Should I ditch HEA Dessert Party in late December?

[DisneyWishes14]

We are currently scheduled to do the HEA Dessert Party on a non-party night the week before Christmas. My initial thought was to do a monorail tour late morning and then head into MK around 3 pm to do a few rides (we have 3 FP+ booked), have a QS dinner and then go to the HEA dessert party.

I should mention, DS10 and I did the party in August and I LOVED HEA. He doesn't care if we go again or not. DH has never seen it and couldn't care less if we do it or not. I know he'll like it when he sees it, but we could also save this for another trip. If we don't do it this night, we will not see HEA this trip and will only be in MK for one day.

I'm just really nervous it's going to be incredibly crowded in MK this day and even the party won't be enjoyable. TP has this day at a 7 out of 10, but it's Dec. 20 and the night preceding it and the two nights after it are MVMCP nights. I'm assuming everyone who wants to see HEA that week will go THAT night.

If we don't go, I will probably schedule some extra time in MK during our MVMCP party day (we will enter on a regular ticket before the party, so could add some extra time then) and then instead of going to MK and HEA, we will go to DHS and see the Star Wars fireworks instead.

I love HEA, but not enough to be crushed like a sardine. What do you think?!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We are currently scheduled to do the HEA Dessert Party on a non-party night the week before Christmas. My initial thought was to do a monorail tour late morning and then head into MK around 3 pm to do a few rides (we have 3 FP+ booked), have a QS dinner and then go to the HEA dessert party.

I should mention, DS10 and I did the party in August and I LOVED HEA. He doesn't care if we go again or not. DH has never seen it and couldn't care less if we do it or not. I know he'll like it when he sees it, but we could also save this for another trip. If we don't do it this night, we will not see HEA this trip and will only be in MK for one day.

I'm just really nervous it's going to be incredibly crowded in MK this day and even the party won't be enjoyable. TP has this day at a 7 out of 10, but it's Dec. 20 and the night preceding it and the two nights after it are MVMCP nights. I'm assuming everyone who wants to see HEA that week will go THAT night.

If we don't go, I will probably schedule some extra time in MK during our MVMCP party day (we will enter on a regular ticket before the party, so could add some extra time then) and then instead of going to MK and HEA, we will go to DHS and see the Star Wars fireworks instead.

I love HEA, but not enough to be crushed like a sardine. What do you think?!

I would ditch it.

 

[chs27]

This is what the crowd looked like outside the dessert party on non party evening in October. Just to have a place to sit is so worth it!

 

[CarolynFH]

If I wanted to see HEA that night, I would keep the dessert party reservation for the seating/standing room (depending on which variation you reserved). I would cancel the dessert party reservation if I did not want to see HEA, because I would plan to be as far away from the Hub as possible during the hour (or even hour and a half) before and during HEA - since the crowds will be horrendous.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

View attachment 285310 This is what the crowd looked like outside the dessert party on non party evening in October. Just to have a place to sit is so worth it!

Wow!! We have the Plaza Garden booked, though, so I'm wondering if the reserved garden area will be just as crowded as this. Even when we did it in August, the reserved plaza garden area was much more crowded than when we did the Wishes dessert party almost a year ago last December. Ugh. Yeah, DH and DS10 would not like this at all. Ok, I think we'll do DHS instead. If I can convince my finger to click the cancel button on the HEA party

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I would ditch it.

BTW, I should probably add my rationale. We go somewhat often and have done the dessert party a few times now. I think from your posts you have a similar travel frequency/history. For us, we've enjoyed HEA several times already this year, and will have plenty of other opportunities in 2018 or other future trips. I'd be OK waiving it off during a super high crowd time, like the holidays in between a bunch of party nights. We'd be content to find other things around WDW or the resorts to do during that time.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

BTW, I should probably add my rationale. We go somewhat often and have done the dessert party a few times now. I think from your posts you have a similar travel frequency/history. For us, we've enjoyed HEA several times already this year, and will have plenty of other opportunities in 2018 or other future trips. I'd be OK waiving it off during a super high crowd time, like the holidays in between a bunch of party nights. We'd be content to find other things around WDW or the resorts to do during that time.

You're absolutely right, there are plenty of other things to do, we'll be back (at least, that's the plan right now!) From your posts I knew you'd done this a few times, so even just your one sentence response to ditch it has a lot of weight and credibility to it!!

I'm reconfiguring things now. We'll do DHS that afternoon/evening instead. We were supposed to do DHS the evening before, so now I have a free evening to play with - I'm sure we'll find something to do! I also reconfigured our MK/MVMCP day so we'll do all of our MK must-do's in one day. Honestly, I've never had this much trouble planning a WDW trip before! I'm usually done with planning by now!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

You're absolutely right, there are plenty of other things to do, we'll be back (at least, that's the plan right now!) From your posts I knew you'd done this a few times, so even just your one sentence response to ditch it has a lot of weight and credibility to it!!

I'm reconfiguring things now. We'll do DHS that afternoon/evening instead. We were supposed to do DHS the evening before, so now I have a free evening to play with - I'm sure we'll find something to do! I also reconfigured our MK/MVMCP day so we'll do all of our MK must-do's in one day. Honestly, I've never had this much trouble planning a WDW trip before! I'm usually done with planning by now!

As to the bold....this trip must be tough because it is usually you ANSWERING the questions, not ASKING them!

I'm in a similar, but different, quandary later in the month for 12/30 and 12/31. For the life of me I can't wrap my head around how brave I want to be in hitting the parks those two evenings! I have one of the dessert parties booked 12/30 and can't figure out whether to keep that one either.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As to the bold....this trip must be tough because it is usually you ANSWERING the questions, not ASKING them!

