Please help with Dessert Party Plan

[floridadream]

Hi Everyone-- we gifted my FIL a Magic Kingdom dessert party for our upcoming trip in August. Now I'm trying to plan the best night to do it...

Do you think it would be better to do it after our 5:00 ADR at Sannaa or after a 5:00 ADR at the Yachtsman? Or are both of these cutting it too close? If it matters, the Yachtsman is our last night. Thanks for your help...

 

[Alesia]

What time does the dessert party start?

 

[floridadream]

What time does the dessert party start?

7:30pm

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I’d also ask what time is HEA on your night and which specific dessert party you’re thinking of booking (there are three versions with slightly different times and in my opinion different advice on when you want to arrive)?

 

[jerzeystar09]

With those dining reservations you may be cutting it close on time getting over to MK. I would also recommend the after party bc I know that if I had a dinner at one of those restaurants I would not be up to enjoying a dessert buffet immediately after.

 

[piccolopat]

Definitely too little time. I would cancel one dinner and plan something either in MK or one of the monorail hotel restaurants a bit earlier, maybe 4. This would give you ample time for a relaxing dinner and time to make room for desert.

 

[starry_solo]

I would not do it on a night that you already have dinner planned.

 

[DCLPrincess]

Usually when we do a dessert party we only eat a QS meal for dinner so l have room for all the goodies.

 

[HopperFan]

If you are talking a few weeks from now have you made sure it is available on your nights?

 

[Alesia]

Neither of those will work.

I wouldn't do the dessert party after a table service dinner, anyway

 

[floridadream]

I’d also ask what time is HEA on your night and which specific dessert party you’re thinking of booking (there are three versions with slightly different times and in my opinion different advice on when you want to arrive)?

HEA is scheduled for 8:55 and we're looking at the Plaza viewing with the desserts before the fireworks.

 

[disny_luvr]

I honestly would not do a sit down dinner and then the dessert party on the same night. There are so many goodies at the dessert party (a few options that aren’t dessert - taco egg rolls, cheese and crackers, spinach dip) and I think you’ll be too full to enjoy the food offerings. When we did the dessert party in June, we had lunch at Crystal Palace and didn’t eat anything until we arrived at the dessert party later in the evening. We were all glad we didn’t eat dinner because we ate a lot at the party.

 

[sjrec]

I wouldn’t do it after either of those dinners-they’re too nice to rush through and honestly, you won’t want to look at desserts, let alone eat any!
We checked in at 7:15 and it was so nice to sit and relax-especially since you’re celebrating a special occasion you won’t want to rush through that either. I’d cancel of those dinners and eat something light a couple hours before the party.
We liked Columbia Harbour House. Or you could do drinks and appetizers at Skippers Canteen.

 

[GillianP1301]

Is the after fireworks version of the dessert party available on either of your days? That option would work better. You would only need to be to the garden a little before the fireworks (1/2 an hour is generous, 15 minutes is fine) and then do the desserts after your viewing. That way, you could do your 5:00 meal and have plenty of time for an 8:55 HEA start. You would also be more ready to eat desserts in this scenario since it would be 3+ hours after your meal.

 

[kwdw]

No way I would do a huge 5 pm meal the same night as a dessert party.

Regardless - your plan - a 5pm dinner at a resort with a dessert party that starts at 7:30 is "being lucky" timing wise. Let's assume you are done with dinner at 6:15. And you get a bus to MK at 6:30. Ride bus, get through security, walk down Main Street - okay maybe you arriving in the MK hub at 7:15-7:30. It might work. I'm not sure of the ages or size of your party of folks - that meal could take 50 minutes - you could be signing the check at 5:50. Or you could be signing the check at 6:40.

 

[subtchr]

I will agree with the others, that I would not do a dessert party on any night I had a TS dinner reservation at all. I've done 4 dessert parties, and for all of them, I was very glad that I purposefully only had an afternoon snack beforehand. Especially now that they have added a few more savory items to the MK parties, it's nice to have an appetite to enjoy the offerings!

If you still want to do it, I'd do the after fireworks party, as @GillianP1301 suggested. That would give you more time to arrive, and more time to have more of an appetite after dinner.

 

[AussieNSW]

I am the opposite of a lot of people. We didn’t eat much at the dessert party because we didn’t like the desserts. I would make a booking for maybe 4:30 at the plaza or GF cafe on the monorail loop. We actually did the dessert party twice once on the 7th July and once on the 17th July. This was due to a member of the families health issues. On the 7th we just had the food at the party and used that as dinner. Everyone was very hungry at the end of it. On the 17th we had food at the plaza at about 5pm and that worked out so much better for our family.
During our trip we also did dessert parties at Epcot and Hollywood Studios and after our experience on the 7th at Magic kingdom we continued to have a lite meal before the parties.
Although we did notice a big difference in the quality of the 3 dessert parties. Personally I enjoyed the one at Epcot the best. I liked the fondue and loved the fresh fruit which included a variety of berries as well not just melons with a few strawberries. But I preferred the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. My teenage daughter also preferred this one. My teenage son preferred the dessert party at Hollywood Studios mainly for the star wars theme but he also enjoyed the food more at this one than the others.