Restaurants and Illuminations Views?

[Kalieo8812]

I will be in Disney World in June and am trying to decide on a restaurant to eat and watch the Illuminations fireworks show. I've done some of my own research and I know they recommend La Hacienda, Tokyo Dining, La Cantina (as quick service) and Rose and Crown but I was hoping to get some personal opinions from people who have eaten at these restaurants during Illuminations or possibly other places I don't know of. TIA!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Rose and Crown is really the only one to offer both tables with a view and a (small) outside area to watch if your table doesn't have a view.

For the quick service at La Cantina you probably have to hold that table for at least an hour.

 

[brertoad]

Nine Dragons has some window seating, but it can be obstructed, particularly the tables to the left when facing the windows.
You can see some of the higher aerial fireworks rather than the lower ones.
Chefs de France also has some limited viewing, again can be somewhat obstructed.

At Rose and Crown, you would need to leave your table and stand outside.

Eat and watch:
Spice Road Table - outdoor seating
Yorkshire County Fish Shop - outdoor seating
La Cantina - outdoor seating

 

[MakiraMarlena]

At Rose and Crown, you would need to leave your table and stand outside.

Not necessarily, if you have a table on the patio you can stay seated. But they won't guarantee a patio table so you may have to leave the table and stand outside.

 

[brertoad]

We've never been seated outside, so based on my past experience, they always offered that we go outside to watch it.

 

[gillep]

At Rose and Crown, you would need to leave your table and stand outside.

Not necessarily, if you have a table on the patio you can stay seated. But they won't guarantee a patio table so you may have to leave the table and stand outside.

Correct, we have been seated outside every time and enjoyed the fireworks from our seat. As far as I am aware as it pertains to TS restaurants Rose and Crown has the best viewing followed by Spice Road Table.

 

[maxiesmom]

Not all tables at La Hacienda have a view of the fireworks. And they will not let you wait for a table with a view to open up. I would go for Rose and Crown. They are the only restaurant that offers a viewing area if your table does not have a view.

 

[seanfaulk]

Personally, I would do Rose and Crown even if I had to get up to go see Illuminations because the view is still amazing and the food is much better there than the other options, in my opinion.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We watched from La Hacienda and it wasn't a good view. We realized it just makes sense to eat early and watch from the lake.

 

[mckennarose]

........
At Rose and Crown, you would need to leave your table and stand outside.

Eat and watch:
Spice Road Table - outdoor seating
.....

Two notes from our experiences:

We've seen Illuminations several times at Rose and Crown and always been lucky enough to get an outside patio table.

And Spice Road has some great viewing inside. We've watched Illuminations from a window table with great views in the comfort of air conditioning. They turn down the lights and pipe in the music. Not to mention the food is FANTASTIC there!

 

[NYCgrrl]

If memory serves me correctly the majority of window tables @ Tokyo Dining seat 4 so you might want to keep that in mind if you are a party of 2 or less. You can double check by viewing a youtube of a restaurant review.
The view is first rate and although there is a terrace directly outside where others gather to see Illuminations it's lower than the restaurant's floor so unlike a place like Narcoossee's your view wont be blocked by their bodies.

@ mckennarose - thanks for the heads up about Spice Road!

 

[Hopefully]

We've never been seated outside, so based on my past experience, they always offered that we go outside to watch it.

It would be more helpful and much more accurate if you could state your response in that manner.
We have eaten at Rose and Crown many times andbeen seated outside about 30% of the time. I consider that good
We ate at La Hacienda and had a table with absolutely no view.
We have eaten outside at Spice Road Table and had a partially obstructed View, and inside with a great view.
We have eaten at Tokyo Dining with a nice view.
That said, I believe it is best to view Illuminations outside around the lagoon b

 

[Moliphino]

We've been inside and outside at Rose and Crown for Illuminations. That's your best bet for good viewing from a restaurant because of their viewing area for inside diners (nice view, but the wall you stand by had a ton of bird poop on it so I couldn't get a nice comfy lean going).

We've been in La Hacienda during Illuminations and it wasn't great (we weren't right at the windows, we had one of those middle booths). There are also tables there with no view at all.

I'm another who thinks it's best to view Illuminations outside around the lagoon rather than from a restaurant.

 

[brertoad]

It would be more helpful and much more accurate if you could state your response in that manner.
We have eaten at Rose and Crown many times andbeen seated outside about 30% of the time. I consider that good
We ate at La Hacienda and had a table with absolutely no view.
We have eaten outside at Spice Road Table and had a partially obstructed View, and inside with a great view.
We have eaten at Tokyo Dining with a nice view.
That said, I believe it is best to view Illuminations outside around the lagoon b

I've eaten there over a dozen times and never seated outside, so 0%. I stated you'd have to be prepared to get up from your table to go see them, so that is totally 100% accurate.
I've NEVER been offered an outside seat in all my years going to Rose and Crown, so how could I possibly tell people they can sit outside?

 

[Moliphino]

I've eaten there over a dozen times and never seated outside, so 0%. I stated you'd have to be prepared to get up from your table to go see them, so that is totally 100% accurate.
I've NEVER been offered an outside seat in all my years going to Rose and Crown, so how could I possibly tell people they can sit outside?

Because there are outside tables? And you did actually say "you would need to leave your table and stand outside", which is not correct and the other posters were correcting for the OP.

 

[brertoad]

Because there are outside tables? And you did actually say "you would need to leave your table and stand outside", which is not correct and the other posters were correcting for the OP.

You can't see them from inside Rose and Crown, you have to agree that you do have to leave your INSIDE table (obviously I'm talking about inside dining!), I wasn't talking about outside tables to begin with. I made no mention of outside.

Good for you all, pat on the back, thanks for pointing out there are outdoor seats at R&C. That is fantastic. I'll be sure to remember that. You all certainly made your point.

 

[DSLRuser]

So many easy non crowded places to watch illuminations. i never bother with timing my dinner with the show. Eat at 7:30ish pm.....then go find a spot at 8:50pm

truth be told...after 19 years of illuminations...we go ride frozen during the show. that ride is basically a walk on at that time.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

We got extraordinarily dusted by pixie dust celebrating our anniversary at Rose and Crown. When we checked in, we mentioned we'd be happy to wait for an outside table, but no big deal. To our delight, we were seated at a table for two in an almost private little alcove right on the water. Dessert was served as the first strains of music played, and we had an unobstructed view that was like it was just for us alone. I'll never forget it! I know it was just a touch of good luck and wouldn't assume it would happen again, but we sure did appreciate that special evening!

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

If memory serves me correctly the majority of window tables @ Tokyo Dining seat 4 so you might want to keep that in mind if you are a party of 2 or less. You can double check by viewing a youtube of a restaurant review.
The view is first rate and although there is a terrace directly outside where others gather to see Illuminations it's lower than the restaurant's floor so unlike a place like Narcoossee's your view wont be blocked by their bodies.

@ mckennarose - thanks for the heads up about Spice Road!

At Tokyo Dining they will flat out tell you that they will not guarantee you a table at the window and will not let you linger around in order to get one or keep one.
You will lose your ADR. You're better off finding a place outside around the lagoon.