The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is home to two very similar fireworks dessert parties during its normal operating schedule – the Tommorowland Terrace party and the very similar Plaza Garden party. What’s the difference between these two parties? More importantly, are they worth it?
In September of 2017, we decided to celebrate during our visit to the Magic Kingdom and booked the Plaza Garden party. We were told to arrive a little over an hour before the scheduled fireworks time and check-in at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. It’s worth noting that this is where you check-in for either dessert party located on the Terrace.
We were escorted to a table under the Terrace (note that the Terrace party has reserved tables near the railing, while the Plaza Garden group is tucked well within the area) and given a quick overview of the desserts and drinks.
If you’re wondering, both dessert parties had identical food and drinks.
Food
If you love sweets, this is the event for you. The desserts were very sweet and very plentiful. Keep in mind these are subject to change, but the list below was what we enjoyed late last year.
- Themed cupcakes (Chocolate cake with purple icing and an edible chocolate Happily Ever After logo and a red velvet cupcake)
- Mini cheesecake brownie bites (A personal favorite)
- Chocolate marshmallow tarts (Think miniature s’more)
- Macarons
- Chocolate-covered strawberries
- Strawberry tarts (These were shortbread with some icing and a strawberry slice)
- Mickey Oreos (As simple as it sounds, this Oreo topped with cookies and cream icing and chocolate ears was delicious)
- Chocolate almond cake
- Pineapple delight (Think of this as a deconstructed Dole Whip)
- Decorate your own cookie (Hugely popular with kids)
- Vanilla ice cream with toppings
- “Kid’s Kabobs” … think fondue, with kid-friendly items and chocolate sauce
Beyond the list of sweet items above, there was also a table with cheese and some fruit.
Overall, there was a decent mix of items. They were all served buffet style, encouraging guests to try a bit of everything.
Drinks
Sparkling cider is provided in champagne flutes as you walk in. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, so make sure you grab one if you’re interested.
There was also:
- Water
- POG Juice (Passion/Orange/Guava Juice)
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Lemonade
- Milk
- Iced tea (unsweetened)
- Coffee
- Decaf Coffee
- Hot water for tea
- Hot cocoa
Fireworks
So, what about the fireworks? The viewing location is the one that used to be available for FastPass reservations, seen circled below, just a short walk from the Tomorrowland Terrance.
Even if you’re not a big fan of sweets, the reserved spot for Happily Ever After may be worth the price of admission on its own. You are escorted to this area whenever you’re ready, but don’t feel the need to rush over unless you’re extremely picky about your spot. The party isn’t overbooked, so you’ll have plenty of room to spread out. Kids loved the ability to run around and burns off some of that sugar.
There are some poles and plants that may impact your view, but there’s lots of room to adjust your angle before the show begins.
With Happily Ever After still drawing huge crowds, particularly on the weekends, it’s nice to be able to take your time and leisurely walk into a prime viewing location rather than camping out a spot for upwards of an hour.
Overall Thoughts
We really enjoyed the fireworks dessert party. We opted for the more affordable party (the one with plaza viewing seen on the map above) and we didn’t regret our decision. The viewing area for the cheaper party seemed to be the better deal.
The desserts were a mix of good, too sweet and mediocre, but that’s expected when you’re talking about these types of events. There was a great variety of drinks, but the combination of sparking cider with some of the desserts was a great recipe for an upset stomach.
The real star of the show here is the guaranteed viewing spot for Happily Ever After. The space (both in terms of how you can see the show and the elbow room) were almost worth the price of the event on its own.
This is a fun way to celebrate a special event. We won’t splurge for this every time we come to Disney World, but we would definitely revisit it in the future during the Magic Kingdom’s busiest times.
