Wishes Dessert Party instead of Wishes Cruise?

[DLPDreams]

Right, had sort of decided on a Wishes cruise following my last post, but then it's sooo much money for the 6 of us and I am put off a little by people saying you are quite removed from the fireworks - I like to be up close!

So, I've been reading a bit about the dessert party - tbh hadn't appealed at all as we are on DDP and will have too much to eat as it is! But, it appeals in that it will be about half the price of the cruise and we are up close(r) to the fireworks without having to stand and stake out a spot hours before (which I am sure will be the case in August!).

So, would I be mad to consider a dessert party instead of cruise? Another good point for DP is that it's under slight cover so even if it's raining we'll be reasonably dry!

One down side I've read re DP is that the projections on the Castle can't really be seen and you are not front on which is a bit of shame. But clearly with a cruise the former would be the same anyway.

Anyone feel I am looking into this too much !

PS - I forgot my Mum doesn't like water too much - or boats - she will go on but it's not her favourite thing to do..... Having said that, with the fireworks and so much to look at (I know it's dark!), I am sure she'd be fine. As it's a surprise mainly for my parents, but obv has to cater for my children too, I just don't know!

 

[Elise79]

Ok - first off I have never staked out a spot for wishes hours in advance even in late December which is busier than August.

Anywhere towards the top of Main Street has a good view or go for a FP+ for it

Anyway, as for the dessert party I didn't think it was value for money and the view was only ok.

The cruise felt better value as it felt more exclusive IYKWIM

 

[micksn]

I agree! You can always find a good place to watch Wishes even with moments to spare. You could do FP+, we've done priority viewing when it was available and it was clamer although the views not great. If you did a pool or water park morning you could use one of your FP's for the day to watch the fireworks.
I'm sure the cruise would be lovely, but there are other lovely things to spend your money on.
You'll have a fabulous time whatever you decide and all the planning will pay off

 

[DLPDreams]

Thank you so much both - I do appreciate you taking the time to reply to all my posts at the moment!

Hmmm, I am still undecided - it's going to be about £240 for the 6 of us for the cruise and I honestly don't know if we will feel disappointed by the distance I have definitely discounted the Illuminations cruise. So, it's between Wishes dessert party which would be around £108 ish for us, or the Wishes cruise at £240 ish.

I just don't know about literally turning up last min for fireworks. I've read to do that so many times at DLP and tbh whenever we've done it, it's been rammed and we haven't been able to see much at all, especially as the girls are small. We've seen it lots of time, and the best views we've had have been up front, as close as possible, but to get that spot, we've queued for 1 hour +. Maybe we've just been unlucky?

I have about 3 weeks to decide! I may get desperate and ask DH what he thinks ! Don't suppose the answer will be much help I'm sure .

 

[micksn]

I may get desperate and ask DH what he thinks ! Don't suppose the answer will be much help I'm sure .

Ha Ha If he's anything like mine he won't get the advance planning stress

I think you're going to feel better if you have something booked, especially as you haven't seen it before. If it was me I'd probably go with a FP+, a last minute view and a night in Ohana. But I'm sure the desert party and the cruise would be a lovely treat Disney decisions are hard, but nice decisions to have to make

 

[jothp]

Thank you so much both - I do appreciate you taking the time to reply to all my posts at the moment!

Hmmm, I am still undecided - it's going to be about £240 for the 6 of us for the cruise and I honestly don't know if we will feel disappointed by the distance I have definitely discounted the Illuminations cruise. So, it's between Wishes dessert party which would be around £108 ish for us, or the Wishes cruise at £240 ish.

I just don't know about literally turning up last min for fireworks. I've read to do that so many times at DLP and tbh whenever we've done it, it's been rammed and we haven't been able to see much at all, especially as the girls are small. We've seen it lots of time, and the best views we've had have been up front, as close as possible, but to get that spot, we've queued for 1 hour +. Maybe we've just been unlucky?

I have about 3 weeks to decide! I may get desperate and ask DH what he thinks ! Don't suppose the answer will be much help I'm sure .

Can't really help with your dilemma but just laughing as my husband would be exactly the same.

 

[DLPDreams]

Ha Ha If he's anything like mine he won't get the advance planning stress

I think you're going to feel better if you have something booked, especially as you haven't seen it before. If it was me I'd probably go with a FP+, a last minute view and a night in Ohana. But I'm sure the desert party and the cruise would be a lovely treat Disney decisions are hard, but nice decisions to have to make

Yes - many of us seem to have DH's who don't get the planning and either spend the holiday saying "oh, you did so well to do this or that" OR "well, I wouldn't have booked this/done it like this" - you can't win

I would like to book 'something' - I just haven't decided what yet! I know it will involve Wishes though . You are quite right, while it is a little, teeny bit stressful - it's really a lovely thing to be doing and we are lucky to be going!

Can't really help with your dilemma but just laughing as my husband would be exactly the same.

Nice to see that I am not the only one!

 

[irenep]

Well, we have never been on a wishes cruise so can't compare that but we enjoy the fireworks party and book it every trip now. It's not as good a view as the hub but I like the space there and the desserts are nice (if you have a sweet tooth).

We always watch the fireworks from the hub on a different night though as IMO that really is the best area to view them from.

I agree that you are unlikely to have to stake out a spot - only time we did that was July 4th one year.

