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

[GADisneyDad14]

I figured that lollll

I was a little worried about you there for a second
All of these threads start popping around the same time and it gets confusing, I know!

Yeah, sorry. What I get for DIS’ing on my phone and multi-tasking.

That’s why I’m thankful for other DISers like y’all to keep me straight.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We are garden, and after fireworks, to give the time to clear out.

We'll be there for the after party on July 3rd with you. Hoping for EMH until 2 am!

 

[WaterLinds]

I am sure this has been asked and answered ad nauseam but it is hard to sift through 176 pages, so I apologize ahead of time. My wife and I did the garden view party in March before they added the after party. We are going at the end of August with my sister and her family (MNSSHP will have already started, which we have tickets for on another night) and I had suggested doing the HEA dessert party. Is the garden considerably more crowded since there are 2 parties using the same viewing area or is it about the same but the dessert part is less crowded? I don't want to mislead my sister with what to expect (I'll never hear the end of it).

TIA!

I have not been since they added the after party, but I’ve been following as we debate doing this again. It looks to me that yes, the plaza is more crowded than it used to be, but still significantly less jam packed than everywhere else. I know @GADisneyDad14 posted photos from the special fireworks on Dec 30, which was only a before party, and commented that the crowds were thinner than he had experienced recently with the two parties sharing the space.

 

[eagle1992]

I have to believe that the amount of tickets that they allocate for sale for both parties can't be significantly higher than what they allocated before they added the post party. For example, if the pre party was 200...now they probably do 100 for pre and 100 for post...OR maybe some combination where the pre and post don't add up to so much more than what they had beforehand...at least that is my guess but then again it could be just be a straight up 2x...

 

[theostwalts]

I am sure this has been asked and answered ad nauseam but it is hard to sift through 176 pages, so I apologize ahead of time. My wife and I did the garden view party in March before they added the after party. We are going at the end of August with my sister and her family (MNSSHP will have already started, which we have tickets for on another night) and I had suggested doing the HEA dessert party. Is the garden considerably more crowded since there are 2 parties using the same viewing area or is it about the same but the dessert part is less crowded? I don't want to mislead my sister with what to expect (I'll never hear the end of it).

TIA!

I can only speak to the after party on December 1, 2018. We went the week after Thanksgiving and did the after party on our last night. It was a Saturday night and the plaza garden was not what I would consider crowded. In fact, we sat on the ground until the show started and there was plenty of room around us. When the show started everyone stood up but there was a lot of room. The area outside the garden was packed! After the show it was nice to enjoy desserts while the crowd left. I would do it again for sure.

 

[jaysmom4285]

I am sure this has been asked and answered ad nauseam but it is hard to sift through 176 pages, so I apologize ahead of time. My wife and I did the garden view party in March before they added the after party. We are going at the end of August with my sister and her family (MNSSHP will have already started, which we have tickets for on another night) and I had suggested doing the HEA dessert party. Is the garden considerably more crowded since there are 2 parties using the same viewing area or is it about the same but the dessert part is less crowded? I don't want to mislead my sister with what to expect (I'll never hear the end of it).

TIA!

We've done a few before parties when that was the only one, and we did one in December, when there was also an after party. The plaza garden viewing area definitely had more people in it than it did when the before party was the only one. But there was still ample personal space to move about and pick your viewing spot. If it's really important to you to be in one particular place, like the front rail or the back rail, you would need to be there early to stake that out. DH and I don't particularly care where we stand, and we prefer to maximize our time sitting in Tomorrowland Terrace and enjoying the desserts, so we go over about ten minutes before the fireworks start and stand wherever there's space. Many are sitting before the fireworks, but most stand when the show starts. There's really no bad place to stand, as the whole area has a front-on view of the castle . There are a few light poles and skinny topiaries sort of in the way, but after a few minutes, you don't notice them. As others have noted, the crowd in the hub trying to see HEA on non-party nights is almost unmanageable in terms of actually enjoying yourself. There is zero personal space, and you would have to stake out a spot at least an hour ahead of time, probably more. Even with more people than before, the plaza garden party area is a virtual oasis.

 

[TinkSassy]

Went to the After Party on 1/20 - Party was only sold at 50% with 250 attending for the Plaza area (per a CM in the area). Had a great view but it was extremely cold - could have used some portable heaters out on the terrace for eating as we shivered through the whole thing (with 2 sweatshirts on each!). I understand why they would not do that in the garden - but in the eating area would have been very welcome. Desserts were slightly better than my last experience (still nothing to knock your socks off). Reminder to folks, if you are putting kids on shoulders to please move to the back fence. We had no issues readjusting as it was so empty but that would not have been the case at my last party. The Once Upon a Time show was on at 7:30p with HEA at 8pm so the after party was nice so we could see both without hurrying. No one showed until the beginning of OUAT as it was so cold - we went 15 minutes before and there were only about 15 people there then.

