where is preferred seating for Illuminations

[hooberry]

Exactly where is "preferred seating" for Illuminations? We received it with our dining reservation but I have no Idea where to go.

[brownie]

You enter through a backstage entrance by the Darkroom and the gas station near the main entrance of the park. The seating area is the right sections (as you look at the stage) of the amphitheatre.

[fielin]

Brownie, I think you are describing the Fantasmic! Package... Not the Illuminations prefered seats.

But I might be wrong, as I do not know the answer to the Op question !

[hooberry]

I'm referring to Illuminations in EPCOT

[fielin]

When we were there in march, they closed the Showcase plaza (at the end of the main road through Futureworld) and let only seleced people there during Illumination.

I think they enjoyed their dessert while watching the show... Don't know what restaurant they were from, though.

[disneyfan328]

To the OP did you receive this preffered seating as a Perk because your Teppanyaki reservation was cancelled since the renovation took longer than expected?

If the answer to that is YES, then from what I understand they are roping off some sections around the WS to try and appease those of us that had to change ressies's this close to our trips. These are no seats to sit in but you will have an assigned section to stand in from what I hear there are several. From what i have read/heard, they viewpoints really aren't that much better, but it will alleviate us having to be in a spot an hour ahead of time but there will still be a ton of people at each spot as everyone that had a ressie there on that date is being give preffered seating or VIP as they called it - That is several hundred guests so you will still need to get to your assigned spot early.

If the answer to the above is NO, then I don't know where they are. Your best bet would be to call Disney and ask.

[mickey&missy]

Good question! I'm very interested in the answer to this too.

Preferred seating is part of the deal with the Magical Gatherings International Dinner and Illuminations experience. We're trying to decide if we should reserve this experience for our trip in March.

[eLPack]

For those of us who were given the "free" preferred seating, it will be the areas that are the most crowded during Illuminations! There are several areas they've used - but I'm not sure what they will be for this - but it would seem that they'll end up being rather crowded. In the past, they've used the area to the left of the bridge heading toward France (across from International Gateway) for special viewing since it's lower down with fairly unobstructed views. Also used has been near Italy, and near England. It's also not "seating" - it's a regular roped off area.
Regardless of where it is.. I can't wait!

[Tinkerfreak]

We had special Illuminations viewing a few years ago included with our package and to be honest it was not that great. We still had to get there early and it was just a roped off area . I cant remember in what country I just remember walking down some stairs and leaning up agains a cement wall. Everyone else who had this special viewing were all crowding into this one area and trying to push their way to the wall we were leaning on. I would not do this again. It got almost scary because people were pushing and my little girls were being pushed up against the wall. We could not even sit and wait for Illuminations to start because when we tried to sit in front of the wall people kept trying to walk around us to get our spot at the wall. Hopefully the special viewing spot will be different for all of you who were offered this.

[brownie]

Brownie, I think you are describing the Fantasmic! Package... Not the Illuminations prefered seats.

But I might be wrong, as I do not know the answer to the Op question !

Yep! I blew it on this one, my bad folks!

[TheRustyScupper]

1) There are four VIP Viewing spots.
2) These are for paid groups and Grand Gatherings.
3) These go for big bucks.

4) For the Teppanyaki viewing, they did something "creative".
5) That is, "creative" to quiet the ressie problem.
6) They are roping of two different areas.
. . . one is Millennium Village
. . . one is between the main souvenir stands
7) As I understand it, on alternating nights.
8) As is currently being circulated
. . . these are just roped off areas
. . . there is no seating, except some handicapped benches

[KAJUNKING]

Disney reservations called me today to tell me that teppanyaki would be closed on 9/21( apparently the renovation is taking longer than expected) and we would have to make a new reservation, they are giving us v.i.p. seating for illuminations because we had to change, has anyone been to the VIP seating and how good is it?

[Clotho]

Disney reservations called me today to tell me that teppanyaki would be closed on 9/21( apparently the renovation is taking longer than expected) and we would have to make a new reservation, they are giving us v.i.p. seating for illuminations because we had to change, has anyone been to the VIP seating and how good is it?

There have been 3-4 ongoing threads about this. As far as we know, it will be closed until November at this point. A quick perusal of recent threads will show you the info!

[KAJUNKING]

There have been 3-4 ongoing threads about this. As far as we know, it will be closed until November at this point. A quick perusal of recent threads will show you the info!

um? the question part of this post was about the VIP seating? if it has been answered elsewhere please direct me, sorry if i posted in the wrong place.

[eLPack]

um? the question part of this post was about the VIP seating? if it has been answered elsewhere please direct me, sorry if i posted in the wrong place.

If you read the posts in this thread above yours you can read more.. the seating will likely be the area with the big crowds.. there's other threads as well discussing what the location of the seating will be.