Category: Parks

“Disney Wishes Dessert Party” (7/21/2016)

The fireworks show was fantastic. However, we attended the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party. For a family of 6, we paid over $400. It was the worst selection of desserts that I have ever experienced. The choices along with the quality of food was terrible. Do yourself a favor and skip this. Fireworks are a must. The dessert party, stay away !!

In recent years, WDW has been trying to up their revenue customize the individual guest experience through the offering of various limited and exclusive experiences, which include dessert parties, backstage tours, semi-private cruises, and a myriad of other opportunities that vary on the “is it worth it?” scale. Whether you’re a new guest who must see all the Disney! or a frequent guest looking for something new and different, I absolutely understand the attraction to the dessert parties. Currently, they are offered around the nighttime fireworks shows at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.

Wishes Dessert Party – The Basics

• Park: Magic Kingdom, beginning one hour before the Wishes fireworks show.
• Cost: $59 per adult, $39 per child (3-9). Valid Magic Kingdom admission is also required.
• Location: Either Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant, or the Plaza Gardens.
• The Hook: All you can eat dessert buffet, including a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, plus unobstructed views and priority seating for the fireworks.
• Is this one-star review factual? Maybe. I’m trying to get a “family of 6” to add up to “over $400.” Even assuming six people over the age of 10, that’s a total of $354, and to get “over $400” would be a very hefty tax rate.
• Have I done it? Nope.
• Do I plan to do it? Maybe. But probably not.

I love dessert. I eat more dessert than vegetables. True story. But could I eat $60 worth of eclairs in an hour or so? Okay fine. Yes I could. But that would create a potentially precarious situation on the bus ride back to the resort. The lure of a bit of breathing room while watching the fireworks is very tempting – people tend to pack very close together to watch Wishes from Main Street, U.S.A. But even if people are a little close for my comfort, I cannot say I feel my view of Wishes has ever been “obstructed.” Fireworks are pretty high up in the sky, and while there are some projections on the castle, the only ones who are seeing those fully are up in the front few rows for the show, but a view from either Tomorrowland Terrace or the Plaza Gardens will not give you an unobstructed view of everything happening on the castle.

That said, there is still something intangibly attractive about a fireworks dessert party. I can see myself doing this for a date night one evening – a quiet respite at the end of a long Magic Kingdom day, especially since Wishes is my favorite of all the fireworks offerings at WDW.

Does the Wishes Dessert Party deserve a one-star review?

No. I truly believe WDW’s pastry chefs are first class, so I question the reviewer’s opinion of the dessert selection. Of course this might have been written by Elizabeth Falkner or someone else who has a total right to opine on the quality of dessert selection, but probably not. But at the same time, I put dessert parties in the category of “OMG I MUST DO ALL THE DISNEY THIS IS A THING THAT I HAVE NOT DONE,” rather than “OMG I HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME.”

Having said that, I think it’s important to note that you can have an amazing time watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks without coughing up for the extra expense of a dessert party.

Should I do it?

Dude, I’m not gonna answer that for you. If a robust dessert and (non-alcoholic) drinks selection sounds like a good time at 9pmish, and you really super hate people standing next to you while you’re all staring at exploding things in the sky, then yes, probably!

If I don’t do it, what should I do instead?

Did you know that you can ask a table service restaurant to give you your desserts to go? Neither did I, until we were at Skipper Canteen for dinner one evening and Matilda was getting super fussy at the table and we knew she wouldn’t last through dessert. Our AMAZING desserts were boxed up for us, and Matilda promptly fell asleep in the carrier as we made our way to Main Street, U.S.A. for Celebrate the Magic and Wishes. We took our perch at my favorite viewing spot (at the corner of the railing on the left outskirts of the hub, straight up from Casey’s and near the Popcorn Wagon on the path leading to Adventureland – you can see both shows amazingly, but people don’t go there because you can’t really see the night time parade from that vantage point), got our our desserts and ate them while we watched the show.

This scenario can also be replicated with a churro, a Mickey bar, or a Mickey Pants sundae from the Plaza Restaurant, for a fraction of the cost of the dessert party.