Not much help really, but if you don't want the worry of finding a nice spot then go for the )

 

[bex7583]

i do agree that its quite easy to get a good view of the fireworks, if you are wanting to watch the parade from a good position and then watch the fireworks after that is when you need to be getting a spot in advance

 

[Ware Bears]

I haven't done the Wishes cruise (only the IllumiNations one but I see you've discounted that) but have done the dessert party. We thoroughly enjoyed it but let's face it, it is expensive for what it is - for us it was a final night treat and it helps that we all have a sweet tooth! I wouldn't want to do the dessert party for my first time of seeing Wishes as I think it loses some of the 'wow' seeing it at an angle - which is fine for a second or subsequent time but not IMO the first.

I also agree that you don't need to stake out a spot hours ahead of time to see Wishes - there's far more use of fireworks at WDW so no need to be right near the front unlike DLP where it's mainly laser projections on the castle with just a few fireworks and a close up spot is more of a necessity than a bonus.

Enjoy whatever you decide!

 

[DLPDreams]

Well, we have never been on a wishes cruise so can't compare that but we enjoy the fireworks party and book it every trip now. It's not as good a view as the hub but I like the space there and the desserts are nice (if you have a sweet tooth).

We always watch the fireworks from the hub on a different night though as IMO that really is the best area to view them from.

I agree that you are unlikely to have to stake out a spot - only time we did that was July 4th one year.

Not much help really, but if you don't want the worry of finding a nice spot then go for the )

Thanks - we will do one night on the hub if I can get the others to stand for a little while !

i do agree that its quite easy to get a good view of the fireworks, if you are wanting to watch the parade from a good position and then watch the fireworks after that is when you need to be getting a spot in advance

It appears it's not as bad to get a decent spot and as we may get to see it towards the end of our holiday when the US children have gone back (we hope to get about 4 days of this!) then it shouldn't be an issue.

I haven't done the Wishes cruise (only the IllumiNations one but I see you've discounted that) but have done the dessert party. We thoroughly enjoyed it but let's face it, it is expensive for what it is - for us it was a final night treat and it helps that we all have a sweet tooth! I wouldn't want to do the dessert party for my first time of seeing Wishes as I think it loses some of the 'wow' seeing it at an angle - which is fine for a second or subsequent time but not IMO the first.

I also agree that you don't need to stake out a spot hours ahead of time to see Wishes - there's far more use of fireworks at WDW so no need to be right near the front unlike DLP where it's mainly laser projections on the castle with just a few fireworks and a close up spot is more of a necessity than a bonus.

Enjoy whatever you decide!

Thanks Elaine . It is useful to get the comparison with DLP as it's our first WDW visit. I hadn't thought that much about the lasers at DLP and being up close. Last visit in November we queued over an hour at the front rope right in front of the Castle. I've seen Dreams about 8 times now, and seen it up front twice - imo it is the BEST view ever as you see it all very clearly (but others don't agree - some like to be a bit further away), but it comes at a price - a long, long wait!

I am 95% discounting the dessert party as we are on DDP anyway and know we will struggle to eat the food we have. We really would only be paying it to have the guaranteed seat. We won't have any FPs left when visiting MK with only getting the 3, and by the looks of it Wishes ones go very early on, so not much chance of us getting later on in a day!

The cruise is looking the only option. I just cringe at the thought of almost £300 for us, especially when we've just bought our DC tickets each this week -£900 . But the bonus with the cruise is we don't pay until the night!

Anyone know what the cancellation policy is on the cruise? We could book it and then if we see Wishes and are happy with what we've seen, we could cancel if sufficient notice is given maybe??

 

[stephensmum]

I love standing on the bridge going to tomorrow land, where tinkerbelle flies over. I thought about the desserts party but I can' t manage all the desserts on the ddp @ I have a sweet tooth. We once were escorted through to the front of the castle after dining there, 10 mins before wishes and we still went to our spot. Been with the crowd & hearing all the ooohs & ahhhs is just wonderful. Also, the balcony at nacoossies is good, music is piped in, & you could use ddp.

 

[willeve]

I can't bear standing on Main Street waiting for the fireworks so always leave it to the last minute and get an awful view! When we want this Christmas I booked the Dessert Party for our last night and we loved it! Really relaxed way to end our trip. Lovely desserts and hot and cold drinks, a seat(!) at the end of the day and a super view of the fireworks. The castle projections looked great to me from our spot, and although the fireworks were slightly off centre due the location, Tinkerbell literally flying over your head and waving to you totally made up for it!

 

[DLPDreams]

Thanks all. I have decided that if we are going to do anything 'extra' it will be the Wishes Cruise. I am thinking of booking it anyway, then seeing how we do with watching Wishes before the date I had in mind for the cruise (it's towards the end of our holiday). I am trying to juggle plans so I can FP watching it one night, and then perhaps cancelling the cruise if we do and are happy with what we've seen. As we'll hopefully see it at Ohana one night and also Cali Grill platform too!

Part of me thinks it will be great to do the cruise, but for the price for the 6 of us, if the fireworks aren't spectacular (and I like to be in the thick of it so worried I might feel 'out of it'), I think I'll be disappointed tbh.

 

[Chilly]

You could bring the cost of the cruise down by sharing the boat with another family. We did that.