Looking for Extra Suggestions

[disneyfreak202]

So my best friend and I will be embarking to WDW November 1-7. It will be her first time and kind of a post birthday present for her.

We will be dining at BOG for Dinner, ROL TH reservation, Mama Melrose Fan Dining, Wild Africa Trek.

I am looking for something to surprise her with. To be honest, I have thought about doing both the Star Wars Dessert Party (She is a huge Star Wars fan and I don't know if we will have to scout out a spot long before fireworks, but I don't feel like doing that) and the Plaza Garden Firework Viewing (I have heard this is worth it so you don't have to scout out a spot hours before).

I am looking for other fun things to look into. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are both over 21 and plan on going through Food and Wine, but not sure how much drinking we will do to save some money.

Any advice on if the Dessert Parties are worth it? The Plaza Garden one I would do in a heartbeat if we weren't dining at BOG at 5:15 (Dessert party starts at 7 and we will definitely be eating the grey stuff at BOG).

Thanks!

 

[tlmadden73]

I feel like just going to Disney World (for the first time) as an adult with the experiences you've listed will be enough!

Skip the parties and just enjoy the parks at night and do the attractions.

 

[samara]

I did the Star Wars party and was not a fan. It was chaotic and the reserved viewing spot wasn't that great. The Plaza one is terrific, though. Have you looked at the special events going on for Food & Wine? There are some popular options going on during your dates, like the Mexican Tequila Lunch and the French Family Meal Traditions as well as culinary demonstrations and beverage seminars. There are also the Eat to the Beat concerts. It looks like there will be three different groups performing during your dates - Blue October, Living Colour and Boyz II Men. They offer dining packages that get you reserved seats at the concerts.

 

[pattyw]

We're doing the Illuminations/Frozen dessert party next month. We've done the Illuminations party in the past and were happy with the food offerings as well as the view for the show. Now, with the Frozen theme, there are Frozen themed food offerings as well as they escort you to the Frozen ride after Illuminations. Nice way to end a F&W day at EPCOT!

 

[glassslippergirl]

Definitely get her first visit and birthday buttons. If she's a Star Wars fan, I'd focus my money on something Star Wars, though I do think you may enjoy F&W per dollar spent more.

 

[disneyfreak202]

I feel like just going to Disney World (for the first time) as an adult with the experiences you've listed will be enough!

Skip the parties and just enjoy the parks at night and do the attractions.

I am hoping to minimize the time waiting around for spots for the shows and do parties to at least seem productive during that time instead of just sitting there. I hope this makes sense? I know she is super excited as am I, this will be my third time and I have done everything we are doing but Frozen, ROL TH and Pandora before. I hope this makes sense. I don't just like sitting around waiting for hours (We are avid Disneyland visitors) and I really enjoyed my Fan package last time.

I did the Star Wars party and was not a fan. It was chaotic and the reserved viewing spot wasn't that great. The Plaza one is terrific, though. Have you looked at the special events going on for Food & Wine? There are some popular options going on during your dates, like the Mexican Tequila Lunch and the French Family Meal Traditions as well as culinary demonstrations and beverage seminars. There are also the Eat to the Beat concerts. It looks like there will be three different groups performing during your dates - Blue October, Living Colour and Boyz II Men. They offer dining packages that get you reserved seats at the concerts.

I already asked her about food and wine stuff, we kind of decided Epcot would be the one park we take our time and have no set plans for in case she isn't a fan and we are over food and wine and the crowds. Epcot is my least favorite park (I usually only spend 4 hours there my whole trip to do the three rides I like (this time we will add Frozen as neither of us have been on it) and then walk around the World Showcase. I was going to do the seminars but we had bad experiences in Disneyland.

We're doing the Illuminations/Frozen dessert party next month. We've done the Illuminations party in the past and were happy with the food offerings as well as the view for the show. Now, with the Frozen theme, there are Frozen themed food offerings as well as they escort you to the Frozen ride after Illuminations. Nice way to end a F&W day at EPCOT!

Illuminations is the one thing we aren't going to see unless we have nothing else to do. I wasn't a fan of it.

Definitely get her first visit and birthday buttons. If she's a Star Wars fan, I'd focus my money on something Star Wars, though I do think you may enjoy F&W per dollar spent more.

Is there other Star Wars things besides the Dessert party for the fireworks?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I haven't been to the Star Wars party, so can't comment on it, though we will do it in December as my DH is a SW fan and won't wait long for anything, LOL! So it will be money well spent if he is able to enjoy the show a little more. Plus, when DS9 and I saw it, though we were in what would be considered a prime spot, we are both short and had some trouble seeing. I'm hoping the party area helps a little bit.

