To me, Rose and Crown’s English cuisine in combination with what I consider the best view of Illuminations makes it the clear choice.Īll you need to do is pick the day you want to watch Illuminations and schedule a reservation for 7:30 or so. Your choice depends upon the style of food you enjoy. Judging from the header, you can guess which one I suggest, but I would note that La Hacienda de San Angel has its supporters. The best restaurants for this trick are Tokyo Dining, Monsieur Paul, La Hacienda de San Angel, and Rose and Crown. The trick is to schedule a reservation about 90 minutes before Illuminations begins, which is currently 9 PM EST. Yes, you can sit around and order drinks and dessert while awaiting the start of the show. Did I mention alcohol? I should mention alcohol. Several of the restaurants at the World Showcase provide an exceptional view of the proceedings as well as alcohol. Experienced Disney veterans, on the other hand, know that there is a trick. Since visitors at Epcot have a tendency to swarm the areas providing the best views of Illuminations, finding a great seat is something of a challenge. Rose and Crown for Illuminations seatingĪccording to Amusement Today’s esteemed Golden Ticket Awards, Illuminations is the best outdoor show production at any theme park in the world. Here is a list of the eight restaurants where you must get advance dinner reservations if you want to eat there. If you’re staying onsite, you can create up to 10 days of reservations during the phone call, meaning that you can make reservations up to 190 days in advance. 180 days ahead of your first day at the park. For those, you should plan to call Walt Disney World at 7 a.m.

Some restaurants are harder to get than others as well. Yes, there is a certain kind of madness in not knowing what you’ll eat for dinner tonignt but knowing where you’ll eat in seven months, but Disney fans have to make their peace with this behavior oddity. Since wasting time during a Disney vacation is the worst thing you can do, making advance dinner reservations has become a necessary evil. Instead, you’ll have to wait for 60 minutes or longer during peak business hours to get a table. Some of the best restaurants in the park no longer cater to walk-in customers. An outcry from longtime Walt Disney World guests laments the changing nature of the park. The ambience is gorgeous and romantic as your overlook the waterway leading to the Aztecan pyramid and passing riders on El Rio del Tiempo con los Tres Caballeros.Nobody likes to plan for something over half a year away. If you can’t get a spot at La Hacienda, try the more quaint and quiet location inside the pyramid at the Mexico pavilion and eat at San Angel Inn. Of course, there is a chance that walk-ups will be available but I have a feeling this will be a HOT location at Epcot for some time. Be sure to call (407) WDW-DINE at least 180 days from your check-in date to ensure that you grab a seat. Get your advance dining reservations (or ADRs) early if you want to land a spot at La Hacienda. The quick service menu includes tacos on handmade corn tortillas, nachos, guacamole and churros. The counter service locale will be open each day at 11 a.m. La Cantina de San Angel will also reopen. The menu consists of queso fundido (warm cheese with peppers and spicy chorizo sausage), tacos, roasted meats and shrimp, black bean soup, chocolate churros and fruit empanadas. My friends over at DisneyFoodBlog have heard that all the chairs in the restaurant face the waterfront so you can catch a glimpse of the laser and light spectacular.

The restaurant will seat 250 and will be the PERFECT spot for viewing Illuminations. Cast members (and a few lucky guests) were able to sample Mexican treats from La Hacienda de San Angel recently and the Orlando Sentinel was there to snap pix.Īn extension of La Cantina de San Angel, a quick service restaurant on the banks of World Showcase Lagoon, La Hacienda is a sit-down, dinner-only location from 4 p.m. The restaurant opens soon at Epcot at Walt Disney World.Įpcot’s latest dining hot spot is opening soon. Margaritas are served to cast members during a preview at La Hacienda de San Angel.

La hacienda de san angel illuminations