Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party is a delicious way to view Wishes fireworks

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My 11-year-old son has had many special experiences at Walt Disney World because we live locally and are annual passholders. But one event he hadn’t been to and *really* wanted to attend was the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party. Disney fireworks are among his favorite attractions, and to be able to see them from the perfect vantage point while eating unlimited sweets — well, that was the perfect birthday celebration recently.

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None of my family had been to the Wishes viewing party, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We spent the day at Magic Kingdom, and when we noticed cast members beginning to set up in the evening, we stopped to ask a few questions. My son was assured that the tables were pre-assigned, based on when guests made their reservations.

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I had called every day for more than a month before the reservations were available for booking in the Disney system. During that process, cast members gave me different answers about how soon the reservations can be booked, but the most common answer was between 30 and 60 days out. None of the cast members could give me an exact date — as they do with restaurant reservations — so I continued my calling campaign.

If you are interested in the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party, you might have to resort to the same plan because it is very popular and typically sells out quickly. My persistence paid off, though, because I secured a reservation for our preferred night and we had a front-row, center table.

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One thing to know, though, is that many attendees will get up from their tables when the fireworks begin and stand along the wall facing Cinderella Castle. They are not permitted to drag chairs over there, however.

So, given that your table is pre-assigned and you still will have a good view of the fireworks, there really is no reason to line up early for the party. Folks did begin a queue about 7:30 p.m., and they began entering the area about 7:45 p.m. on a night that Wishes were scheduled to start at 9 p.m.

There are two buffets with an identical selection of desserts, plus a fruit bar, beverage station and ice cream sundae table. There was a small line for food when guests first entered Tomorrowland Terrace, but it dissipated quickly as everyone chose their first round of goodies. After that, we were able to walk up to the buffets without a wait for the rest of the night. I’m told the space holds 200 people, and there were about 160 guests attending on our Saturday night in September.

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Among the desserts included: Tiramisu, Mango Shooters, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies with sprinkles, classic cheesecake, fruit tart, banana creme tart, key lime tart, chocolate peanut butter tart, chocolate-dipped strawberries, crisped rice treats, brownies, vanilla and chocolate cheesecake, custard and canoli. There appeared to be something for everyone! Drinks were raspberry lemonade, Minute Maid light lemonade, iced tea, water, coffee, white milk, hot tea and hot chocolate.

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While we were enjoying our sweets, we could see the Main Street Electrical Parade pass by in the distance and then watch Celebrate the Magic, the castle projection show. Tomorrowland Terrace is not the ideal vantage point for either if you haven’t seen them, but for repeat guests, it was nice. And, of course, this location has a great view of the fireworks, which is the main attraction. It is slightly to the right of the castle, but we could see everything, and a highlight is when Tinker Bell flies down from the castle and straight to Tomorrowland Terrace.

The desserts are plentiful and were refilled repeatedly for about an hour, or 8:45 p.m. in our case. Then, guests can help themselves to what is left until Wishes ends. By that point, we were stuffed! Even so, cast members encouraged my kids to take cookies with them. Throughout the evening, cast members repeatedly cleared our table and were helpful. Overall, we really enjoyed the dessert party. It is expensive for a family, but not having to fight crowds to see the fireworks is priceless.

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The Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party costs $25.99 for adults and $13.99 for children ages 3 to 9. You can make reservations at 407-WDW-DINE, and pre-payment is required. Walk-ups are welcome if the dessert party is not sold out.

