What is the appeal of the dessert parties?

I thought the MK party with Plaza garden viewing was worth every penny. The week we were there, there were only 2 non-party nights. It took 25 minutes after fireworks for the hub to return to somewhat normal crowd conditions. It was just me and my 6-yr-old DD, so staking out a decent spot where she can see (I couldn't put her on my shoulders if I was comfortable being a jerk, which I'm not) is risky since she'd inevitably need to go to the bathroom just before they started. Instead of dealing with all that, we had some snacks and desserts, she played with some kids while we waited in the garden, then she twirled all around me while watching the fireworks since everyone either moved all the way up or to the back rail of the garden, leaving us with tons of space and a great view. The hub and main street looked like mass chaos.
 
At the MK dessert party can you really eat dinner there?

maybe the Terrance seats ?
what real food do they serve ?
fruit ? deli ? veggies ?
 
At the MK dessert party can you really eat dinner there?

maybe the Terrance seats ?
what real food do they serve ?
fruit ? deli ? veggies ?

All three MK dessert parties offer the same assortment of “savory items” and desserts. “Savory items” (that term kinda makes me cringe) include cheeseburger spring rolls, cold spinach dip, cheese, crackers, fruit, maybe something else I’m forgetting. It is not meal worthy in my opinion.
 


All three MK dessert parties offer the same assortment of “savory items” and desserts. “Savory items” (that term kinda makes me cringe) include cheeseburger spring rolls, cold spinach dip, cheese, crackers, fruit, maybe something else I’m forgetting. It is not meal worthy in my opinion.

I think if we eat a TS meal for lunch - munching on cheeseburger spring rolls, cheese, crackers, fruit and maybe some basic veggies like carrots, celery, peppers, if they have them are fine for a light dinner. ;)
 
I wonder for the night you reserve the dessert party - could we ask for the basic veggies added to the list of items to eat - not very expensive - less expensive than chocolate ;)
 
I guess for us the fireworks are nice but just can't get over the price. For a family of five like us were looking at over $400 for some desserts and a nice view of the fireworks. I guess its just not worth for me
That's where I am right now. I have done two dessert parties, one on my 40th birthday (when it was around $50/person so my family of four was around $200 and we ate TS for lunch so no meal that night other than desserts) and one last year just my DH and me. I was disappointed each time. On my 40th, there was a severe lightning storm so they got postponed. Finally five minutes before park closing, they did the show. I was able to stand in the hub right in front of the castle with no one within arm's length. That dessert party was sure a waste of money. I didn't even really enjoy the food. We decided to try it again last year since it was just the two of us and we were seeing HEA for the first time. Nice viewing spot, but again so disappointed in the desserts plus we were rushed. It didn't help that I hated HEA. We have decided to not do any more. Next year, we are taking the whole family, so there will be 5-6 of us. I am already spending a fortune on tickets, so we will just have to stake out a spot so the rest of the family can see the fireworks.
 
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I wonder for the night you reserve the dessert party - could we ask for the basic veggies added to the list of items to eat - not very expensive - less expensive than chocolate
Other than alerting the party staff of a food allergy by adding a notation next to their name on the Guest list, the menu remains the same from night to night. I'm not aware, and I would be, of specific food requests ever being honored.
 
I love the dessert parties and have done them all, some multiple times. For me, it's about being able to eliminate stress, comfort and some good desserts. I don't have to worry about staking out a spot. I can be comfortably seated in an uncrowded area with a table and chairs while I eat some really yummy desserts (and a few savory items at some of them as well). It's also a nice way to add a little something extra special to your trip.
 
We have done all of them at least once except Rivers of Light.

I love them, but I prefer Tomorrowland Terrace over the others. The biggest draw? A table and chair to watch from with no one standing in front of me.

I can never find a place to sit when I try to watch the fireworks outside of a dessert party and certainly not without people standing in front of me, pressing up behind me, cutting in front of me, pushing me off of where I was, running over me and being all around obnoxious.
 
