Wishes Dessert Party--Is it really worth it?

[Daisybell911]

I'm going with my bf to Disney at the end of September and this trip I swore that I would do as many new things as possible, one of them being the Wishes Dessert Party. I happily forked out the money and reserved my seats. The problem is that now, I'm starting to have some doubts. I haven't heard lots of good reviews. The pictures I've seen of the event were nothing like I expected. I thought there would be lots of the Disney magic and theming. Granted, the pics I've seen were pre-July and since then I've read that its a new and improved event.

Is it worth the cash? I know there are people on both sides of the fence but I'd like to hear different opinions. Is the view of the fireworks good? Were the desserts tasty? Do you really need to get there an hour ahead of time? I'd love to hear about your experience. Is there something else that you would suggest besides fastpass to make Wishes as magical as possible?

Thanks for your input!

 

[Robo]

Booking a FP+ for Wishes offers a better angle on the shows…

Celebrate the Magic and Wishes.


But, the FP+ for these are in very short supply.

 

[ArwenMarie]

You can show up about 15 minutes ahead of your reservation time (or about an hour and fifteen minutes before Wishes). No need to show up too too early, the tables are reserved with your party's name.

We really enjoyed the old Wishes Dessert Party at the old price. Now that they doubled the price, I cancelled my reservation for our upcoming August trip when I got a set of Wishes FP+. I am going to try that instead. This is probably me just being a curmudgeon about them doubling the price lol.

It's a nice space and you get to eat desserts for an hour I don't think the new improvements have really added anything from what I have read, other than some tablecloths and cheese platters. You don't get to sit for the fireworks, everyone goes to the railing, so just be aware of that. It is slightly off center.

If you haven't tried it and you are ok with the price, then I would go for it. It is a fun thing to do.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Disney events cost money. It's worth is a subjective matter of opinion. We do both. Love both. Find both worth it. But then again we budget our trip for it without thinking about it. It is a Disney event. Not a QS restaurant. You pay for events and exclusivity extra at Disney. Decide for yourself and as usual.....carry on.

 

[scjo68]

I agree with ArwenMarie.

We have the party six times, but not since the price increase.

We have always enjoyed it, and found it worth the cost. Having a place to sit and relax in preparation for the fireworks was nice and we like the desserts. Several times the weather has been bad and we were fortunate to be able to stay dry and comfortable while waiting for Wishes.
One night we had a terrible storm- lightening caused a power outage in part of MK, Tomorrowland became flooded and closed, and Wishes was 45 minutes late. We were able to relax out of the weather and they kept the buffet open until Wishes finally started.

However, with the price increase, I am not sure that the value is still there, even with the (slight, IMO) changes.

If it were a very special occasion, I might splurge again, but it is no longer something we will regularly reserve.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

At the new price? No. Maybe it is depending on your dates, but I doubt it.

I don't think there is any 'Disney theme' at the party. There are just small tables set up and then some long tables with the desserts. In my opinion (and we went about a year and a half ago) the desserts weren't that great.

Think of it this way. For that price, you could spend another night (at least at a value resort). You could go to the Main Street bakery and buy more than you could eat for a third that price. The view of the fireworks isn't even centered on the castle. If you want an interesting, immersive view of Wishes that isn't crowded just watch from new Fantasyland.

 

[JimmyV]

It's impossible to evaluate what is or is not worth it to you, but if you are taking a survey, put me down in the "no" column.

 

[Julylady]

We had the opportunity to experience three special events during our trip last month: Wishes Dessert party, Frozen Premium Package an Pirates and Pals Fireworks Cruise. The adults rated Wishes Dessert party highest, the kids picked Pirates and Pals. We all rated Frozen dead last.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

"Worth" is terriby subjective as I've come to learn when it comes to Disney experiences. We did it two years ago for my birthday - it was a wonderful way to enjoy an evening in the park without jockying for position on Main Street. Would I do it again? Yes, given the right circumstances and maybe a special occasion. Have I made time to do it in my subsequent trips? No. I firmly believe you should try all of these various Disney experiences yourself at least once, that's the only way to know if it really works for you and your touring style. That's part of the fun for us... some things work, some don't, but we always try to make the most of it. Whatever you decide, have a great time.

 

[scottyw5150]

It was... OK. Not something I'd do every time, but cool to do at least once. (We were there last month.)

That said, no regrets considering Kobe Bryant and family sat directly behind us. Pretty cool moment for this Laker fan.

