So Dissapointed with Wishes Dessert Party

[pktbMouse]

Just got back from the world on Friday and thought I would put my two cents worth in. We booked the dessert party as it was out 25th anniversary and wanted to do something special...we were on a tight budget so the dessert party seemed perfect....sitting watching the fireworks while eating dessert sounded heaven to me...or so I thought.
First of all was our table...we were shoved all the way to the back under the canopy and couldnt see a thing. We could hardly get my 2yr olds stroller over there, we had to take it to the table as he had fell asleep. We were literally last into the place at 9.05pm ( wishes at 10pm) and the queue for the food was long..hubby and I took turns queuing but it took us both each about 10 mins to get anything..then another 5 mins to get a drink (separate queue). The desserts were flying fast and they were NOT replacing them as I had been told they would do so we missed out on nice ones like the chocolate strawberries and tiramisu that went fast. The coffee was served in those portable flasks and was cold. Ok we thought...at least we can walk up to the rail and get a great view of the fireworks...hubby had got a new camera and wanted to film wishes for me. We were quickly informed that we couldnt bring the stroller over to the rail that it and my baby would have to stay at the back!!! SO....it ended up hubby filming wishes for me and me sitting at the back watching the stroller under the canopy seeing nothing. I have to add also though...they were clearing all the tables at 9.30 and we had to flight to keep our food!! All through he fireworks all you could hear was tables and chairs getting loudly shoved over the concrete being put away..it was a racket....this is actually all you can hear on my hubbys video he made for me..it was so loud you couldnt hear the wishes music.
Overall it just felt as if we were rushed in and rushed out, you darent have gotten up from your seat or they were clearing your food away...and the staff were awful...especially the one woman that was taking plates away from the dessert table that kindly informed me I should have gotten there earlier!!!!!! 9.05!!!!!!!!!!! how much earlier do you have to be??????? There was no confetti on the tables...no name cards..it was just a big let down from what I imagined. I just wished we had gone out for a nice meal or something instead of wasting our money on this. Trust me...walk down mainstreet...buy a nice cappachino and an ice cream or a cake and sit on mainstreet and watch wishes....it will be soooo much better.

 

[Tiger926]

Happy anniversary! Sorry you experienced a disappointing buffet.

We did the buffet when it first came out almost 2 summers ago, and even at $17.00/adult, we weren't impressed. The price now is so high!

Although, we did have confetti and table name cards on each table, so that was nice to see. Same issues as you mentioned though: rushed, clearing tables and crowded. We also experienced warm and mushy desserts, stifling hot, people were making pigs of themselves and loading up plates, so much wastage, and a seriously long wait to check in.

It is very overpriced, as far as I'm concerned.

Tiger

 

[MickeyNicki]

Sorry you had a bad experience. I think it depends on when you go, we went for a MVMCP in 09 and the park was pretty empty and there were maybe 12 tables at the Dessert Party and tons of food to choose from. Some people left the party to get closer to the castle so it was just super quiet.

 

[disnut1149]

Oh no!! We have reservations for this!! I've read a lot of mixed reviews, but the good outweighed the bad. I wanted to try it at least once. I'm sorry you didn't have a good time.

 

[pktbMouse]

ok so heres what you do disnut....you have to get tough...lol..
Get there early, they say one hour before the fireworks but people started queing about an hour and 30 mins before...when you go up to get desserts, fill your plate to the brim of all your favorites ( know this sounds really greedy but its the only way your going to get to try all the good ones), if possible do another quick run to the dessert table...and at all costs....guard your food on your table!!!!!!!!!!!! always have someone at the table to watch they dont clear it away. At least we tried it once and found it wasnt for us...mabey you will like it...as I said just be on your guard for these things I mentioned and you should be fine. If you like chocolate stawberries make a bee line for those suckers straight away..they are the first to go!! Also..dont be scared to turn round and tell the people moving the tables to shut the heck up to you hear wishes! You go girl...get tough and you will be fine

 

[lovebug33]

So here is a different opinion. This was DH and I's most memorable evening. It was packed and the line was long at times, but the food was always replenished. They told me that most nights, they throw food away because they can't keep it. I'm sorry about the stroller, but if everybody had brought strollers down to the railing, there wouldn't have been enough room for people to stand. We were lucky because we were in the front, being only two people, but the food was awesome, I didn't hear people moving around, and I didn't have to stand for two hours, waiting on the street for Wishes to start. It was definitely a highlight for us and we would go again!
Edited: Not negating your bad time, but to let people know that it isn't always that way!

