Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise or Dessert Party?

[Disneycrazymom]

We are celebrating my mothers 79 birthday on Aug 1. I want to do something special for her. Right now I have the fireworks cruise booked but I read here that it is not as good for the new fireworks as it was for Wishes, because we need to see the castle, which is impossible from the water. So now I am thinking of the Dessert party. I am confused about which one to choose. Are there actually 3 choices?

1. people sit and watch the fireworks - dessert during or before

2. people stand and watch the fireworks ( don't they get in the way of the sitting people?) dessert during or before

3. dessert after? Do you not get a place to watch?

4. I am open to other suggestions. We have not been in awhile and there are new things I am sure!

Thank-you for helping me find the best plan for her birthday!

 

[mmouse50]

I haven't done the fireworks cruise on the ferry boat but have done Pirates and Pals - the fireworks are nice from a distance as you can see them in all their glory in the sky but the projections on the castle are totally lost.

The dessert party with the terrace view is nice because you have an assigned table which you can sit and enjoy your desserts but when the fireworks started a bunch of people started standing at the wall so the assigned seating was lost for the projections on the castle. The terrace dessert party is a little off to the side of the castle so you don't see the projections straight on.

The dessert party with the Plaza viewing is my favorite - you can see the projections straight on, if you are back towards the back fence you can stand there and have a great view of the castle and the projections and see the fireworks exploding overhead. The plaza is also more open unless you are going in the dead of summer and one of the last groups coming over from the dessert party. Then you sort of have to step over people to find a spot but I have never had a hard time finding some place to sit before the fireworks start.

I have never done the after fireworks dessert party so I can't give any information on that one.

 

[Searc]

I highly recommend a private fireworks cruise. Seeing the fireworks from the water is amazing. We watched in front of the castle on a different night.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Thank-you so much. So is the terrace view in the "original" location. The restaurant patio on the right (I can't remember the name) at the corner of Main street and off to the right of the castle?

Is the Plaza one in a roped off section?

 

[mom2rtk]

Thank-you so much. So is the terrace view in the "original" location. The restaurant patio on the right (I can't remember the name) at the corner of Main street and off to the right of the castle?

Is the Plaza one in a roped off section?

The "terrace view" version is at tables at Tomorrowland Terrace.

The before and after parties have desserts at Tomorrowland Terrace but then you go to the Plaza Garden area for viewing the fireworks (the fenced off area in front of Plaza Restaurant). It is standing room only. Typically if you stand toward the back of the section you won't be too cramped, but it varies a lot by night. Most press forward to get as far up as possible, so usually the back is decent. This is from our visit last summer:

Happily Ever After Dessert Party by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Happily Ever After by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If your mom needs a place to sit, I would recommend doing the terrace party. The view isn't as good as it is from the plaza garden, but the garden can become quite crowded, IMHO, and there is no actual seating in the garden. The private cruises are also very nice, but you will not see the castle on any fireworks cruise.

 

[cgattis]

How into the parks is your mom? Because I loved the fireworks cruise, but my whole family really loved a great dinner at Cali Grill and watching the fireworks from above off the balcony afterward. It was quite magical . And in August, the farther from the asphalt, the better for me.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I love the fireworks cruise but if this is your one time on the trip seeing HEA I'd do the garden desert party since you miss the amazing projections on the cruise. I do the garden desert party every year and we love it. Highly recommend it.

 

[JPKnapp]

My parents (early 70s) just went on fireworks cruise and they loved it. They said the castle projections were hard to make out, but I dont think they would know 1/2 the characters anyway. As long as you have the right size boat booked you get the music playing on the boat as well. They said they would do it again. For them, after a long busy day in the parks, it was nice to sit down, relax, get away from the crowds and just take in the show.

 

[Dawn Peterson]

How into the parks is your mom? Because I loved the fireworks cruise, but my whole family really loved a great dinner at Cali Grill and watching the fireworks from above off the balcony afterward. It was quite magical . And in August, the farther from the asphalt, the better for me.

My family would agree. We watched from the balcony at Contemporary and in the park and I felt the balcony was better. Less crowds and you can easily see projections on castle and Tink.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Thank-you everyone! I decided on the after dessert party. She loves Magic Kingdom and will enjoy seeing the castle. I told the person booking for us she may have a wheel chair and they said that would be fine to take to the garden area. So if she is getting tired we will just go rent a wheel chair for her for the evening. Then we can enjoy dessert while everyone else is exiting the park and she won't have as long to wait on a bus. I tried to switch our fireworks cruise to Epcot on another night but had no luck yet.

A really appreciate everyone helping me decide! Thank-you!

Edited to add: Oddly I cannot order a birthday cake for the dessert party. Both I and the Disney person thought that was unusual. Anyway I think will bring a candle for her dessert so we can sing.