Illuminations Cruise Questions About This Page:

[JenS]

I am hoping to get a PS for an Illuminations Cruise this fall. If sucessful this will be a surprise for DH and 4 of our family members/friends. None of us have been on a fireworks cruise before.

My question is 2 part:

1. I am under the impression that I do NOT have to use one of my park hopper days to do the cruise. Can anyone verify this? I would rather do it on a day when we will not be in the parks.

2. I would like to have champagne or wine and maybe chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the boat. I read somewhere that I can call the Yacht Club private dining for this. My question is, have any of you done this before - how was it and was it very expensive?

Thanks in advance for your help. I am saving my coins to pay for this surprise!!

[Irenaroo]

Hi Jen,

You do not need to use your park passes when doing an Illuminations cruise. We met our boat at the Boardwalk dock and I think some of the others meet at Yacht and Beach Club. Wine and snacks are available and you can order those when you book your cruise. I'm not sure of the cost, as we didn't order them. I just want to be sure you know how to book the cruise, as they are popular and there are only 4 boats/night. Do you know about calling exactly 90 days from the night you want, starting before 7am EST, etc? I will be glad to tell you about this, but won't go into it if you already know the deal. You need to call 90 days out from your first night, and then each morning thereafter until you are successful. I tried for 6 days and finally got a cruise on the last day possible. Best of luck. Let me know if you need more info.

[JenS]

Thanks Sue! I do know about calling 90 days ahead. My travel agent Jean (Magical Journeys) gave me some tips! I am going to have to get up early that day(s) to call - I am in CST. I'm gonna have to think of a clever way to do this without DH knowing why I am on the phone so early in the am!

Boy, that's dedication calling 6 days in a row - I am so glad it paid off for you! Did you love the cruise?

[rescuesk]

Jen,

The cruise is awesome...you will love it! When you make your ressie (or soon after) you can ask about food and beverage packages. I asked, but it was SUPER expensive! I don't remember the exact price, but I know it was almost double the price of the cruise! But ask anyway...can't hurt and maybe the price is different for champagne, etc. (I asked about food.)

Good luck on your calls!

[Irenaroo]

Hi Jen, I didn't mention in my first reply to you just how much we all loved our cruise. It was one of the best things we did that week. We had a driver named Jeff who kept us entertained the whole time, telling us different Disney stories and little "did you know" facts. When the time came for the Illuminations, he tied up the boat under the bridge and we had a beautiful spot for viewing. A perfect last night at the World! It was so magical. When I booked my cruise, our whole trip to WDW was a surprise Christmas gift to my kids, so I had to hide in my room,on hold, trying to get through. Meanwhile, my 4 older kids were getting ready for school.(Mom, can I have lunch money?, etc.) I can't believe I got it done without giving away the surprise. We also did the "Wishes" cruise that week. That was good, but you couldn't hear the audio of the show, which was too bad.
Can I recommend having someone else try to get the cruise along with you (I had my friend and my mom calling from their homes at the same time as I did) I'm sure there is a friend who will do this for you. They will need to put the hold down on a credit card, but you don't actually pay until you get there. In the amazing event that you both get through, you can always cancel the extra one. Good luck and let us know how it goes. (I know you have some time to wait still!)

[Teddysmom]

Just another thought here, we did one in September and we brought our own refreshments on board. You will love this cruise. We have done it twice now and it is awesome. Good luck securing this PS!

[Joy J]

Jen, you might want to ask Jean at Magical Journeys if she will book the Illuminations cruise for you. That is what Deb from Magical Journeys did for us last August as well as booking all our our priority seatings (including breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table). It was wonderful not having to get up at the crack of dawn just to get these ressies.

Joy

[Starshine]

We ordered a bottle of champagne and shared dessert for our cruise in 2002, and it was around $40 I think. If you call Yacht Club private dining, they can give you all the current pricing, and take your order request if you decide to get something. Their number is 407-934-3160.

[JenS]

THANKS for all the great help everyone! I am even more excited about this now! Just gotta hope to get the ressie!

Joy - Jean said that she used to do it but it has gotten to be a huge undertaking and too many to keep up with. I can imagine it would be a lot to do!!

Starshine - thanks for the info. on the champagne and dessert - I will definitely give them a call and check into it after I secure a spot!

Thanks again everyone!!

[Starshine]

You're welcome Jen! When are you going? We'll be there October 9-16.

[JenS]

Starshine - we will arrive Tuesday, September 28th and depart on Thursday, October 7th. We will miss you by just a couple of days!!

[TiggerAlli]

We did this a couple of years ago with some friends. It is an amazing time!

We did bring our own snacks on board--that is no problem if you want to do it. We left from the Beach Club dock & our driver took us around the lagoon there & down to MGM telling us stories & such before the fireworks. After the show he dropped us off at the Boardwalk because we were going to eat over there.

Have a wonderful time--it is SO worth it!