Anniversary Trip - Special Dining Experiences

[Minkishly]

My husband and I will be celebrating a pretty special anniversary at WDW this year. I've short-listed the following. While this is a pretty indulgent trip, we won't be doing all of them, so I'd love some help in pruning off some candidates. I think we would want to do 3 to 5 of these.

Things we do love: (* in no particular order)

1. The Romance factor (anniversary trip, after all!)
2. The Food
3. Exclusivity of the event (something we wouldn't otherwise be able to experience)

Oh, and we will not be on any dining plan. We also don't really drink alcohol.

Here's my Happy List:

1. Happily Ever After Dessert Party (most probably Plaza Garden)
Price: Plaza Garden ($69)

Our last trip was in 2016, so we've never seen Happily Ever After. I'm considering this because I so strongly detested our attempt to find a spot for Wishes. Rant:

Spoiler

We were on Main Street about an hour early, but ended up getting blocked by a mother who hoisted her child on her shoulders. They arrived just 15 minutes before Wishes and basically shoved their way in front of us. The mother also moved around A LOT throughout the show, so any attempts I made to shift for any sort of view were miserably thwarted.

Long story short, I found it the hardest to find a good spot for Wishes, so the prospect of getting to watch from a VIP area is very attractive to me. We're not really big on sweets though.

2. Fantasmic Dining Package
Price: Mama Melrose ($43) | Hollywood Brown Derby ($63) (+ tax & gratuity)

Right now, I'm probably considering lunch / dinner at Mama Melrose or Hollywood Brown Derby. We both love steak, and would order the Charred Strip Steak from MM or the Filet of Beef from HBD. If we did do HBD, we wouldn't be doing another signature (so, no CRT or Tiffins)

I do love Fantasmic and would like to watch it at least twice on our tri, as dictated by tradition (we have a 10 days pass). One thing I don't like is wasting a FP on it though. It's usually the last thing we do at DHS, which means we basically wouldn't have any FPs for the rest of the day.


3. Rivers of Light Dining Package
Price: Tusker House ($39 or $52) | Tiffins ($68) (+ tax & gratuity)

We'd be doing either Tusker House or Tiffins. We went twice to Tusker on our previous trip, loved it, and would probably want to do it again this year, with or without the Dining Package. We've never been to Tiffins, but I am very very intrigued by the Surf and Turf.

RoL is completely new to us, but from reading, I kinda get the impression that it wouldn't be too difficult to snag a decent viewing spot (preferably without using a FP?). After some crafty calculations though, it seems that the value of this package is pretty awesome, so I think we'd be doing it more for the food, and the VIP seats would be a nice bonus. (As opposed to other dining packages / dessert parties where the VIEW is the main attraction).


4. Illuminations Dining Package at Rose and Crown
Price: $85 (inc tax & gratuity)

Honestly, Rose and Crown doesn't fall on my list of Disney World restaurant bucket list, so this is really just for Illuminations. I'm not that excited by the Prix Fixe menu.

Having said that, I'd love to have a special Illuminations experience before it goes away. We had such a wonderful moment during our honeymoon while watching Illuminations, so it has a very special place in my heart. I don't really know if it's necessary to book this package though. I feel like Illuminations is pretty easy to get a good spot for, although again, I've never tried actually having dinner at a table service restaurant while watching it.


5. Frozen Ever After Dessert Party
Price: $79 (inc tax & gratuity)

I don't know if this will be available during our trip (Mid / Late Aug 2019), but I'm pretty interested in it. Once again, I'm not a huge dessert fan, but the offerings look quite intriguing. And being able to ride Frozen without any wait is quite a nice bonus.

I think I might prefer this to the Rose and Crown package because I do like a lot of other food options in Epcot, so the meal there wouldn't be a big bonus for me (unlike Tiffins or Tusker House where I actually *would* like to eat at). I'd see it more as an obligation because I want that nice view of Illuminations. On the other hand, dessert parties are new to us, so that could be fun!

I can't book this now though and I don't know if it will be offered during our trip.


6. Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table (hoping to see the fireworks!)
Price: $75 (inc tax & gratuity)

This isn't any sort of package, but it's something I've always wanted to do. We've dined at CRT before, and actually had a really great experience. The little girl in me would be thrilled to dine there again. I'd imagine being able to see some fireworks during a meal there would be really lovely. I would, of course, make the effort to watch Happily Ever After properly from the front of the castle on a different day so I could see the projections.


7. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Price: $79 or $85 depending on which day we go

This isn't exactly food, but it's close enough in price that I'd want to list this here. We've never been to any of the parties ever, so this would be a completely new experience. We'd be going for one of the first parties in August, so I'm hoping that it wouldn't be too crowded (wishful thinking? ). The lower priced tickets also make it seem like a pretty nice bang for our buck.

