Desserts and fireworks… two of our favorite things at Disney! We just had to try out the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party at Magic Kingdom. Located on the Tomorrrowland Terrace, this is one party we feel is worth the experience.
Our reservation was for 7pm, with the Wishes Nightime Spectacular beginning at 8pm. We arrived at 6:30pm to check-in and to our surprise we were the first people in line. Literally 5 minutes later, a long lined formed behind us. We watched the Cast Members finish their set-up and at roughly 6:55pm they came over to check us in for our 7pm reservation.
The Cast Members were very pleasant and eager to seat the guests. The Cast Member guiding us to our table offered us a glass of apple cider as we followed her to our seats. The cider, which looked like champagne, was tasty and light. The flute glass was plastic which made us rest easy in anticipation that our daughter could easily drop it! The space was dimly lit with the simple glow from the lanterns on each table. The tables were covered with blue linen tablecloths to add to the elegance to the space. The Cast Member gave us a rundown of the evening and suggested we try everything once! She offered a toast that included wishing us a magical evening and we sipped our cider to that.
During the dessert party you are welcome to go to and from the buffet as much as you would like. Since we were the first to be seated, we enjoyed a few quiet moments to take pictures of the delicious spread and take our first round picks. The buffet has two sides, in a mirror fashion (meaning everything is the same on both sides). Some of the food options included chocolate dipped rice crispy treats, white and milk chocolate covered strawberries, tiramisu, cannolis, Oreo Mickey mousse, chocolate cheesecake, peanut butter delights, Tinker Bell and Olaf cupcakes, and some sort of yummy strawberry parfait. We’ll pause for a moment so your mouth can stop watering! Not everything was labeled to show what each treat was but Cast Members were close by if you had any questions.
Our favorite treats were the chocolate dipped rice crispy treats, Oreo Mickey mousse, and the peanut butter delights. Typically, peanut butter options aren’t in our top favorites, but this little delight was heaven! The next best thing was definitely the ice cream stand. A sweet Cast Member stated she was there to make our “ice cream dreams come true”. She scooped vanilla ice cream and offered rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, cherries, chocolate fudge, and whipped cream. Yes please!
We were impressed at the variety of hot and cold beverage options. For cold drinks they had water, fruit punch, lemonade, raspberry lemonade, milk, and unsweet tea. For hot drinks they offered “sipping chocolate” (tasted like a rich hot chocolate – yum!), regular and decaf coffee, and several hot tea selections.
Items we personally didn’t enjoy were the cannolis and the chocolate covered strawberries. The cannolis just simply weren’t our cup of tea. We know you are thinking how can you go wrong with chocolate covered strawberries?! Honestly, it may have just been that night but something was off. The strawberries tasted like they were very processed, like they had a chemical/alcohol taste to them. The chocolate on them was good, but everyone at the table agreed something was strange about the strawberries and they didn’t make it to the plate during round two.
For a no obligation, FREE Quote with new bookings contact our sponsor Magical Vacation Planner by calling: 1(407)442-0289
Or for a free no obligation quote with new bookings you can fill out the form by Clicking HERE!
We are huge dessert lovers, but found ourselves at our max after plate two of treats and one stop at the ice cream stand. The entire table shifted gears to drinking lots of water and milk to wash down the sweetness that was still stinging our pallets. But oh, what a wonderful feeling it was to be full with sweets! It was worth having to go on what we call a “Disney treat diet” the next day. Thankfully, a cheese/crackers and fruit tray was also available on the buffet which was extremely helpful to recover from our sugar rush.
While the setting was elegant and the food was decadent, the environment was surprisingly loud. There were several young children and families running in and out of the tight seating area to access the buffet which made for constant shuffling and talking loudly at one another across the table. We were expecting something more intimate, but were surprised to find the opposite. Don’t expect a quiet experience.
There are several perks to the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party. First, you can see the Celebrate the Magic projection show on the castle beautifully. Second, you have a seat if you need it for the fireworks! We have an 8 month old we took with us (plenty of stroller parking available), and when the fireworks started we could step back from the railing to our seats which we would never be able to do if we were in with the crowds. We also took a family member that recently had knee replacement surgery, and it was reassuring to know that she didn’t have to stand for a long period of time. Third, the fireworks are very clear from the railing which was not overly crowded and Tinker Bell flies right above you… it felt like we could have touched her toes!
Another note – the view of the fireworks is a side view. If you stand in front of the Castle in the hub, or down Main Street you get the full experience of the fireworks going off directly behind the Castle. At the dessert party, the Castle is on the left and most of the fireworks look to obviously be coming from a distant area towards the right. In our opinion, this doesn’t take away the magic of the show, especially when you weigh having to fight crowds for a spot to stand. While the fireworks are taking place, Cast Members are busing tables and when the show ends most plates and drinks have been cleared. You are still welcome to grab a last minute dessert but they do start closing down rather quickly. The Cast Members stand at the exit with their Mickey hands waving goodbye.
The Cast Member’s toast came true, and yes, it was a magical experience and worth the money in our opinion. Would we splurge for the party every trip? No. Would we splurge if the timing was right and the group we were with would benefit from it? Most definitely!
F.A.S.T. Review:
Food: Excellent selection to meet all taste preferences and rich with sweetness. Variety of cheese/crackers and fruit help clear the sugar rush. Ice cream stand is a must do! Great selection of hot/cold beverages.
Atmosphere: Beautiful, elegant glow provided by the lanterns but the noise level doesn’t seem to match the setting. Overall atmosphere is loud and exciting until the fireworks start, then a quiet comes over the terrace.
Service: Fantastic Cast Members are very helpful, pleasant, and efficient.
Tips: Arrive early so you can enjoy treats without having to stand in line. Be prepared to stand at the railing to see the fireworks as you can’t see everything from your seat. A tip from our 7-year-old: Stand towards the right side railing area so you can be right under where Tinker Bell flies!
(Dined 11/6/15)