MK "Happily Ever After" Dessert Party (Parties) Discussion

[kat_lh]

Full after party review with some photos.

We went on 10/10 to the HEA after party. Touring Plans had predicted a crowd level of 6 and it turned out to be a 9. It absolutely felt like a 9. Like @cakebaker mentioned above, when ISAW has an hour long wait, you know it's crowded.

At 6:35 (which I know because I sent my husband a text), I was meeting up with my family at the 3:00 o'clock spoke of the Hub. I actually stopped and asked two CMs to confirm the fireworks were at 9 because people were already staking out spots, ropes were being set up and CMs were out directing traffic.

Our family of five, me, hubs, and three kids, 10, 8, and 4, attended. We had no dinner reservations and this was our second time back in the MK that day. Previously, we left after the Festival of Fantasy parade, went back to the Poly and took a massive nap. We went back to MK about 6ish, did Buzz and Speedway with FP and then headed over to the party to check in at 8:10. We were given our bands very quickly, told to head over to the garden, take our time coming back if we wanted to wait for the crowd to die down and then we would check in again at the podium inside the restaurant.

We parked our stroller there so we wouldn't have to deal with it in the garden and then followed another family and a CM to go into the garden.

This was the crowd at 8:14. We found a spot at the center back up against the rail.

8:24 - still room around the photographer but it was starting to fill in.

It downpoured earlier that afternoon, so we brought towels with us to sit on in case it was wet (it wasn't.) The towels were nice however in staking out our space, which was great because the kids could run about a little bit and we didn't have to worry about saving their spaces for them. Also the towels were good because the top of the back rail was wet and so we wiped it off. If you're in a group, and don't want to just sit still, bring a blanket or something for establishing your space, so to speak. Everyone coming in was coming in and sitting down right away which was nice and even though it was crowded, gave it a relaxed feel. Also, bring a backpack with you so you have something to rest against if you aren't able to get a seat along the railing. Oh, and teaching your kids old fashioned clapping games is a great way to pass the time (and probably annoy your neighbors. Sorry neighbors, at least you know all the verses to "A sailor went to sea, sea, sea" now.)

Around 8:40, the right side of the garden became noticeably more crowded than the east side of the garden. There was a definite bottle neck of ECVs. If you could step through, it was a good deal more clear on the west side of the garden. Don't be afraid to use the flashlight on your phone to help you find a path to a clear area. Several people were sitting on black trashbags which made it almost impossible to see where to go.

At 9, everyone stood up when the show started. The family next to me was surprised (we had briefly chatted before) that you'd be standing, so yeah, go in expecting to stand up, and if you can sit, it's a bonus. The towels came in handy as we used them as a cushion and my 8 year old was able to sit on top of the rail. I did have to hold (my husband and I switched off) the 4 year old so he could see. The 10 year old (who is very very short for her age) probably would have appreciated a boost of some sort but she never complained about standing.

Our view. Pretty freaking amazing if you ask me.

So after the show, we sat back down for roughly 10-15 minutes. (I took a picture of my son at 8:31 waiting for food so we were over at the Terrace by then.) Crowds cleared out very quickly as they had the bypass open. The CM when we checked in told us to take our time coming back over so we took her at her word.

Now begins the party where I just fell in love with this event. It's entirely possible that we got the best CMs ever and hit everyone on an amazing day, but it was just so great. First of all, we had the absolute best and happiest and nicest CMs ever. Everyone single person we came in contact with was smiling and greeting us and just seemed really happy to be there.

The CM who was escorting us to our table showed us around the setup and told us several times to help ourselves to as much as we wanted, etc etc. She found a round table for six and sat us at it and put the reserved sign on the table. There was a small line so we just grabbed some drinks for ourselves while the line died down (and by line, I mean less than 10 people.)

This was a sold out after party as far as I could tell (that morning, I could only find a ticket for one person, not two, so I guess that's pretty sold out.) However, it never ever felt sold out at the Terrace. There were empty tables around us the whole night.

Our view at 9:40

My (first) plate. The cheeseburger spring rolls, secret sauce, macaroon, cheesecake bite and pineapple something. The other savory option was cheese, crackers and the spinach dip.

The macaroons were unexpectedly great.

These were mediocre, but when feeding children that late at night, all the cared about was the amount of sugar per bite, so they were happy. LOL.