 

[sjs314]

Just got back from the world on Friday and thought I would put my two cents worth in. We booked the dessert party as it was out 25th anniversary and wanted to do something special...we were on a tight budget so the dessert party seemed perfect....sitting watching the fireworks while eating dessert sounded heaven to me...or so I thought.
First of all was our table...we were shoved all the way to the back under the canopy and couldnt see a thing. We could hardly get my 2yr olds stroller over there, we had to take it to the table as he had fell asleep. We were literally last into the place at 9.05pm ( wishes at 10pm) and the queue for the food was long..hubby and I took turns queuing but it took us both each about 10 mins to get anything..then another 5 mins to get a drink (separate queue). The desserts were flying fast and they were NOT replacing them as I had been told they would do so we missed out on nice ones like the chocolate strawberries and tiramisu that went fast. The coffee was served in those portable flasks and was cold. Ok we thought...at least we can walk up to the rail and get a great view of the fireworks...hubby had got a new camera and wanted to film wishes for me. We were quickly informed that we couldnt bring the stroller over to the rail that it and my baby would have to stay at the back!!! SO....it ended up hubby filming wishes for me and me sitting at the back watching the stroller under the canopy seeing nothing. I have to add also though...they were clearing all the tables at 9.30 and we had to flight to keep our food!! All through he fireworks all you could hear was tables and chairs getting loudly shoved over the concrete being put away..it was a racket....this is actually all you can hear on my hubbys video he made for me..it was so loud you couldnt hear the wishes music.
Overall it just felt as if we were rushed in and rushed out, you darent have gotten up from your seat or they were clearing your food away...and the staff were awful...especially the one woman that was taking plates away from the dessert table that kindly informed me I should have gotten there earlier!!!!!! 9.05!!!!!!!!!!! how much earlier do you have to be??????? There was no confetti on the tables...no name cards..it was just a big let down from what I imagined. I just wished we had gone out for a nice meal or something instead of wasting our money on this. Trust me...walk down mainstreet...buy a nice cappachino and an ice cream or a cake and sit on mainstreet and watch wishes....it will be soooo much better.

I am anxiously awaiting being able to book the Dessert party for my October trip. Yours is the first bad review I have read. No names on the table and being in the back not able to see
I know I have read it starts about an hour before Wishes, when did you get into the line to wait to be let in at 9:05?

When we go Wishes is at 9pm , the party should start at 8pm so I guess we will need to get in line by 7:30?

I do feel they should wait until Wishes is done before clearing the chairs and making noise that can distract from the music of Wishes.

 

[travelfanatic]

Thanks for your review. We were either going to do the dessert party or keep our ressie for California Grill. I think we will have a nice meal at California Grill instead. I felt like the dessert party was a lot of money anyway.

 

[mdsd8700]

Thanks OP for your post. We are booked for the dessert party for our June trip (DH and 2 kids (14,17). I have been wanting to try it, so going to stick to the plan and hope for the best. I really do like hearing stories of the good and the bad, it will help to better prepare us for our experience. Not sure why Disney can't seem to get it right all the time. I am so sorry that you didn't have a good experience, especially if you were celebrating your anniversay, that is very disappointing. I hope the rest of your trip was magical!

 

[pktbMouse]

I am anxiously awaiting being able to book the Dessert party for my October trip. Yours is the first bad review I have read. No names on the table and being in the back not able to see
I know I have read it starts about an hour before Wishes, when did you get into the line to wait to be let in at 9:05?

When we go Wishes is at 9pm , the party should start at 8pm so I guess we will need to get in line by 7:30?

I do feel they should wait until Wishes is done before clearing the chairs and making noise that can distract from the music of Wishes.

We were told to be there for 9.05 for the 10pm wishes..we actually started queuing about 8.30 but there was a long line of people in front of us. They started letting people in about 8.50pm..we got seated about 9.05pm and even then the line for the food was long. So yea..I would def get there no later than 7.30pm. Like the previous person said though..I may have gotten a bad night...Im convinced it was what ever staff were on that night that was the main problem...they just looked like they didnt want to be there and wanted cleared up as soon as possible. On the stroller issue someone else mentioned...there was more than enough room at the rail.. the reason they gave was it was a safety issue! I have no idea why that would be but I did as I was told. I even asked if I could just wheel the stoller a bit closer but still well away from the rail so I could see the baby...but no. (I guess what peeved me even more was their attutude telling me..no sorry or nothing) Like I said...could have just been the staff that was working that night.
We booked it on all the good reports we got about it so hopefully ours was a one off. Just be early...be ruthless with the food ( which I hate to say) and guard your table! I hope you all that have it reserved have a wonderful time. You will have to let me know.

 

[mdsd8700]

Just be early...be ruthless with the food ( which I hate to say) and guard your table!

I will be sure to go to the buffet with fork in hand and ready to use as a weapon if necessary.

I will be sure to post after our trip. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[dalt01]

sorry..........cant believe they didnt refill the tables......just not their style. we went in september and had a very good experience......so much so that we are going again next month. as so often happens what one person finds stunning another may find repulsive....... sorry you did not like it but beware to others. just because this poster was not happy should in no way impact your decision to go or not to go.....also, it is VERY expensive and sometimes that raises expections to an unreasonable level.

 

[TDC Nala]

Thanks for your review. We were either going to do the dessert party or keep our ressie for California Grill. I think we will have a nice meal at California Grill instead. I felt like the dessert party was a lot of money anyway.

You could buy two flatbreads at the California Grill for just about what it costs one adult to go to that dessert party.

