This is one of the specialty Disney cruises.  No, its not a huge boat sailing the Caribbean (although they are fun to do as well), but this is a wonderful way to watch the Illumination show at EPCOT.

IllumiNations has to be one of our favorite pyrotechnic shows at Walt Disney World.  Blending earth, fire and water to create a magical show, this is Disney at its best.  Making things magical. Making things unusual.  Making your vacation special.

Yes, the Magic Kingdom has its firework show which is great, but it doesn’t really do it for us.  Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is amazing, but Disney have cut the shows to just two a week.  There is nothing magical about fighting crowds for the 7000 seats available for Fantasmic.

IllumiNations - there is just something special about it for us.  Maybe it is the fact that there is nothing really Disney about it.  No characters no castle, nothing really Disney at all.  Take IllumiNations to another venue and you wouldn’t know it was a Disney production. However in another way, it is still Disney. Disney reminding us that we only have one wonderful earth, one that we should all cherish and look after.

IllumiNations runs nightly at approx 9pm.  You can spend hours staking out a good viewing spot and saving it.  You could try and book a suitable restaurant for dinner around the right time and try and get the illusive window seat.  Or you could book an IllumiNations cruise.

So what is an IllumiNations cruise?  In the simplest form, it is a boat that you take to watch the IllumiNations show at EPCOT.  More descriptively, it is an hour long cruise on either one of Disney’s pontoon boats or Disney’s classic 27ft yacht “Breathless 2”, based on a clasic 1930’s mahogany runabout.  They depart from the dock at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort and take you on a tour around the lakes in the area, providing trivia and information along the way.  Then your skipper will take you under the bridge at EPCOT between the lands of England and France and moor there for the IllumiNations show..  You don’t need admission to EPCOT for this.  It is a wonderful way to end a non-park day.  We love the fact that you can feel the  fireworks as well as see and hear them.  Your cruise includes soda and snacks which are normally bagged chips, or crisps as they are known in England.  You do have the option of ordering from Disney’s Private Dining menu if you want to make the cruise a little more special.  If you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary you can order decorations and a cake for the cruise as well.  We have taken our own snacks with us also, well, it was more of Champagne and glasses as we were celebrating our anniversary.

Rain or shine, the boats operate every night.  It is rare that Disney will cancel the cruise and there is very little, if no cover on the boat.  So if you have managed to get one of these cruises, it is worth keeping an eye on the weather in the run up to your cruise and taking a decision before the cancellation deadline if you think you will not want to cruise in the wet. We did take a cruise in the rain, although it was not heavy rain.  We had some large golf umbrellas to help keep us dry and we were fine.  Another boat that night all wore bright yellow Ponchos.  You can still have a great time in spite of the weather.

What does it cost.?

The basic IllumiNations Cruise is now $319.50 including taxes.  The price includes the pontoon boat, driver, water, soda and bagged snacks.  You can order private dining for to be delivered to the cruise for  and additional charge.  The boat will accommodate 10-12 guests depending on whether there are children in the group

If you are celebrating something special, you may consider a IllumiNations Celebration Cruise.  The cost is $344.50 including tax and is the same as the basic IllumiNations Cruise, but includes decorations.

The “Breathless 2” can also be rented for an IllumiNations Cruise at a cost of $308.85 including taxes.  The “Breathless 2″ can accommodate a maximum of 7 guests.

“Reservations, how may I assist you?”

So how do you book one of these cruises?  As mentioned previously, there are only a small number of boats and the cruises book up fast.  Within minutes of the booking window opening, the cruises are usually booked.  What this means is that you need to be ready at the right time and with the right technique to make the reservation.  IllumiNations Cruises can be booked 180 days in advance.  Booking opens at 7am Eastern Time.  This means that if you are in another timezone, you may have to be up REALLY early to get your reservation in.  On the West coast this means getting up at 3.30am to be ready to start phoning just before 4am Pacific Time.

Here is a ‘cheat sheet’ on how to score one of these elusive reservations.

You must call exactly 90 days prior to the day you want the cruise.  If you call 89 days prior, you may be out of luck! If you have flexibility in your plans, try and get reservations the first day of your vacation so if you do not manage to get one that day, you can keep trying for the remaining dates of your trip.

The telephone number you need is  407-939-7529

Start calling a few minutes before reservations open, so at approx 6.55 EST.  You will get one of two recordings.  If you get a message that they are not open yet, end your call and immediately redial.  When you get the message thanking you for your call press #3 straight away.  When the next message starts press #2.  At the start of the 3rd message enter your telephone number and then the # key (pound sign).  Then press #1 followed by #2.  This will get you to the reservations CM.  When the reservation CM answers, resist the temptation to chat as this will reduce your chances of getting the cruise. Tell your CM that you want to reserve the 8pm specialty cruise for IllumiNations on your requested date.  Let them reserve the boat for you and then you can work out any other details.

Didn’t manage to make a reservation?

Don’t despair.  Disney does not operate a waiting list for these cruises, but you can keep trying for reservations.  Cancellations can and do occur.  In fact the first time we took an Illuminations Cruise, we just happened to pick up a cruise that had been canceled.  We were flexible with our dates, so that gave us the best chance of reserving one of these boats.  At that time, I didn’t realize how lucky we were.  Keep trying up to your last day, as occasionally boats sit empty due to last minute cancellations

Want to make a full afternoon / evening of it?  Spend the afternoon wandering around the board walk, rent Surrey bikes, get dinner and then stroll around the promenade until its time to board your cruise.

What is IllumiNations?

I found a wonderful explanation of IllumiNations on the Walt Disney World Website here. Enjoy!

“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, a mesmerizing fireworks, laser and water show featuring a rousing soundtrack, plays nightly for Guests of all ages in the World Showcase area in Epcot Theme Park.

Seen atop the World Showcase Lagoon, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is a spectacular 12-minute, live pyrotechnic show that brings together the past, present and future of our planet and its colorful nations.

Featuring breathtaking fireworks, brilliant bursts of fire, laserlight effects, dramatic fountain barges, a stirring musical score and the world’s first spherical video display system—the 350,0000-pound Earth Globe—IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is an inspirational nighttime spectacular bursting with surprises for the entire family.

The Story of llumiNations

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot tells the story of our planet in 3 unforgettable acts.

Act 1: Chaos — Bear witness to the explosion at the dawn of time that brings about the creation of Earth, where you are invited to observe the Inferno Barge, a liquid-propane mechanism launching balls of fire 60 feet into the air.

Act 2: Order — Behold the glowing Earth Globe as it glides peacefully to the center of the lagoon, illuminated with—and celebrating—the famous faces and achievements of our time.

Act 3: Meaning — During this final act, the Earth Globe blossoms to reveal a torch and the glow of a thousand fireworks and laserlights that fill the night sky in a shimmering kaleidoscope of color and sound, propelling us into the future.

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth can be viewed anywhere throughout the World Showcase that offers a clear view of the World Showcase Lagoon.

Be sure to check the Times Guide at Epcot the day of your visit for show times. Since IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is an outdoor show, it is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather.”

Kay - Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.