We've done the Plaza Viewing party at MK twice and we really only do it for the view. We've even done it after eating a full meal AND dessert at Cali Grill (I had to order the dessert, I couldn't resist!). We are also doing it again in December. Will we ever eat our money's worth in dessert? Heck no! We don't even try. But we get a great view with little to no wait, no pushing, no shoving and a place to sit comfortably as we wait for the crowds to disperse after the show. Just a tip, if you want to go on your BOG night, you don't have to be on time for the party. In fact, I recommend being 15 - 30 minutes late. It allows the stampede to the dessert buffet to settle down a little and you have a better chance of being seated on the level right above the terrace viewing guests which is much nicer (IMHO) than the upper level of Tomorrowland Terrace. So, in essence, we are definitely paying for the view for this event. We really couldn't care less about the desserts.

 

[disneyfreak202]

I haven't been to the Star Wars party, so can't comment on it, though we will do it in December as my DH is a SW fan and won't wait long for anything, LOL! So it will be money well spent if he is able to enjoy the show a little more. Plus, when DS9 and I saw it, though we were in what would be considered a prime spot, we are both short and had some trouble seeing. I'm hoping the party area helps a little bit.

We've done the Plaza Viewing party at MK twice and we really only do it for the view. We've even done it after eating a full meal AND dessert at Cali Grill (I had to order the dessert, I couldn't resist!). We are also doing it again in December. Will we ever eat our money's worth in dessert? Heck no! We don't even try. But we get a great view with little to no wait, no pushing, no shoving and a place to sit comfortably as we wait for the crowds to disperse after the show. Just a tip, if you want to go on your BOG night, you don't have to be on time for the party. In fact, I recommend being 15 - 30 minutes late. It allows the stampede to the dessert buffet to settle down a little and you have a better chance of being seated on the level right above the terrace viewing guests which is much nicer (IMHO) than the upper level of Tomorrowland Terrace. So, in essence, we are definitely paying for the view for this event. We really couldn't care less about the desserts.

Essentially I feel like that's what we might do. I just want to feel I eat something in order to justify it if the Fireworks are cancelled or what not. I don't think I will eat that price in dessert as I am small as it is, but if I am paying for a view and the show is cancelled I don't want to feel like it was a complete waste LOL.

 

[OhhBother]

For someone who likes Star Wars, the dessert party is awesome. The food selection is also light years better than the MK fireworks dessert party -- plus, alcohol is included. It's a really fun night. I highly recommend it. We've done it twice.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

I did the Star Wars party and was not a fan. It was chaotic and the reserved viewing spot wasn't that great. The Plaza one is terrific, though. Have you looked at the special events going on for Food & Wine? There are some popular options going on during your dates, like the Mexican Tequila Lunch and the French Family Meal Traditions as well as culinary demonstrations and beverage seminars. There are also the Eat to the Beat concerts. It looks like there will be three different groups performing during your dates - Blue October, Living Colour and Boyz II Men. They offer dining packages that get you reserved seats at the concerts.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found the Star Wars dessert party chaotic!! It was a complete mess when we did it in May. There was no one there to tell us where to meet inside of Launch Bay in order to walk to the reserved area. So as it got closer to fireworks time everyone was just looking at each other wondering what we were supposed to do. Then less than 10 mins before fireworks time 2 ladies with light sabers walk out and tell us to form a line below the stairs to the character meet and greet area while they stand at the top of the stairs. So here we are getting cramped into a small area and if we even put a food on the stairs we get told to back up. FIVE minutes before fireworks start time the stormtroppers finally show up and everyone stampedes UP the stairs to follow them to the viewing area. We literally got to the viewing area two minutes before the fireworks started.

We would've went ahead of the stormtroppers, but we weren't sure where the area was going to be. We did the party in 2016 when the dessert party took place outside in the reserved viewing area and that was much better in my opinion.

Definitely do the Plaza Garden dessert party if you are going to pick one. The fireworks and the view are so much better than the SW fireworks. I'm a SW fan (not diehard by any means) and I was underwhelmed with the limited number of actual fireworks in the show.. it was more projections to me.

 

[cgattis]

I think if she's a huge SW fan (like we are), she will LOVE the SW show and the party (like we did). Took DD last year for her 15th birthday. At one point during the show she looked at me and said "are there actually planes flying over us??" The effects were awesome. Really hope we get the chance to see it again. (Got robbed on our last trip when they shoved that awful Jingle Bell Jingle Bam in its place for our already-planned dates.....grrrr!!)

 

[disneyfreak202]

I guess my next question would be, is the view for the SW party worth it? or could you find a better view by waiting?

I looked at my plans today and we can do HEA on our Epcot day if we wanted which might be smarter to enjoy Magic Kingdom longer on our last full day, but I was thinking it would be nice to end our last night with Fireworks.

I noticed the MK Plaza Garden party is $20 cheaper than SW since they are raising the SW price. That is appealing to me.