Epcot's IllumiNations Cruises: A Truly Remarkable Experience

The beauty of this arrangement is you don't have to stake out a prime spot to see IllumiNations hours before hand. But you also pay for the privilege. An IllumiNations cruise on the Breathless costs $180 for up to 7 guests (includes a driver but no snacks or beverages). An IllumiNations pontoon boat starts at $235 for up to 12 people (only 10 of which can be adults) -- price includes a driver, snacks, water, and soda. Tax is extra on both prices. (IllumiNations prices valid as of January 2007.)

I happened to find a few friends on the DISboards.com who were at Walt Disney World during our stay, so we all decided to go together and share an IllumiNations boat. We met at the Yacht & Beach Club Marina around 8:00 pm. Our captain, Aaron, explained that we would leave no earlier than 8:15 pm and that all children under 12 would be required to wear a life jacket. We had three children in our group and that was no problem. We suited up the kids and boarded our pontoon boat. Aaron had thoughtfully draped the seats with towels so we all wouldn't stick to the seat covering.

We then took a tour around Crescent Lake, while Aaron pointed out some of his favorite places around the BoardWalk. He was quite a character and very entertaining, full of stories about the resorts. After touring Crescent Lake, we headed down the waterway towards Disney-MGM Studios, passing by The Swan and Dolphin Resorts and the BoardWalk Villas.

It was so relaxing to just sit on the boat on a nice evening, talking with our new cyber friends, not worrying about where we needed to camp for a great view of IllumiNations. The kids started singing the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean as we floated down to Disney-MGM Studios. Everyone on the boat had the same silly grin as they listened.

After turning around at Disney-MGM Studios, we headed back down the waterway, into Crescent Lake and under the bridge between United Kingdom and France. All the pontoon boats tie up to each other, and those near the bridge supports tie in there as well, so the boats don't move. This is where you stay to view IllumiNations.

Aaron and the other captains asked if there were any birthdays on board. We pointed out our daughter. He said, "You see those torches?" (Referring to the torches around the World Showcase Lagoon). She nodded. "Those are your birthday candles for tonight. When I say go, you blow real hard and see if you can blow them out." Of course, when the time came to start IllumiNations, he gave my daughter the signal, she (and the other birthday people) blew and, magically, the torches blew out.

IllumiNations from the water was just breathtaking. I had seen IllumiNations before, and the story grabs me each and every time. But from the water, the view made the experience for me. I highly recommend that anyone who can experience an IllumiNations Cruise do so.

How Do You Secure an IllumiNations Cruise?
Getting IllumiNations cruise reservations are just as hard as getting a reservation for the Cinderella's Royal Table character breakfast. Start calling at 90 days out from the date you want. If possible, have some alternate dates in mind, because this event seriously sells out fast. I was on hold early but by 7:02 am, all IllumiNations boats were gone for a Monday night in November. Lucky for us, my husband had a faster speed dial. Here are the steps: