Reviews of Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party
Reviewed by WDWDad1974 Review Date: 05/14/2014
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
We thought this would be a great last night event to make sure that we had at least one good viewing of the fireworks, and my kids love dessert. So we never felt like we had to fight for or use a FastPass+ for a spot. But you know, in the meantime, we saw the fireworks most nights from the monorail, from our resort, or from elsewhere in the park. By the last night, the fireworks seemed to matter less. Now seeing Tinkerbell up close was cool, and we got a great view of the castle illumination.
But...
I was, in short, shocked at the behavior of the adults at this event. Given the way the roof hangs out, and the relatively small amount of room at the railing, small kids who are not right at the railing just don't get a view that is worth the cost. There is plenty of room to stand around and watch, but kids who are down low just can't see the whole show very well. One would think that grown adults, who could just as easily have made room for the youngsters and still had a perfect view, nevertheless hogged the railing. And I mean hogged. One very tall woman deliberately slipped into my daughter's spot when she stepped back to give me a hug. Another stood directly in front of us the rest of the time videoing the entire firework show. A large man claimed a prime spot as soon as he entered the terrace. One man did give up a spot, and from what I could tell, enjoyed the whole thing standing just behind his wife--but then the aforementioned tall woman took that spot from my six year old daughter. I suppose I could have made more of a stink, but there's the rub. I paid around $200 for the event, and I should not have to ask obnoxious people to let my kids see. Sorry if this sounds bitter, but I think you have to know that to know whether this experience is going to be pleasant enough for you to she'll out the non-refundable cash up front.
The desserts WERE really good, and were special in the sense that we had not eaten the same thing elsewhere. Ice crem sundaes. Tiramisu. Cheesecake. Little peanut butter-filled chocolate cups. Really good stuff. My kids loved it, and we let them go wild (did I mention that this was 9pm?). That said, unless you really have a big appetite, you're not really going to get enough food to justify the cost of the entry fee. I had a small plate of delicious food and was done. My wife picked off of mine. My kids ate more than I expected, but that still was not much.
Of course, you're paying for the experience. But considering the limitations I mentioned above, I'm just not sure it is really worth the really substantial cost. I could have had my kids of the pirate cruise for about the same price, and my guess is that the experience would have been more clearly special.
I might have selected "maybe" recommend if that was an option. If money is not an option, if you want a relaxed, roomy place to watch the fireworks and you don't have small kids, and you have the fortitude to commit to really digging in to the dessert options, it is a nice location.
Pros:
Exciting event, good desserts, good view of fireworksCons:
Not really the best viewing location, food value not optimalReviewed by Bakerman64 Review Date: 02/17/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
We booked the dessert party for our last day at Disney. The location was spectacular. It was not that crowded but it had been overcast that day. The desserts were good, though I don't think we ate 25 dollars worth per person. We had very good tables. However, the air was very heavy and foggy and it was drizzling. When the fireworks started, you couldn't even see the castle. So we heard the fireworks but did not get to see them. OVerall an ok experience. I may try again if weather is good. Otherwise, I am just as content at finding a spot and eating an ice cream. We did not have the issues of people crowding the rails, as it was cold and windy. But then again you couldn't see anything either.
Pros:
LocationCons:
price, weatherReviewed by Mich97 Review Date: 08/29/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
We went here for our last night at WDW. Great location to view the fireworks. Desserts were good with a fair selection. My only complaint is there wasn't a photographer there like in years past.
