MK "Happily Ever After" Dessert Party (Parties) Discussion

[elgerber]

Would you have been able to check in later?

I’m sure you could have.

 

[nkereina]

We got in line to check in about 7:45 and the line was very long. If we had waited 15 minutes the line was much shorter. They did say you could leave and come back to enter the garden later if you didn’t want to enter right away.

We booked the after party for October. A few questions:

1. What is the earliest time we can check-in?
2. Do they give some kind of credential to make it known you've reserved this that allows the re-entry?
3. Where exactly do you check-in?
4. Once the fireworks conclude, are you free to head over to the Tomorrowland Terrace? Once there, do you have to check-in again and be seated?

Sorry if most of this has been covered, its hard to keep up!

 

[jaysmom4285]

It's the only way we will do HEA during December, since we don't get MVMCP tickets. Yes, it can be pricey, and I know that can put it out of reach for some . But the opportunity to relax in the Tomorrowland Terrace with desserts and snacks, the ability to wander over to the plaza area when you're ready, and the joy of having some personal space in which to watch HEA and have a perfect view makes it worth it for us. I consider it a Christmas present for myself and my family. Since we rarely stay in MK after HEA even if it's open later, we just hang out in the viewing area for a bit and wait for the teeming hordes to leave the park. When the departing crowd has slowed to a trickle, we venture out for a leisurely stroll back down Main Street. For those who are interested, there's usually a photopass photographer in the plaza area after the fireworks, and many people were getting their pictures taken with the castle in the background while they waited to leave the area.

 

[elgerber]

We booked the after party for October. A few questions:

1. What is the earliest time we can check-in?
2. Do they give some kind of credential to make it known you've reserved this that allows the re-entry?
3. Where exactly do you check-in?
4. Once the fireworks conclude, are you free to head over to the Tomorrowland Terrace? Once there, do you have to check-in again and be seated?

Sorry if most of this has been covered, its hard to keep up!

Depends on show time. Check in for the after party is one hour prior.
You are given a wristband.
Check in at the tomorrow land terrace
You head over to the terrace right after and yes, you check in again and then are shown to a table.

 

[jimim]

guys am i missing something. is the party available for booking for november 21st? says no times but wasn't sure if full or if not available. i know jingle bam is up for this tiem of year now.

 

[kniquy]

guys am i missing something. is the party available for booking for november 21st? says no times but wasn't sure if full or if not available. i know jingle bam is up for this tiem of year now.

Looks like it is full for all 3 possible parties. You can keep checking for possible cancellations, but with it being thanksgiving week AND there are MVMCP going on it makes getting the dessert party that much more difficult. When there are only a few nights of someones trip where they can see HEA because of the parties I think they fill up quicker. We opted to book the after party because we will only be at MK for one night (the week after thanksgiving), but with crowd levels predicted to be low I might cancel and save myself the $200+. I think people have to cancel 5 days ahead so you could check now and even as it gets closer to your trip.

 

[jimim]

ya i can;t find anything for the whole week of thanksgiving. jingle bell is available for the night we wan't but i don't knwo the food for that. i know the food for this one cause we just did it and it was good.

 

[Cluelyss]

guys am i missing something. is the party available for booking for november 21st? says no times but wasn't sure if full or if not available. i know jingle bam is up for this tiem of year now.

JBJB is held in HS, not MK. More of a projection show than fireworks. We did it 2 years ago and it was probably the best dessert party food we’ve had. The gingerbread martinis were to DIE for!

 

[Abbey1]

We have booked the HEA Dessert Party with Garden Viewing for October 20th, which is sold out (at least for the before party, I didn’t check the after party). We were planning on arriving to the viewing area 15-20 minutes before the fireworks begin, but I am concerned about how packed it will be by that time.

I really don’t want to devote our time staking out a spot in the garden area when the main reason we are paying for the party is to avoid having to do that in the first place. BUT, I am concerned about arriving and then having to find a spot that is right in front of someone who did take the time to arrive earlier to secure the spot they wanted.

Is this an issue for people? Is there enough space that if we arrive right before the fireworks, we won’t be negatively impacting the group behind us and their view?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We have booked the HEA Dessert Party with Garden Viewing for October 20th, which is sold out (at least for the before party, I didn’t check the after party). We were planning on arriving to the viewing area 15-20 minutes before the fireworks begin, but I am concerned about how packed it will be by that time.

I really don’t want to devote our time staking out a spot in the garden area when the main reason we are paying for the party is to avoid having to do that in the first place. BUT, I am concerned about arriving and then having to find a spot that is right in front of someone who did take the time to arrive earlier to secure the spot they wanted.

