Epcot IllumiNations: Is It Worth Your FastPass+?

By Daisy Lauren

There’s something wildly appealing about special viewing for fireworks. Whenever we travel to Disneyland we always book packages that include exclusive spots to see the evening finales. But even as a local I was excited to see what FastPass+ viewing for IllumiNations would offer. Most of all I wanted to know if it was really worth burning one of your valuable tier one FastPass+ choices. So this week I set out to find out if IllumiNations is really worth your FastPass+.

I arrived on a Wednesday night around 7:15pm to very low crowds. Looking at the photo on the left, you can tell the park was pretty empty. My FastPass+ window for arrival was set between 8:35pm – 8:55pm. I had some time to kill, so I hopped a ride on Spaceship Earth with no wait before taking a leisurely walk back to the World Showcase.

Along the way I formulated a plan to try something completely new to me. You’ll have to forgive me if I take a little detour from the subject at hand, but have you tried a cronut? I hadn’t, and now I’m sad I waited so long! They’re available at Refreshment Port on your way to Canada when entering the World Showcase. Half donut, half croissant – but all delicious! You really have to try one the next time you’re here. You’ll be glad you did!

After finishing my snack I decided to find this FastPass+ viewing area. I lucked out because I was already in Canada. The entrance is on the right hand side of the Port of Entry gift shop you see when first entering that side of World Showcase. That’s where my luck ended, because at just a little after 8:00pm the line already stretched pretty far!

In addition to the line pictured above there were people camped out on benches and planters all around, obviously waiting for the area to open up. I have to admit, I was shocked to see this group lined up 30 minutes before they were allowed in and almost a full hour before the fireworks! After roaming around a while, I confirmed there was a ton of space still available right on the water all around the World Showcase Lagoon. By 8:25pm the line had more than doubled (photo below), even though water front viewing was available all over the place!

Finally, it was time to head into the viewing area. It’s a nice space, and they don’t seem to book enough people into it to make it feel overly cramped. Below is a video so you can see what it’s like. This is the area adjacent to the IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party.

So what’s the verdict? Unless you desperately want this particular view, I don’t see any benefit to booking a FastPass+ for IllumiNations. There are lots of great places to watch IllumiNations all over the park, and you can certainly get a front row view if you’re willing to wait for an hour like some people did for FastPass+ viewing.

I hope this helps you when making your FastPass+ choices!  Have you tried this viewing area for IllumiNations? What did you think? Do you want to eat a cronut? (Sung to the tune of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”) Please let us know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading and commenting!

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