Did you really love your Illuminations cruise?

[rachelfran]

we just did it - and although the fireworks were great.. the stuff with the earth ball - was just too far away to really appreciate... i couldn't really see the fountains either... I kind of wished we'd gone for Wishes instead...

our CM was really sweet but i thought were supposed to get some sort of "tour" before the fireworks... we just went over toward MGM and then back to the bridge for the fireworks... We asked her for a seafood restaurant recommendation and a particular ice cream place and she couldn't help on either account...

am i being to picky?

 

[goofy4tink]

WE did one last summer. We had a terrific captain, Mike if I remember correctly. We did the tour down to MGM, all the while Capt. Mike kept up a steady stream of Disney trivia and assorted info. I actually learned something. Then we parked (docked) under the bridge. Of course, the wind was blowing in our direction,which Capt. Mike kept apologizing for. As if it were his fault!!! Would I do it again? Probably not. But it was fun. Now, we just catch it as we walk thru. We've seen it about 4 times now, so we don't make a concerted effort to find a viewing spot.
I would have thought your 'guide' would have been able to at least point you in the right direction for a restaurant choice, at least on-site.

 

[disneysteve]

We did ours in November 2002 and loved every minute of it. Keep in mind that there were 8 of us. Me, DW, DD and MIL plus 4 people from DIS who we met that night. So we got to share the experience and make some new friends in the process.

Also, we've been to Disney many, many times and we're always looking for new experiences and this fit the bill perfectly. We loved taking the ride up toward MGM and back past Boardwalk. The captain let DD drive the boat a good part of the way. The look of joy on her face when she took the helm was worth every penny we paid for the cruise.

Actually watching Illuminations was fine but nothing special. It isn't the best view, but you also don't have to stake out your space an hour early or have people crammed against you. Much more relaxing to be sitting on the boat.

 

[kda]

We just did it in April and I'm really glad we did. Would we do it again? Maybe (there's just the 2 of us, so we'd have to have to be part of a larger group). I agree completely that I was disappointed in not being able to see the globe very well. We'd seen it multiple times before, so this was OK, but some of our party hadn't experienced that, and I felt they missed out. (Don't think THEY were upset, however) The view of the upper fireworks was phenomenal, and we were lucky that there was no wind that night.

We had an incredibly superb captain, Jeff. He works at BWV, doing kids recreation activities. He really made us laugh and had tons of trivia. This was a big part of the cruise, for us.

And everyone really liked that we could relax and be totally comfortable in the boat. That was a real treat.

 

[aprilgail2]

Just back from ours and we really enjoyed it! Sure we couldn't see that globe thing to well but we really didn't care, the fireworks were awesome, the boat ride was a blast..we had the best captain, he told jokes, gave us some trivia and "remarried" 2 of the people that we were with for their anniversary...complete with wedding music!! We had great company on the cruise, 2 other very nice familes and we really enjoyed relaxing out there on the boat rather than having to stand up a n hour in advance, having people pushing and shoving you..no thanks!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Definitely! I've been on 2 Illuminations Cruises, the first was so cold, we were all huddled together under heavy blankets to keep warm (December 2003). But I still had such a great time, love Illuminations, that DH and I went again in May. Had an awesome time, in part because we got to share the cruise with some other DISers (arranged through these boards). Hoping to arrange another cruise when DS and I go in January-I'd do the Illuminations Cruise every chance I get.

 

[DisneyTeacher]

We have taken an Illuminations cruise twice and loved it both times. We had a family group of 5 the first time and a group of 9 friends the second time. Both cruises were awesome, we had Aaron the first time and Jeff the second time. Jeff was awesome, he was great with the kids and so funny and full of information.

The view may not be the best you can find but it was sure relaxing not having to fight the crowds. The smoke/wind was not a problem either time.

 

[Terry S]

The Illuminations Dessert Party might be something to give a try. We did this in May and had one of the best times we have ever had in the World. It costs more than the cruise, but I think it was worth every penny! We had a private roped off area down to the right of the UK and they served us ice cream and drinks. I pesonally think this was the best spot to see illuminations in the park. And just like the Cruise, I only had to arrive at 8:30 and sit down with just our group of 6 and enjoy. I would do this again in a heart beat.

 

[luvsTink]

How did you get hooked up with the IllumiNations dessert party?

Anne

 

[Terry S]

I called the Park Catering and Event Services. The event planner I spoke with was Tim Blunk at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I am actually planning on calling him this week to schedule another illuminations dessert party. I will let you know how it goes.

Edited to add: Tim is no longer there. If you call 407-566-6441, they will assign you an event planner.

 

[dgaston]

We've been on two IllumiNations Cruises, one in Dec 2001 that was a surprise for the family and again in Christmas 2003 with my brother's family on our last night in WDW. We had Jeff as our capt the first time and as others have noted he does an exceptional job with Disney trivia. Bob was our older more laid back capt the second cruise. Each was very special, but probably more as a treat for the family than the viewing of IllumiNations. I have several "favorite viewing spots" Norway and to the left of the American Gardens theater.

One of my special memories is the wide open smile of my DS 15 driving the boat, and Bob telling him to really open it up on our return to the Y&B marina.

 

[DiznEeyore]

Dh and I took one on our anniversary several years ago. Our captain was very nice, however, our cruise wasn't as enjoyable as it should've been thanks to her "friends" (her words; she said they were "off for the night" and "love to give me a hard time"). As we parked under the bridge between UK and France, a group of them were overhead. They called to her over and over, yelling and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

Then, after the fireworks, as we pulled out from under the bridge, they proceeded to dump drinks on our boat.

