Wishes FP, worth it?

[bocaj1431]

We find the crowds to be just too much anymore. If you get a spot early, you have to practically fight to keep people from pushing and shoving you around. If you get there late, you don't get as good a view. We considered getting a fp+, but booked the dessert party instead. It's not a perfect view, but it's decent and it will be nice to watch the fireworks without having to stay in one spot forever standing or sitting on the ground. If I didn't have the buffet, I'd be allocating a fp+ for it.

We chose the dessert party also, unfortunately we did not have as good an experience as you did with it.

The view was not perfect to start off. Initially we thought that you sit at your table and watch the fireworks but that is not the case. About 15 to 20 min before the show everyone starts lining up along the wall. If you do not get a space forget about having a decent view.

The worst was the pushing and shoving near the wall. We had one family just push my son right out of his spot. When I said something, their response was that they had to fit their whole family along the wall and that they had been saving 4 spots for other members of their family. This was after we had already been standing at the wall for 20 min.

As a side note, we thought the desserts were nothing special. That along with the battle for a spot along the wall made the cost so not worth it. If you choose this option, make sure to be at the wall early!

 

[cakebaker]

Just a heads up for anyone interested in the dessert buffet- it books

We chose the dessert party also, unfortunately we did not have as good an experience as you did with it.

The view was not perfect to start off. Initially we thought that you sit at your table and watch the fireworks but that is not the case. About 15 to 20 min before the show everyone starts lining up along the wall. If you do not get a space forget about having a decent view.

The worst was the pushing and shoving near the wall. We had one family just push my son right out of his spot. When I said something, their response was that they had to fit their whole family along the wall and that they had been saving 4 spots for other members of their family. This was after we had already been standing at the wall for 20 min.

As a side note, we thought the desserts were nothing special. That along with the battle for a spot along the wall made the cost so not worth it. If you choose this option, make sure to be at the wall early!

Actually, we haven't done it yet. This will be our first time. I knew that you could stand at the railing, so that doesn't surprise me that we'll stand to watch them. Thanks for the heads up, I was hoping that the fight for a decent spot would be cured by doing the buffet! We're pretty seasoned veterans about holding our ground, I just don't like having to do it. We'll definitely stake out a rail spot early. We're willing to give it one try and if it doesn't work, just won't do it again. We tried the dessert buffet at Epcot and were not happy with that at all. That was close to $50 a person though, and when I spend upwards of $250, I expect better than we got. This is half the price so at least we won't have lost as much if we don't like. Thanks!

 

[Disneyholic]

If I ever get to take my daughter again I will definitely get fast passes for the parades and fireworks. The last time I took her was only her second time there. She was 34 and had been there in high school. She is short. We had found a spot that she could actually see the parade and just as it started a guy pushed his girlfriend in front of my daughter saying she wanted to see the parade. I said my daughter did too and we were there first, but he wouldn't budge. Then to top it all off they swayed back and forth to the music so my daughter couldn't even get a spot to see some of the time. Every time she moved they moved to block her view and the PDAs were through the roof. Really ticked me off. This is why I get fast passes and get there early enough to get right at the rope. CMs are good at keeping people from jumping the rope and joining without a Fast Pass. They only give out so many a parade so it is much more comfortable.

 

[bocaj1431]

Just a heads up for anyone interested in the dessert buffet- it books


Actually, we haven't done it yet. This will be our first time. I knew that you could stand at the railing, so that doesn't surprise me that we'll stand to watch them. Thanks for the heads up, I was hoping that the fight for a decent spot would be cured by doing the buffet! We're pretty seasoned veterans about holding our ground, I just don't like having to do it. We'll definitely stake out a rail spot early. We're willing to give it one try and if it doesn't work, just won't do it again. We tried the dessert buffet at Epcot and were not happy with that at all. That was close to $50 a person though, and when I spend upwards of $250, I expect better than we got. This is half the price so at least we won't have lost as much if we don't like. Thanks!

So long as you get a spot early, you will have a good view and given that you are good at holding your ground you should have no problems.

You are right the price isn't that bad compared to Epcot's. You also might like the desserts. There are many people who have posted they did. I just thought it tasted like desserts from the grocery store, just OK. Now if they would have had any of the DW cupcakes, I would have been happy. We love the cupcakes around the world. We may even do a cupcake crawl this year.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

[emilymad]

We think the FP+ is definitely worth it. We don't love crowds so for us that alone is worth it. We have done the dessert party in the past but didn't have great experiences. Food was only so so and people were so pushy and rude. We would have rather been in the street. We weren't even trying to get up to railing either. The FP+ in the Rose Garden was much nicer. The day we did it they couldn't get the MB scanners to work so we barely got in for the start of the fireworks. They had a Photopass photographer there as well which was a really nice touch even though the photographer was a little rude.