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55 Replies to “Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party is a delicious way to view Wishes fireworks”

  1. Just tried to book this online for our April stay. Last year, the reservation time accurately came up as 9 PM. This year, for some inexplicable reason, the reservation times are only coming up as 6 pm. So if, like me, you already have a dining reservation for that night, the system won’t let you book the dessert party, because it thinks you are trying to double book. Stupid. Wish I had known that before I hung up after 30 minutes on hold on the phone…

  2. I just booked this for a Friday night during the Christmas party. Is this a mistake? Will we miss some of the party?

    KRISTIN: It’s really a matter of personal preference. If you want to see the Christmas parade, which is wonderful, you will either need to be on Main Street before the dessert party for the first parade and then make your way to the Tomorrowland Terrace or leave right after the fireworks to get a spot to see the second parade. It’s doable, but it depends how important seeing the parade from a certain location is to you. Also, know that the Christmas party includes all-you-care-to-eat complimentary cookies, hot cocoa, apple juice and apple slices, so having extra desserts at the party may be too much. That said, if you prefer to have a less crowded space to see Holiday Wishes and Celebrate the Magic, the dessert party may be worth the time and money to you.

  3. I am now ringing daily for a date in December and getting a different explanation every day as to why I can’t book!!! Also tried for Be Our Guest but there is no chance for that unless you are staying at a Disney resort as people staying there get to book 190 days in advance. I wonder if they also get to book the Tomorrowland Deserts Party 10 days before.

  4. I was extremely fortunate after many refreshes trying day after day for a booking. I was stunned when the website said it was available. So super-surprised they showed me to a front corner table that was so perfect for perimeter fireworks at MVMCP (…so, yes, to any future MVMCP attendee asking if it was worth doing both).

    You are wristbanded at check-in, and I’m sure there’s no hard deadline to check-in should you find yourself getting into one more ride before the fireworks. It was fabulous to have a nice hot mug of tea in my chilly hands when the fireworks crowd started to disperse. I did not miss the Main Street hustle at all.
    I didn’t miss anything I wanted to do either after getting MVMCP wristband around 4:30pm. BTW, by night’s end I had a stack…MagicBand, MVMCP, TTDP…up my arm and I was really pleased with the whole set, but the dessert party was nicest of all.

  5. I booked a few days ago for the end of Jan, only 65 days out. I booked it right through my Disney Experience. This will be our third time going. We love not dealing with crowds! You can hang around for a bit and wait for the crowds to die down too.

  6. I made reservations on October 1st for December 1st. Later I tried to move the date but all additional seatings were filled. So I think the 60 day window is correct.

  7. I have been to Disney many times and I have never heard of this and this year I booked through AAA ( I will never do that again ) The travel agent did not know anything and I had to call her and give her info to get me what we needed …. Im upset that she never told me about this or anything else for that matter … I do have VIP seating for Wishes this year and she never even gave me that info I had to read it in our packet then when I called her about it there was no seats left … the AAA mng had to call Disney and get me some seats …. I hope we will be able to get last min seats here in a few weeks !!!

  8. I just booked this for our trip in January with no problems. I booked it by calling the Disney dining reservation line. The staff member told me that they “just” (not sure what this meant exactly) starting accepting reservations 180 days out – like all other dining reservations. So now you can book the dessert party when you book rest of your dining reservations.

  9. Thank you! Our family plans to be at Disney In March. While we have been there several times, we did not know about dessert party. I read the blog…called this morning and got a reservation! Received lots of advise to come hungry..not after a big table meal. Sounds very cool, not having to queue up early for a parade spot. Really appreciate the tip! Something new and special to look forward to experiencing.

  10. Thank you for the blog. We also tried to book for December and had to check back for weeks. We were able to get a reservation for 12/27 but ended up canceling when they opened up 12/30 and 12/31. There are two show on those nights with the last being the NYE fireworks at 11:50pm. We are excited to get to see them on 12/30 since we will not venture in to MK on New Years Eve. Fyi these two special nights are more expensive but can’t remember the actual cost (I think I blocked it out). they also had to be booked by phone and were not offered on the website.

  11. Hi Kristin,
    Thank you for this great article! We were fortunate enough to get a reservation on the night of a Christmas party in November. We are excited! Our reservation time is at 8:50 and I believe the fireworks start at 9:30pm. What time do people begin standing at the railings? We have a small child and I wonder if we will get to enjoy the desserts or if we will be worried about getting a spot for our kiddo before (much taller) adults block his view. Is this a silly concern? I have no idea where our table will be. Thanks!

