Walt Disney World has announced two fireworks dining packages for the new Luminous: Symphony of Us at EPCOT. This post covers dates, pricing, and full details about these multi-course meals at Spice Road Table and Rose & Crown Dining Room for World Showcase Lagoon’s new nighttime spectacular.
Per Walt Disney World, these Luminous: Symphony of Us Fireworks Dining Packages will begin on December 5, 2023. That date isn’t coincidental–it’s when Luminous debuts. From what we know thus far, Luminous sounds like it’ll be very similar to Harmonious (right down to the name!), bringing to World Showcase Lagoon massive floating set pieces that house a variety of show effects, including choreographed moving fountains, colorful lights, lasers, pyrotechnics, and more.
Luminous: The Symphony of Us is coming to EPCOT during the Disney100 Celebration, which is currently underway and will run through December 31, 2023. (See our Ultimate Guide to the Disney100 Anniversary Event at Walt Disney World for everything you need to know.) It should go without saying, but Luminous won’t end with Disney100. They’re not spending tens of millions of dollars on a nighttime spectacular with the intention of it running for like 26 days or whatever. Walt Disney World does love to waste money, fair point, but they’re not quite that bad.
Per Walt Disney World, the Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package features a multi-course meal infused with Mediterranean flavors as you take in the nighttime spectacular, Luminous: The Symphony of Us.
For those unfamiliar with it, Spice Road Table is an open-air restaurant located on the waterfront in the Morocco pavilion. You’re not alone if you haven’t dined here–it’s typically among the easiest in-park Advance Dining Reservations to book. While we enjoy Spice Road Table, it’s not particularly popular–probably why it’s getting a Luminous: The Symphony of Us Dining Package!
After checking in for the Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package, you’ll be escorted to a covered, outdoor dining area reminiscent of the cafes from the Moroccan seaside. Spice Road Table offers Mediterranean small plates, such as Grilled Lamb Kefta, House-made Hummus Fries, and Spiced Chicken.
The Spice Road Table Dining Package includes:
- Your choice of 2 small plates
- A shared tagine
- A dessert platter
- Unlimited beverages
Guests must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. A valid form of government identification will be required to verify your age.
Pricing for the Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package is $79 per person (ages 10 and up), inclusive of tax and gratuity and $29 per child (ages 3 to 9), inclusive of tax and gratuity. Theme park admission is required, but not included in the price of this package. Disney Park Pass theme park reservations are also required and not included.
The Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package for Luminous: The Symphony of Us will be available to book online on a rolling 60 day basis. Keeping mind that Luminous doesn’t officially debut until December 5, so if you book for dates before that, you’re getting EPCOT Forever.
Next, there’s the Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package held on a lakefront patio in the waterfront side of the United Kingdom pavilion with great views of Luminous: The Symphony of Us, EPCOT’s new nighttime spectacular.
After checking in, you’ll be seated outside on the patio at Rose & Crown Dining Room overlooking the waters of World Showcase Lagoon. This popular restaurant serves up classic British fare, with the dining package including a prix fixe menu where you can choose:
- One appetizer
- One entrée
- Dessert platter
- Unlimited beverages
Guests must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. A valid form of government identification will be required to verify your age.
Pricing for the Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package is $89 per adult (ages 10 and up), inclusive of tax and gratuity and $39 per child (ages 3 to 9), inclusive of tax and gratuity. Theme park admission is required, but not included in the price of this package. Disney Park Pass theme park reservations are also required and not included.
Same deal with booking dates for the Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package.
On a tangentially related note, still no word on the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party.
This is one of many under-the-radar upcharges that Walt Disney World has yet to bring back post-reopening. Others include pretty much everything during the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival beyond the booths. We fully expect those add-ons to return at some point, because Walt Disney World is leaving money on the table by not offering them (especially during the last couple years of pent-up demand when consumers were spending freely), but we wouldn’t be surprised if the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party changes to a Chef Rat Dessert Party, with access to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure instead. Who knows when that’ll happen, though. Maybe 2024?
In terms of commentary for the two EPCOT Fireworks Dining Packages, the obvious starting place is pricing. The food included in the dining package at Spice Road Table would cost around $35 out of pocket, so you’re essentially paying $44 for the reserved seating and unlimited alcohol.
