is epcot illuminations fastpass area sitting or standing

[boyarsky]

I'm trying to find out what the FastPass viewing area for Illuminations is like. I found this video which implies people sit on the sides and stand in the middle behind the bushes. But I also saw a reference that there is no sitting area.

So is that some parts are sitting and some are standing? Or it changed? Or something else?

 

[nickys]

I'm trying to find out what the FastPass viewing area for Illuminations is like. I found this video which implies people sit on the sides and stand in the middle behind the bushes. But I also saw a reference that there is no sitting area.

So is that some parts are sitting and some are standing? Or it changed? Or something else?

I don’t think there is a sitting area. The people who are sitting just chose to sit. As long as you’re not on a walkway I guess it’s fine. Although I’m not sure I would sit through Illuminations itself.

 

[James J]

I don’t think there is a sitting area. The people who are sitting just chose to sit. As long as you’re not on a walkway I guess it’s fine. Although I’m not sure I would sit through Illuminations itself.

What Nicky said. When I did it last October there was plenty of room for people to sit down, which was quite nice after being on our feet all day. Most of us got up when the show started though.

 

[boyarsky]

Thanks! I'm going with someone who can't sit on concrete. (Or rather can't get up from concrete.) So I wanted to make sure they didn't force everyone to sit before getting the Fastpass for it!

 

[JohnD]

Standing.

 

[Nottamus]

A bit of a waste of FastPass.... there are probably hundreds of viewing locations all around the World Showcase. You don't need to get there early, either. Why not have a nice sit in a restaurant area and get up 5 minutes before the show? Even in the FastPass area you likely won't have a "front row" seat and will be clumped together with others, just the way you are in every other area.... but it doesn't matter, you'll still enjoy the show and if you have multiple nights at Epcot you can experiment with viewing locations.

It was actually kinda cool to do FP once for this. The concrete is kind of graded twords the Lake so sitting was a good view.
I agree that you DON'T have to have a FP to get a great view....but its a treat to try it at least once!

 

[JohnD]

If you can't get up to the rail, stand BEHIND the handicapped area. When I last went no one who met that criteria showed up, so they let us move forward to the rail. If they do show, you'll be able to see over them, assuming you can move left or right of other family members who are with them.

 

[Trackmaster]

Its a little hard to tell from the map, but is the viewing area for the FP+ supposed to be between the Port of Entry and Joffrey Coffee? Around that area? If so, a big benefit to that would be being a little closer to the exit. A big problem with the show is that you can literally be about a mile walk from your car from some vantage points when the Illuminations is over. That distance coupled with the extreme congestion is no fun.

 

[Trackmaster]

I'm thinking that maybe to justify Illuminations as a competitive FP+, maybe part of the deal should be that Disney gives the FP+ group a complimentary shuttle to the parking lot, bus stop, and monorail station that leaves from the show area when Illuminations ends.

 

[bubbles1812]

I'm trying to find out what the FastPass viewing area for Illuminations is like. I found this video which implies people sit on the sides and stand in the middle behind the bushes. But I also saw a reference that there is no sitting area.

So is that some parts are sitting and some are standing? Or it changed? Or something else?

We got there early enough [ran out of things to do, truthfully] that when they let us in, we just sat down on the concrete for while right near the ropes. Probably were sitting for a good half hour before we compelled to get up because it was getting more crowded, and even then, we could have sat awhile longer. I haven't found that the FP viewing area for Illuminations to ever be that crowded.

Also, someone up above mentioned this as a waste of a FP. I would not book this as one of your original 3 or even potentially one of your first extra ones after that for the day. We just picked them up maybe around 5-6 pm when nothing else was available on the app.

 

[righttrack]

A bit of a waste of FastPass.... there are probably hundreds of viewing locations all around the World Showcase. You don't need to get there early, either. Why not have a nice sit in a restaurant area and get up 5 minutes before the show? Even in the FastPass area you likely won't have a "front row" seat and will be clumped together with others, just the way you are in every other area.... but it doesn't matter, you'll still enjoy the show and if you have multiple nights at Epcot you can experiment with viewing locations.

Agree with this. Unless it's New Years Eve you should find a good viewing area without burning a FastPass on it. The best spot is still likely eating at Rose and Crown and then getting invited to their viewing area. Even that is completely unnecessary.

 

[nickys]

Agree with this. Unless it's New Years Eve you should find a good viewing area without burning a FastPass on it. The best spot is still likely eating at Rose and Crown and then getting invited to their viewing area. Even that is completely unnecessary.

You can’t even do that now at R&C, there’s a special dining package to get a terrace table.