Illuminations Cruise Questions

[LisaS]

Hi all! I have searched for info regarding the Illuminations Cruise and know what the books say, now I would love to know what YOU say! How soon to book, can you go private? Is it worth it? Where should we eat beforehand? Should we plan the day in Epcot first?? Another park?? If you take the cruise do you need to use any passes (for those without UPH or APs) Any hints or tips? If you had to choose - this one? or Wishes cruise?? Thanks!!

[SuzyQ]

DH and I took the Illuminaitons Cruise with two other couples last Valentine's Day (Hi RAD!).

It was awesome!

I didn't make the bookings, but I can tell you about the cruise itself. BTW: you don't need any park passes since you are not entering the park, technically.

To begin, we had dinner beforehand. Since the boat launches at the Yacht Club dock, we grabbed dinner at Spoodles. That is a good restaurant if you want to dine out, but don't want to spend a ton of moola. Otherwise, there is Palios in the Swan ($$$$), the Flying Fish at the Boardwalk ($$$$), the Big River Brewery ($$ - more casual, but really good burgers and microbrew beers), and all the reastaurants in the Beach Club and YC. Oh yeah, Blue jsut opened in the Dolphin and that's suppose to be Mediterranean.

We met at the boat dock at about 8:15 and met our "captain" and boarded soon thereafter. Whoever your captain is can really make the trip more fun than it already is since they often give up great tidbits on WDW and behind the sceens info.

You troll around by MGM studios and then make your way to the bridge between England and France. All theboats park under there for Illuminations. The view is great and the ambience is fantastic. It's like a fun party on the water, plus the boats all have blankets on them so if you get cold, you can do some cuddling (very romantic if your with a loved one).

After Illuminations, they head back to the dock.

For our trip, each couple brought an item (like champagne, chocolates, etc.). Other boaters also brought different snacks. I don't believe that there are any restrictions, but good to find out if you want to bring a lot of food and drink.

I highly recommend it - it is a blast and a great way to experience Illuminations!

[MargaretJ]

LisaS we did Illuminations Cruise with a bunch of my Disney buddies in June of 2002. About half of us met at Beaches & Cream for dinner prior to the cruise & then met up with the rest of our group at the dock. We had a full boat load, there were 11 of us & boy did we have a great time. The guys ended up sitting in the back of the boat while the girls were up front. Our driver was awesome taking us all around the lake & telling us lots of trivia. Thank goodness for the guys because the girls yaked so much we did not hear half of what our driver said. As Suzy said you can bring stuff, have it catered or just bring yourselves. Our driver was so cool, as we were getting ready to dock we asked if we could ride more & she took us on another tour around the lake. She was very well tipped. After the cruise we hit Beaches & Cream again but this time for Ice Cream! This is a great experience & I would love to do it or the MK Cruise again.

[LisaS]

Ohhhh, you guys are so great to answer in such detail!! This sounds like a must!! I read somewhere that there is "competition" to get a good viewing spot and that you can get "stuck" behind other boats. Is this something that is a concern and if yes, how do you go about handling it? Also, it will be the four of us - not a large group - (me, DH, DD13 and DS10) Will we have our own boat or do they match you up with other small parties?? Thanks again!!

[SuzyQ]

I'm not sure what "stuck behind other boats" woul dbe as they are aligned side-by-side under the bridge. We were on the left side in between two boats and found that we had a great view. I'm sure that it will be wonderful! :)

[MargaretJ]

Yes Suzy is right you line up side by side under the bridge so no worry about having to fight to get a good spot. When you book the reservation it's yours, it is up to you how many in your group. I think it really is only supposed to be a maximum of 10 but they let us have 11. Have fun!