 

[TinkSassy]

I would like to know this as well! We might prefer to get a to-go box and snack while we wait in line for the bus back to AKL... I just have no idea how much energy we will all have after a long day.

I did ask about to-go boxes (as we were tired and freezing) and was told they were no longer offered.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

We'll be there for the after party on July 3rd with you. Hoping for EMH until 2 am!

There won't be much clearing out that night! Lol!

 

[Pdollar88]

Can’t wait until the 31st for my first after party (ha!) and - hopefully - my first unobstructed and non-sardine viewing of HEA. Hoping that checking in by 7-7:15 will be sufficient!

 

[rxbeth]

Can’t wait until the 31st for my first after party (ha!) and - hopefully - my first unobstructed and non-sardine viewing of HEA. Hoping that checking in by 7-7:15 will be sufficient!

I'll be there, too! Looks like it will possibly be a chilly night.

 

[Tiki_Sara]

I’ll be there for the pre-party and Plaza Garden Viewing on Feb 5th (my birthday, woooo)

 

[LSUfan4444]

I checked the park hours and do not see the fireworks listed in Magic Kingdom yet for July 4 and do not see any availability for the dessert party on that either.

Is it just that since the fireworks havent been scheduled yet that they havent opened reservations for the dessert party or is it already full? Do they even do a dessert party on July 4?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I checked the park hours and do not see the fireworks listed in Magic Kingdom yet for July 4 and do not see any availability for the dessert party on that either.

Is it just that since the fireworks havent been scheduled yet that they havent opened reservations for the dessert party or is it already full? Do they even do a dessert party on July 4?

The dessert parties for 7/3 and 7/4 came out at 180 days out and from reports they are sold out already.

Last 7/3 and 7/4 fireworks were at 9:15pm, they were at 9pm in 2016 & 2017.

The 7/3 and 7/4 dessert party ADR times imply the show will be at 9:15pm again in 2019.

For whatever reason Disney doesn't tend to load the times for some of these special/holiday fireworks shows on their various calendars until later on.

Hope that helps.

 

[LynnTH]

I am thinking of booking this party for upcoming July trip. Does anyone know how this codes on a credit card. I have a Barclay Arrival + that I have about $250 to use in rewards (I can erase any purchase that codes as travel). So, not sure if this would code as Travel or Dining. Anyone know?

 

[eagle1992]

I am thinking of booking this party for upcoming July trip. Does anyone know how this codes on a credit card. I have a Barclay Arrival + that I have about $250 to use in rewards (I can erase any purchase that codes as travel). So, not sure if this would code as Travel or Dining. Anyone know?

I can’t speak for Barclays, but I booked it with my Chase Sapphire Reserve and it coded as “Travel”.

 

[Cluelyss]

Went to the After Party on 1/20 - Party was only sold at 50% with 250 attending for the Plaza area (per a CM in the area). Had a great view but it was extremely cold - could have used some portable heaters out on the terrace for eating as we shivered through the whole thing (with 2 sweatshirts on each!). I understand why they would not do that in the garden - but in the eating area would have been very welcome. Desserts were slightly better than my last experience (still nothing to knock your socks off). Reminder to folks, if you are putting kids on shoulders to please move to the back fence. We had no issues readjusting as it was so empty but that would not have been the case at my last party. The Once Upon a Time show was on at 7:30p with HEA at 8pm so the after party was nice so we could see both without hurrying. No one showed until the beginning of OUAT as it was so cold - we went 15 minutes before and there were only about 15 people there then.

I find it odd that there is no indoor “rain” location for this party like there is for the FEA and SW dessert parties....I guess because TT is covered?? But we did the FEA party on the 20th and they moved us to the rain location due to the temps. You’d think they would have at least had heaters out at TT?! It was COLD!

 

[LynnTH]

I can’t speak for Barclays, but I booked it with my Chase Sapphire Reserve and it coded as “Travel”.

Thanks. I think I may give it a shot...

 

[melana]

I checked the park hours and do not see the fireworks listed in Magic Kingdom yet for July 4 and do not see any availability for the dessert party on that either.

Is it just that since the fireworks havent been scheduled yet that they havent opened reservations for the dessert party or is it already full? Do they even do a dessert party on July 4?

I was able to book the After Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Viewing last night for July 4th. I was very surprised.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I was able to book the After Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Viewing last night for July 4th. I was very surprised.

I keep trying a couple of times per day with no luck. Just keeping my fingers crossed.