News IllumiNations Dining Package coming to Epcot later this month

carolina_yankee

carolina_yankee

Well-Known Member
I booked yesterday for May 14 - the last night of our only planned trip before ROE enters Yesteryear. To be honest, I'm not overly excited about the menu (fish and chips?!) but for appetizer, entree (even if fish & chips), dessert and beverages including alcohol, tax, and tip, the price isn't horrific. The meal comes to $43 off the menu, add in a couple of alcoholic beverages and you're pushing $60, so the reserve seating is about another $10 then add in tax and gratuity.

Not that I'm asking Disney to charge more, but I would think they could.

I get the frustration from guests who angled for an R&C seating and lost that opportunity with this offering, but I'm a winner as I usually don't like the stress of angling for perfect seating and not getting it. Disney logistics are complicated enough.

Dirk
 
Tony the Tigger

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
Still having no luck for the 31st, and that's our only night in the near future (I think.) My bday is in August, but the interim show may have started by then. Not sure about a possible quick stop in late April. (Blocked out most of the summer.)

Looking at alternate options: the Frozen dessert party seems like an awful value compared to the Rose & Crown Dining. (For just a few dollars less per person, you're just picking on desserts and fondue...although, drinks, too.) And one person in my party is diabetic - he could go for the fondue, I guess, and I saw one "no sugar added" dessert. Plus, again, drinks. Pretty sure we can blow through a fair amount of beer. (Challenge accepted! j/k.)

But for that $158, we could get a nice meal vs. cupcakes and fondue. So, moving on to restaurants with a view (and availability - for some reason, so much is booked up for the 31st but not the days before or after - we even had to book a room off site, etc. while plenty are available on the 29th and 30th.)

A surprise 7:15 res popped up for Rose & Crown - but that seems too early. Likewise La Hacienda. Spice Road is booked. Tokyo dining has availability, but their menu looks "meh." We do like a nice meal. Haven't ruled it out yet.

And for context, Illuminations is probably my single favorite thing about WDW that doesn't involve food lol. I'm sad to see it go. We can always stand somewhere and watch it, but that's proved difficult to do without some kind of blockage or disturbance in the last few years. I love it enough that I'd like a clear shot at it before it's gone, and I'll pay for that (within reason.)

I guess the plan for now is to keep checking to see if anyone cancels for the Rose & Crown dining package. (You never know!) If not, and a decent restaurant doesn't open up closer to 8PM, then we'll focus on having a nice meal regardless of location, and stake out a decent spot around World Showcase (probably with a spiked hot chocolate because it's going to be chilly.)
 
cosmicgirl

cosmicgirl

Well-Known Member
AFAIK there has been some speculation that September 30 would be the last night because that would give it a 20-year run to the day and the new Epcot Forever thing would open on the park's anniversary the next day.
 
Tony the Tigger

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
Tony the Tigger said:
Going to give La Hacienda a try tonight.
Click to expand...

Success! (Except iPhone pics are yucky.)
91C87629-DCEF-4C26-8370-D0107145AE8E.jpeg


Still would like to do the Dining package another day. But this was great for tonight, especially considering how chilly it was outside.
 
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
I'm going solo in late April / early May. I could find no availability for one, so I tried with 2 guests. Unlike regular ADRs where the second guest could be anyone and you could have it removed when checking in, this makes you choose the second guest from your list of friends. I already have an ADR for 7:30pm for the same thing so I'll just chance it with that and request a table by the lagoon. (Hopefully the new dining package doesn't eliminate that option.)
 
docdebbi

docdebbi

Well-Known Member
Bringing this thread to the front again hoping someone here has gone to Rose and Crown (without this package) since this started. Any info you can give us? I am going next month with a regular reservation and wondering if you are still allowed to go outside to watch the show like you always have. Wondering how much of the restaurant is taken up with this. Is the upper patio really empty awaiting the package guests in case of inclement weather?
Thanks for any info you have...…..
 
stuart

stuart

Well-Known Member
docdebbi said:
Bringing this thread to the front again hoping someone here has gone to Rose and Crown (without this package) since this started. Any info you can give us? I am going next month with a regular reservation and wondering if you are still allowed to go outside to watch the show like you always have. Wondering how much of the restaurant is taken up with this. Is the upper patio really empty awaiting the package guests in case of inclement weather?
Thanks for any info you have...…..
Click to expand...

Those dining inside will still get taken out and down to the bottom of the path into the beer garden as they always have. However, yes, that the upper deck will be have enough space to move people to in the event of inclement weather. The booking system will have fewer tables loaded into it to manage this so normal punters will be sat inside after a certain time.
 
docdebbi

docdebbi

Well-Known Member
stuart said:
Those dining inside will still get taken out and down to the bottom of the path into the beer garden as they always have. However, yes, that the upper deck will be have enough space to move people to in the event of inclement weather. The booking system will have fewer tables loaded into it to manage this so normal punters will be sat inside after a certain time.
Click to expand...


Thanks
 

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