Dining according to parade/fireworks schedules

[maryarbrough]

For those of you who go out to eat at dine in tables at night..how many of you base your decisions on the paades/firework shows that are scheduled? I am trying to find a place to eat in the Magic Kingdom area for the Disney Wishes parade and the Main Street Electrical Parade..Also trying to find another dining location in the Epcot area for the Illumination show...

 

[minnie mum]

Please clarify. Do you want to find a place to dine DURING these shows (by the way, Wishes is not a parade) because it's easier to get an ADR when everyone else is outside watching the parade/fireworks?

Or do you want to find a place to dine AND watch these at the same time? If this is the case, then you'll be out of luck in the MK. There is no restaurant with views out the windows for the parade or Wishes.

The only place where this is possible for Illuminations is the patio at Rose and Crown (but you can't be guaranteed a patio table), or a window table at La Hacienda (again, this can't be guaranteed and they don't take requests). Some have reported a partial, obstructed view at Tokyo Dining and Les Chefs de France from a couple of window tables.

Honestly your best option is to eat before or after these shows and to stake out a place in the open air to watch them.

 

[Bettie]

You can see Wishes from California Grill in the Contemporary, 'Ohana at the Polynesian, or Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian.

 

[maryarbrough]

We will be wanting to dine BEFORE and then go watch. If Wishes isnt a parade or firework show..what is it? It is listed on parade/firework schedule

 

[TDC Nala]

Wishes is a fireworks show. It is not a parade. the first post said "the Disney Wishes parade" which is where the confusion is coming from.

If you plan dinner inside the park for a couple of hours before Wishes or the electrical parade, you can get out of the restaurant in plenty of time to see either. Same with Illuminations, which is usually at 9 PM except in December when it moves to 9:30. The earlier you start waiting for Illuminations the better the spot you can get, though.

If you're going to plan for dinner outside the park and then return to the park for the show (sometimes people do this for MK because there aren't a lot of restaurants inside MK) then you need to add in time for transportation, plus to go through bag check if you need it and reentering the park. Eating at a monorail resort will generally not take a lot of time to get back, unless there happens to be something wrong with the monorail.

If you are visiting at a high attendance time you will also need to take extra crowds into consideration.