    KRISTIN: At our dessert party, most people waited to walk up to the rail until a few minutes before the castle projection show started. Unless you are planning to videotape the shows and want to record from a certain angle, I don’t think you need to rush to get a spot at the railing.

  12. My hubby and I did this the last night of our trip in March.

    Making reservations was really hard because repeated phone calls denied they were taking reservations for weeks. When I scored the date I recorded all the info and put it in our phone.The Cast Member was explicit about being on time and no refunds.

    Sad to say we arrived exactly at the time we were told ONLY to find that no one in the area knew when the party would start!

    We even tracked down people in plaid vests with no help. So we sat, waiting for evidence of the party.(Why were we given the wrong times????…we missed over an hour of park activities)

    We did have great front row seats until the fireworks then the kids started running and screaming and adults put their kids on their shoulders….

    The desserts were the right size for trying everything and clean up was steady by cheerful castmembers. We didn’t find anything we wouldn’t eat….it was all good!

    I wish the photographer would have gone table to table, they did have one at the exit with the castle backdrop. I offered to take photos of the people at tables around us – you could tell by the way a parent would jump up and snap photos they would have liked the photopass in the mix.

    I wouldn’t do it again unless it was an adult group simply because the children were over tired from a day’s play and then sugared up and the parents let them run wild. I know it’s Disney but I guess some people have more $$ than discipline.

  13. Hi! Loved the article. I’ve tried to book this event for the last three trips I’ve been to WDW! Our next trip is this coming February…and I got it booked, just this morning, PT zone!! I’m so excited and happy 🙂 🙂 That’s at least 120 days in advance. Keep trying fellow readers!

  14. My concern is that your to close to tinker bell…I mean where you can clearly see the wire , the bigger kids might ruin it for the little ones by pointing it out etc.. Does she actually land in front of you or does she sorta go behind the building ? How noticeable is the “guide” wire from the terrace ? This would be ideal for my family { except my diabetic dad….oh well } but, I don’t want to burst a 4 and 5 yr olds bubble that Tinkie isn’t actually flying ??? Any pointers on my little dilemma ??

    KRISTIN: The wire definitely is visible from the terrace and other places in Magic Kingdom. We always told our kids it was to help guide Tinker Bell when it’s so dark out and the fireworks are a distraction to her. When my kids were younger, they never questioned that story. Tinker Bell lands on top of the roof of the terrace, but she is out of guests’ sight at that point.

  15. Hi Kristin – we just enjoyed the dessert party and had a fine experience with our food allergies. We did have it noted on our reservation. There was someone on site who walked us through the buffet to discuss which items should be avoided. Also, they located all of the tree nute and peanut items together on the buffet so it was a nice visual reminder for my DD9 that she couldn’t eat anything from that section.
    It was a lovely party and if MK is open after Wishes you have great access to Tomorrowland – but I’d wait a little bit before you hop on Space Mountain!

    KRISTIN: Thanks, Lisa, for the info. Happy to hear your dessert party went so well!

  16. Did they have any sugar free desserts there? Other than the fruit?

    KRISTIN: No, but I’m told they can be requested when you book your reservation.

  17. As the Mom of a son with tree nut allergies, I find this party to be the hardest to get allergy information on site from. We are fortunate that his allergy not so sensitive that he has problems with “contact” issues. He just cannot eat anything that contains tree nuts. They have only 1 notebook with the allergy information and they bring it around to the tables. Last year when we were there we had been there almost 45 minutes before the book got to us. Unlike the restaurants, there are no chefs on site, so the CMs present do not know the specific ingredients of any of the items offered. The only way to get the ingredient information is to see the book.

  18. I first called 407-WDW-DINE. The cast member said she couldn’t help me because they were updating the system to allow booking 6 months out for the Dessert Party. So, I logged into My Disney Experience and was able to book the Dessert Party through the website. I now have a Dec. reservation!