Pros:
LocationCons:
—Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/31/2013
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
We booked the Tomorrow Land Dessert party for the week of July 1st. We had heard mixed reviews but wanted to try something special as one of our party was a first time Disney visitor and we wanted her to experience something very special. The line formed outside the area that we were to be seated at. We were seated fairly close to 845pm. Each party had a table reserved. All tables were placed well away from the perimeter so it didn't really matter where your table was placed because unless you staked out a spot early enough then you could only see the full fireworks if you were at the railing. Most parties came towards the railing and there seemed to be enough room but when i looked behind us, there were many parties seated as there was not enough room for all. As for the desserts our party of three were not impressed. They did refresh them a lot but they were not special which for the price...they really should have been something amazing. If you compare the desserts in CRT, BOG and even La Boulangerie in France/Epcot there was nothing anywhere that good and this event was not exactly inexpensive.The chocolate dipped strawberries were good but not much grabbed the attention of our DD who loves desserts. She only ate one plate of 4 desserts. The beverages were nothing special although they did have a selection of teas but the water tasted awful (both cold and hot). I think the taste of the water was so bad that it put us off any food. If this wasn't enough (and I do not enjoy writing a poor review) it appeared most of the servers were new as they looked scared and the lady in charge was quite vocal about how she was "surrounded by people who had no idea what they were doing" The tables were never cleared and even as we left they were all still overflowing with debris and the servers just wandered around, except for the "person in charge" who continued to loudly berate those around her. FYI, her 'station" was right beside the beverage counter so we could all hear her growling at everyone. It was as about an Un-Disney like experience that I have ever experienced. The best part was the fireworks. I would not not pay for this again and to be honest, even if it was part of the Deluxe Dining Plan I would not waste a credit here.
Pros:
View of the castleCons:
Everything elseReviewed by arielwatcher Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
Made the reservation on the phone and was told it would have desserts, fruits and cheese and would be from 8-9:30, be there AT EIGHT she emphasized.
We arrived at 8 to find NOTHING. I was nervous! We sought a CM and were told to wait at the gate.
Families accumulated as time wore on. Eventually slow moving CM's came and went, promising us we'd be seated in 5 min. or a few minutes (we were NOT seated until after 8:50, a waste of 50 minutes of park time on our last night there!).
Imagine our surprise that the majority of the guests were families who brought toddlers to a late night dessert party, they RAN WILD!
The quality of beverages (coffee, teas, flavored lemonades was good).
The selections of desserts were just the right size, the variety of flavors was well-represented. They kept replenishing them all the way until closing. There were no dessert cheeses as described by the operator.
Sadly our excellent seats meant nothing when the hoards of people headed to the railing.
It would have been nice for the Photopass Photographer to go from table to table to take candids.
Would be do it again? Not sure.
Pros:
location, foodCons:
too many people booked, still had to jockey for a place to standReviewed by andrencau Review Date: 03/11/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
After reading mixed reviews, my family and I were skeptical to try this. There were 6 in our party on Thursday March 7. We are at the table closest to the entrance and photo pass photographer. We were right on the rail, so no need to stand. The only, very small negative to this spot was that we were not more centered with the castle, but it was nice not to have to worry about getting to the rail to watch.
The desserts were great. There were plenty to choose from and they were restocked regularly. We would definitely do this again and again. It was nice not having to worry about somebody coming in last minute and wedge themselves in or stand in front of our kids for the fireworks.
Pros:
did not have to fight crowdsCons:
noneReviewed by Mandi115 Review Date: 02/26/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I was a little skeptical- $25 for dessert when I am not big on sweets- but I figured this would be a nice treat for our fellow travelers, first time guests. I was blown away by the selection of food, the view.....the whole thing! And also, I had read previous reviews about the railing filling up. This did happen, but the number of people is limited so it really isn't bad. I really enjoyed this party and think it will be a must-do on my future trips!
Pros:
View, food, locationCons:
PriceReviewed by jlundeen Review Date: 02/10/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We were a party of 6, and I got my reservations in as soon as they were available. We had a great table close to the railing, and could have remained seated for the show, however, some in our party decided to join the rest of the guests at the railing.
Desserts were plentiful and very tasty. The only drawback of the entire event was an obnoxious mother at the table closest to us who seemed to take delight in berating her children and others at her table for the entire time. Hard to tune her out, but we managed to still enjoy the show!
The reservation system for this event leave something to be desired though. While they say reservations will be availalbe "about" 60 days prior to your date, there is no set way of knowing when you can actually reserve a date. Calling and checking online starting about 60 days out, and continuing until you finally are able to reserve seems to be the only way to do it. The folks answering the phones don't know anything about when reservations will be opened for specific dates, and different cast members will tell you many different versions of the story...your best bet is to keep trying until you finally get what you want.
