W/C viewing at Illuminations?

[Leslie]

Is there a special wheelchair section for watching Illuminations? Are family members allowed to sit with the w/c guest?

Thanks!

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

Yes there is w/c viewing. My favorite spot is between Norway and Mexico. I can sit and wait while my husband takes my son over to the boat to play in Norway. They have always allowed them to stay with me in the viewing area. Not sure if they cap the number of guests as our family tops it at 3.

 

[SueM in MN]

There are wheelchair viewing areas for Illuminations. They are marked on the park map. They are by Germany, by Canada and one area on each side of the Showcase Plaza.
We don't usually bother with them since they tend to fill up quickly and are often quite crowded (not things that DD will tolerate). They will allow up to 5 members of your party into the area, but the area right along the fence is reserved for wheelchairs, scooters. So, if you have small children, you are not able to park your stroller along the fence. If it is busy, they will limit to the person with a disability plus one other member of the party. When we used the area over Spring break a few years ago, we were told that our whole party (total of 5 people) could be in the area, but if they needed the space for more people with wheelchairs, all but one person with DD would have to leave. That trip, DD ended up parked behind a tree and couldn't see anything, so after that, we ussually just stake out a spot along the water someplace else.

 

[Nanajo1]

Last month my niece was not allowed in with a stroller. She waited with the two yo for us right outside the rope. What irked me a bit was there were a couple of CM friends allowed in. So it seems very arbitrary who gets in the viewing area.

 

[Poohnatic]

We used the wheelchair viewing area at the showcase plaza. My son has Asperger's and the idea of him being able to stim to his heart's content while waiting worked much better than telling him that he had to stay in the stroller.

There was room to spare the night we were there, but it varies from night to night. After raining most of the evening on Sunday, the park was almost deserted, and we planted ourselves in front of Germany with no problems and no crowds 15 minutes before showtime. Yet another reason why we love Epcot when it rains!

Good luck.

Suzanne

 

[Leia's Mom]

We were worried about having a decent view with my mother (who is on the shorter side anyway at 5 ft tall) who is wheelchair bound. We got an Illuminations cruise, and it worked out beautifully.

Just an idea.

 

[JudithM]

Another consideration when viewing Illuminations is which direction is the wind blowing. You do not want to be in the path of the wind after the show begins! I have used the handicapped viewing areas at the entrance to World Showcase, the one between UK & Canada & the one near Germany. They are all pretty close to rest rooms, too!