a wheelchair and wondering if there are designated areas for me to watch both Wishes and Illuminations. Also wondering how long should I get there ahead of time to claim my spot? Thank you, Amy

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

For Wishes, there is no designated spot. The strategy I used was to watch Spectromagic in the designated wheelchair seating by the partner statue (Mickey and Walt). To get a front row seat for Spectromagic, you should arrive an hour before the parade. Then all you have to do is turn and you have a great view of the castle and can see Tinkerbell fly.

Illuminations has many designated wheelchair areas. They are marked on the map. But several have trees partially blocking the view. I think we sat in the area between England and Canada. As far as when to get there, that depends on the season. We usually arrive 45-60 minutes before the show for a guaranteed seat.

These shows are two of the best!

--Christamae

 

[amycishere]

Thanks so much, we'll be there in October.

 

[SueM in MN]

For Illuminations, there are many spots around WS waterway that have good views besides the designated handicapped areas.
Because you can pull right up against the fence, it is not possible for someone to get in front of you. During the late afternoon, look for the barges in the lake. If you find a spot with a good view of them, you will have a good view of the lower part of the show. You also want to make sure you know which way the smoke is blowing so you can choose a spot that won't get a lot of smoke.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I've heard that the Illuminations wheelchair viewing area nearest Future World is supposed to give a good view, but I've not yet tried that one. We've used the one near the UK before and that gives fairly good views, but you do miss a couple of the aerial bits, due to tree cover.

As for Wishes, we've found that one very nice spot is the bridge from the hub to Tomorrowland. If you get there before everyone else, you can pull right up to the fence and get a really good view. We did this when we went last September and were the first ones there, even though it was only about 10 minutes until the display started. It was a very wet day, though (the parade had been cut short because of lack of grip) so maybe people had mostly gone home. The only problem with this location is that the fireworks don't line up neatly behind the castle, they're sort of off to the right a bit.

Have a great trip!

 

[oliviaT]

Are there any spots in the disabled areas that you don't have to get there an hour before. I don't know whether my son could wait that long!

 

[SueM in MN]

Are there any spots in the disabled areas that you don't have to get there an hour before. I don't know whether my son could wait that long!

It all depends on how many other people are there that night. Sometimes, you might need to get there an hour ahead of time and sometimes there will still be spots only a few minutes before the parade.
My DD won't stay put in the handicapped area, so we don't usually use them.
For Illuminations, that is not a problem. You can usually drive up to the fence along the water and get a decent spot not long before Illuminations begins.