Convince Me, Dessert Parties Are Awesome or They Are a Waste of Money

[Club Cooloholic]

Thinking of booking a dessert party, maybe the Epcot one(though nobody in the party are huge Frozen fans, or maybe the Star Wars one(I am the only fan ).
Part of the reason is my daughter will soon move to the adult price and the way she eats, it will just never justify paying that, so this would be our one time to try.
I want honest opinions, because sometimes these things we convince ourselves we would never do then end up loving it, or we convince ourselves it was totally worth it, but deep down we say it because it is hard to admit getting ripped off.
Is it really awesome, or will I walk away from it feeling like I might have been better served to buy a few cupcakes for the kids and cocktails for me and sat in the general area being kept company by the masses surrounding me(as well as the extra dollars in my pocket).

 

[Nottamus]

We just did the Epcot Frozen one because we are a fan of ILLUMINATIONS, not FROZEN, and figured this would be a cool way to see it for the last time.

Turns out it rained the day of, so the dessert portion was inside a Norway building which wasn't nearly as cool as having it water side, outside.

To each their own, i thought the desserts and other stuff was good enough for the money spent....at least they took us back outside to see Illuminations after the rain stopped...

Like i said, we only did it to say goodbye to Illuminations in a different way. Oh, and we rode Frozen after the park was clearing.

Not sure if anything i said helped at all....

 

[networkpro]

Its purely subjective as to its value. The variety of foodstuffs and drinks for the Frozen party are better than most of the rest (except Rivers of Light , but that show isnt good at all ... even from better seating). As mentioned, fair weather seating is much better than foul.

Pros IMHO are dedicated seating, food and drink close at hand, and you're not in the mosh pit.

 

[eliza61nyc]

My family likes to do new things at the world, we figure it beats buying wasted souvenirs. lol anyhoo we did the one at the Magic Kingdom when they first started offering them. We had a good time and enjoyed it.
Now as to worth? as @networkpro said that's very subjective. The desserts we had were tasty and of course the view was great. all and all we had a great time. It's one of those things we do once to experience it and that's really all we need.
Now the desserts really are never worth what the asking price is but they were very tasty.

 

[KeithVH]

No. At this point, not even close. Charges for the average dessert party are in the $70-100 range at this point. Kids maybe half that. Even for a family of 3, that is a serious chunk of change. For parties of 4 or 5 (or more), especially once the kids hit the magic age, it becomes one of the single most priciest things to do in the parks. Having been to more than one, back in the day when they were launched (what, $25?), it was even a bit of a stretch to justify (although not having to fight for a spot for Wishes was proly worth it back then).

Yes, some parties are better than others, some worse. But it's a major cash cow for TDO and not much else. For the price, you could dine at pretty much ANY table service (including dessert, drinks, and tip) in the parks and still have money left over (in most cases).

I think the time where this type of event was cost efficient has long past. I can't even recommend at this point even if you've never done it before. The downside is just too much.

 

[DISR]

I'm a sucker for upgrades that add value. I haven't figured out a reason to do these yet. At worst, you pay for lots of treats and then watch from a "exclusive area", which in some cases is literally 5 feet from the free area. It isn't like you can't get your fill of sugary treats at Disney without a dessert party. It kind of comes down to the whether the viewing area is really special. IMHO, most are not. If I were to spend dollars on an experience like this, I would probably opt for one of the fireworks cruises on Bay Lake. If you want to really be efficient and get a good bang for your buck, do dinner/dessert/fireworks from the California Grill. I actually enjoy that view more than the in-park experience.

 

[DisneyAndADoleWhip]

I was always in the "dessert parties are a waste of time and money" camp.....But. I did my first one last year for Illuminations (RIP) as part of a package deal with the Traveling Homeschoolers. And I want to do one every trip now. It was so much fun, best fireworks viewing I've ever had in a Disney park. The desserts were varied and plentiful, and tasted amazing. We had unlimited ice cream with ours too, and it was the perfect treat. Nothing beats being able to watch the fireworks while seated with desserts. If it's in the budget, or included somehow, do it at least once.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I was always in the "dessert parties are a waste of time and money" camp.....But. I did my first one last year for Illuminations (RIP) as part of a package deal with the Traveling Homeschoolers. And I want to do one every trip now. It was so much fun, best fireworks viewing I've ever had in a Disney park. The desserts were varied and plentiful, and tasted amazing. We had unlimited ice cream with ours too, and it was the perfect treat. Nothing beats being able to watch the fireworks while seated with desserts. If it's in the budget, or included somehow, do it at least once.

My one worry is my 6 yr old son tends to get pretty wild ornjust flat out done if up too late. Usually fireworks and all are a judgment call. I am not sure if having separate seating will help or hinder when it comes to him.

 

[Weather_Lady]

We did the MK fireworks Dessert Party last year, for the sole reason that we were at WDW on my daughter's birthday (not by design; we chose the week that worked best for our family, and it just happened to be then) and it was what she asked to do to celebrate.

It was worth it for us as a one-and-done to acknowledge a special occasion, but with the following disclaimers:

1) We'd never seen "Happily Ever After" before and probably wouldn't have ever seen it without something like the Dessert Party, because we're a family of super-impatient, crowd-anxious people who would rather die a thousand deaths than spend half our evening staking out a "good" spot to stand amid a heaving mass of humanity, and then worrying about how many "shoulder kids" would be hoisted at the last moment to render it all for naught. (*Note: We did the less-expensive version with Plaza Garden viewing. The reserved area was huge and we had tons of space to roam around with nothing impeding our view. There was literally a little girl doing CARTWHEELS around us before the show and she wasn't even in anyone's way -- that's how much space there was!)

