Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party

[catherine]

I think this party is definitely a "love"/"hate" event. We personally love it.

Yes, there have been times we had to get up to the wall to get a birds-eye view, but it was 10 minutes prior to the fireworks, not hours. And honestly in all of our seats (been 5 times) we very easily could have stayed and looked Up and saw the fireworks. I just am not the type to hold my head up for that long. We have also had times when we were able to sit in our seats and not get up.

The thrill of seeing Tinkerbelle waving at you (collective you actually, but for the sake of little one's, telling them she is waving at them specifically is a wonderful thing) is worth part of the price.

The desserts are for people of all ages. Ice cream stations, brownies, and cookies could be delightful for any age. My DS16 loves, loves, loves the mango shooters. WE all eat fruit to balance out some of the sweetness.

Somehow in our minds, soda/pop is actually out of place here. If you like your drinks sweet the lemonade, sweet tea, hot cocoa are more than enough. Water is actually great to cleanse your palate with a little bit of lemon.

Coffee drinkers will drink it hot or cold. You can very easily make an iced coffee with a little bit of extra work.

My biggest tip is to tell the servers to leave the table uncleared that you are going to get pictures, watch fireworks etc. You could even take a napkin and write, Please do not clean our table, we are not done.

My second tip is linger after the party. There are a few of most everything left over and the drinks are left for last. Let the masses clear out. Sit and enjoy some treats and a drink. Chit chat with the CM's. They are usually very nice and NO they do not ask you to leave.

The last thing that is very controversial is the price. Disney is expensive. It's a fact. So is anything special they put on (MNSSHP, BBB, etc). Everything has a price. I don't look at this as paying for the desserts, because any argument that you can buy desserts cheaper will win, every single time. But - no one can put a price on the ability to get up and walk around 15 minutes before the fireworks and not worry about losing your spot. You can talk with your neighbors and 99% of the time, they want to and do talk back. After all we all are a bit more relaxed.

I tell my kids/family/husband etc. each time we go that I booked the party especially for them and invited 150 new friends for them to meet. It makes us all feel special. Ask me what I paid for the party, and you know what, I couldn't tell you. There was never a price on any of them that I could say was "too much".

Go in with a good feeling, try to stay relaxed, and remember, nothing in life is ever perfect. It works for my family, hopefully it will work for yours.

Loved reading your post and it has me even more excited for Nov!

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I think this party is definitely a "love"/"hate" event. We personally love it.

Yes, there have been times we had to get up to the wall to get a birds-eye view, but it was 10 minutes prior to the fireworks, not hours. And honestly in all of our seats (been 5 times) we very easily could have stayed and looked Up and saw the fireworks. I just am not the type to hold my head up for that long. We have also had times when we were able to sit in our seats and not get up.

The thrill of seeing Tinkerbelle waving at you (collective you actually, but for the sake of little one's, telling them she is waving at them specifically is a wonderful thing) is worth part of the price.

The desserts are for people of all ages. Ice cream stations, brownies, and cookies could be delightful for any age. My DS16 loves, loves, loves the mango shooters. WE all eat fruit to balance out some of the sweetness.

Somehow in our minds, soda/pop is actually out of place here. If you like your drinks sweet the lemonade, sweet tea, hot cocoa are more than enough. Water is actually great to cleanse your palate with a little bit of lemon.

Coffee drinkers will drink it hot or cold. You can very easily make an iced coffee with a little bit of extra work.

My biggest tip is to tell the servers to leave the table uncleared that you are going to get pictures, watch fireworks etc. You could even take a napkin and write, Please do not clean our table, we are not done.

My second tip is linger after the party. There are a few of most everything left over and the drinks are left for last. Let the masses clear out. Sit and enjoy some treats and a drink. Chit chat with the CM's. They are usually very nice and NO they do not ask you to leave.

The last thing that is very controversial is the price. Disney is expensive. It's a fact. So is anything special they put on (MNSSHP, BBB, etc). Everything has a price. I don't look at this as paying for the desserts, because any argument that you can buy desserts cheaper will win, every single time. But - no one can put a price on the ability to get up and walk around 15 minutes before the fireworks and not worry about losing your spot. You can talk with your neighbors and 99% of the time, they want to and do talk back. After all we all are a bit more relaxed.

I tell my kids/family/husband etc. each time we go that I booked the party especially for them and invited 150 new friends for them to meet. It makes us all feel special. Ask me what I paid for the party, and you know what, I couldn't tell you. There was never a price on any of them that I could say was "too much".

Go in with a good feeling, try to stay relaxed, and remember, nothing in life is ever perfect. It works for my family, hopefully it will work for yours.

I've always wanted to try this and your post has inspired me to try and book for December.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Not sure if this is still being read, but I'll take a shot-

I had been trying to book but it wasn't available yet, then I spaced and didn't check for like a week, so of course it opened about 6 days before I realized it and booked. Is it still worth it? Or will be stuck out in no mans land? I was hoping it would be a little easier for my DD with high functioning autism who likes fireworks (as long as her earplugs are in) and adores Tink but it's big on crowds pressing on her...

WDYT? Still worth it?

