Dinner during Illuminations

[keith&suedrews]

May I get suggestions as to where to eat while viewing Illuminations? Can we choose to eat just a dessert rather than a full meal? What time should we plan on scheduling an ADR?

 

[Milla]

Hi! I think the best restaurants for Illuminations viewing would be La Hacienda de San Angel (Mexico), Spice Road (Morocco) and Rose & Crown's outside seats. Once you have a reservation at any restaurant you can choose to eat whatever you want, it doesn't matter if it is a full meal.
I'd probably schedule the ADR 1 hour or 30 minutes before the fireworks time.. I wouldn't risk getting it too close to the fireworks time (15 minutes or less) because there can always be some kind of delay on the time that you will actually be seated.

 

[mckennarose]

We've eaten at Rose & Crown many times for Illuminations and Spice Road once for Illuminations. One thing to keep in mind is that you are not guaranteed a seat with a view. You can politely ask, but you may not be accommodated. R&C does have a private viewing deck for their customers who don't have an outside seat. My ADR times have been around 7:15 to 7:45 for a 9 pm Showtime.

I can't say I've ever seen anyone eating only dessert at either place. Everyone I've seen has had dinner and they will seat you with a dinner menu. I would think that having drinks and dessert starting at 7:30 would have you finished pretty early. From my experience and what I've seen, they have their last seatings around 8 and expect that those people are there for the show. (YMMV.)

There are lots of places around world showcase to grab a snack and watch Illuminations rather than take a table at the most popular restaurants for desserts only, IMO. If you have never seen the show it would be better to see it from around the lagoon as there are very few tables at these restaurants with a good view.

 

[mousehockey37]

Don't do it. Just don't.

Go for the fireworks or go to eat. Most places have very very very limited fireworks viewing and you have to bet that if someone that has finds that they have that seat, they're not going to leave.

Calling the restaurant won't do any good. Checking in early and requesting those seats won't work. That is one request that when put on the reservation, will not work.

So again, make the decision now that you're either going to eat and be ready to accept whatever seat you are given or go to see the fireworks and eat when you can either before or after.

Sorry for being the downer, but there's no secret time or restaurant that's going to get you fireworks viewing.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

FIREWORKS VIEWING "411" (*rev 06/02/2017*)
.
1) Epcot "Illuminations" restaurant viewing
. . . Rose & Crown (UK) - excellent patio view
. . . Rose & Crown (UK) - excellent patio view from standing-room-only area
. . . La Hacienda (MX) - excellent window view ***
. . . Spice Road Table (MA) - excellent open-air lake-side view
. . . Tokyo Dining (JP) - good window view, good patio view **
. . . Chef de France (FR) - obstructed window view **
. . . Monsieur Paul (FR) - excellent view ***
. . . Liberty Inn (US) - obstructed patio view
. . . Nine Dragons (CH) - partially obstructed view ***
2) Magic Kingdom "Wishes" restaurant viewing
. . . Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party - great view
. . . California Grille - excellent table view, excellent balcony views
. . . Narcoossee's - good view, good balcony views **
. . . Ohana - good view from a few tables, no view from all other tables ***
3) Non-Eating viewing
. . . Wishes: Wilderness Lodge employee parking lot - good view
. . . Wishes: Poly Beach - good view, with piped-in music
. . . Wishes: Fort Wilderness Beach - fair view
. . . Illuminations: Boardwalk - poor view, only high fireworks
.

* = Approx 50% of the tables
** = Approx 30% of the tables
*** = Less than 20% of the tables​

PATIO-or-WINDOW SEATS FOR FIREWORKS:
. . . you CANNOT wait for a patio or window tables or make an ADR for such
. . . you must take whichever table is offered when it is offered.
. . . if not, your ADR is canceled.
. . . too many people would wait for a viewing table.
. . . if they didn't get it they left, so, there were unused tables, lost revenue.
. . . now, the policy is you take what is offered
. . . the Podium person verifies you will take the offered table
.
SEATING ASSIGNMENTS, THE NEW WAY: (almost all TS eateries)
. . . in most cases, the Podium person has no control over seating
. . . with the new system, the seat ASSIGNER determines your table
. . . the Assigner walks around with a computer and assigns the next table
. . . this assignment is then printed out at the podium
. . . the SEATER then takes the printout and leads guest to the table
. . . the printout info also includes party size, adults/kids, DDP, special diets, etc
. . . this is done without any consulting with the podium people ahead of time
. . . once assigned, it almost takes and Act-of-God to change the table
. . . to change tables, requires a lot of computer work for the Assigner and Podium
. . . if you want to try for a good seat, get an ADR 2-2½ hrs before fireworks
. . . then, hope you get lucky
.
NOTE1:
. . . Even with the above policy, some people get a viewing table when asking for it.
. . . If eatery is not too busy, which doesn't happen often, they try to accommodate.
.
NOTE2:
. . . for the best chance at a viewing seat/table, make ressies 1-3/4 to 2 hours before event

 

[sharonabe]

2) Magic Kingdom "Wishes" restaurant viewing

I have a question about this one. Over on the DIS FB page, someone said they always get an outside table at The Plaza an hour or so before the fireworks, and they camp out there for the fireworks. Do you know if that is actually possible?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I have a question about this one. Over on the DIS FB page, someone said they always get an outside table at The Plaza an hour or so before the fireworks, and they camp out there for the fireworks. Do you know if that is actually possible?

The outside seating in front of the Plaza is open seating (the restaurant doesn't seat people there), so yes, it's entirely possibly to just sit down there at any time and just camp out.

OP, if you really want some type of dining experience with guaranteed Illuminations viewing, it would be best to reserve the Illuminations dessert party.

 

[mckennarose]

.
SEATING ASSIGNMENTS, THE NEW WAY: (almost all TS eateries)
. . . in most cases, the Podium person has no control over seating
. . . with the new system, the seat ASSIGNER determines your table
. . . the Assigner walks around with a computer and assigns the next table
. . . this assignment is then printed out at the podium
. . . the SEATER then takes the printout and leads guest to the table
. . . the printout info also includes party size, adults/kids, DDP, special diets, etc
. . . this is done without any consulting with the podium people ahead of time
. . . once assigned, it almost takes and Act-of-God to change the table
. . . to change tables, requires a lot of computer work for the Assigner and Podium
. . . if you want to try for a good seat, get an ADR 2-2½ hrs before fireworks
. . . then, hope you get lucky
.

This is very interesting, thank you. When did they implement this new policy?

 

[keith&suedrews]

thank you for all this great information. I guess we will just hope for the best and be happy we such problems!