All about the Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party options:
There’s nothing like the fireworks at Disney World. They are truly an incredible display, the show usually lasts for about 20-25 minutes, and the visual displays are so well choreographed with the music.
It sounds like a perfect experience, doesn’t it? And in some ways, it is truly magical. The downside?
Every person in the Magic Kingdom that day wants that same experience, and they all want to get the best view possible. So people start “camping out” in front of the castle and down Main Street an hour, two hours before the fireworks start. Once it’s time, you’re stuck in a huge crowd of people, all shuffling around for good views, and it can be very overwhelming. Oh, and that perfect spot you thought you had? There goes the kid up on the shoulders right in front of you.
That’s a little less magical.
If you want a less stressful fireworks experience where you don’t have to sit or stand around for hours and still have a great view, there is an option! In comes the Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party.
Yes, it is rather pricey, so it might not be the perfect solution for everyone. But if you’re willing to spend a little bit more to make your vacation truly magical, the dessert party might be a fantastic option for you.
The basics
What is the Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party?
If you’re not familiar with it, what exactly do we mean when we talk about a “Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party”?
Well, in a lot of ways, it’s about what you’d expect from the name. It’s in Magic Kingdom, it has fireworks, and it has desserts.
Okay, okay, it’s a little bit more than just that! Those are the basic components though. Your ticket to the fireworks dessert party gets you admission to a private area for fireworks viewing, as well as about an hour or so with a dessert buffet and some drinks. The timing will vary based on which party you book.
When does the party happen?
Magic Kingdom’s fireworks dessert party is offered on most nights, though it may not be offered select evenings. Particularly if you are traveling mid-August through December, check the calendar. If Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Very Merry Christmas Party is scheduled, the regular dessert party won’t happen since the park closes early (they have often offered special dessert parties for these events, though you have to have a party ticket).
The timing of the party will vary based on a few factors. The first, of course, is when the fireworks show will be happening that night. There are also a few different types of parties (more on that below), so your time will vary based on whether you’re watching the fireworks before dessert, after dessert, or during dessert.
The three different types of dessert parties
On most evenings, the party is offered 3 times throughout the night. You have a choice between what they call the “pre-party,” “post-party,” or “seats and sweets.”
Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party: Pre-Party: If you select this dessert party, you will have your desserts and treats before the fireworks. You’ll check in at the dessert/dining area at Tomorrowland Terrace first, and enjoy your treats. A little bit before the start time of the show, you will be escorted from Tomorrowland Terrace to a reserved fireworks viewing spot.
Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party: Post-Party: With the post-party, you will still check in at Tomorrowland Terrace, but you will first be escorted to your private fireworks viewing area. Once the fireworks show is over, you’ll be led back to Tomorrowland Terrace to enjoy your treats.
Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party: Seats and Sweets: With the sweets and seats option, you’ll check in at Tomorrowland Terrace and be led to a table towards the front of the patio. You’ll be able to enjoy your treats and then when the show starts, you’ll stay seated and watch the fireworks right from your table with this exclusive viewing area.
Like staying organized? Consider vacation planning printables – 41 pages of trip planning, including a budget worksheet, guide to characters, trip comparison worksheet, info about the Disney Genie system, daily itineraries, packing checklist, and much more.
Cost of Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties
For the pre-party and the post-party, admission is $99 per adult (ages 10 and up); $59 per child (ages 3 to 9), tax included.
The Seats and Sweets party is slightly more expensive – you pay for the privilege of being able to sit, eat dessert, and sip champagne during the show! Admission is $114 per adult (ages 10 and up); $69 per child (ages 3 to 9), tax included.
Gratuity is not included or required. Theme park admission is required, but it is not included in the price of this event. Theme park reservations are also required (at least until January 9, 2024).
What’s included
The basics of what’s included are desserts/snacks, drinks, and an exclusive, reserved fireworks viewing area.
There is a dessert buffet with a variety of dessert options, usually small/bite sized dessert so you can try a number of different things. They typically throw on a few savory items as well.
You’ll also have a variety of beverages. For those 21+, there are alcoholic beverage options available. They also typically have juice, iced tea, hot tea and coffee, water, etc.
Finally, the reserved viewing area is sectioned off just for those who are attending the dessert party. For the pre or post party, you’ll be led to an area of the hub grass just off to the side of the castle. With Seats and Sweets, you’ll watch the fireworks from your table at Tomorrowland Terrace. Everyone at the parties will get a wristband, so anyone without a wristband is not allowed in these areas.
Booking
When and how to book
You can book your reservation online through the My Disney Experience website. This is considered a “dining event” rather than a restaurant or a dining reservation, so there are some slight differences.
You would book this directly through the page for the fireworks dessert party (and there are different pages for the pre-party, post-party, and Sweets and Seats). It typically opens 60 days ahead of time, but unlike dining reservations you don’t get the “60+10” advantage. In other words, if you want to go the third day of your trip, you’d need to book exactly 60 days before that day and not the day your trip starts.
