WWYD-- Skip Illuminations or not

[yaya74]

My kids are 8 and 4.
I only plan to spend one evening at Epcot (5pm-9pm)
Should I skip Illuminations to ride rides with my kids?

 

[monorailsilver]

We love illuminations and purposely go to Epcot just for it. It's a personal decision though. I would not skip it but my kids like e fireworks/everything that light sup.

 

[mco65]

I would leave it up to the kids.. ride or watch..

 

[richmo]

If I'm at Epcot at night, I would never skip Illuminations, but that's just me. Also, I've never felt it necessary to camp out early at a spot for Illuminations...I'll often stop wherever I am in World Showcase a couple minutes before the show and watch from there...while some of the show is at a low viewing angle, the best part are up in the sky.

 

[Shellyb84]

My kids are 8 and 4.
I only plan to spend one evening at Epcot (5pm-9pm)
Should I skip Illuminations to ride rides with my kids?

Depends on your kids. My DD is not a huge fan of fireworks, so we would probably choose to ride rides. Although, she's pretty content to not ride much of anything and just visit Kidcot stations.

 

[mm1971]

My kids are 8 and 4.
I only plan to spend one evening at Epcot (5pm-9pm)
Should I skip Illuminations to ride rides with my kids?

We enjoy Illuminations and even when the kids were young they wanted to see the show. With the crowds and limited rides at Epcot, I would think you can FP+ the rides you want to do and get them done by the start of the show. I would say to keep the options open. Get to the park and rides what you want/can. If you have other things and the kids don't care about seeing the show, then keep riding. If you have ridden most of what you wanted, I would say the show is worth it.

 

[msmama]

It's been years since I've been to Epcot that late but many rides in future world used to stop running by the time illuminations started. I think I've heard that's not so much the case anymore but i would double check the rides you think you'd want to be riding at that time.

 

[ktlm]

DD is 10. EPCOT has been her favorite park other than MK since she was 2. It is a 2 day park for us. If you only gave her one evening in EPCOT, after she quit crying, she would definitely say she was not wasting that time on Illuminations. Her focus for that short a time would be the Agent P missions throughout WS (although they are more crowded at night), and rides. Be aware though, that some of the rides in Future World close at 7:00 p.m. - I don't know if this has changed in the last few months, but when we were there last October we spent our arrival evening in Future World (everyone else was as Food and Wine- so WS was packed and FW was great) and I know Figment, Nemo, and Living with the Land closed at 7 that night. Test Track, Soarin, and Mission Space stay open until closing for sure. Also, Illuminations often starts right at park close so theoretically you could find a spot as it was starting to stay and watch. The ride lines will close right at closing time. I can recall one night we were in line for Soarin a few minutes before park close, and then we came out and found a spot and stopped to watch the end of Illuminations.

 

[disney world dreamer]

i would never skip illuminations.
its my favorite nighttime show.

 

[yaya74]

thank you all for the reply

If I'm at Epcot at night, I would never skip Illuminations, but that's just me. Also, I've never felt it necessary to camp out early at a spot for Illuminations...I'll often stop wherever I am in World Showcase a couple minutes before the show and watch from there...while some of the show is at a low viewing angle, the best part are up in the sky.

richmo, my reason of skipping Illumination is the time spending on camping out for a good spot to see the show. I am glad to hear from you that I can see the show from almost everywhere...

 

[MandiC]

I am with many of the others, Illuminations is my favorite nighttime show of all of them, I would not miss it! Honestly there is no way you will even put a dent in Epcot in 4 hours anyways. It is definitely a full day park, if not more.

 

[richmo]

...richmo, my reason of skipping Illumination is the time spending on camping out for a good spot to see the show. I am glad to hear from you that I can see the show from almost everywhere...

Yes, pretty much anywhere around the lagoon is fine. The main thing to remember is that if the breeze/wind is in your face as you look at the lagoon, go somewhere else.

 

[ajwolfe]

We wouldn't skip it. My kids have loved it since they were toddlers (now 12 and 8) so they would be disappointed to miss it.

 

[quagmire0]

We aren't big 'fireworks/nightime show' people yet because our kids are still pretty young (and we don't like to live dangerously too much). We did happen to catch Illuminations on our last trip though. It was a cool show, but nothing mind blowing. If you've only got 4 hours, I'd definitely ride rides. Doing it during a big show like that is the perfect time.

 

[kwdw]

Ask your kids. At their ages - if I had seen another fireworks show already on the trip - I would not have picked another fireworks show. I also have to say Illuminations is my least favorite show.

Plus - to get a decent spot with a good view for a couple of short folks (like 8 and 4) - you'd probably need to stake out a spot by 8:20 - assuming the show is at 9. With only 4 hours at EPCOT - hit all the rides in Future World, visit the Character Spot, and maybe make it over to Mexico for the boat ride. (And maybe the new Forzen one - depending upon if its open yet) If you "happen" to catch the fireworks - that's great - but I wouldn't make a plan to waste a large chunk of your time on them.