I'm not sure if the event activities are exactly for us. We wouldn't really be dressing up (*maybe* the skull face at Pirate's League would be cool though), but it would be a fun and completely novel experience, I guess.


==============

Of course, I'm open to any other suggestions that I might have missed!

 

[Nancyg56]

My husband and I will be celebrating a pretty special anniversary at WDW this year. I've short-listed the following. While this is a pretty indulgent trip, we won't be doing all of them, so I'd love some help in pruning off some candidates. I think we would want to do 3 to 5 of these.

Things we do love: (* in no particular order)

1. The Romance factor (anniversary trip, after all!)
2. The Food
3. Exclusivity of the event (something we wouldn't otherwise be able to experience)

Oh, and we will not be on any dining plan. We also don't really drink alcohol.

Here's my Happy List:

1. Happily Ever After Dessert Party (most probably Plaza Garden)
Price: Plaza Garden ($69)

Our last trip was in 2016, so we've never seen Happily Ever After. I'm considering this because I so strongly detested our attempt to find a spot for Wishes. Rant:

Spoiler

We were on Main Street about an hour early, but ended up getting blocked by a mother who hoisted her child on her shoulders. They arrived just 15 minutes before Wishes and basically shoved their way in front of us. The mother also moved around A LOT throughout the show, so any attempts I made to shift for any sort of view were miserably thwarted.

Long story short, I found it the hardest to find a good spot for Wishes, so the prospect of getting to watch from a VIP area is very attractive to me. We're not really big on sweets though.

2. Fantasmic Dining Package
Price: Mama Melrose ($43) | Hollywood Brown Derby ($63) (+ tax & gratuity)

Right now, I'm probably considering lunch / dinner at Mama Melrose or Hollywood Brown Derby. We both love steak, and would order the Charred Strip Steak from MM or the Filet of Beef from HBD. If we did do HBD, we wouldn't be doing another signature (so, no CRT or Tiffins)

I do love Fantasmic and would like to watch it at least twice on our tri, as dictated by tradition (we have a 10 days pass). One thing I don't like is wasting a FP on it though. It's usually the last thing we do at DHS, which means we basically wouldn't have any FPs for the rest of the day.


3. Rivers of Light Dining Package
Price: Tusker House ($39 or $52) | Tiffins ($68) (+ tax & gratuity)

We'd be doing either Tusker House or Tiffins. We went twice to Tusker on our previous trip, loved it, and would probably want to do it again this year, with or without the Dining Package. We've never been to Tiffins, but I am very very intrigued by the Surf and Turf.

RoL is completely new to us, but from reading, I kinda get the impression that it wouldn't be too difficult to snag a decent viewing spot (preferably without using a FP?). After some crafty calculations though, it seems that the value of this package is pretty awesome, so I think we'd be doing it more for the food, and the VIP seats would be a nice bonus. (As opposed to other dining packages / dessert parties where the VIEW is the main attraction).


4. Illuminations Dining Package at Rose and Crown
Price: $85 (inc tax & gratuity)

Honestly, Rose and Crown doesn't fall on my list of Disney World restaurant bucket list, so this is really just for Illuminations. I'm not that excited by the Prix Fixe menu.

Having said that, I'd love to have a special Illuminations experience before it goes away. We had such a wonderful moment during our honeymoon while watching Illuminations, so it has a very special place in my heart. I don't really know if it's necessary to book this package though. I feel like Illuminations is pretty easy to get a good spot for, although again, I've never tried actually having dinner at a table service restaurant while watching it.


5. Frozen Ever After Dessert Party
Price: $79 (inc tax & gratuity)

I don't know if this will be available during our trip (Mid / Late Aug 2019), but I'm pretty interested in it. Once again, I'm not a huge dessert fan, but the offerings look quite intriguing. And being able to ride Frozen without any wait is quite a nice bonus.

I think I might prefer this to the Rose and Crown package because I do like a lot of other food options in Epcot, so the meal there wouldn't be a big bonus for me (unlike Tiffins or Tusker House where I actually *would* like to eat at). I'd see it more as an obligation because I want that nice view of Illuminations. On the other hand, dessert parties are new to us, so that could be fun!

I can't book this now though and I don't know if it will be offered during our trip.


6. Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table (hoping to see the fireworks!)
Price: $75 (inc tax & gratuity)

This isn't any sort of package, but it's something I've always wanted to do. We've dined at CRT before, and actually had a really great experience. The little girl in me would be thrilled to dine there again. I'd imagine being able to see some fireworks during a meal there would be really lovely. I would, of course, make the effort to watch Happily Ever After properly from the front of the castle on a different day so I could see the projections.


7. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Price: $79 or $85 depending on which day we go

This isn't exactly food, but it's close enough in price that I'd want to list this here. We've never been to any of the parties ever, so this would be a completely new experience. We'd be going for one of the first parties in August, so I'm hoping that it wouldn't be too crowded (wishful thinking? ). The lower priced tickets also make it seem like a pretty nice bang for our buck.

I'm not sure if the event activities are exactly for us. We wouldn't really be dressing up (*maybe* the skull face at Pirate's League would be cool though), but it would be a fun and completely novel experience, I guess.


==============

Of course, I'm open to any other suggestions that I might have missed!

1. I think that the HEA party is a good idea because if you hated finding a spot for Wishes, you will really detest finding one for this show.

2. You can usually get a 4th FP for Fantasmic so if you need to pare Something off, this would be one of the first ones I would lose.

3. Tiffins. Tiffins. Tiffins.

4. If you do not drink, and you are not fussy about the menu, skip this one. It is a lot of money to not care for the food and beverage.

5. If I was going to pay for a dessert party I woudl consider this one. It generally gets good reviews.

6. I like CRT but I would not go into this meal thinking it is anything other than a character meal. If you make your ADR so you can get outside to see the fireworks your meal will include a lot of kids. It was one of the most chaotic meal we had. You may or may not see fireworks during the meal depending on your seat.

7. I like parties so I would include this.

Okay, now that this is out of the way, I will give you my list of special anniversary events I woudl choose.

I would look for an After hours magic event at MK. It is pricy at about $150 per person, but you get to enter at 7 PM for official opening time after the park closes at 10 PM. I have never indulged in this, but I would in a minute if there was just 2 of us on a trip. The tickets are limited so you have a very exclusive visit in this park.

I would book a nice late meal at California Grill or Narcoosses times to enjoy a fireworks display, either HEA or Hallowishes.

I would think about finding a dessert party in DHS if there are any offered. I believe the Star Wars fireworks will be going on and the parties that are in that park for this show are supposed to be wonderful.

If DAK is offering an after hours ticket I would buy this as well. Pandora is stunning and that entire park is gorgeous after dark.

 

[Minkishly]

@Nancyg56 wow, thanks for the advice and suggestions! What you've said makes a lot of sense. I've made a reservation for the RoL dining package (Tiffins!) and will most likely be doing the Happily Ever After Dessert Party and MNSSHP.

I wish I could do the After Hours event for AK. That would have been perfect. Unfortunately that's not available during our trip. But it's okay, something to look forward to next time!

I've made a ADR for Narcoossee's on our non theme park day. My husband does want to go to Disney Springs though, so maybe we'll do Boathouse and watch HEA at the dessert party. We'll see!

 

[MollieDanOllieBearBoy]

My last visit was in the summer of 2016, too, and we'll be returning again late June to mid-July this year. (We went for two weeks every summer from 2006 to 2016, so we've tried a lot of restaurants.)

From your happy list, I would put Tiffins first. I have never been there, but my sister and her husband are foodies and say it has the best food of nearly any restaurant in Disney World (and definitely of any restaurant in the four theme parks).

I probably would not do the Happily Ever After or Frozen Ever After dessert parties. Like you, I am not all that crazy about sweets, and I have done one of the dessert parties at Tomorrowland Terrace in the past. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the desserts or the view. The only thing nice was that we did have a chair to sit in during the fireworks. They gave us the best seat at the dessert party (front row center), and we had fun. But if I am being honest with myself, the view was lackluster and the desserts were bland. I bet the Plaza Garden view would be better, though. And the reviews I am reading for the Frozen Ever After dessert party do look good. I like that you stay at your table for the fireworks. So maybe I would give that one a try. So far, the best view I have ever had for Illuminations was on the bridge near France and on another bridge-type walkway near China.

Without having to fight the crowds, the best view we have ever enjoyed for the Magic Kingdom fireworks was from California Grill. It has been AMAZING every time, both from the rooftop of the Contemporary Resort and from our table looking right out over Seven Seas Lagoon and Space Mountain. Our next best view was from the beach of the Polynesian Resort when we stayed Club Level on the Fourth of July. They set up chairs for Club Level guests on the beach, and it was perfect, even if that was the only night we could afford to stay CL. Our third best view was from the deck of Narcoossee's, and it was lovely. It's so nice that they pipe in the music, too, just like at the California Grill.

I still want to try one of the private cruises for the fireworks at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Hopefully soon.

