Best time for ADR at La Hacienda San Angel to see Illuminations

[SnowWhiteOz]

Hi all

I'm going to park hop to EPCOT after spending the day at AK on 8/14. I'm thinking of doing a TS restaurant for dinner as the only other one I have booked on my trip is at Biergarten for lunch later in the week. I've read that Hacienda San Angel has great views of Illuminations (and there are no ADRs left at Rose & Crown). I will be dining on my own so my meal probably wont take as long as it might for someone dining with company.

What time should I be booking my ADR in order to make sure I'm still there to watch Illuminations? The times available are basically every 15 minutes from 7:30 onwards.

Thanks for you advice.

 

[purple figment]

It is true that some tables at La Hacienda have an excellent view of IllumiNations. Unfortunately many have an obstructed, limited or no view at all so if seeing IllumiNations is important I would not recommend choosing La Hacienda. Also, while you can request a table with a view of the lagoon when you check in, quite frequently La Hacienda does not take requests and you would be seated at the next available 2 top which might be the perfect table or it might be a table in the side room that has no view of the lagoon.

A better choice would be Rose & Crown because it has tables on the patio and many will have a good view of IllumiNations. If you are seated inside the restaurant, there is a viewing area adjacent to the patio that is exclusively for those dining at R&C. Just let your server know you wish to see the fireworks and they will pace your meal accordingly.

Even though it is fully booked now, keep checking online to see if a cancellation comes up. You can try looking for a party of 1 or 2 since the reservation system has a quirk that makes it easier to find tables for an even numbered party. As long as you show up for your reservation you will not be charged for the "missing" person. As a party of 3 we've often had better luck finding a table for 4.

If you make a reservation 60 to 90 minutes before the start of IllumiNations you can relax and have a leisurely meal. I believe the last reservation is about an hour before the show.

You can also subscribe to the cancellation thread for August. Be sure to read the rules in the first post:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/new-guidelines-august-cancelled-adr-thread-read-1st-post.3375952/

If you cannot get a dining reservation, the good thing is there are many excellent viewing areas around Showcase Lagoon. Find a spot where you can see the center of the lagoon that is not obstructed by trees or the islands and with the wind at your back since you do not want smoke blowing towards you.

 

[Lucius Best]

If R&C doesn't work out, I personally would make an ADR based on what restaurant you most want to eat at, sometime around 7-7:15pm. You'll be out in time to watch the fireworks from anywhere you desire around the lagoon. On our trips it seems like the wind is usually blowing from the west, towards Mexico/Norway/China.

 

[minnie mum]

I agree with Lucius. Make your ADR for around 7:00 ish. You'll be done in time to stake out a prime viewing spot anywhere on the lagoon. We've eaten at LA Hacienda twice (we thought the food and service were good) but on neither occasion would we have had a good view. There are no 2 top tables next to the windows. Most of them are in the middle of the room.

 

[Praying Colonel]

We've eaten there about 4 times in conjunction with Illuminations. We aim for an ADR between 8 and 8:15 and have no problems. I probably wouldn't want to schedule something later than that because they may be late seating you.

Our views there have ranged from "very good" to "below average but you can still see some of it." (Which is OK for DW, who doesn't dig standing in crowds for the fireworks shows. She'd rather have a seat and not have to jockey for position, even if her view is partially obstructed.) There are also tables where you'll have no view at all, but we've been lucky enough not to get those. Just be aware that it's basically luck of the draw and adjust accordingly.

 

[JJZMgailey]

We had dinner at La Hacienda last month and had an 8:00 p.m. reservation - Illuminations was at 9:00 p.m. that night. We were seated about 4 tables back from the windows but we could see the fireworks perfectly! They pipe the music in as well so it really was awesome. We really enjoyed it.

That being said, you can certainly have dinner before and plan to watch from anywhere around the lagoon - it's beautiful that way too!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

In February DH and I had a 7:30 pm reservation for 2 and we asked to wait for a window seat and were accommodated with that request. We probably had to wait maybe 15 min longer, but it was worth it. We just took our time with dinner and it was great! It was a bit chilly outside so I was so happy to have an inside view of Illuminations..Still prefer to be outside on a summer day. This was our first time at La Hacienda and we really enjoyed it and the show! I tried the Avocado Margarita and it was fantastic!

Good luck!

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Thanks everyone for the advice - that's why I love these forums .

I'm thinking that seeing as I was only going to book a TS restaurant to see Illuminations (rather than for the dining experience) that maybe I save myself the expense and just have an earlier CS dinner elsewhere in the park and watch the show from somewhere around the lagoon.

(or hope that something opens up at R&C in the meantime!)