A Sweet Spot for a Sweet Show
“Happily
Ever After” replaced “Wishes” as Magic Kingdom’s nighttime spectacular on May
12, 2017. The new show still contains
plenty of amazing fireworks; however, the majority of the story is shown via
projections on Cinderella’s castle.
While “Wishes” could be enjoyed from virtually anywhere in the park, the
projections make Main Street and the Hub prime viewing locations for “Happily
Ever After.” This also makes Main Street
and the Hub even more crowded than it was during the “Wishes” era, especially
since the show is new to the majority of guests on any given night, and
everyone is searching for the perfect spot to enjoy “Happily Ever After” for
the first time. Spots in the Hub and along Main Street are often claimed up to
2 hours before the start of the show, and the area surrounding the front of the
castle is full 60 minutes prior (not that this means guests won’t still try to
force their way in, so be prepared to hold your ground if you are one of the
lucky ones that grabbed a prime location in advance!).
So what if
standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of strangers for an hour plus
isn’t your idea of a fun way to end your day?
What if you have small children that you don’t want to have an
obstructed view when an adult pushes their way in front of them at the last
minute? What if you’d prefer to sit for
the hour before the start of the show instead of fighting to hold onto your 1-square-foot
area of Main Street real estate? Then
consider one of Magic Kingdom’s fireworks dessert parties! Disney offers two versions of this party on
regular park nights – the Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace and
the Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing. While the two events are similar, they differ
in price, location and view.
The dessert
party at the Tomorrowland Terrace will run you $79 per adult and $47 per child,
including tax. Seating at this event is
first come, first served, and your table will be your seat for both the dessert
portion of the party as well as during the fireworks. The best tables are those right up against
the terrace railing; the closer to the back of the terrace you get, the more
centered your view will be. Note that
several tables will have obstructed views due to the overhang above, so it’s
worth arriving early to have your pick of tables.
The dessert
party with garden viewing has a slightly lower price point, at $59 per adult
and $35 per child, including tax. In
this version, you enjoy your desserts at the terrace in the hour leading up to
the fireworks, but then move down to the Plaza Gardens to watch the show. For those of you that remember when “Wishes”
used to offer a FastPass+ reserved viewing area, this is one of the two gardens
that was available. The area in front of
Casey’s Corner is now open to the public, while the area in front of the Plaza
is reserved for the dessert party guests.
The dessert
options for both parties are identical, though those with garden viewing have a
separate buffet and seating area on the upper level of the terrace. Guests are welcome to enjoy desserts from
either buffet, but those with garden viewing are not permitted to take terrace
tables from those that have reserved that view.
Drink selections include sparkling cider, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and
lemonade. The dessert options include a
variety of brownies and cupcakes, in addition to ice cream and a
create-your-own-cookie station. There
are also trays of cheeses and fruits for guests who prefer more savory or
healthy options.
Once the
garden view guests have had their fill of desserts, they return to the check in
podium to be escorted to the reserved viewing area. While there is no “set” time that you must
move to the garden, I’d recommend arriving no later than 15 minutes prior to
the start of the show to ensure you are settled before it begins. The area opens around an hour in advance,
though there is no need to arrive that early unless you are searching for a
perfect spot to record or photograph the show.
There are truly no bad views from the garden (though do be conscious of
light posts and speakers that may slightly obstruct your view if you are
directly behind one). And note that you
cannot take your desserts “to go” from the terrace, so make sure you’ve had your
fill before you move to the garden!
So now that
you’ve decided desserts and a reserved viewing area sounds like a much more
enjoyable way to experience “Happily Ever After” than being part of the Main
Street mob scene, which option do you select?
This is truly a personal decision, and depends on several factors, such
as how much you are willing to spend, if having a seat is important to you, and
what view you prefer. My family opted
for the garden viewing, and here’s why:
First, the price was a bit easier to swallow. While the desserts were delicious (and
plentiful), we certainly didn’t consume $188-worth of snacks! You are definitely paying for your view, and
with how projection-based “Happily Ever After” is, my opinion is that the view
from the garden is far superior to the view from the terrace. Having done the terrace dessert party for
Wishes in the past, I’ve never cared for the view up there. The fireworks are slightly off-center and to
the side, and in many areas there are trees that obstruct the front of the
castle (which would interfere with your view of the projections). I also hated having to show up even earlier
than the posted check in time to get a “good” seat. Part of the reason we do the dessert parties
is to avoid having to hold a spot for 2+ hours, and this advantage is negated
with the terrace option. While it is
nice to have a seat at the end of a long day, the night we did the dessert
party, nearly everyone in the garden remained seated for the duration of the
show. And those that did choose to
stand, the majority stood at the back so as not to block the views of those
sitting behind them. So having a seat
isn’t necessarily exclusive to the terrace version. However, with the terrace version you do not
have to relocate for the show, and can continue to enjoy your desserts while “Happily
Ever After” is going on. You are also
welcome to linger after the show while the crowds below clear, which is also a
nice perk. You can choose to linger in
the gardens, as well, but the area ceases to be reserved at the conclusion of
the show.
While you
won’t go wrong with either option if your goal is a reserved, non-crowded way
to enjoy the fireworks, I do feel that the best views of the new show are from
the garden. But both parties are a sweet
way to end your day at Magic Kingdom – and provide you with your very own
“Happily Ever After.”
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