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

[yulilin3]

It's looking like we'll have to cut the dessert party for the sake of adding a couple nights (not a bad trade-off, imo!). If we want that coveted spot just in front of (or behind, depending on how you look at it) the taped-off walkway and right next to the dessert party ropes, how long before the fireworks should we plan to be there? I'm figuring we'll go get our own snacks at Sweet Spells and then sit and eat while we wait. We can have our own make-shift dessert party! <crying inside, but it'll be okay, right?>

On Saturday the entire front row of the taped area was full by 8:15pm

 

[Klinger13]

The rest of us that were left in the back had difficulty seeing through some tree branches and tall heads. I booked the party strictly for the viewing area. Not sure I would book it again...

I'm really debating dropping our reservation for the dessert party. After seeing a few reviews/posts like yours and the latest pics of the reserved viewing area by @yulilin3 I'm really not sure about it. I know DD5 will not want to sit without us & it's a lot of $$ spent to still have to watch through obstacles. I'm glad people keep posting their experiences to help others decide on this!

 

[yulilin3]

I'm really debating dropping our reservation for the dessert party. After seeing a few reviews/posts like yours and the latest pics of the reserved viewing area by @yulilin3 I'm really not sure about it. I know DD5 will not want to sit without us & it's a lot of $$ spent to still have to watch through obstacles. I'm glad people keep posting their experiences to help others decide on this!

You can always get the same view by getting a spot at least an hour to an hour and a half before

 

[yulilin3]

Since I'm doing the dessert party tonight, @Princess Michele I'll make sure to grab pics and maybe video of the view from the location

 

[colleen0928]

We were there last week with our two kids and you indeed have to wait for a CM to invite the kids into the front area. They wait to make sure that there is enough room to accommodate any wheelchairs/scooters first. If there is availabilty, they will then invite any children in to the area. Since we weren't close to the front, an extremely nice family let me know that our kids could move up if they wanted to do so.

My ds said he could see the entire show from that spot. The rest of us that were left in the back had difficulty seeing through some tree branches and tall heads. I booked the party strictly for the viewing area. Not sure I would book it again...

Thank you for sharing your experience! I was hoping for some better news, but forewarned is forearmed, I guess. I am glad I read it here first, I would have been really disappointed to show up with my previous expectations and having spent almost $300 for my family to potentially be no better off.

My first inclination once I heard how limited good viewing spots were for this show was to just skip it...my family has never seen Fsntasmic and I thought it would probably be a lot easier to have a good experience with that show's set up(i.e. Seating) than jockeying for position in the heat trying to catch SWaGS. Then I read about the dessert party and it seemed like a slam dunk, so I was ok switching plans when it became available.

Looks like it is back to the drawing board for a pros/cons list. Any more info people can share is much appreciated!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

@yulilin3 I'm bringing my children to the SW dessert party. Curious. If we want to be just behind the front roped off area (right behind where wheelchairs are) what time would you suggest we get there for fireworks that start at 8:45. We dont mind coming out far in advance to ensure our children can see, even more so our youngest who is 2. Thanks!!

 

[yulilin3]

@yulilin3 I'm bringing my children to the SW dessert party. Curious. If we want to be just behind the front roped off area (right behind where wheelchairs are) what time would you suggest we get there for fireworks that start at 8:45. We dont mind coming out far in advance to ensure our children can see, even more so our youngest who is 2. Thanks!!

They walk the group out 15 minutes before so you can come out 30 to 20 minutes out

 

[capegirl]

That's not right. They should've been behind the wheel chair not taking spots from kids

I had no idea about this. I did think it was a little strange that all of these additional adults were in that viewing area. I suppose the CM should have taken care of it, but the only concern last night seemed to be moving the 'littles' as she referred to the young children, into the wheelchair area, but she was aware that there were several children standing by the rope who were struggling to see. Here's the thing...from where I was standing, I only saw two children move into the wheelchair area, most of the children who were invited were too afraid to leave their parents because they were too young.

 

[yulilin3]

Update 9:15 in the roped off area, the first row by the rope is taken. CM just came by to say that kids can go in the small reserved area.
Rest of dessert party hasn't arrived yet

 

[crazy_for_the_dis]

So are all these wheelchairs/scooters people who also paid for the dessert party, or is this used as a handicap viewing area first, and then filled in with people who attended the dessert party?

 

[DVC4US]

I'm really debating dropping our reservation for the dessert party. After seeing a few reviews/posts like yours and the latest pics of the reserved viewing area by @yulilin3 I'm really not sure about it. I know DD5 will not want to sit without us & it's a lot of $$ spent to still have to watch through obstacles. I'm glad people keep posting their experiences to help others decide on this!

Even if you are standing on the front row by the stage(non dessert party area) you will still have to look through some obstacles. See @yulilin3 's pictures in post 10085 on page 505. Pretty much anywhere you stand center stage you will have to look through palm trees and the metal towers for the screens for the stage show. You will need to grab one of these spot about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before the show and the only thing you will alleviate is having someone taller than you stand in front of you.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

I have to say I just wish they'd release the December dates. (It is so frustrating that they want us to book meals/ADR's 180 days out but can't quite manage to schedule fireworks/dessert parties/fireworks, etc.... that far in advance. ) I get for stuff like the ROL stuff at AK where it's not been officially released but the SW Dessert Party and Illuminations dessert party.... c'mon that should be a no-brainer. (Especially with no Osbourne Lights this year.... DHS needs the dessert party/fireworks schedule as some sort of anchor for the park hours.)

