Scroll down for routes to the final & tournament statistics
Both Durrant and Waites came back from the dead to advance from tough quarter-final tests on Friday, but hopes of a similarly epic encounter were extinguished by a ruthless display from the Middlesbrough man.
Durrant was outscored in terms of maximums and only shaded the averages, but 10 breaks of throw to Waites' five proved vital as he booked a place in Sunday's showdown, which will be screened live by both Channel 4 and BT Sport from 4pm.
Waites earned a stay of execution with a classy 130 checkout to win the seventh set, but Durrant was soon back on track and sealed victory with an 11-dart leg.
He will face Chris Hammer's 25/1 tip Mark McGeeney for the title, the top two seeds having made it all the way at the Lakeside.
McGeeney won his semi-final 6-4 against surprise semi-finalist Michael Unterbuchner, who beat third seed Jamie Hughes in the first round and added two other high-profile scalps before coming unstuck here.
There was very little in this contest, McGeeney perhaps showing the benefits of experience with both men averaging just a fraction over 88, a figure which the winner will surely need to surpass if he's to trouble Durrant.
Sky Bet make Durrant their 1/5 favourite, with McGeeney 7/2.
Profit is at least guaranteed for Chris Hammer's followers regardless of the result and after he tipped Rob Cross at 16/1 each-way to win the PDC World Championship, it's certainly been a great start to 2018.
Earlier, Lisa Ashton won her fourth BDO world crown with a 3-1 final victory over Russia's Anastasia Dobromyslova.
Winner of the event in 2014, 2015 and 2017, the 47-year-old moved to second on the all-time list with a typically dominant display on the sport's biggest stage.
Glen Durrant v Mark McGeeney: Routes to the final & stats
Start time: 7pm
TV: Channel 4 & BT Sport
Format: Best of 13 sets
Sky Bet odds: Durrant 1/5 McGeeney 7/2
Glen Durrant
1st rd - 3-0 v Gary Robson (Av 95.29)
2nd rd - 4-1 v Darryl Fitton (99.43)
QF - 5-4 v Jim Williams (100.92)
SF - 6-2 v Scott Waites (96.61)
Total 180s: 28
Tournament Ave: 98.58
Highest Checkout: 158
Legs won-lost: 63-34
Mark McGeeney
1st rd - 3-2 v Martin Adams (86.19)
2nd rd - 4-1 v Danny Noppert (92.13)
QF - 5-4 v Wayne Warren (91.47)
SF - 6-4 v Michael Unterbuchner (88.84)
Total 180s: 15
Tournament Ave: 89.64
Highest Checkout: 160
Legs won-lost: 64-58
Saturday results & Sunday schedule
Saturday
Men's semi-finals
- (1) Glen Durrant 6-2 Scott Waites
- (2) Mark McGeeney 6-4 Michael Unterbuchner
Ladies' final
- (4) Lisa Ashton 3-1 Anastasia Dobromyslova (6)
Sunday
Evening Session (4pm)
Final (Best of 13 sets)
TV Coverage: BT Sport & Channel 4
- (1) Glen Durrant v Mark McGeeney (2)
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