Dining packages - which ones offer the most bang for your buck?

[Thoreauaway]

Hello all! I will be headed to WDW this winter during that dreaded week between Christmas - NYE, and was wondering which of the dining packages you'd all recommend as being the highest value during peak season?

We are contemplating the Fantasmic Dining Package (probably at the Brown Derby, which $$$), Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party, and Epcot Luminous Fireworks Dining Package. Party of four, so the costs definitely do start to add up. Normally I'd just queue up but it's been a few years since I was last in WDW, and during the holidays to boot, so I'm wondering if the premium pricing is worth it just to bypass some of the lines/needing to stake out a good fireworks viewing spot wayyy in advance (some of us, aka me, are also smallish sized humans, and need potentially all the help we can get in terms of actually being able to see things). That's sort of my rationale for the MK party especially, since we've actually done the seated version of the party before and found the actual food to be rather disappointing.

 

[Disturbia]

We are going the same week and have been in 2022. I would say the MK dessert party is the most bang for your buck. We like the plaza garden dessert after party (can enter the viewing area before pre party guests are done with desserts). Treats and seats has a blocked side view and sometimes CMs ask people to stay in their seats so you might have an overhead obstructed view esp during that busy week.

Epcot fireworks packages are not necessary. You can grab something from the Epcot festival of the holiday food booths and the fireworks are high up and can be viewed from most of the world showcase.

At HS it’s worth it to book the Fantasmic Dining package to save over an hour lining up along Hollywood Blvd. We like HBD menu but if you’re on a budget Sci Fi might be more economical (very hard to get unless it’s at the tail end of your trip 5-6 days in). Hollywood and Vine has been better post COVID but is now a buffet (lower quality food but plenty and characters).

 

[Disturbia]

Also you can join the December thread. There will be little to no communication by Disney on park hour changes (they get added 2 weeks before and more ADRs get released) or Fantasmic package drops (if there are issues)

https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-planning-thread-december-2024-welcome-all.3929529/

Once the Christmas parties are over Mk will have Christmas parade and fireworks everyday during regular hours until 12/29.

https://blogmickey.com/2023/11/disn...hristmas-week-entertainment-at-magic-kingdom/

 

[Thoreauaway]

We are going the same week and have been in 2022. I would say the MK dessert party is the most bang for your buck. We like the plaza garden dessert after party (can enter the viewing area before pre party guests are done with desserts). Treats and seats has a blocked side view and sometimes CMs ask people to stay in their seats so you might have an overhead obstructed view esp during that busy week.

Epcot fireworks packages are not necessary. You can grab something from the Epcot festival of the holiday food booths and the fireworks are high up and can be viewed from most of the world showcase.

At HS it’s worth it to book the Fantasmic Dining package to save over an hour lining up along Hollywood Blvd. We like HBD menu but if you’re on a budget Sci Fi might be more economical (very hard to get unless it’s at the tail end of your trip 5-6 days in). Hollywood and Vine has been better post COVID but is now a buffet (lower quality food but plenty and characters).

Thanks so much for the detailed replies!

Re: Epcot-- have things changed with Luminous? We've never seen this show but I remember everyone used to tout R&C as one of the best fireworks viewing spots, though we've never been ourselves. Is the view of the water less important these days?

& my big dilemma with Fantasmic is that I'm assuming during the week we'll be there, it'll be running two shows per night. Is it still worth it to do the dining package in that case (for the better seating and line skipping), or should I just save money and queue for the second showing?

I actually had Sci-Fi on my list originally but didn't think my family would enjoy the premise/seating. Makes me feel better to know that ADRs would probably be out anyways though
Everything else was an easy nope: family would hate the concept of 50s Prime Time; we did Hollywood & Vine pre-pandemic and didn't like it even then; we actually didn't dislike Mama Melrose in the past but recent reviews I've seen have been utterly awful.

Also, thanks for the links!
I am pretty bummed out by the last tidbit though :')
I specifically scheduled our MK day to not fall on the 30/31st because we always see Fantasy in the Sky for NYE, and I REALLY hoped this would finally be my chance to see Happily Ever After... didn't think the Christmas fireworks would extend until the 29th. Oh man, I guess me and HEA just aren't meant to be, which is so so sad.

 

[Disturbia]

Thanks so much for the detailed replies!

Re: Epcot-- have things changed with Luminous? We've never seen this show but I remember everyone used to tout R&C as one of the best fireworks viewing spots, though we've never been ourselves. Is the view of the water less important these days?

& my big dilemma with Fantasmic is that I'm assuming during the week we'll be there, it'll be running two shows per night. Is it still worth it to do the dining package in that case (for the better seating and line skipping), or should I just save money and queue for the second showing?

I actually had Sci-Fi on my list originally but didn't think my family would enjoy the premise/seating. Makes me feel better to know that ADRs would probably be out anyways though
Everything else was an easy nope: family would hate the concept of 50s Prime Time; we did Hollywood & Vine pre-pandemic and didn't like it even then; we actually didn't dislike Mama Melrose in the past but recent reviews I've seen have been utterly awful.

Also, thanks for the links!
I am pretty bummed out by the last tidbit though :')
I specifically scheduled our MK day to not fall on the 30/31st because we always see Fantasy in the Sky for NYE, and I REALLY hoped this would finally be my chance to see Happily Ever After... didn't think the Christmas fireworks would extend until the 29th. Oh man, I guess me and HEA just aren't meant to be, which is so so sad.

The fireworks schedule won’t be confirmed until November (at least that’s when blog mickey had posted the article).

Dec 2022 there were no AK deluxe hours when we went, so things are changing constantly. I have to rearrange plans based on hours (through 12/24 visible on the app) soon. We were looking forward to the Sleigh rides at Fort Wilderness but they won’t run on 12/24.

This is the view with the fireworks package with Luminous. If you plan on staying in the park and doing a lot of walking, maybe you can justify the cost for seated viewing.

 

[Disturbia]

Fantasmic will be running 2 shows that week and the package releases sometimes have issues

https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...e-issues-booking.3928888/page-7#post-65774203

 

[Thoreauaway]

Fantasmic will be running 2 shows that week and the package releases sometimes have issues

Hmmm... any thoughts on whether the dining package is still worth it if there's confirmed to be two shows. I'm a bit undecided because all the advice I've read says that the second show tends to be less busy (and since there are no reserved seats for dining packages you could wait in the standby line and still get a good seat), but not sure if that's still applicable during this particular week of the year.

I just wish DHS/the dining package had some better options! I would reserve in a heartbeat if they added the Round Up Rodeo BBQ to the list of package options tbh.

 

[Disturbia]

Hmmm... any thoughts on whether the dining package is still worth it if there's confirmed to be two shows. I'm a bit undecided because all the advice I've read says that the second show tends to be less busy (and since there are no reserved seats for dining packages you could wait in the standby line and still get a good seat), but not sure if that's still applicable during this particular week of the year.

I just wish DHS/the dining package had some better options! I would reserve in a heartbeat if they added the Round Up Rodeo BBQ to the list of package options tbh.

If you don’t have young kids, the second show is significantly less crowded and we’ve often gone without any package during Jersey Week. Since it is the most crowded week, I would plan on lining up early for the second show (it’s still crowded). I would go to Roundup Rodeo (service is fast apparently and it’s a unique experience) and then plan on lining up for the second show an hour before it starts:

Line is long 2 hours before Fantasmic starts (first show);