TIA

 

[Quin]

Not sure if this is still being read, but I'll take a shot-

I had been trying to book but it wasn't available yet, then I spaced and didn't check for like a week, so of course it opened about 6 days before I realized it and booked. Is it still worth it? Or will be stuck out in no mans land? I was hoping it would be a little easier for my DD with high functioning autism who likes fireworks (as long as her earplugs are in) and adores Tink but it's big on crowds pressing on her...

WDYT? Still worth it?

TIA

It should still be worth it. Check online; can you still make an ADR for your date or is it closed = fully booked? If it's not fully booked they you did not get the last table in the back. I think it should certainly be easier on DD than the crush on Main St. or in the Hub. The tables are not nearly as crowded as some TS locations, and you can shuffle the chairs around a bit to give her more space if you need to.

I agree with many prior posters who have concluded that this is a love/hate event. I am firmly in the "love" category. And so long as weather conditions allow Tink to fly, you get the best view of her in the park. Enjoy!

 

[tigerdragon]

We're booked for November and I'm so excited to try it! We all love our desserts so I think this will be something we all enjoy. I hope it's worth it for us! If not, well at least we can say we tried it.

 

[ireland_nicole]

It should still be worth it. Check online; can you still make an ADR for your date or is it closed = fully booked? If it's not fully booked they you did not get the last table in the back. I think it should certainly be easier on DD than the crush on Main St. or in the Hub. The tables are not nearly as crowded as some TS locations, and you can shuffle the chairs around a bit to give her more space if you need to.

I agree with many prior posters who have concluded that this is a love/hate event. I am firmly in the "love" category. And so long as weather conditions allow Tink to fly, you get the best view of her in the park. Enjoy!

Hmm, I booked a week ago, and I checked today but there aren't any more spots- is there any way I wonder to find out if we were last?

 

[mss]

Not sure if this is still being read, but I'll take a shot-

I had been trying to book but it wasn't available yet, then I spaced and didn't check for like a week, so of course it opened about 6 days before I realized it and booked. Is it still worth it? Or will be stuck out in no mans land? I was hoping it would be a little easier for my DD with high functioning autism who likes fireworks (as long as her earplugs are in) and adores Tink but it's big on crowds pressing on her...

WDYT? Still worth it?

TIA

When we went in 2009, we booked very last minute. Still, we got a great table right by the railing and free of the roof. One of the best tables there! There is no way I could have been one of the first to book, so I would definitely go ahead, if I were you!

 

[CarrieR]

I think whether or not it's worth it depends on what you think you're paying for.

In July, I went with three good friends. I really wanted them to be able to see the July 4 fireworks (on the 3rd,) but I knew that staking out a spot hours in advance would not be a good plan for me (I tend to meltdown with too much waiting/crowds/heat, especially for something I don't feel is "worth it," which IMO fireworks are not.) I made the executive decision to book the dessert party, as a gift, and surprised them with it. I think it was nearly $110 all told, but I would GLADLY spend a hundred bucks to save our evening.

I think we got off the bus at the MK around 7, maybe a bit after, and wandered slowly up Main St. My friends knew we were watching the fireworks that night and I had told them I had researched a great spot. We stopped in the restroom there by the Plaza and then walked up through the Tomorrowland Terrace, past the line, then got in the end of it. My BFF figure it out pretty quickly but said nothing, and the other two friends did one of these -- We got checked in and then I explained to them what we were waiting in line for.

We had a great time, enjoyed our desserts, and enjoyed the stress-free view of the fireworks. I was thrilled with how much the girls enjoyed our "special one-time only" special treat. I was more surprised, though, when we started talking about a return in December and the girls wanted to do it again -- this time on their own dimes, lol. Guess they felt it was worth it, they didn't even cringe when I informed them that the current price was running at $25, no wait, $30 a head.

As far as the cost goes, I don't think the deal is *that* bad. Thinking about it like this -- what would you pay for just the reserved seat, no dessert? Ten bucks a head? So let's say the party is $25/person, minus $10 for the seat, leaves $15 in food. If you went to the bakery or confectionary, and had two strawberries, those sell for $3.95, so that's $8. $15-8 = $7. The desserts would easily go for several dollars a piece, so even if we say that they're mini and would only sell for $2/each, just two of those plus a drink ($3) brings us up to our total. Not saying it's a steal, but in "WDW pricing," I don't think it's *so* outrageous.

It's definitely cheaper to have a single scoop from the Plaza than it is to have two plates of mini speciality desserts, but I will gladly -- gladly -- plunk down my cash to avoid the crowds in high season. It saves my sanity and my friends' evenings, lol!

 

[santadog]

This is a "must do" for DD and I every year.
It's worth the money to me to not have to rush and wait with a huge crowd.
I'd much rather sit and have some coffee and snacks while I wait for the fireworks.

One tip I'd offer (especially if you're staying on property) I book for a night when MK has evening EMHs, that way you're not caught in a crush of people rushing to the bus as soon as the fireworks are over.
We went last month, and after the fireworks, we headed to Adventureland, rode Jungle Cruise, Aladdin's Carpets, Splash Mountain, and grabbed a curbside seat right as the 2nd MSEP was starting!