**Official** Star Wars at DHS, Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party/Galactic Nights/Launch Bay/JT

[ksromack]

Grabbed my first plate of savory items, tried everything and loved everything, again this party goes beyond desserts, there was actually a guy that saw the savory stuff and said, I just spent hundreds of dollars on dinner... ( He obviously is not a member of this thread)
Went to try the other drinks and this is when the cm told me it was a super slow night, only 80 people booked, I had my table to myself and actually saw about 15 tables that were never used
On to the dessert part. Again tried everything but the Panna cota, stand outs were the Frozen Nutella with raspberry, the bread pudding with ice cream and the assorted domes.
Oh I did fill my two little plastic containers with some items, I hope they make it home
The only thing that needed to be asked for was the Mickey bar and strawberry bar, they have them by the Frozen Nutella.
All the cm were super helpful, service was quick to take dirty plates and cups out.
I am amazed as to how empty this park is today. Getting ready for Disney movie magic, again pictures will come tomorrow. Feel free to ask any questions

I'm guessing our party, which is Oct 9th, will be more crowded since it's F&W time at Epcot. I loved your pictures...makes me uber excited for our trip. We've only done the Wishes Dessert Party, back in 2015 so I'm eager to compare the two (although it doesn't look like it'll be too fair of a comparison ). Our party reservation is for 7pm so I'm assuming that is the time we are supposed to be actually inside the party area. I also assume we should arrive a little early. I was thinking of trying for a fast pass for Star Tours right before the party begins but we have ADRs for Il Mulino at 5pm that evening. We will be able to walk fast to DHS after dinner and we definitely won't be eating dessert there but I'm hoping we are hungry enough to enjoy the party food! Since there are two of us we will definitely be splitting up our choices at the party.

Curious, is it okay to bring containers for leftovers? I'm guessing if you just had a bite of one dessert it would have to be thrown away anyway so it makes sense to save it for later! Were the cookies good? Also, what is Disney Movie Magic?

 

[yulilin3]

Great review and pics! Thanks for all that! Makes me excited for our SW party in Sept.

Curious what your #1 dessert party in WDW is?

The Jingle Bell Jungle BAM. Love the setting for the party, the atmosphere and I loved the show last year (lots of improvements from year one)

As usual, excellent job on the review. Did you pick up your Captain Phasma stein before you left?

I actually completely forgot. I am not a plastic collector so that was fine, I remembered about it on my drive back home

I'm guessing our party, which is Oct 9th, will be more crowded since it's F&W time at Epcot. I loved your pictures...makes me uber excited for our trip. We've only done the Wishes Dessert Party, back in 2015 so I'm eager to compare the two (although it doesn't look like it'll be too fair of a comparison ). Our party reservation is for 7pm so I'm assuming that is the time we are supposed to be actually inside the party area. I also assume we should arrive a little early. I was thinking of trying for a fast pass for Star Tours right before the party begins but we have ADRs for Il Mulino at 5pm that evening. We will be able to walk fast to DHS after dinner and we definitely won't be eating dessert there but I'm hoping we are hungry enough to enjoy the party food! Since there are two of us we will definitely be splitting up our choices at the party.

Curious, is it okay to bring containers for leftovers? I'm guessing if you just had a bite of one dessert it would have to be thrown away anyway so it makes sense to save it for later! Were the cookies good? Also, what is Disney Movie Magic?

I have always brought small plastic containers for the parties I do and have never had any CM give me a stink eye or approach me about it, they are going to throw away all that food anyways.
Having the cookie with breakfast right now , yeah it's good
DMM is a projection show they show 10 minutes before SWaGS about the live action Disney movies, sort of like a pre show

 

[yulilin3]

For those of you who have done (or have knowledge of) the Star Wars tour and desert party if you could only do one which would you choose?

We have a 7 and 9 year old and this is our first trip to wdw. They like Star Wars but aren’t mega fans but I think they would love to do Jedi training academy. Is the tour worth it for the convenience? We will be there in December.

I would pick the dessert party, everything else can be done on your own, yes the only convenient thing is having access to pre register for JT without being in the parks in the morning. Being as the kids are not mega fans the entire walking around looking at artifacts from the movies, learning cool facts about the Disney/Lucas/SW connection might be a bit boring, also the 2 daytime shows happen in the blazing sun, so if they are not huge fans they might want to skip that

 

[preemiemama]

That's called a "Magical Moment" and there are one or two situations when one Guest may be let in for free. It's not a random thing.

I wondered! We have actually had one for an Illuminations viewing a few years ago in the area by the bridge between the IG and France, so I thought that was a possibility. Thanks for clarifying...

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

@yulilin3 Thanks for the review! I didn't realize they changed the fireworks show. Given how close the viewing is, not having the higher/bigger ones, seems like it would be even worse from a fireworks-viewing perspective. How did you find that aspect?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Is this typical?? That they'd offer FREE entry??

https://www.disboards.com/threads/news-round-up-2018.3654979/page-587#post-59506036

 

[bluezy]

Alright, overall a big improvement on the dessert party portion o.f this event, loved the food and all the different options, loved the seating, if I had to nitpick it would be the lack of SW in the actual desserts, before we had a chocolate Vader, a chocolate BB8, now they do not have any SW touches. The show has lost it's higher fireworks, the new elements from Solo and Last Jedi are very cool and the overall original show is still there but I missed all the bigger fireworks from behind, they are now just shooting straight up ones, to make up for the lack of fireworks they have uped the laser and light effects.
I still rank this dessert party as my number 2 in all WDW property

I noticed that when we were there in June. But then someone who saw the show a week or so after us insisted that the fireworks hadn't changed and were all still there. Thank you for confirming that the high fireworks are not gone. I was trying to figure out how I could have possibly missed them.