I'm in a similar, but different, quandary later in the month for 12/30 and 12/31. For the life of me I can't wrap my head around how brave I want to be in hitting the parks those two evenings! I have one of the dessert parties booked 12/30 and can't figure out whether to keep that one either.

LOL! It's all the dang holiday stuff that's throwing a wrench in my plans! Plus DH and DS10 aren't as commando as I am, so I have to really balance out park time and chill time. Last year when we went, literally, my only must-do was Club Villain and everything else was just gravy. DH hasn't gone in about two years, so the must-do list got a little longer this time around.

Oh wow, yeah that's tough. I don't know. I think if I were there for the NYE fireworks, I would go all in on that one!

 

[subtchr]

See, for me, it's the crowded times when you WANT to have a dessert party booked! But reading your description of your family, and your past and future WDW plans, I can understand.

For us, I was very happy to snag a dessert party reservation for all 12 of us (9 paid, plus 3 under age 3) for the first week of January. I go all the time for work, so I wasn't worried about me. But for much of the party, it is their first time either ever or in a long time, no one has seen HEA, and it is a huge priority for them. I did the Plaza garden view party in August and absolutely loved it. So much more relaxed than packing in like sardines somewhere else. Will they sell more party tickets than they did in August, to make the area more crowded? I don't know, that's very possible, but it still has to be better than being somewhere else. The back of the area was positively roomy when I went.

 

[mom22boys]

For the life of me I can't wrap my head around how brave I want to be in hitting the parks those two evenings!

For the life of my I can't wrap my head around how brave I want to be in hitting the parks for any of the evening shows for our entire trip, 12/31-1/5. Glad to know that I am not the only one!

 

[slpeters]

The night we did the party was a CL9 (Monday before Thanksgiving) and we literally lay down in the hub and waited for the show. Everyone at the party sat through HEA. There was plenty of room. It was wonderful!! There was something intensely and perversely satisfying about doing this when it was so busy. Don't ditch the reservation.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

See, for me, it's the crowded times when you WANT to have a dessert party booked! But reading your description of your family, and your past and future WDW plans, I can understand.

For us, I was very happy to snag a dessert party reservation for all 12 of us (9 paid, plus 3 under age 3) for the first week of January. I go all the time for work, so I wasn't worried about me. But for much of the party, it is their first time either ever or in a long time, no one has seen HEA, and it is a huge priority for them. I did the Plaza garden view party in August and absolutely loved it. So much more relaxed than packing in like sardines somewhere else. Will they sell more party tickets than they did in August, to make the area more crowded? I don't know, that's very possible, but it still has to be better than being somewhere else. The back of the area was positively roomy when I went.

I think this is the perfect reason to do it. When I asked DH if he wanted to see it, he kind of shrugged his shoulders, LOL! If I had gotten a definitive "yes", it would have been a no brainer. It's not the actual party I was worried about, it was the crowds surrounding it and DS10 and DH would really only have been doing it for me, and neither are big on desserts. They are doing PLENTY of things just for me this trip (hello, IASW!!), so it's ok. We'll do it another time.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

The night we did the party was a CL9 (Monday before Thanksgiving) and we literally lay down in the hub and waited for the show. Everyone at the party sat through HEA. There was plenty of room. It was wonderful!! There was something intensely and perversely satisfying about doing this when it was so busy. Don't ditch the reservation.

That's funny! I'm glad you had such a good experience! I already ditched it, so there's probably no turning back now. I'm ok with it. I'm hoping crowds will be lighter at DHS that night if most people are heading to HEA. We will have fun no matter what we do!

 

[esc38372]

Will they sell more party tickets than they did in August, to make the area more crowded? I don't know, that's very possible, but it still has to be better than being somewhere else. The back of the area was positively roomy when I went.

That's what I keep wondering. I was excited to book the HEA party on 12/24 last week when more spaces appeared -- I thought I had lucked into a cancellation at exactly the right time. But there is still a *lot* of space available for that party...which makes me wonder if Disney will extend the party viewing area into another area or just squish a whole bunch more people into the Plaza garden side.

 

[randumb0]

I wouldn't do it for the food. It just depends on if you find value in spending the money to see HEA

 

[Elle23]

I’ll be in MK on the 20th for HEA. So glad I was able to book the dessert party. I can’t wait!

 

[subtchr]

I wouldn't do it for the food. It just depends on if you find value in spending the money to see HEA

This. But it's a bonus that some of the desserts are actually really good. And the hot chocolate is to die for...

 

[CinderellaDream]

We will also be at the HEA dessert party on 12/20. There's no way I would try to watch HEA on that night without that reservation. Like so many others visiting that week it is the only night we can see HEA. I'm so glad I have the reservation and definitely don't plan to cancel. It's not worth the price for the food but the "reserved" viewing spot makes it worth the price to me!

 

[PrincessPauline]

That's what I keep wondering. I was excited to book the HEA party on 12/24 last week when more spaces appeared -- I thought I had lucked into a cancellation at exactly the right time. But there is still a *lot* of space available for that party...which makes me wonder if Disney will extend the party viewing area into another area or just squish a whole bunch more people into the Plaza garden side.

I just got on this morning and saw Tomorrowland Terrace party opened up too. I am also hoping it's cancellations and not cramming people in however, it still has to be better than fighting crowds in the hub on Christmas Eve. Garden View was closed for the 24th so that must have filled back up. This is our first trip to Disney and our first fireworks show ever....so for me, it is worth the money to get a guaranteed view of the magic. This show is something we refuse to miss and I now have 0 worries as to where we should stand or when we should get there. No stress... no brainer.