Needless to say, she did *not* get a tip. Perhaps later she explained to her friends the importance of not acting like idiots when she was working.

 

[disneysteve]

Amy- That's terrible. I hope you complained about that and got a refund. If they were CM's, you certainly shouldn't have had to pay for that trip.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by Terry S
The Illuminations Dessert Party might be something to give a try. We did this in May and had one of the best times we have ever had in the World. It costs more than the cruise, but I think it was worth every penny! We had a private roped off area down to the right of the UK and they served us ice cream and drinks. I pesonally think this was the best spot to see illuminations in the park. And just like the Cruise, I only had to arrive at 8:30 and sit down with just our group of 6 and enjoy. I would do this again in a heart beat.

The Dessert Party sounds like fun.
How much was it? How many people can take part? Do you get to pick the dessert items? I'm thinking of booking the IC for Christmas Eve, but may try for the dessert party instead.

We did the IC during our Easter trip and a great time.

 

[Puffy2]

I've done a cruise and the dessert party - although both were ok , in retrospect they are expensive and we felt as though we had to "rush" to get to both of them (rushing puts stress on everyone)....
I think it would be possible to view illuminations from around the Italy area and have a good view and grab a dessert or coffee or drink to enjoy while you watch and it won't cost you near as much. And you can just relax and enjoy the show.
Sometimes I think we overdo it with all the special planning. ...
I'm a big planner..so that's hard to balance. Just thought I'd give another view. You don't have to spend big money to have a good time at Disney.

 

[Bete]

I can't get enough of these cruises. Infact, I've done two in the same trip. It is such a relief not to wait for the show. I need an unobstructed view to be happy seeing the show. I'm a shorty going around 5ft. tall. It's also a different perpective seeing it from water level. It seems romantic to me in a way, as well.

We share most of our cruises with others. I like that experience, too. It keeps cost down and the interaction is great.

When we do the land view I park myself by Italy to get the best view of the globe but to be first, upfront that usually means a
1-1/2 hour wait to secure the best spots. We see the show at least four times on each trip. My last time there's no cameras.

I like taking video and still pictures of the show. Each time I get different shots. I want to have one of the best collections around and each time I get new shots; so, I keep seeing the show over and over again.

I'm not sure if I would do as many cruises if I had to pay the full toll each time but sharing is a great way to go.

 

[DiznEeyore]

Originally posted by disneysteve
Amy- That's terrible. I hope you complained about that and got a refund. If they were CM's, you certainly shouldn't have had to pay for that trip.

We probably should've complained. To be honest, it was our first Disney trip and we were a little timid and shell-shocked by the whole thing ... I have to say now that we're "veterans" (LOL) we would definitely speak up and see if the situation could be improved!

 

[Leota]

We did the Breathless Illuminations Cruise in 1998 & loved it - Back then, it included a good 1/2 hour of Burst after the waterways cleared out of the Friendships & Pontoons - Now THAT was fun!
3 years later, we booked another Breathless IC. This time we had a couple friends with us & told them about the Bursts afterwards, warned them to bring dry clothes, etc..... Well, no more Bursts at night. Legal Dept put the nix on that.

After they took the Burst away from the BIC, we felt it was no longer worth it. I don't think the viewing area is that great. They crowd too many boats in there now (it used to be just 2).

 

[jazznms]

We did the breathless cruse also last year and shared it with another family from the board we had a blast he did the tour of the hotels when we docket for the show he got out and talk to the group about some fun facts and other areas of info. Me and my DH(will be in nov) are into the old boats (we restore one at a time) so my dh was asking all kinds of questions about it. the Capt. was very giving of the info and told us he was not allowed to open it up at night but for us to come back the next day and we can zip around the lake and we can take a close look at the boat. well needless to say we where there at 9am brought Mike a coffee and some Danish from the bakery (we got lucky and had enough for his whole staff would have felt bad if we didn’t have enough they all had hungry face doesn’t mike feed his cm ) this made our trip we sped around the lagoon for an hour then we got to go over to epcot and see the fireworks boat as he did his daily inspection we had the best magical time. he did not charge us but we did tip him very well

 

[Madi100]

I'm very surprised to read the reviews on the IllumiNations Cruise. I just always thought all thought it was wonderful. It was the highlight of our trip.

We did the cruise the night of our arrival. We took my parents with us and paid for most of their trip. Step Dad had to pay for airline and park ticket. Otherwise, we covered the trip. We checked in and that about ruined my trip. It took over an hour, we weren't in a good area, etc. It ruined our day for sightseeing because it ate up so much time. I have a cousin that lives in Florida, and we invited her to have dinner with us and then do the cruise. By the time we got to the Boardwalk we only had about an hour to eat. Not a lot of food choices for only an hour. So, that was disappointing.

Then it's time for the cruise. There were ten of us. Captain Ron was our captain, and he was awesome. We were there early. He was there early. So we left early by about 15 minutes. He wasn't quit the whole trip. He was constantly telling about one attraction or hotel or tidbit of trivia. It was fascinating. We parked under the bridge along with a couple other boats, and the different captains entertained us. Very good time. Then to watch the fireworks and the show was just awesome. I sat there with a huge grin on my face because I planned the whole thing, and it was good.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.