  19. My family and I traveled to WDW the week of July 4th a couple of trips ago. My wife and I had heard everything posted above. We knew it was a great experience. Like everyone else, I called EVERYDAY trying to get a sitting at any date of our vaca week. As you can imagine, July 4th fireworks at the magic kingdom are pretty special so I knew that getting them for that day would be improbable. When I checked online, months ahead, it was available for booking but sold out. I was so angry because I called everyday for months and whammo, one morning and it was all booked. HOWEVER, I continued to call everyday just for the heck of it and a small miracle happened. As I braced for my usual daily failure, the cast members voice on the other line perked up and told me that they just had a cancellation for none other that JULY 4TH!!! it was the luckiest chain of event ever. When the day came, and the park closed halfway through the day due to maximum capacity, we had no worries. We had the best views of the single greatest fireworks show we had ever seen. And we are from Philadelphia so trust me, I know fireworks. It was the most laid back, delicious, experience ever. I now make it my competitive hobby to get reservations for every WDW trip we take. It is the highlight of our trips!!!!

  20. For people trying to get this reservation online I have learned that if you just go to the Tomorrowland Terrance fireworks dessert party and punch in your date and the number in your party it will tell you there is no reservation times but if you scroll down the section where it ask you the time you want and put in 9pm it will all of sudden have open times. Hope this helps.

  21. Thanks for these pics, Kristin! We were debating doing it this past trip (came home 9/28) and after seeing your pics, me and hubby booked ours for January when we go without the kids! Very excited! Better lose some weight now and make some room for those cheesecakes!

  22. After trying to get this reservation for the past 5 Disney trips…FINALLY- got a reservation for this Jan 4th! It is a surprise, mainly for my bride and two of the girls! Our son doesn’t eat sweets, (and I rarely do), but I think the view will make it worth it!

  23. I booked our reservations this morning! I’ve been wanting to do this since I first heard about it a few years ago, but it either never took placed while we were there or it was booked up. I’m so excited!

  24. When we attended this party in May, 2011, they did not have an ice cream sundae station. Hubby would have LOVED that. I enjoyed being able to sit and enjoy the fireworks without jostling for position. Everything was delicious, although I thought the mango shooters would have been better with a little rum. 🙂

  25. Do they offer any sugar free desserts? I would love to do this on our upcoming trip, but my sister is diabetic. I hate to book something she won’t be able to fully enjoy.

    KRISTIN: Fresh fruit is available at the dessert party. Also, you can request sugar-free desserts when you book the party, and Disney chefs will provide alternatives for your sister.

  26. My husband and I attended the party back in May. It was my husbands first trip to Disney and I wanted to do something special so he could see what the Disney magic is all about. I happened to see in a blog about the dessert party, and I found it on the Disney website in the dining reservations. I called every day beginning at the end of March and was told it was a hit and miss thing. Finally, I called in mid-April and was able to make a reservation, on our first night there! I didn’t tell my husband and he didn’t know until we walked up there. We had a table front and center and the desserts were wonderful! The view of the fireworks were amazing even though a thunderstorm was moving in. We are planning a trip for 2014 and my husband has already requested that we do the dessert party again.

  27. My husband, daughter & I did this back in May 2010. At that time they had a Photopass photographer which was really nice as well. Two weeks ago I started looking at dates in February 2014 for my 20th anniversary trip. Since my husband said the dessert party was his favorite part of the past trip, I hoped to get that again. I was surprised it was being offered in late February and at the time most of the days we will be there were still available about 155 days out. I booked the day of our 20th anniversary yesterday at 140 days out. Can’t wait!

  28. I tried and tried everyday for months to book this for my wife and I for our first anniversary to find out that it was sold out, guess we will have to settle for the California Grill 🙂 Good luck to everyone trying to get a reservation and congratulations to everyone who has one. One of my very few complaints about Disney, but we will still have a terrific time in 9 days when we are there.