I would skip the Fantasmic Dining Package unless I was on the regular dining plan and wanted an appetizer. The seats in the reserved section aren't that great for paying out of pocket for dinner. With only two people, we've always been able to find a spot in the front row even after the stadium begins to fill.

I'd definitely do the Rivers of Light dining package just for Tiffins.

I would not do the Rose and Crown Illuminations dining package, because the view isn't that great from their patio, and especially since you do not care much for the menu.

I would try Cinderella's Royal Table for fireworks. That's what we are doing on our first full day at the Magic Kingdom this year. I could only reserve a table for 8:40, and the fireworks start at 9:15. We may be too late for a table with a view, but we are going to show up before 8:00 p.m. that evening and hope for the best. We are celebrating a birthday, so maybe they will be able to give us a table with a view. And if not, we are still dining in the Castle!!!

I have heard good things about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. When I retire from teaching, that's first on my to-do list. Unfortunately, I really cannot take off work at the beginning of the school year, so it will have to wait.

I want to try the vintage amphicars (the boat cars) at The Boathouse at Disney Springs this year. Would that interest you?

Other than the private fireworks cruises, I also want to try the Wanyama Safari. We did the Sunrise Safari at the Animal Kingdom Theme Park a few years ago when we stayed Club Level at Animal Kingdom Lodge for one night, but we never did the evening safari that explores the savanna of the Lodge and includes dinner at Jiko. I'd love that! (We're big on staying Club Level for just one night to enjoy some of the perks. Then, we move to a moderate resort for part of our trip, too, so we can stay longer.)

Victoria and Albert's is really special. I went once in 1992 and again in 2002. It was lovely both times. When my daughter is old enough to join, I will go there again. We really like the Hoop Dee Doo, too. The horse-drawn carriage rides there and at Port Orleans Resort look like fun. I might try those soon.

Best wishes on your trip! Keep us updated as you choose.

 

[Minkishly]

@MollieDanOllieBearBoy - Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and advice! I've made a reservation for the Rivers of Light Dining Package. Tiffins, here we come! I'm really excited, it's going to be a new dining experience AND a new show. I've decided against the Illuminations Dining Package for sure. (Plus, I couldn't get an ADR for it anyway, it's incredibly popular.)

If After Hours is offered in August, I would definitely, definitely be prioritizing that over any of the dessert parties. I very badly want to go for the Animal Kingdom one because that's our favorite Disney park. We've always left that park early (park hopped to other parks since AK had one of the earliest closing times) so it would be so special to stay there till almost midnight. It's pricey, but I think it would be worth it.

Of all the dessert parties, I think I would want to do the Happily Ever After one, just because it's so much harder to find a good spot. I've actually watched the fireworks from the Tomorrowland Terrace in 2009, when it was still a free for all location. It was amazing, but I'm not sure if I would pay a premium for that view since the fireworks were a bit off-center. The Plaza Garden, on the other hand, I would like to try. That view looks really great. I actually have an ADR at Narcoossee's for our first night but I'm sure about that one. I'm thinking that it would be mutually exclusive with CRT since they would both be pricey meals with alternate fireworks viewing. I know the view at Narcoossee's would be better, but there's just something so magical about dining in the castle. I hope you get a wonderful table with a wonderful view!

I'm planning to go for the MNSSHP for sure! At the low August prices, it's about the same as a dessert party but kinda more worth it, imho. Or at least, I think I would value it more than the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party since it is much easier to get a good view of Illuminations than HEA. I plan to do the party on a day not covered by our tickets, so it's like getting an extra evening at the parks!

The vintage amphicars look adorable!! I'm not sure we'll be spending much time at Disney Springs this trip though. I can see how that would be an amazing experience though. The private fireworks cruise I would definitely want to try some day. But I think they would not be a priority this trip as I'd rather put the money towards After Hours (IF they're available during my trip. Otherwise, maybe we *would* do a fireworks cruise.)

I've always wanted to go on the Wild Africa Trek at AK. I'm not so sure about doing it in August though. I might look into the safaris! Are they only available for Club Level guests?

Victoria and Albert's has never really been on my bucket list because we prefer dining in less formal settings on our Disney holidays. I feel like I could wear a sun dress to Tiffins, but not to V&A. But I can imagine that it would be amazing you get to go with your daughter. She's a lucky girl!

We'll be staying at POFQ for the last couple of nights of our trip. We have a late afternoon flight, so I think we might spring for a morning carriage ride as a last fun thing to do. (Or we might sleep in, in preparation for the 30 hours journey home )

Thank you again for sharing your plans and giving advice for mine! I hope you have a wonderfully magical vacation!