 

[Capang]

That's called a "Magical Moment" and there are one or two situations when one Guest may be let in for free. It's not a random thing.

I was the report on the news thread of being offered free entry. We declined, to my great disappointment, based on the mood of my child. Believe me, I wanted in in the worst way. My husband and I could not believe we were offered this. The only thing we can think of is we have our 10 year anniversary celebration noted on our account and my husband was decked out in SW clothes and pins. We had been hanging around launch bay for a while and had met the characters. I'm still upset we had to pass this up. I'm not sure if this was offered to anyone else, but it sure did take us by surprise. After reading last night's review I wish we could have gone.

 

[FastPasser.]

Is this typical?? That they'd offer FREE entry??

It's absolutely not typical. As I posted earlier there are always special circumstance when and if it's offered. It's very rare.

The only thing we can think of is we have our 10 year anniversary celebration noted on our account and my husband was decked out in SW clothes and pins.

That CM would not know what's on your account, but being dressed in SW clothing might have caught her attention and she was intent on making a "Magical Moment". Were you wearing a pin that said you were celebrating a ten year anniversary?

I'm not sure if this was offered to anyone else, but it sure did take us by surprise.

If you refused it, they may have offered it to someone else. Was the person who offered it to you a manager or a costumed CM?

 

[FastPasser.]

But then someone who saw the show a week or so after us insisted that the fireworks hadn't changed and were all still there.

This is what I posted during that exchange, but nothing about that the show hadn't changed.

I saw fireworks that exploded tonight.

And they did that night. I'll check again tonight.

 

[Capang]

It's absolutely not typical. As I posted earlier there are always special circumstance when and if it's offered. It's very rare.
That CM would not know what's on your account, but being dressed in SW clothing might have caught her attention and she was intent on making a "Magical Moment". Were you wearing a pin that said you were celebrating a ten year anniversary?
If you refused it, they may have offered it to someone else. Was the person who offered it to you a manager or a costumed CM?

We didn't have our buttons on, but my husband and daughter had been intently discussing the characters. It was a manager I believe, she wasn't dressed like the other CMs. She had an iPad or tablet and let us know she was not soliciting, that she was offering us free entry. It was a very cool offer. Had we taken it, I'm pretty sure our daughter might have ruined the experience for others. And that isnt fair to those who paid. Or anyone, really. Hopefully someone got the pixie dust of a lifetime last night.

 

[yulilin3]

@yulilin3 Thanks for the review! I didn't realize they changed the fireworks show. Given how close the viewing is, not having the higher/bigger ones, seems like it would be even worse from a fireworks-viewing perspective. How did you find that aspect?

from the dessert party viewing there really isn't much change if it's better or worse than before, it's just the bigger ones are not there anymore, now only ones coming from the adjacent buildings go off and straight ones from behind the Chinese theater (actually behind TSLand cause I saw them from there the other night.
So as you watch this video imagine the show (it got the Solo scenes included now) but without the higher, round ones on the right and back side. I'm assuming this has something to do with TSLand operations and/or Galaxys Edge construction

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

from the dessert party viewing there really isn't much change if it's better or worse than before, it's just the bigger ones are not there anymore, now only ones coming from the adjacent buildings go off and straight ones from behind the Chinese theater (actually behind TSLand cause I saw them from there the other night.
So as you watch this video imagine the show (it got the Solo scenes included now) but without the higher, round ones on the left and back side. I'm assuming this has something to do with TSLand operations and/or Galaxys Edge construction

Thanks for the explanation -- helpful as always, @yulilin3! Sharing in your wisdom makes me nostalgic for the SWW days...!

 

[MinnieMSue]

I have a question- a cm came around to tell you when you would be leaving... is this the norm?
Also, if you leave early (to get a good seat towards the back left- correct?) is it obvious where to go?
Thanks for the update!

Someone came to every table the night we were there and told people what time to meet and where for the walk out too so I’m guessing that is the norm.

 

[yulilin3]

Thanks for the explanation -- helpful as always, @yulilin3! Sharing in your wisdom makes me nostalgic for the SWW days...!

Sww

 

[FastPasser.]

Since day one of SWaGS, I was there, I noticed immediately that night that the higher traditional exploding fireworks were on the right side. They're visible in the video. Because they're fired off from so far away and are not aligned with the theater, they've lost the visual and audio impact from when they were fired off from within DHS.

 

[FastPasser.]

Hopefully someone got the pixie dust of a lifetime last night.

I think it might be the same manager tonight, if it is, I'll get the full story.

 

[FastPasser.]

We have actually had one for an Illuminations viewing a few years ago in the area by the bridge between the IG and France, so I thought that was a possibility.

That "Magical Moment" is quiet common. There is a viewing area reserved for CM's, friends and family plus VIPs, located directly next to the R&C. If it's not full, and it usually isn't, CMs in charge of the venue will come out and randomly offer it to day guests walking by.

 

[yulilin3]

Since day one of SWaGS, I was there, I noticed immediately that night that the higher traditional exploding fireworks were on the right side. They're visible in the video. Because they're fired off from so far away and are not aligned with the theater, they've lost the visual and audio impact from when they were fired off from within DHS.

I corrected my previous post to change left for right.
The traditional big ones were not launched last night or the other night when I watched from TSLand, I think they took those away all together, but tonight if you get a chance please confirm or deny

 

[Capang]

I think it might be the same manager tonight, if it is, I'll get the full story.

Awesome! The person that approached us was a female, blond hair above the shoulders. Hopefully she made someone's night last night.