 

[yulilin3]

So are all these wheelchairs/scooters people who also paid for the dessert party, or is this used as a handicap viewing area first, and then filled in with people who attended the dessert party?

No the w/c are just party goers
Tonight there were 2 w/c and two standing adults. The rest were kids.
I took pics and a short video, one of the standing adults was in front of me, so you guys can have an idea

 

[kathyfog]

So, parents with small children can't stand with the kids but people with a wheelchair/scooter can stay with their family? Doesn't seem right

 

[WizD]

Well...now I'm a bit worried. I'm super short, my sis is short, and we have a child in our party. I'll wait for yulilin's video and a few more reports, but we may cancel if the view is blocked up front.

 

[yulilin3]

Well...now I'm a bit worried. I'm super short, my sis is short, and we have a child in our party. I'll wait for yulilin's video and a few more reports, but we may cancel if the view is blocked up front.

I'm 5'2" and I had a great view tonight apart from that one tall guy in front of me
The thing with this show is that you will not have a 100% unobstructed view. There are the rigging from the stage, trees, light posts
I still believe that, if you don't want to wait for an hour or more for a front of the taped spot, the dessert party is the best option.
Just by leaving the party 30 minutes before the fireworks instead of waiting for 15 minutes before, you will have a better view.
I'll upload the pics and video tomorrow

 

[CounselorX]

So I am booked for 9/5. The party starts at 7:30 and the Star Wars show starts at 8:45. What is the latest that we should get to the party? I booked this mainly to get a somewhat good spot without having to stand in one spot for 60 to 90 minutes. However, we'd also rather not spend an hour and 15 minutes at the party. Would it be practical for us to arrive at the party at say, 8:00, or is it mandatory that we arrive at 7:30?

 

[disneygrandma]

It was my understanding that everyone at the dessert party was walked out as a group 15 mins before show time. That seemed the fair way to do it so no one had a huge advantage over the others. But now you're saying that people can come out on their own much earlier? That doesn't seem right because people will start grabbing their spots earlier and earlier until pretty soon you won't even be able to eat anything at the dessert party unless you're OK with being the furthest back at the show. Where's the value in that?

The same with ECV's.....those people will want to leave the dessert party early in order to get a front spot, or even a spot to see at all. We'll have a group of 11 that will consist of 1 ECV and a Rollator (I can't stand for any amount of time) or a 2nd ECV, as well as 4 young/short grand children. The remaining 5 of our group are taller, but I'm hoping we all will have a good view of the show.
We're going in October and I've been checking several times a day hoping that the fireworks show and dessert party would be extended. After reading Josh's review on easywdw, it seemed like the dessert party was a sure thing for good viewing of the show. Now I don't know what to do.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

Sorry if this has been asked an answered, I'm in a hurry this morning. Our usual spot for Star Wars fireworks over the summer was next to Starbucks. Will this work for the new incarnation of the SW show?

 

[Missyrose]

Well...now I'm a bit worried. I'm super short, my sis is short, and we have a child in our party. I'll wait for yulilin's video and a few more reports, but we may cancel if the view is blocked up front.

I'm 5-3 and had no problems seeing from the dessert party area. I wasn't even up front, either. Things in the show aren't eye-level, they're projected upwards.

It was my understanding that everyone at the dessert party was walked out as a group 15 mins before show time. That seemed the fair way to do it so no one had a huge advantage over the others. But now you're saying that people can come out on their own much earlier? That doesn't seem right because people will start grabbing their spots earlier and earlier until pretty soon you won't even be able to eat anything at the dessert party unless you're OK with being the furthest back at the show. Where's the value in that?

The same with ECV's.....those people will want to leave the dessert party early in order to get a front spot, or even a spot to see at all. We'll have a group of 11 that will consist of 1 ECV and a Rollator (I can't stand for any amount of time) or a 2nd ECV, as well as 4 young/short grand children. The remaining 5 of our group are taller, but I'm hoping we all will have a good view of the show.
We're going in October and I've been checking several times a day hoping that the fireworks show and dessert party would be extended. After reading Josh's review on easywdw, it seemed like the dessert party was a sure thing for good viewing of the show. Now I don't know what to do.

We headed out to the dessert part viewing area on our own at about 9:10 so my husband could set up his tripod/camera in front of the light post (so he wouldn't block anyone's view.) There wasn't anyone out there yet. I stood next to him (so about halfway back in the preferred viewing area and had no issues seeing. Like @yulilin3 said, there's no such thing as a completely unobstructed view for this show, but the preferred area is as close as you will get.

Sorry if this has been asked an answered, I'm in a hurry this morning. Our usual spot for Star Wars fireworks over the summer was next to Starbucks. Will this work for the new incarnation of the SW show?

Nope, you're going to want to be further up toward the Chinese Theater, otherwise the trees and projection towers will seriously hamper your view.