LovingDisney24
New Member
Am interested in any reviews/thoughts about the Wishes or Illuminations Cruise. We will be celebrating my DD's 7th BDay and thought this might be a neat idea. Thanks for all the help!!
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Wishes/ Illuminations Cruise
- Thread starter LovingDisney24
- Start date
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
I have done both. Illuminations was the better of the two. On both occasions however the boat captains were excellent and really made it a pleasurable night. The wishes trip was limited by the music only playing in the distance, but the view was pretty good. The nights we did Illuminations we were lucky that the wind took the smoke away and we had uninterrupted vies from beneath the centre of the bridge.
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DisneyNole
New Member
I've done the Wishes cruise, it was extraordinary. We had a great captain, too. We had paid extra to have the music in our boat (it was presented as an option) and also celebrated a birthday with a cake. I'll never forget my niece saying "I'm eating cake...on a boat!" The whole experience with surprise of the ELP and then the kids watching the fireworks over the water in front of MK brought me to tears. And I can't even think of another time I cried from being so happy. If you have the means, I highly recommend it!!
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bugsbunny
Well-Known Member
Illuminations cruise can be fun but will be expensive. I did a review on allearsnet, here's a copy:
Pros: view cannot be beat as long as the wind is your friend; good skipper makes this a fun night
Cons: ridiculously expensive unless you can fill the boat
The price of the cruise is pretty expensive if just a single family goes on the boat. If you can split the costs with another family/group, its certainly a lot less sticker shock. Also, the skipper of the boat plays into the overall experience. If he/she is good, your sense of value and experience certainly can go up. Our skipper was a RCID firefighter and since we were all firefighters or EMTs on the boat, it made for easy conversation and the "VIP" experience.
You board at the Boardwalk marina and will get a good cruise over to DHS and back. Our skipper pointed out all about the hotels and other features along the way, which was quite interesting. Then we turned around and went back towards Epcot and parked under the bridge between UK and France. This is as far as you will go. You will also be tethered side by side with at least a half dozen other boats since this is the viewing point for all cruises. Its pretty congested here and if you are looking for a romantic cruise, it will be as long as you don't mind 50 other people on boats up against yours Wink
Great view of the fireworks and I can understand what other reviewers stated about the wind. If the wind is blowing ANYWHERE but towards you, its awesome. Once it shifts, prepare to feel like you are sailing through a 17th century pirate ship battle. Lot of booms and all kinds of acrid black powder smoke hanging low and making it impossible to see anything. This almost happened to us but luckily the wind changed just before the "wall" got to us.
Overall, it was a great experience. My only downer is the price. Maybe because I've seen Illuminations 20 times from land before I finally did the cruise? Regardless, seeing fireworks at the cost of $300 for a 45 minute boat ride is still a bit pricey.
One other VERY IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind. Once you are done, the boat takes the scenic route back to dock. If you are staying at any hotel other than Boardwalk or Beach, you have 2 choices: walk all the way back through Epcot to the buses or simply go to Boardwalk/Beach and get a cab back to your hotel. Even after about 60 minutes since the end of Illuminations, we walked all the way back to the bus for CB through Epcot and still had to wait 45 minutes for a bus because of the crowds. A cab from the Boardwalk would have been a better choice then the long walk and the long wait post-cruise.
Pros: view cannot be beat as long as the wind is your friend; good skipper makes this a fun night
Cons: ridiculously expensive unless you can fill the boat
The price of the cruise is pretty expensive if just a single family goes on the boat. If you can split the costs with another family/group, its certainly a lot less sticker shock. Also, the skipper of the boat plays into the overall experience. If he/she is good, your sense of value and experience certainly can go up. Our skipper was a RCID firefighter and since we were all firefighters or EMTs on the boat, it made for easy conversation and the "VIP" experience.
You board at the Boardwalk marina and will get a good cruise over to DHS and back. Our skipper pointed out all about the hotels and other features along the way, which was quite interesting. Then we turned around and went back towards Epcot and parked under the bridge between UK and France. This is as far as you will go. You will also be tethered side by side with at least a half dozen other boats since this is the viewing point for all cruises. Its pretty congested here and if you are looking for a romantic cruise, it will be as long as you don't mind 50 other people on boats up against yours Wink
Great view of the fireworks and I can understand what other reviewers stated about the wind. If the wind is blowing ANYWHERE but towards you, its awesome. Once it shifts, prepare to feel like you are sailing through a 17th century pirate ship battle. Lot of booms and all kinds of acrid black powder smoke hanging low and making it impossible to see anything. This almost happened to us but luckily the wind changed just before the "wall" got to us.
Overall, it was a great experience. My only downer is the price. Maybe because I've seen Illuminations 20 times from land before I finally did the cruise? Regardless, seeing fireworks at the cost of $300 for a 45 minute boat ride is still a bit pricey.
One other VERY IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind. Once you are done, the boat takes the scenic route back to dock. If you are staying at any hotel other than Boardwalk or Beach, you have 2 choices: walk all the way back through Epcot to the buses or simply go to Boardwalk/Beach and get a cab back to your hotel. Even after about 60 minutes since the end of Illuminations, we walked all the way back to the bus for CB through Epcot and still had to wait 45 minutes for a bus because of the crowds. A cab from the Boardwalk would have been a better choice then the long walk and the long wait post-cruise.
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disneygirl76
Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
I have not done it due to the cost. It would be worth it if it was more then just my DH and I traveled. It's usually just the two of us. I have had friends that have done it and I have heard nothing but great things. May I make a suggestion though? Due to her age, maybe do the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique instead? I am a nanny and every 7 year old dreams of being a princess. :wave:
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pintraderpayee
Active Member
Three cheap ideas from a poor school teacher
.......Make sure you get her a birthday button. Just ask at Guest Services. The buttons are free and she will get lots of extra attention. Another economical suggestion is to buy her a princess costume ahead of time (lots of them available online) and then on the day she wears it visit the barber shop on Main Street and get a "glitter job" for around $7. CMs will frequently greet her as "Princess"! DH and I are both teachers so we love the freebies and low cost things at WDW!!
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