Hey fellow planners! I’mworking on a trip this for fall and I’m planning a dinner at California Grill and also Rose and Crown Dining Room another night. I’m hoping to time it to see the fireworks shows for both dinners but I’m under the impression that the fireworks times could change anytime? Whats the best way to plan this? I’m aiming for a 6:30-7pm reservation at CG to view Happily Ever After show at MK @ 8pm. Then Planning a 7:30-8pm Reservation at Rose and Crown to watch Illuminations at 9pm. What are your thoughts? What should I change?
Note that if you have a meal at California Grill at ANY TIME during the day, you can come back (during the same day) with your receipt and will be granted access to the terrace to view the fireworks. So, you don’t have to time it exactly.
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I think this is an overstatement. They could change at any time, but the fact is, once posted, they do not really change very much. I’m not sure if Illuminations has ever changed from 9:00 PM. At the MK the times are different if it’s a party night, but otherwise it’s pretty consistent.
In EP, I never try to time dinner with the show; there are just too many uncontrollable variables, and I prefer to enjoy dinner and the show a two separate, non-competing events.
I do try to schedule CG dinners around the FW; I typically make an ADR 75-90 min before show time. This gives me time for a drink, app, and entrée before the show, I go out on the terrace to watch the show, and then come back in for dessert and coffee. Just remember that from CG you aren’t really seeing “HEA” because you cannot really see any of the castle projections and the FW are kind off to the side and behind the castle. If you just want to see “fireworks” it’s an interesting - if distant- view, but if you want to see “HEA”, you really need to be in the park, preferably on Main Street.
Thank you so much!
I feel like I would offer somewhat opposite advice. Like mentioned, I don’t think that CG is the best place to watch HEA for the full experience since you are not close enough. But I do love CG and for your 3rd, 4th viewing or if you don’t have park tickets, it would be a great option.
We watched Illuminations from Rose & Crown twice and it was great. I believe we had a 7 or 7:15pm reservation, asked to wait for a patio seat and our waiter timed it perfectly. They aren’t fools and know you want to see the show so our waiter was great. And it really is a great “front row” view to the point of being able to feel the heat from the fires. I would just plan a little earlier reservation and plan to wait a little extra for a good seat. (Others will be doing the same thing and 8pm might be too late.)