Which one ... Illuminations or Wishes Cruise?

[Bronte]

Please help me ... Should I do the Illuminations or Wishes Cruise ... I thought I was all set to do illuminations because those are my favorite fireworks untill I heard some people comment that for the money it is better to see illuminations from the land and save the cruise for wishes.
Our trip is in late may/early june so I need to make up my mind fast ...
Which would you rather do and why ...
My party is made up of five adults and two children (ages 10 & 13) ...
Thanks ...
Bronte

 

[Goofy Rulz]

We will be doing the Wishes cruise. I can't compare it to the Illuminations cruise for you as I haven't done either yet. But from what I've read here and heard from others, Wishes is the more "magical" cruise. Some of the boats have the music from Wishes piped into the boat so you can hear Jiminy Cricket. Illuminations doesn't do that. I also heard some people mention that they got all smoked out at Illuminations from the fireworks. They had a hard time seeing anything through the smoke. That may have been an isolated incident. Plus you can watch Wishes and then leave without having to worry about the crowds that would be exiting the park if you were to watch it there.
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[Goofy4]

Did both in October...

Illuminations is much harder to reserve -- probably more demand, but mostly due to there being fewer boats.

I would say the smoke problem is isolated. Same thing can happen while watching from land. If you happen to be down wind...

The sound is not a problem with Illuminations. The pontoon is anchored under the international bridge, which itself is considered a prime viewing location. While the view is not as "panoramic" from that location, all of the action is straight ahead. For children it is wonderful -- no "big people" in the way. Wishes from the MK is not as much of a problem for small kids.

Both are good. I would shoot for Illuminations first knowing that you'll have less of a problem getting a Wishes cruise. And yes, some of the pontoons have sound for Wishes, some don't. After a recent discussion on the boards, I think I can say that you'll need to get the 10 person, $250 pontoon to be assured that you get the sound. Some of the CMs seem to know that, others don't. Enjoy.

 

[lilozz_6]

What about renting one of those "water mouse" boats and cruise around during a show?? Just wondering..it will only be me and my boyfriend on our trip

 

[liamandcaili]

We did the Illuminations cruise in December and it was terrific! It was the best view I have ever had. It was a little cold though, but that won't be a problem when you are going. We didn't have a problem with smoke, and we could definitely hear everything perfectly. Our captain did say that there are some nights when smoke is a problem...it depends on how the wind is blowing. They really don't have any way to control that.

For Wishes, if you are willing to spend the money on the cruise, you might consider spending it on California Grille. The view from the balcony is perfect and you get the music...plus you get an amazing meal!

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

What about renting one of those "water mouse" boats and cruise around during a show?? Just wondering..it will only be me and my boyfriend on our trip

The marinas close at dark to personal rentals.

We have done both cruises and prefer the Wishes cruise - much better view IMHO.