We are regular visitors of WDW. Travel down and stay a week to 10 days usually twice a year and we have never done a dessert party. I guess I just can't get over the price tag. Depending on which one it's $90+ a person for an hour of finger desserts and a good spot to watch a 15 minute fireworks show. I'm not trying to put it down for those of you who love them...different strokes for different folks...I just don't get the appeal. For those of you who love them and do them.....what is the appeal for you? Is there something else included that I don't know about?
For us at Disney World, it gets us out of the overcrowded areas.
 
I don't see the appeal either. The price point is pretty high .. anything that nears the normal ticket price of entry to me is pretty high. If you are going to the parks for multiple days .. the price of a dessert party is actually MORE than what you paid to walk in the gates that morning.
If you are a family of 4 .. the price of a dessert party is MORE than your night at your Disney resort.

I am signed up for the Behind the Scenes Train tour .. much cheaper than a dessert party. Sure . I don't get any food, but I get a several hour "behind the scenes" tour ..which seems more special than dessert and a good view of fireworks.

I mean, really, how much dessert can one person eat? But .. really its just a supply/demand thing for an unobstructed view and a seat for the fireworks. Any cheaper and it would be way too popular for the seats they have available.
 
Thanks for the post. I didn't know much about the dessert parties. Now I do. They seem not to be for us, but I definitely see the appeal.
 
I thought the MK party with Plaza garden viewing was worth every penny. The week we were there, there were only 2 non-party nights. It took 25 minutes after fireworks for the hub to return to somewhat normal crowd conditions. It was just me and my 6-yr-old DD, so staking out a decent spot where she can see (I couldn't put her on my shoulders if I was comfortable being a jerk, which I'm not) is risky since she'd inevitably need to go to the bathroom just before they started. Instead of dealing with all that, we had some snacks and desserts, she played with some kids while we waited in the garden, then she twirled all around me while watching the fireworks since everyone either moved all the way up or to the back rail of the garden, leaving us with tons of space and a great view. The hub and main street looked like mass chaos.

This is my reasoning to why I succumbed to buying tickets. It's party central during our visit, and there is only one non-party night that we are at another park where we can swing over for the regular fireworks. I don't want to park my butt an hour ahead of time like sardines, so I paid to get a good spot where we can breathe, and some yummy treats. Probably my last trip, so why not. lol
 
We have done the HEA dessert party and the worth of the party comes with not having to stake out a spot nor having to deal with being packed in crowd. The desserts are not a huge bonus but it does give you a spot to sit, have a few treats and then you can pick your spot in a non crowded garden. We are doing the Frozen dessert party next month and those desserts seem a little more interested/tasty than HEA. The viewing spot for illuminations seems great, you get a table to sit at and then you get to ride frozen after. It all depends on what is worth it to you and what you are able to put up with.

My son and I did the Frozen dessert party a couple months ago. It was a nice table viewing spot, it was great to ride Frozen afterwards with no wait, and they gave us these 3D glasses that made the fireworks really cool. My 11 year old son loved them and thought that those fireworks were better than HEA because of it.

For me the appeal is the ability to sit down and relax at a table (we also did the HEA Tomorrowland Terrace one with tables). I get pretty crowd claustrophobic so trying to sit on the ground or stand in a crowded spot surrounded by people for a couple hours does not work for me. The drinks and food are an added bonus. Especially at the end of a hot day it's such a relief to sit down at a table and relax and wait for the show with a guaranteed good view, plus they generally have a photographer to take your picture in front of the view. For us though, we are only 2-3 people and only go to Disney about every 5 years. So for us the cost is smaller and it's more of a once every 5 years special occasion that we want to make the most of. If you go 20 days a year then you always have a chance to see the show again from a better spot, etc another time where as we have generally one chance every 5 years to see a show.
 