At Rose & Crown Dining Room, the out of pocket price range is larger, but probably around $45 on average. That puts the reserved seating and unlimited alcohol at $44.
Whether that’s fair depends upon your perspective. If you’re a couple and would otherwise order 3-4 drinks while “pregaming” for Luminous: The Symphony of Us–that much booze should make all those colorful fountains and flashing lights even more impressive–it’s easily worth it. That’s about the break-even point that makes the reserved viewing no added cost.
If you’re a family with kids, non-drinkers, or will only have two alcoholic beverages or fewer, it’s not quite as clear. The math should be pretty straightforward, so I’ll let you figure that out for yourselves. For many people, there are also unquantifiable pros and cons of doing these dining packages.
One such additional consideration that we’d recommend giving some thought before booking either of these EPCOT Fireworks Dining Packages is the views they’ll offer of Luminous. We used to love and highly recommend the area around Rose & Crown Dining Room for IllumiNations.
However, the view from Rose & Crown (above) for Harmonious was not good. This is because it had an off-angle of the giant Stargate, but then again, most views had off-angles of the Stargate. One of the expected improvements of Luminous is the restoration of actual 360-degree viewing. In which case, Rose & Crown should once again offer a good vantage–low angle and pretty close to the barges. This should be very good once again.
Above was the view from Spice Road Table. (Well, it’s still the view–they didn’t move the restaurant. But those are the Harmonious barges pictured above and those are gone. Hopefully, you get the idea.)
I’ve never been wild about the fireworks view from Spice Road Table. To be sure, it won’t be as bad for Luminous as it was for Harmonious. But another thing to keep in mind is that this is the best view in the house there. Spice Road Table has a much deeper dining room; if you’re not at the water’s edge, you’ll be dealing with multiple obstructions. I would not book this dining package for the view, but that may not be your only consideration.
Contrast that view from Spice Road Table with this one in the Japan pavilion.
We will update our Best EPCOT Fireworks Viewing Spots after Luminous debuts, but our expectation is that the new show is going to offer far more good to great viewing angles and locations than Harmonious, but not as many as EPCOT Forever. When it comes to the interim fireworks show, you can be standing pretty much anywhere. All you need to see is the sky. Our understanding is that Luminous will have low-level pyro and visuals of interest and import on World Showcase Lagoon.
Personally, I wouldn’t book either of these dining packages until Luminous: The Symphony of Us debuts and there’s some info about best and worst viewing locations. That is, unless I planned on seeing the new nighttime spectacular more than once, and these dining packages were more about the unlimited alcohol, food, and guaranteed seating.
Unfortunately, waiting may not be an option for many of you–these will likely book up quickly. But if you’re visiting Walt Disney World in December 2023 and are debating which splurges to do, I’d probably pick something else. Even the Candlelight Processional Dining Packages would appeal to me more than this, and I’m not a huge fan of those, either.
That’s just my perspective, though. It’s probably worth “disclosing” that I’m not a huge fan of any dining packages or dessert parties at Walt Disney World. In my opinion, they are generally overpriced for what’s offered, capitalizing on FOMO and uncertainty about securing a good spot for nighttime spectaculars with promises of “guaranteed” seating.
The problem with that is the reserved viewing locations are often nothing special–inferior to what you could obtain on your own with a similar time commitment. Ninety minutes before Luminous: The Symphony of Us, you could order several dishes from EPCOT festival booths and grab your choice of spots (sending a runner for more drinks as needed). You’d likely come out ahead monetarily and have complete freedom of choice over your viewing location and foods/drinks you buy.
Of course, that’s simply my opinion–and seemingly a minority viewpoint, at that. Many other Walt Disney World fans absolutely love dessert parties and dining packages, giving them rave reviews and repeatedly booking them. That’s perfectly fine–not everything is for everyone, and variety is the spice of life. I’m simply sharing my take while making clear that you might very well have a different perspective. I’d much rather splurge on something else, but that’s just me!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be booking any of the new EPCOT Fireworks Dining Packages for the debut of Luminous: The Symphony of Us? Which of the two sounds most appealing to you? Are you a fan of Walt Disney World’s dining packages? If so, which is your favorite? Do you agree or disagree with my ‘review’ of WDW’s dining packages? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