Is this an issue for people? Is there enough space that if we arrive right before the fireworks, we won’t be negatively impacting the group behind us and their view?

Personally I have no issue with that if the arrivals do what others are doing - ie, if everyone is sitting then to find a place to sit or else room at the back of the area.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We have booked the HEA Dessert Party with Garden Viewing for October 20th, which is sold out (at least for the before party, I didn’t check the after party). We were planning on arriving to the viewing area 15-20 minutes before the fireworks begin, but I am concerned about how packed it will be by that time.

I really don’t want to devote our time staking out a spot in the garden area when the main reason we are paying for the party is to avoid having to do that in the first place. BUT, I am concerned about arriving and then having to find a spot that is right in front of someone who did take the time to arrive earlier to secure the spot they wanted.

Is this an issue for people? Is there enough space that if we arrive right before the fireworks, we won’t be negatively impacting the group behind us and their view?

I am normally an "arrive late" person too. This party has always worked pretty well in that regard for us.

I generally think everyone in the garden knows that all/most available space is eventually going to fill in, so I wouldn't worry about it at all. Everyone who paid is entitled to be there.

FWIW, 15-20 mins strikes me as a touch aggressive in this "before" and "after" party era. You may want to keep an eye on any current reports on this thread so see if garden crowds are materially different as we get into the busy fall season, HEA supply/demand imbalance at its peak, etc.

Hope you have a good time.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We did the After Dessert Party for HEA on 9/2. We showed up to the garden viewing area about 15 minutes before the fireworks started and there was tons of empty space and could easily move around. We got escorted to the terrace a few minutes after the show ended and there were only 4 families there, including our own. It was very empty. We had done the MNSSHP version a couple nights earlier with the terrace seating and it was only about 2/3 full, at most. A light crowd week, but I was still surprised to see so many empty seats/tables for each of these parties.

Late responding here, but thank you for sharing your After Party experience. So few DISer reports on that one, it's nice to see some current feedback.

(BTW, I think you picked the best week to visit WDW all year!)

 

[dachsie]

Late responding here, but thank you for sharing your After Party experience. So few DISer reports on that one, it's nice to see some current feedback.

(BTW, I think you picked the best week to visit WDW all year!)

I will give you a report on after party. I go on the 22nd.

 

[jimim]

JBJB is held in HS, not MK. More of a projection show than fireworks. We did it 2 years ago and it was probably the best dessert party food we’ve had. The gingerbread martinis were to DIE for!

right right i knew that. i have seen it a few times. we are just trying to decide if it's worth it since the MK one is full. that's good t oknow about the food. i think the MK one now is pretty good for the food vs when it first started.

 

[HeadlessLegoMom]

Is there an allergy-friendly alternative to the egg rolls?

Just added a 3:15 lunch reservation for Yak & Yeti before the party, so I am considering switching to the After Party on a nightime EMH night. Do you have to fight the mass exodus crowds to get to Tomorrowland Terrace?

 

[mcurrence]

Is there an allergy-friendly alternative to the egg rolls?

Just added a 3:15 lunch reservation for Yak & Yeti before the party, so I am considering switching to the After Party on a nightime EMH night. Do you have to fight the mass exodus crowds to get to Tomorrowland Terrace?

Along the same lines, does anyone know if vegetarian egg rolls are available? I think all I've seen or read about are cheeseburger ones?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Is there an allergy-friendly alternative to the egg rolls?

Just added a 3:15 lunch reservation for Yak & Yeti before the party, so I am considering switching to the After Party on a nightime EMH night. Do you have to fight the mass exodus crowds to get to Tomorrowland Terrace?

I can’t help with the allergy-friendly question, but for getting from the garden to After Party, there haven’t really been any reports of that being a material problem since the party started.

 

[HeadlessLegoMom]

I can’t help with the allergy-friendly question, but for getting from the garden to After Party, there haven’t really been any reports of that being a material problem since the party started.

How much would doing the After Party instead cut into EMH from 8-10 with HEA at 8? It's our last MK visit.

 

[pangyal]

Is there an allergy-friendly alternative to the egg rolls?

Just added a 3:15 lunch reservation for Yak & Yeti before the party, so I am considering switching to the After Party on a nightime EMH night. Do you have to fight the mass exodus crowds to get to Tomorrowland Terrace?

There are not. You would get the same assembly of items as in the past (a plate made up of GF cookies, breads, cupcakes, gummy bears, and some fruit), assuming your allergy is gluten.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

How much would doing the After Party instead cut into EMH from 8-10 with HEA at 8? It's our last MK visit.

Mind if I ask when this is? Just curious if it’s a time where the 8pm park closing time is likely to change.