We've done the Illuminations cruise 4 or 5 times...I just love it! I'd far rather do this than stake out acreage at Epcot for an hour or more before Illuminations starts. Part of the fun is the cruise prior to Illuminations. You cruise the waterway from The Boardwalk down to MGM and back again, and all around the lake between the Boardwalk and Beach/Yacht clubs. I LOVE beign out on the water after dark, looking at all the lights and things going on along the Boardwalk. Although there might be some perfect viewing spots in Epcot, the view from under the bridge is pretty darned good- each time we've been, the boat captain has pulled the boats just slightly beyond the bridge, so you're not really stuck underneath the bridge itself. (I also admit, and this is a bit petty, I like being the folks on the boat where all those landlocked viewers would like to be!) I suppose the smoke could be a problem, but we've never experienced this, although last time there was some ash fall-out. It was actually kind of funny- after Illum ended, we had a little ash-rain! I've never personally rented the pontoon boat, always been fortunate enough to share somebody else's cruise. This too adds to the fun...meeting fellow Dis'ers. In fact, I have a wonderful long-distance friendship going with the woman who shared her cruise with us in June 2004 (HI ANGELA!!). We realized that we have lots in common, our kids liked each other, and even the DH's got along. We did a couple of other things with them after the cruise, before we had to go home, just because we all ended up having such a good time on the cruise! An Illuminations Cruise is a total experience, which is the fun. I would imagine that if you thought the view really stunk, you still would have had a good time cruising...and you could always go to Illum the next night, inside Epcot.