  29. We were just at WDW this past May and as a special treat for my parents I made reservations for the 2 of them to attend the dessert party. The reservation system was frustrating because just like everyone else I was told that it’s booked 30-60 days out whenever they have the fireworks schedule completed. Thankfully I caught it the first day that reservations opened up and was able to get my parents front and center seating. They loved it! Afterwards I met up with them and my mom was just bawling at how much they enjoyed it and how beautiful the fireworks were. They were even able to sneak some goodies to me and my kids (with CM permission of course!) after the party was over. The CM’s were actually encouraging them to take even more since they said everything would get thrown out afterwards. For the price that you pay and the experience that you get with this event it is so well worth it. Next time it will have to be something we all do!

  30. Thanks for this article! I’ve been before and loved it…..and just booked the family for Spring Break right at the 180 day mark. Hopefully that means we’ll get a table right by the railing.

  31. We did this once in February. They also had a photo pass photographer who took incredible shots of us during the fireworks. We enjoyed it but even I ( a chocaholic and big dessert fan) found there was too much to try it all. Worthwhile especially for special occasions. Everyone should do it at least once!

  32. I started calling mid September every day, sometimes twice a day for the first week of December. Finally at 7:15 a.m. on October 1st, I called and was able to get in for December 4th. I too was given different time frames as to when it would open but I just did my own thing and called each day. We are looking forward to it. I am sorry for those of you who could not get in, I would call every once in a while just in case someone cancels.

  33. I recently booked this event for December 5th, while we are attending the MVMCP event. I am looking for feedback as to whether this will be a good use of our time during the party or not. I’m wondering if those who have attended felt they spent too much time at the fireworks party to the detriment of other MVMCP activities or if it was worth it.

  34. Im not sure if this is still the case but when my family and i went to WDW in Sept 2011 we were able to book our places for the Dessert Party online via the Disney Website (the same way you reserve tables at restaurants). Has this now been changed?

  35. We also did this party in September, and it took some work to get my reservation. I resorted to checking the website everyday starting about 60 days out until it opened up. For the most part, we enjoyed the party. The desserts were great, especially the little fruit tarts, and my friend was especially excited to see the chocolate covered strawberries as we priced them in DTD at $4 a piece.

    But something to point out is that this is a real reservation and you pay upfront when you book, so if something happens, you’re just out the money if you can’t go or the weather is bad. The night we went it was raining, and while it was nice to have a covered place to sit, you couldn’t actually see the fireworks at all. You just heard them going off behind the clouds. From what I learned, you are paying for a dessert party, so no matter the weather, no matter if you can actually see the fireworks, you are stuck, no canceling, no refunds, short of the entire park being closed down. You pay for a dessert party; you get a dessert party, with or without the fireworks. Just something to keep in mind. Despite that, I’d still do it again.

  36. We are going to WDW June, 2014 and going to try to get tickets to dessert party. I am worried about missing Tinker Bell flying, which is very important for my granddaughter. I have been to WDW 15 times, and I have never seen her fly. Do we need to stand on the patio to see. Does anyone let you know it is time. Any tips you can give me would be very helpful.

    KRISTIN: If you attend the dessert party, you will be able to see Tinker Bell from any spot on the railing or from most tables. (Hint: If you want to be as close as possible, look for the wire coming down from the castle that Tinker Bell uses as a “guide” when it’s dark at night. 🙂 )

  37. Just called to make reservations for our March 2014 trip for the Tomorrowland Dessert Fireworks event. Got them, thanks to your article. If I hadn’t read it I would have waited until 60 days prior to our trip. Thanks. We have always wanted to do this, but could never get reservations.

  38. It says on the official Disney World site, that you can book up to 60 days in advance. I too called many times and could not get a straight answer from an agent. However, I did as most suggested and called on a daily basis. I checked online September 30th for our trip date in December and nothing. But, early the next morning on October 1, they had opened up the whole month of December for reservations. So, it seems that they open up the dates a little more than 60 days in advance. God bless you all and enjoy Disney!!