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Fantasmic VIP Dessert Party. We did this on 10/2/2018 and found it to be the most 'economical', yet highest value, of all of the dessert parties at $39. each. We reserved the 7:20 pm entrance and were allowed to bypass the stand-by lines with no waiting. We each received a very large tray of cheeses, crackers, fruit, pastries, and other desserts along with our choice of beverages (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) in a 12 oz. souvenir mug, and it was more of a dessert 'meal' than just a snack! Our viewing area was dead center in the amphitheatre seating area and we could sit anywhere we wanted to (although it was first come, first served with the FP and other dessert party people), but because we both had ECV's we chose to sit on them, with their large cushioned Captain's chairs that reclined, along the top tier that was roped off and reserved.

Because of our ECV's, we also had comfortable prime viewing of HEA and Illuminations, which negated any reason to partake of any of their dessert party offerings.
 
"What is the appeal of the dessert parties?"

Said no short person, ever.
I'm splurging this year, and doing a few for several reasons:
Short ppl in the fam.
Planning a big lunch earlier in the day and no dinner (that's more of a result of the Dessert Party tho)
No desire to stake out a spot and/or get blocked by "those ppl."
Probably our last trip, and we're going for big air. It's only gonna get more expensive. Going out with a "no-regrets" bang.


 
I did the Wishes and HEA dessert parties with Plaza viewing and loved them both. I like having the piece of mind of getting a good spot to watch the fireworks without standing elbow to elbow with other guests. I'm looking forward to doing the FEA dessert party next year.
 
I think the benefits of a dessert package are pretty obvious - desserts, canapes, and a good view for the fireworks, without having to fight crowds or stake out a spot. The real question you have to figure out is, "Why does this appeal to some people, but doesn't appeal to me?" And that's really not something anyone else can answer.

Dessert parties aside, some people don't get the appeal of Disney at all. "Why would you spend all that money on a theme park? Aren't there better things you could spend your money on?" Which really means, "I think you should be spending your money on things I consider good value, instead."

We claim to understand that not everyone will like the same things, and we say that we're good with that... but at the same time, we still find ourselves asking others to justify why they find value in things we wouldn't spend our money on. "But WHY do you like it? You seem like a reasonable person... is there something I don't know? Is there something you can tell me, that will convince me that this is a worthwhile expenditure?"

And the real answer is that there may be nothing at all the other person can say, that you don't already know.

I think we like to say it's okay for people to like different things... but when they actually do, it makes us a bit uncomfortable. :hippie:

(Full disclosure - did the dessert party in the Magic Kingdom once, just my husband and me. Glad we tried it, but probably won't do it again. The Fort Wilderness holiday sleigh ride, though, that's a definite repeat!)
 
We are regular visitors of WDW. Travel down and stay a week to 10 days usually twice a year and we have never done a dessert party. I guess I just can't get over the price tag. Depending on which one it's $90+ a person for an hour of finger desserts and a good spot to watch a 15 minute fireworks show. I'm not trying to put it down for those of you who love them...different strokes for different folks...I just don't get the appeal. For those of you who love them and do them.....what is the appeal for you? Is there something else included that I don't know about?

My family just went to Disney in April. It was our first trip as a family and I wanted it to be really special for everyone. We did the Star Wars Dessert Party in Hollywood Studios. It was probably one of my husbands favorite events. They had storm troopers walking through and taking photos. There were desserts and savory foods as well as drinks. We had such a great view of the show and fireworks! We could sit down and really enjoy it! It took the stress out of fireworks.

We did not do a dessert party for the Magic Kingdom Fireworks and staked out a spot early and someone ended up putting their kid on their shoulders RIGHT IN FRONT of us! It was so rude and I asked nicely if they could move but they did not and completely blocked my children's view of the entire show. I would absolutely pay for the dessert party next time ... it is such a better experience for people who don't get to visit as often to make sure that their moments/memories aren't ruined by other's inconsideration.
 

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