You cannot book this through the app like with dining reservations. You’ll have to log into the website through the browser on your phone or on a laptop or other device. Booking opens at 6:00am.
Payment and cancellation policies
Your credit card will be charged for the full amount at the time of booking.
There is a 7-day cancellation policy. Full price will be charged/forfeited if the Guest cancels within 7 days or is a “no show” for the reservation.
Officially, Disney says “this experience does not allow modifications once the reservation is confirmed.”
That being said, if it’s more than 7 days ahead of time and there is availability for what you already booked, you can always cancel and rebook. Personally, I would book the new reservation first and then cancel the original one. This could allow you to switch to a different date or change the amount of people on the reservation – just remember that it’s not a guarantee and can only be done if what you want to book is still available.
What happens if it rains
Disney’s officially policy: “Fireworks are not guaranteed as part of this experience; on rare occasions, evening fireworks may be rescheduled or cancelled. Please refer to the entertainment schedule to confirm showtimes 2 weeks prior to your reservation and check again the day of your reservation.”
I will point out that Disney does their absolute best to not cancel fireworks. If it’s raining they will typically still go on – it’s usually only severe thunder and lightning in the area that may prevent the show from happening. If they do have the cancel the fireworks they will often try to still do a projection show on the castle.
While not ideal, my advice is to just go with the flow. As disappointing as it is if there aren’t fireworks, you’re still in Disney with a great view of the castle enjoying a lot of desserts and drinks!
Checking in
When to check in
Disney’s website states that you can check in 90 minutes before the fireworks start time. However, I have now done the party twice and have found they let you check-in much earlier than that. Especially if you’re doing the pre-party, I would recommend getting there earlier to truly get your money’s worth.
The first time around I arrived about 70 minutes early (so 10 minutes before the stated time) and there was quite a long line to check in. Once i was in the dessert area it was clear some people had been there for awhile and were already on round two or three of desserts!
The second time I visited we got there about 90 minutes ahead of time, and they started checking people in around this time. This was a good amount of time in my opinion to take your time and enjoy the desserts and few drinks before going out to get your spot in the reserved fireworks viewing area.
Where to go
No matter which dessert party you’re doing, you’ll check in at Tomorrowland Terrace. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the patio/restaurant area right next to the purple wall in Tomorrowland, just past Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor.
If you’re coming up Main Street, make right once the street ends and you’ve just passed the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. You’ll pass some tables and chairs with yellow umbrellas, a bathroom area, and then keep going and you’ll be at Tomorrowland Terrace.
The check-in experience
When you arrive at Tomorrowland Terrace there will be a check-in stand for the dessert party. Depending on the timing there may be multiple check-in areas for the different parties, so if you’re waiting in line make sure you’re at the right one!
Once you get to the cast member, you’ll give them your name and you receive a wrist band. The color or pattern of the band is different for each of the dessert parties, so they’ll know if you’re doing fireworks first or dessert first (or staying at the Terrace during the fireworks).
If you’re doing the pre-party or Sweets and Seats, a cast member will lead you to your table. They’ll typically give you a quick rundown of what’s available and point out where the buffet and drinks are.
For the post-party you’ll do fireworks first. Depending on what time you’re checking in, you can either go directly to the viewing area or they’ll let you know what time you can start gathering there. If you leave and come back, you just need to make sure to show your wristband.
The sweets
Of course it’s not surprising that a dessert party is all about the sweets! The exact desserts offered have varied depending on the time of year, but they are typically smaller servings so you can try a number of items. There are a few things that seem to always be there, and a few desserts that were different from the first time I visited.
I’m sure the dessert menu will always be subject to change, but here’s what I’ve enjoyed during my time there:
- Cookies n Cream Cheesecake Mousse
- Chocolate Silk Pie
- Butterscotch Pudding with Caramel popcorn
- Caramel Apple Crepe
- Firehouse Doughnuts with Strawberry Topping
- Chilling Chamber Pop
- White Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
- Tres Leche Cupcake
- Devils Chocolate Pudding
- Decorate your own cookie
- Chocolate covered strawberries
Out of the above, to the best of my memory, almost all of these items have been on the dessert buffet when I’ve been there. The only differences I remember: the first party I was at had chocolate covered strawberries and the second did not. The second one had caramel apple crepes which were not there the first time.
Savory snacks
Hopefully you like desserts, because it is a dessert party. Don’t come here looking for savory food or dinner! There are a few options though if you don’t have the biggest sweeet tooth, or need a break from all the sugar:
- Cheese
- Assorted fruit
I know fruit is really more sweet than savory, but compared to the chocolate and everything else above it’s definitely a little bit of a break! They typically have a few different kinds of cubed cheese as well. I rather wish they had some crackers because that would be a great little snack in between desserts.
Drinks
Just like the desserts, unlimited drinks are available at the Magic Kingdom Fireworks dessert party. That does include alcohol, which is typically only available at table service restaurants in Magic Kingdom.
