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Credit: DisneyWatching fireworks around World Showcase Lagoon is one of the most popular ways to end a day at EPCOT. Soon, Disney World guests will have another option that combines dinner with a view of the nighttime spectacular.
Disney is introducing a new fireworks dining package at Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya, the table-service restaurant located inside EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion.
The Shiki-Sai Fireworks Dining Package will give guests a Japanese meal while providing views of Luminous: The Symphony of Us across World Showcase Lagoon. Reservations for the new experience will become available beginning August 27.
For guests who already planned to spend an evening eating around World Showcase before finding a fireworks spot, the package offers a different approach. Instead of competing for a viewing location around the lagoon, guests can turn dinner and the nighttime show into one experience.
Of course, that convenience comes at a significant price.
A New Way to Watch Luminous at EPCOT
Luminous: The Symphony of Us serves as EPCOT’s current nighttime spectacular, bringing fireworks, fountains, music, and lighting effects to World Showcase Lagoon.
Finding a good viewing location can become part of the evening routine for guests who want to see the show. World Showcase provides plenty of places to watch, but some of the more desirable areas can become crowded as showtime approaches.
Disney’s dining packages offer another way to handle that part of the night.
Rather than eating dinner and then heading outside to search for a viewing spot, guests who purchase the new Shiki-Sai package will dine with a view overlooking the lagoon. From there, they’ll be able to watch Luminous as part of their dining experience.
That could make the package particularly appealing to guests who were already considering a meal at Shiki-Sai and planned to stay for the nighttime show.
Instead of treating dinner and fireworks as two separate parts of the evening, Disney is packaging them together.
Shiki-Sai Brings Japanese Dining Into the Experience
The location itself makes this package different from simply paying for a reserved fireworks viewing area.
Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya is located in the Japan Pavilion and focuses on Japanese cuisine. With the new package, Disney is putting together a set dining experience that includes several different parts of the restaurant’s menu.
Guests purchasing the package will receive an appetizer along with traditional sashimi and an extensive sushi selection. Disney is also including an exclusive dessert and beverages that will only be available through the fireworks package.
That exclusivity gives guests something beyond the view itself.
Someone considering the package isn’t simply paying for a place to watch Luminous. The meal is a major component of the experience, with Disney offering food and drinks specifically connected to the package.
For sushi fans, that could make Shiki-Sai an especially interesting option for an EPCOT evening.
World Showcase already gives guests plenty of choices for dinner, and many visitors build a large portion of their EPCOT day around food. The new offering gives guests another way to make that meal part of their nighttime plans.
The Fireworks View Is the Big Selling Point
While the food will matter, the view will likely be what convinces many guests to consider spending the extra money.
Shiki-Sai overlooks World Showcase Lagoon, putting diners in position to see Luminous while they eat.
The nighttime spectacular uses the lagoon itself as its stage, combining fountains and lighting with fireworks and music. Having a lagoon view means guests can experience the show without necessarily needing to finish dinner early and find another location elsewhere around World Showcase.
That convenience can be valuable during a busy EPCOT evening.
Guests who watch the show from regular World Showcase viewing areas may choose to claim a spot before it begins. Depending on where someone wants to watch, that can mean spending part of the evening waiting rather than continuing to explore the park.
A dining package changes the equation.
Guests can use dinner as their fireworks plan rather than scheduling dinner around it.
There is still a major question guests will have to answer before booking, though: Is the convenience and meal worth the cost?
The Shiki-Sai Fireworks Dining Package Is Not Cheap
Disney has set the adult price at $120 before tax and gratuity.
Once tax and gratuity are included, the total comes to $149.50 per adult.
Children will cost $60 before tax and gratuity, bringing their total to $74.70 each after those additional charges.
That means the price can climb quickly for a family.
Two adults would pay $299 after tax and gratuity. A family with two adults and two children would spend $448.40 for the experience based on Disney’s listed totals.
That puts the package firmly into special-experience territory rather than making it an inexpensive way to grab dinner and see the fireworks.
Guests will have to consider how much value they place on the meal, exclusive menu offerings, and the convenience of having a lagoon view during Luminous.
For some visitors, especially those celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or another special occasion, combining dinner with the nighttime show could make sense.
Others may prefer to spend considerably less on dinner and watch Luminous from one of the regular viewing locations around World Showcase Lagoon.
Unlike an attraction that requires a separate paid reservation to experience, Luminous can still be watched by EPCOT guests without purchasing this package. The new offering is about adding food and convenience to the evening rather than providing access to the show itself.
Reservations Open August 27
Guests interested in trying the new experience won’t necessarily want to wait until they arrive at EPCOT to make their plans.
Disney recommends making advance reservations for the Shiki-Sai Fireworks Dining Package.
Limited same-day reservations may also be offered, but those will depend on availability. Guests will be able to book the package through the Shiki-Sai dining page beginning August 27.
Considering that the package combines a table-service meal with fireworks viewing, advance reservations will likely be the safer option for anyone who considers it an important part of their EPCOT day.
Waiting until the day of a visit could leave guests without availability.
EPCOT Guests Have Another Choice for Their Evening
The addition gives EPCOT visitors another premium option for planning the final portion of their day.
World Showcase naturally lends itself to this type of experience. Guests already spend hours moving between its pavilions, trying different foods and drinks before gathering around the lagoon at night.
Shiki-Sai’s location allows Disney to bring those two pieces together.
Instead of eating, leaving the restaurant, and then figuring out where to watch Luminous, guests can make the fireworks part of dinner itself.
The $149.50 adult total will certainly make the package a tougher sell for budget-conscious visitors, particularly for larger families. At the same time, guests willing to spend more for convenience or a special evening now have another option beyond simply finding a spot around World Showcase.
And the package has something that could separate it from a standard restaurant reservation: exclusive food and drinks combined with a direct connection to EPCOT’s nighttime entertainment.
Beginning August 27, guests will be able to decide whether that combination is worth adding to their next Disney World vacation.