 

[loves to dive]

As everyone has already said, it's subjective as to whether it's worth it. For us, no. The money wasn't even the problem, in the grand scheme of how much one spends on a Disney vacation, it was a drop in bucket. There were 3 of us, DS, DIL and myself. Our table was right near the rail, only one table in front of us, one would think an unobstructed view. The desserts were just so,so, nothing you couldn't get at any of the bakeries located throughout the park and let's face it, how many desserts can one really eat. Even my sweet loving DIL called it quits after 2 1/2. When it came time for the show, everyone rushed to the rail, thus blocking our view. I got up and stood in front of a pillar that was wider than me so as not to obstruct anyone else's view. My avitar picture was taken from there, as you can see there was still something in my way. Would I do it again (this was before the price increase) no, even at the old prices. It was o.k. to say we did it and tink flying over top was special but there are other places in the park that you can experience that which are free.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I didn't care for it mostly because you don't have a seated view of the fireworks - everyone stands at the rail. I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers on Main Street for free with a better view.

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

Pros: No worry about reserving a spot, showed up 10 minutes before reservation, no worry about kids on shoulders and people crowding in front, Tinkerbell flew right over and waved at us, even though view is off centered it works because you are on the side where most of the fireworks go off

Cons: Desserts were extremely disappointing (bland and boring), expensive, you do have to stand at the rail if you want a front row view

Bottom line for our family: Glad we did it once, but we won't do it again.

 

[GeraldineW]

My family enjoys the party. My DH will not do crowds/waits for fireworks. You don’t really feel like you are waiting at the party because you are sitting, talking and eating. We have done Pirates and Pals and we have done the Wishes party. This month we are doing the Wishes party again, at the higher price point. My DS is 8 and he is so excited for the dessert party. The party was one of the highlights of his last Disney trip. He enjoyed Pirates and Pals but has not asked for it again like he has asked for the Wishes dessert party. So, we may be in the minority but we like it and our kids like it.

 

[soniam]

I am glad we did it once at the old price, but I wouldn't even have done it again at the old price. People were standing and jockeying for positions at the railing before the show even began. The view wasn't that great. We typically don't like to wait for hours for a spot anyway, so we are used to not-so-great viewing spots.The desserts were ok. The atmosphere was just really hectic, pushy, and grumpy. I think that's what was the most disappointing. The Illuminations party at Epcot seemed way more relaxed, friendlier, less crowded, better view, and better desserts, not to mention decent sparkling wine. However, it's only standing the entire part at Epcot.

 

[LoverDisney]

We tried it for the first time last year. Like you I read the reviews and was skeptical, but wanted to try it anyway. For us the view was worth it but not the desserts so we probably will not do it again. Just try it and see for yourself.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

The desserts were okay and the view was fine. It was fun for what it was. Was it a must-do? No. I don't plan on doing again anytime soon. It was hard to see Celebrate the Magic from Tomorrowland Terrace.

I think it's worth trying once, though.

 

[HeadintheClouds]

We do it everytime we go. It's worth it for me but everyone is different. If you have the extra cash, I would say it's worth it to try at least once.

 

[kathy884]

As others have said "worth it" is such a subjective term and what is totally worth it to one family would be something that is a waste of money, overpriced, or not worth doing to another to another. // It's a decent area to see the fireworks (one of the better spots really), but given that we used to stake out that area for free years ago before they had a Wishes party (It was an unofficial guide to WDW recommendation of where to see fireworks) and we try to keep sugar intake low, it would be a huge stretch for me personally to pay for it or try it. // Also, personally I've seen enough of Disney parades and night time fireworks for my lifetime, and our family prefers to do rides and attractions that often have lower crowds and are walk on when those are going on.

 

[cakebaker]

We tried it in June and didn't really care for it. We weren't there for the desserts really, although we didn't have any complaints about them. We wanted the view without the craziness. We expected to stand at the railing just before the fireworks started- the CM's tell you this. It's impossible to sit and watch them except for the very few seated right up front due to the low ceiling. So that didn't bother us either. People were polite, no pushing and shoving.

However, it's just a bad view imo. They don't dim the lights, and it's a bad angle to watch the show.

Without FP+ we'd probably do it again just because anything beats standing in the heat for an hour or 2 defending your position. But to me, the view with FP+ is much better and other than desserts, an overall better experience. And it's free.