With the Hub expansion there should be more availability for FP+ right?

 

[SillySallySews]

We had FP+ for MSEP and Wishes last summer. The parade got rained out and because of the rain we were not allowed on the grass in the rose garden. We had to stand along the fence and walkway. When we first arrived it was nearly empty, but the closer it got to the fireworks the more crowded it got. The view of Celebrate the Magic wasn't great and the view of the fireworks wasn't my favorite. The FP view is sort of off to the side. I much prefer the straight on view from Main St. The best part was being able to stay there after the fireworks were over and kind of wait for the crowds to thin out. That aspect was nice, but not enough so that I'd use a FP for Wishes again, even if we could actually sit on the grass next time.

 

[Robo]

The view of Celebrate the Magic wasn't great and the view of the fireworks wasn't my favorite. The FP view is sort of off to the side. I much prefer the straight on view from Main St.

Since there are several references to this, I want to point out that as part of the
recent and on-going reconstruction of the Hub,
they have now built-in two new "head-on" Wishes FP+ viewing areas.
THESE AREAS ARE NOT CURRENTLY OPEN.
And, we don't know when they will be open, but they will be a much better angle
of view than the currently-used Wishes FP+ viewing area.
They will be fenced off from other guests, and it is possible
(I can't tell yet) that there might be seating in the areas.
These future locations (one on each side of Main Street near Casey's and
the Plaza,) should be very popular with guests, and the FP+
for Wishes should continue to be one of THE highest-priority
(and in short supply) of any at MK.

 

[SweetieinVT]

Thanks for the inputs. I looked at the dessert party, but I have a kid with food allergies, and to have him watch the rest of us have special desserts while he gets fruit is not going to work. Add to that you end up standing anyways and I decided it was not a good option for us this go around. I think I'll hang on to our FPs for now and chew on it a bit.

 

[SweetieinVT]

Since there are several references to this, I want to point out that as part of the
recent and on-going reconstruction of the Hub,
they have now built-in two new "head-on" Wishes FP+ viewing areas.
THESE AREAS ARE NOT CURRENTLY OPEN.
And, we don't know when they will be open, but they will be a much better angle
of view than the currently-used Wishes FP+ viewing area.
They will be fenced off from other guests, and it is possible
(I can't tell yet) that there might be seating in the areas.
These future locations (one on each side of Main Street near Casey's and
the Plaza,) should be very popular with guests, and the FP+
for Wishes should continue to be one of THE highest-priority
(and in short supply) of any at MK.

If only those would open by the time we are there in April, that sounds ideal.

 

[cakebaker]

So long as you get a spot early, you will have a good view and given that you are good at holding your ground you should have no problems.

You are right the price isn't that bad compared to Epcot's. You also might like the desserts. There are many people who have posted they did. I just thought it tasted like desserts from the grocery store, just OK. Now if they would have had any of the DW cupcakes, I would have been happy. We love the cupcakes around the world. We may even do a cupcake crawl this year.

I hope you enjoy it!

OMG...cupcake crawl. Why have I never thought of that? I am seriously obsessed with cupcakes.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. We would've gone in totally unprepared!

 

[bocaj1431]

OMG...cupcake crawl. Why have I never thought of that? I am seriously obsessed with cupcakes.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. We would've gone in totally unprepared!

If you love the cupcakes, check out the cupcake thread.

 

[cakebaker]

If you love the cupcakes, check out the cupcake thread.

I definitely will. Thanks!

 

[lionqueen]

what's the trick to getting a Wishes FP+? Do you have to snag one at 12:00 am 60 days out? I thought I read somewhere that they weren't released at the 60 day mark but closer to 30 day mark. Can anyone who has gotten a Wished FP tell me how you did it? TIA

 

[Robo]

what's the trick to getting a Wishes FP+?

1. Do you have to snag one at 12:00 am 60 days out?

2. I thought I read somewhere that they weren't released at the 60 day mark but closer to 30 day mark.

1. Yup. 12 Midnight Eastern Time. (Or 1AM Eastern, if MK happens to close at 1AM that night.)

2. Outdated info.