Fireworks parties

[Darth Insidious]

When we did the post-party, CMs with light sticks helped clear the path so we could very easily get from the garden to the terrace for the dessert portion of the event.

Yes, pre-party guests can hang out in the garden while Main St. clears out - we always do this if we do a pre-party. The crowds heading out after the fireworks are really, really bad.

The garden viewing area does feel a bit crowded, IMHO, but certainly not as crowded as the hub will feel. If your husband has difficulty with crowds, I would probably opt for the post-party. You may want to try to arrive early and explain your husband's needs to the CM hosts to see if they can get you a table near the railing.

I've done the seated party twice and, while the view is a bit on an angle, I was never disappointed. It is a nice respite from the crowds.

Just a word of caution, there is zero guarantee Tink will fly on any given night. It really depends on weather conditions and Tink has the final say as to whether she is flying or not. I would pick the party that is going to work best for your family and consider Tink a bonus.

Thank you!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I just did post-party on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, having done a post-party in 2019 as well. I liked it just as much as in 2019, little has changed other than the price and alcohol now being included.



We checked in about 35 minutes before fireworks and were definitely one of the latest people to enter the garden. Unless you want front row against the railings, I wouldn’t bother being there an hour early like some will. It will look full as everyone is seated and spread out. They had everyone stand maybe 10 minutes before? 99% of people move up to get as close to the front, which I don’t really get since you’re paying to not be all pressed up against strangers! We hung out in the middle of the garden against that round railing you can see in the picture. This was the reason we pay for the party, my mom has balance issues and leaning against the railing allows her to stand long enough in one place to enjoy the show. No one was within a few feet of us, some people also chose to hang out against the railings in the back of the garden. With everyone all packed at the front it only feels like 25% full once everyone is standing.

Is it worth $100 a person? It depends what you’re looking for. No, the food isn’t worth it. If you’re a big drinker maybe you can drink enough to put a dent in the cost but most won’t. We enjoy the desserts (and cheese and fruit) but that’s not what we pay for. We pay for the luxury of rolling up to the fireworks and having a good view without being packed in like cattle! I don’t hate crowds but I am tired of them and the garden party feels like a little oasis amongst the craziness of the hub. For just two of us the cost feels justifiable. For a family of say 4+ I’m not sure I could justify it, that is a lot of money, so definitely depends on your situation. If money isn’t an issue and it’s more an is this worth it question, I say go for it. If doing the party means you have to make sacrifices elsewhere, I’d lean towards skipping. We don’t do the dessert party every trip but every few years is worth it, we don’t even watch the fireworks every trip so they’re a bit more “special” when we do it this way.

A couple other things I remembered…after checking in, we did NOT get an escort from the Tomorrowland terrace to the garden, like we did in 2019. Not sure if it was because they don’t do that anymore or if there just weren’t CMs available. No big deal since we knew where we were going and the crowds weren’t too bad since CMs do a good job keeping walkways moving and the garden is just steps from check in. After the fireworks ended they had the post party people hang out in one area of the garden and then after maybe 10 minutes they escorted us as a group back to the terrace. Pre party people could hang out in the garden to wait for crowds to clear no problem. We did all have to check back in but it was really fast, just a couple of minutes. I had my first plate of food and drink at 8:37 per my pictures! I managed a second round and a couple drinks and we left by 9:10. So I think the post party would still work well for evening hours, but after all that sugar I am ready to go back to the resort and crash. In 2019 we thought we were going to do evening hours and yeah, didn’t happen. We knew better this time and headed straight home after the desserts, lol!

 

[glocon]

We’ve tried both the post party and the seats and sweets party.

Next time we’ll probably try the pre party.

I won’t do the seated one again. After the garden view party, the view from the seats is SO disappointing.

Not only is the view from the side for the seated party, but trees also obstruct the view. You can only see an angled view of the top half of the castle, and the projections make up a big part of the show to me.

If you only care about the fireworks and not the projections, you’ll be fine at the seated party. It is definitely more comfortable to sit than to stand, but the projections mean too much to me to miss out on them again.

If you can monetarily swing it, I’d say do a party. The crowds outside the party zones are intense.

 

[jimmymc]

Fireworks parties are one extra where it really depends. The viewing location is prime, the desserts, snacks, and drinks are very nice, but it is a lot to spend.

I'm usually traveling with other adults who have been to the parks before, so we're good taking whatever standing room we can 20 minutes before the show. But if I had a group of kids who can't stand still, adults who are uncomfortable in crowds, or someone coming from far away for a once in a lifetime trip, then it probably is worth it.

The seated version, however, I don't think is worth it at all. The view is no better than what you can get by walking in right before the show.

 

[Anna131517]

This is the only way I will do fireworks in MK. I just can’t deal with crowds and waiting around for fireworks. Sometimes we just ride rides during fireworks instead but if we want to watch them properly from inside the park I do think the desert party is worth it. And we have never eaten any of the deserts.

Another great way to watch fireworks is from California Grill. That’s what we did this last trip and it was really good! We have 3 kids (6, 8, 10) and ate at 5 pm, then strolled around the contemporary until it was time to go back upstairs to watch the fireworks. Much more relaxing and we actually got food we wanted to eat!

 

[nw6675]

For that $ I would book a private fireworks cruise. $400 for up to ten with drinks and snacks. But then, I don't like people