2) We tried to augment the cost by checking in as soon as we could, and treating the Dessert Party as a meal substitute, filling up on cheese and fresh fruit as much as possible before moving on to the sweet stuff, and with our server's encouragement, we took all the extra water bottles with us that our pockets would hold. (That sounds ridiculous, but at Disney prices of $3 a bottle, we probably left with a small fortune's worth.)

3) We made our ADR in advance, which gets you a far nicer table (with a tablecloth and candle) in a front-facing section with a nice view of the Castle (on a level above those who reserved the more expensive Terrace viewing Dessert Party package, so although they were closer to the Castle, we could look right over their heads as we munched our food, before making our way to the Plaza Garden). Day-of reservations cost just as much, but you are seated at bare, cafeteria-style tables nearer to the buffet.

 

[Janir]

Once in a while they are fun. Pricey but its nice to have a segregated great viewing spot away from the masses of people and a bit of elbow room. Having some snacks/drinks on hand is a plus. I wouldn't do it on every trip but the DW and I love MK fireworks so a dessert party there once in a while makes sense for us.
This coming trip we're doing the DVC fireworks cruise dessert party. That should be fun for us.

Ultimately, if its worth it or not is more up to you and what you think of the shows. The desserts are nice but not super spectacular. And how many desserts can you cram down for $75 anyway?

 

[Janir]

My one worry is my 6 yr old son tends to get pretty wild ornjust flat out done if up too late. Usually fireworks and all are a judgment call. I am not sure if having separate seating will help or hinder when it comes to him.

You won't be as crowded at a dessert party as just viewing fireworks. More elbow room while might mean he has more room to get wild, it also means you have room to corral him before he becomes a problem to someone else. If he just drops out and goes flat out done, then you have a chair to stick him in or at least a chair to sit in while you hold him. That might be worth the money right there.

 

[RememberWhen]

We like them. I always say “that was great, but let’s skip it next trip” then we end up booking another one next time. I hate waiting around for fireworks spots for hours. I’d rather skip if I have to look at the backs of heads (I’m 5’2”) and wait around hours for the privilege.
Our trip in December we knew the crowds would be crazy so we did the dessert party in MK. It was great. Desserts were fine. Being able to waltz over to the viewing area when we wanted, sit and see the projections and fireworks was great. 6 yo had a great time. He could wiggle around without bashing into a million people and he could see. It was expensive. So we probably won’t book it for our next trip (July 2020). Unless we do. Which we might.

 

[KeithVH]

If possible, and planning permits, I would recommend Roe and Crown instead. Around 8pm or so. We've been very lucky in the past several times and always get lower patio seating. Cannot recommend that enough. YMMV. Depends on crowds as much as anything. But an English Trifle during Illuminations is SO much better than any dessert party.

 

[correcaminos]

I've done so many of these over the years and I didn't have one I really loved. At least the ones I did were better priced than now. Now, I'd rather pay for a specially cruise instead for those available.

 

[TARDIS]

An awesome waste of money haha.
I do enjoy them every couple of years on a special occasion as a fun extra mainly beacuase I hate standing in a mass of people for over a hour for a decent firework view.
If on the fence I always think it’s worth trying once to see if it’s worth it to you. Just go in with the idea you may be disappointed on a waste of money but it was a new experience.
The desserts are very similar regardless of which one you choose. But I prefer the ones that have alcohol too instead of just soda and fruit juice. Maybe it fools me into thinking I didn’t just throw money at some cupcakes and cheese.

 

[drcasey]

My mom and I did the HEA dessert party last May and it was worth it for us because we got a great view of the fireworks, dedicated space for us to sit down and stretch out and we didn’t have to fight the crowds or be in a mosh pit!

 

[xdan0920]

If possible, and planning permits, I would recommend Roe and Crown instead. Around 8pm or so. We've been very lucky in the past several times and always get lower patio seating. Cannot recommend that enough. YMMV. Depends on crowds as much as anything. But an English Trifle during Illuminations is SO much better than any dessert party.

Didn't Rose and Crown eliminate this? It's now a prix fixe thing, I thought.

 

[danyoung56]

An awesome waste of money haha.

This about sums it up for me. If I were looking at just value, no way is it worth it. But it is a special event, the desserts are tasty, and the view of the fireworks is usually excellent without having to stand shoulder to shoulder for an hour before showtime. I've done this 3 times in the MK and enjoyed each one (well, the first one that was in the pouring rain was kinda lame!), but I wouldn't spend the money for a large family, or even for me if I was tight on funds.

 

[Starfan82]

My mom and I did the HEA dessert party last May and it was worth it for us because we got a great view of the fireworks, dedicated space for us to sit down and stretch out and we didn’t have to fight the crowds or be in a mosh pit!

I couldn't agree more!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We've done the one in MK (but it was before the price increase and the addition of the garden viewing) as well as a private one in Epcot (similar to something they offer for the general public). I think the MK one is worth it if you have the garden viewing and it's supposed to be crazy busy, but I would never pay to be in the terrace again. I'm not in love with that view and everyone crowded the railing diminished the value of a private viewing area. As for Epcot, it was nice, but I also think there are plenty of spots around the WS that it's not really necessary.