 

[a1tinkfans]

we went a while back.
I would not do it again, mostly because I was really grossed out by the gorging of food that people seemed to think they had to do (to make it worth it??) , it was so gross. I mean piles on plates and so much waste. Even kids that their parents piled stuff in front of them...it really turned me off. There was confetti, there was name tags. We were told to stand at the rail and we had TINK right over our heads, THAT was amazing. We did see them replenish, though they cleaned up and I did not hear or experience what OP did. They had a photopass person taking pix, it was Beautiful!
Funny thing was, I tried to get a refund, then tried to give the tix away that night, we were beat and going to skip it. At last moment we said, what the heck , we're here lets just stay. Tink was worth it, the pix was worth it, the desserts were good, but we are not gluttons, so the "price" seemed a bit steep to me..So, I would not do it again, but its another experience under our belts

 

[KELLY]

Wow you had a rough vacation first Pop Century then the dessert party.

 

[scjo68]

I am sorry you did not have a good experience at the dessert party. It is frustrating to look forward to something and have it be disappointing.

We have been twice and enjoy it. Our experience was different from yours.

People did line up outside early, and you can check in and get a wristband 1/2 hour before they seat people. But IMO there isn't really a reason to stand in that line too early. You still can't get in till an hour before.

Both times we went, CM's refilled the dessert table often. Now, at our first party the guests took too many desserts to their tables, sometimes grabbing whole full serving platters and taking them to their tables. THe CM's kept putting out more food as quickly as possible, but the guests were so grabby, CMs couldn't quite keep up. We got plenty, though. At our second party, guests were a little more restrained, only taking what they could eat, so the buffet table stayed pretty consistently full.

THey are pretty strict about no chairs being moved to the rail. The reason probably has something to do with not having anything that can be climbed on at the rail. If chairs were at the rail, people would let kids stand on them, and they could possibly fall over the rail. The stroller probably falls under the same rule. I know you would not let your child stand on the stroller. Your child wasn't even awake. But there is probably a rule (insurance company's rule, not Disney's, most likely) that forbids having anything moved to the rail. I do agree with you that they need to be polite about it.

For us they did start to clean up a few minutes before the fireworks. They left some stuff out. It don't remember it being distracting.

I really liked the desserts, but I can see how they aren't to everyone's taste. THere are lots of creamy, mousse-type desserts.

I didn't feel rushed and our table was decorated with confetti and a name card.
I enjoyed relaxing before the fireworks rather than fighting for space out on Main Street. We watched the fireworks from Main Street one night on our trip last year, and it was a nightmare. We kept getting yelled at by the CM's to move, and the area was packed like sardines. Not fun. I am thinking this year, we will watch from the party one night, and the other nights we can watch from the Poly.

So we are going to try to do it again this year, but I can see how it's not something that appeals to everyone.

 

[cinderella'smommy]

We went in early April this year, and really enjoyed it. We did wait in the line to get in, but not a full half hour prior. I agree that there are some people who really load up their plates.

For me, the price of getting a good view of the castle and the fireworks without having to be in the crowds on Main Street was worth it. The desserts are nice, but that was not the main reason I was there.

I thought it was very nice, and would definitely recommend it. But, I didn't have hugely high expectations of it; and didn't really consider it a big expenditure compared to the rest of the costs of the vacation.

 

[SabresFan]

OP, thanks for the info. We have it booked for July, and for now I am going to keep the reservation, but if there a few more reports like this one I may cancel it. We're on the DDx plan so we certainly don't need even MORE food.

I don't mind showing up at 8:30 or so for a 9 PM start, but there's no way I'm coming at 7:30 PM. Part of the attraction of this is the idea of not having to line up early for the parade and fireworks. So if I still have to line up, just in a different line, it's hard to see that this is a great benefit.

I can probably sit on the sidewalk at 7:30 PM for a good view of Tinkerbell.

As for people loading up their plates, if you pay that much and get only one crack at the desserts, then of course people are going to grab everything they can on their first trip so as not to be shut out of the stuff they really do want. If they made it clear the party ran until 10:30 or so and they'd keep bringing stuff out as needed, fewer people would feel the necessity to load up the truck on their first pass.

 

[jking6]

We did this on Christmas Eve 2009 and it was an amazing time. Food replenished all night we actually stayed after to give main street time to clearout and food was available then. We did get there about an hour early as I was not sure of how busy it would be. Confetti and names tags on our table. We did read before we went that they clear your table if you all leave so with 4 of us one of us always hung back. great view from our seats of the fireworks. Sorry your experience was not so great.

 

[sjs314]

We went in early April this year, and really enjoyed it. We did wait in the line to get in, but not a full half hour prior. I agree that there are some people who really load up their plates.

For me, the price of getting a good view of the castle and the fireworks without having to be in the crowds on Main Street was worth it. The desserts are nice, but that was not the main reason I was there.I thought it was very nice, and would definitely recommend it. But, I didn't have hugely high expectations of it; and didn't really consider it a big expenditure compared to the rest of the costs of the vacation.

That is how I feel about the Dessert Party DH and I both agreed the cost which last time I checked was $25.99pp was not that much if you had an assigned seat for viewing, so I was a bit disturbed about OP mentioning being far in the back and not being able to see. I have issues with my back and knees so standing long periods to wait for Wishes is not something I can do.