  39. I did this last year and I had a poor experience. I am a solo traveler and when my turn came in the queue my name and allocated table were on the list, but, someone else was sitting at it, they didn’t want to move the person as they had seated her there. (I have no idea what happened, and they couldn’t give me a clear explanation) There wasn’t even a spare table to put me on. It took half an hour to sort out and by the time I sat down, the fireworks were about to start, there were hardly any desserts left and what I had couldn’t be enjoyed at a leisurely pace as they were clearing up around me. They didn’t even offer me an adequate apology. The CM just kept repeating how embarrassed she was and the manager seemed at a loss what to do. Anyway, I complained to Guest Relations on my return home and they refunded me the cost, but, if that had been my only chance to go to WDW as I live in the UK that wouldn’t have made a bad experience better. I have been told that it is usually a fantastic experience and I was unlucky. I am thinking of doing it again, maybe on my next visit.

  40. I have done this party twice too and I love it. The deserts are good but my favorite part is I don’t have to stand in 1 place for 45 minutes to an hour. I get to have desserts I get drinks and then when the fireworks start I stand up and watch them. It’s a little expensive yes but to me it’s worth it to not have to stand for an hour. I have it booked 2 more times on my next trip. Once for the regular fireworks and once for a mvmcp night.

  41. Kristin,
    Is this offered year round or only when the noodle station is open? My family & I only visit at the end of January or beginning of February and I’ve never noticed this to be happening.
    Thanks!
    Liz

    KRISTIN: It is offered most nights year-round.

  42. I think it looks awesome! Tried calling end of September and was too early to book. Just called and got our last night at WDW on January 8th, 2014. Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Thanks for the heads up that this now seems to be a 180 day out dining reservation now.

  43. Kristin, I also wanted to let your readers know that I was able to make my reservation online. It was a little tricky to find but much easier than calling everyday.

    KRISTIN: Thank you for the tip!

  44. I tried to book this a couple of months ago for our stay in December and I was told twice that we could only book it two months in advance. I rang last week and was told that the dates were still not loaded into the system and to ring back on the 1st October which I did and was told it was fully booked already. I rang again today to check and they advised me again it was fully booked throughout my stay and that you can book 180 days in advance. I did tell her I rang months ago to book as I knew it was a special treat and popular but she didn’t seem interested. Was really disappointed as we really wanted to do this and I appreciate these things get booked up quickly but Disney keep telling me different things with regards to when we can book it.

  45. Well, you just proved that there is always something new to learn about Disney!! 🙂

    How often do they do this? We are getting passes in December. Would love to do this for my birthday in May. 🙂

    KRISTIN: It started as a trial event that was extended repeatedly. Now, it’s offered most nights.

  46. Kristin, I was just able to book this party for March 18th. So it looks like you can book about 5 to 6 months out.

    KRISTIN: Thanks for the update. I hope this change in the reservation process is permanent!

  47. I tried to make reservations for this event for our recent September trip way in advance since we had really enjoyed it twice before. You can’t reserve it online, so I called and called. Many cast members told me different things regarding the reservation window opening and the most common was 30 days. By the time I had called back for the last time, I was told it had sold out completely for every night it was offered of our 9 day trip. This was extremely frustrating; always getting very differing information and none of the cast members seemed to know what was going on. In fact, the last time I called, I actually spoke to someone in recreation reservations because I was making a few others, and she managed to look at another system to say that some of the people who had reserved the dessert party did so in July! I had been calling before and during that month, so when some cast members told me it wasn’t open for booking yet, it really had already been sold out! This could have saved me a LOT of time holding and on the phone if I had known that instead of being told it wasn’t available to book yet. Very disappointed. This was one of the only events my husband actually requested when I was planning our trip.

  48. I have done this party twice and look forward to doing it again in the future. The Desserts are yummy and the view is great!