The drinks they’ve had available when I visited included:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Hot chocolate
- Red wine
- White wine
- Champagne
- Beer (2-3 different kinds)
- Iced Tea
- Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- POG juice
- Water
Fireworks viewing experience
Where the exclusive viewing area is
If you’ve booked the pre-party or post party, the viewing area is a sectioned off area of the Plaza Garden. This is also called the “hub grass” by many. If you’ve seen Magic Kingdom during the day, it’s the areas in front of the castle that have larger, open grassy spots.
There are a few different sections of the Plaza Garden, and only one of them is typically reserved for the dessert parties. Both times I’ve done this one it has been the section closest to Tomorrowland Terrace – though I”ve done Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert parties pre-pandemic that have been in other areas, so it’s always subject to change.
If you’re doing Sweets and Seats, you’ll stay in your seats at the Tomorrowland Terrace dessert party. Sometimes cast members will allow people to stand right up by the railing, though I’ve seen some dessert parties where they don’t allow this (so everyone can see while still being seated). Officially, you’ll be expected to stay at your table.
What are the views like?
While you may not be exactly in the center of Main Street, it’s still a pretty excellent view of the castle and the fireworks show. The Plaza Garden viewing is just off to the right side of the castle. Depending on where you are within the garden, there might be a little bit of a tree or speaker in the view, but it’s not too much to really make a difference.
The view from Tomorrowland Terrace is actually, in my opinion, not as good at the Plaza Garden. You’re further off to the side, so some of the fireworks also appear off to the side of the castle instead of directly above it.
That being said, it’s still a really great view that’s a little bit unique, and you don’t have to worry about any major obstacles in your way. Since you have more space you don’t have the risk of someone tall stepping right in front of you, or an adult putting a kid up on their shoulders. It’s much more comfortable here.
How early to get to your fireworks spot
If you’re at Sweets and Seats, you’re already in your fireworks spot! But for the other parties you do have to transition to/from the dessert area. For the pre-party, you’re eating dessert first so you can basically head over to the Plaza Garden whenever you’re ready.
I personally like to spend more time enjoying all of the food and drink, so I only went over to the fireworks viewing spot abotu 15 minutes before showtime. There was still space, of course, but most of it was all the way off to the side.
If you’re doing the post party you will go to the Plaza Garden first, so you don’t have to worry about cutting your dessert time short. If a really great spot closer to the center is important to you, I’d get there at least an hour ahead of showtime.
Keep in mind that the pre-party and post-party guests are in the same reserved viewing area of the Plaza Garden. The post-party guests tend to arrive earlier, which means they may take up some of the “better” spots.
Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party review
I have done this version of the dessert party twice, and about 3 other versions of a fireworks dessert party in Magic Kingdom in the past 10 years. I’ve most recently attended them in January 2023 and October 2021. Both times I did the pre-party.
In October I arrived to check in 90 minutes before the fireworks show, and the check-in line was already super long. I wished I had gotten there sooner, which is what I did in January. That was a much smoother experience and we were seated pretty quickly.
As far as the dessert portion of the night goes, I’ve enjoyed the desserts overall. I love chocolate, but I do wish there were a few more “fruity” dessert options. The highlights for me have been the doughnuts with strawberry topping and the chocolate silk pie.
I really appreciate that they have cheese. Even if it’s pretty standard cheese it’s nice to have that savory option.
And I will admit, since the dessert party is certainly on the more expensive end, I do try to get my money’s worth when it comes to the drinks! I love being able to have a couple of glasses of champagne with dessert. And once I switched to the cheese I had a glass of red wine. It’s not super high quality or anything, but it’s pretty good. If it’s a cooler evening it’s also nice to have a coffee or tea.
I’ve really enjoyed the fireworks viewing area every time I’ve done it (although I haven’t done Sweets and Seats, I did a past dessert party that was seated at Tomorrowland Terrace). Overall I think they are very good views that make for an enjoyable watching experience, if not “perfect.”
I’m also a person who really does not like crowds, and standing around with so many people waiting for fireworks can be a pretty big anxiety-inducer.
One of my biggest pet peeves in the world is when people put their kid up on their shoulders. I understand the child might not be able to see as well, but if you can hold them then hold them on your hip. Putting them up that high blocks the view for everyone behind them – and I’m not only saying that as a “Disney Adult” but also as someone who has seen parents, grandparents, and others with young children who are physically unable to lift their child like that. So you’re blocking the view for those kids even more.
If I want to watch the fireworks I’ll usually find an out of the way place which is not a great view, but it means I don’t have to deal with the rudeness and stress of other people. The dessert party has been a great option when I do want a better experience.
I’m not going to pay for the fireworks dessert party every time I go to Disney, but if I really want to make the fireworks a priority, or if I’m with someone who hasn’t been to Disney in a long time, it’s something I”m definitely going to look into booking.
In the future I’m going to try and book the post-party. I’d like to try that experience to see what I think. It may also be nice not to feel like my dessert-eating is on a timer, and I have to eat quickly in order to get a good fireworks spot.
FAQ
FAQs about the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party
Related Posts
Have you attended the Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party? Would you want to make this part of your vacation?
Leave a Reply