Ask a Disney Question: Where can you eat and watch fireworks?

This question is from Marian, who asks:  “Is there any place you can eat and watch the Disney fireworks at WDW?”

Marian, great question. There are a number of restaurants where you can eat while you enjoy the fireworks. 

Let’s start with Wishes, which takes place nightly in the Magic Kingdom.  The very best place to watch Wishes and enjoy a meal is probably the California Grill, located on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort.  Not only is it foodie heaven, with modern yet familiar dishes that are widely regarded as some of the best in Central Florida, but the resort’s proximity to the Magic Kingdom means you’ll also have a great view of the nightly fireworks.  As you can imagine,  it can be difficult to get a reservation during this time, so make your advanced dining reservation (ADR) at the 180-day mark.  Disney has been pretty consistent lately in announcing park hours at around the 6-month mark, so you should have a good idea of when Wishes starts based on when the Magic Kingdom closes.   A good rule of thumb is to make your reservation 30-60 minutes before Wishes starts.  Right before the fireworks begin, the lights are turned down in the restaurant and the music is piped in.

You can also watch the fireworks from Narcoossee’s in the Grand Floridian, a signature seafood restaurant.  Unfortunately, it isn’t the best viewing location and there aren’t as many seats that have a view.   You’ll also have a limited view fromOhana’s in the Polynesian.  These are both good restaurants, but if your intent is to see the fireworks while you eat, keep in mind that the ability to see the fireworks is really incidental in these places and you’ll do far better at the California Grill. Finally, you may want to check into the Wishes Dessert Party , a private dessert buffet held in Tomorrowland which affords guests one of the best seats for watching Wishes, on certain nights in the Magic Kingdom.

Over at Epcot, there are two restaurants that make good locations for watching Illuminations, with the best being the Rose and Crown Pub in Great Britain.  Seating is limited, so when you make your ADR, ask for outdoor seating; you’ll want to ask again when you arrive, so get there a bit earlier than your ADR.  The Cantina de San Angel in Mexico is probably a better viewing area, but up until now it’s been a crowded counter service location. That’s about to change.  It’s currently being renovated and should be completed in the fall.  At this point, it looks like it will go from being a counter service location at lunch to a table service at dinner, so you should be able to make ADRs to eat there during Illuminations, but the details are kind of sketchy at this point.  We’ll update when we get more concrete details.

Thanks for your question and for reading Chip and Co.  Hope this helps!

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