This was the buffet at 10:04 - fully restocked. They did an amazing job of keeping the food out and full.

A little unexpected thing that made me happy - these were the prettiest extra bands we had during our whole stay! Don't worry @GADisneyDad14 - I'm not still wearing it!

The other unexpected thing that made me super happy - they had iced coffee! We closed the park down at 1 a.m. so that iced coffee came in very handy!

I've seen others ask about this, so I'll mention it. You apparently can see some/most of OUAT if you get to the railing and lean over. There were several people who watched it this way and given the fact that there were empty tables, some folks seated further back had no issue walking up to the railing to watch it. It's certainly not an ideal view, but you can see it. Of course, you could stay in the garden and watch it and for this party at least, there was plenty of food still left afterwards.

We left around 10:15 to start enjoying EMH which were from 11pm-1am. I didn't (foolishly) bring any containers with me but we did have our popcorn bucket so I took some rice krispie treats and cookies to go with us. I asked the CMs and they said "oh yes, please help yourself" so they have no issue with you taking things to go.

In hindsight, this ended up being our second favorite separately charged event that we did during our vacation, behind TSL EMM and before the Star Wars dessert party, FOLK dinner package and MK EMM. Going in to it, we didn't expect it to rate so high but the crowd level (being more crowded than expected) and the amount of the food and relaxed atmosphere really bumped this up for us in value.

I would do this again in heartbeat, especially if I knew it was an above 7 crowd level at MK. I would book the after party if MK had extended closing hours because this was a great way to pass the time and let the crowds clear out. I don't know if I would book the after party if MK closed soon after the fireworks because you'd miss low crowd times to ride rides (if that's important to you. If that's not important to you, then book the after party and leave the park in a leisurely manner.)

I'd also book the after party if it was going to be crowded and I was using an ECV or needed to take a stroller into the garden with me. You'd have plenty of time to find a good spot without being stuck wherever you could find space. Just my personality, if I'd booked the before party, I'd spend the whole time worrying all the good seats would be gone in the garden and I'd feel rushed to get over there and possibly miss out on fully enjoying the food. (But that may just be my personality.)

I think MK is just so crowded these days and even if you aren't on chat boards about Disney, word gets out about these extra events and I just don't see crowd levels dropping anytime soon. I think the after party adds a lot of extra value in certain circumstances that the before party doesn't offer.

All in all, this was a great add on our for our family and I'm very glad that we did it.

 

[kat_lh]

And because I haven't used enough words, ha, some comparisons between the Star Wars party and the HEA party if you are trying to choose between the two.

Star Wars Party benefits

• Food quality was much better
• The price includes alcoholic beverages (and not just one!)
• Includes character interactions with the Storm Troopers (although not guaranteed)
• The meet and greet with Kylo Ren which basically acts like a fast pass)
• The keepsake stein
• Lanyard over a wrist band (I dunno, that might matter to some people)

HEA After Party benefits

• More space during the party time. SW felt like we were on top of each other.
• The after party was relaxed and not rushed. It felt like we could have stayed for a while and not been hurried out. With SW, you've got a limited time to meet characters, eat, drink and leave before the show starts.
• The ability to get out of the insanity of MK crowds
• An amazing view of the show. We spent four nights at MK and glimpses of the show from other areas of the park just don't do it justice because of all the projections. Having a front row spot for SW:AGS was amazing but not as necessary as it is at MK.

 

[kat_lh]

I'm curious to your reasoning on this. I booked the after-party on January 6, 2019, specifically because it's an 8:00 HEA and an 8:00 closing. Based on the historical hours on WDWInfo, the first full Sunday in January held onto those times, so I'm presuming this won't be any different. Basically, the hours are unlikely to change.

I wanted the after party so I can go to the dessert area and sit back while everyone else is leaving the park. This is also why I had asked, before, on how late I can check in. I didn't want to spend that last open hour eating while the wait times for attractions were shrinking.

Because a lot of people use the last few minutes of opening to grab a spot in line for a ride. You lose that if you're at the party. In our case, fireworks were at 9, closing at 11, and EMH from 11pm-1am. If you didn't have access to EMH, you'd spend an hour of low crowd time eating desserts instead of riding rides. Just depends on what's important to you. If you want to leave without being in the mass of humanity, an after party when fireworks are at closing are a great way to do that.

 

[kat_lh]

I guess this is the part that has me a bit worried. We’ll have either a wheelchair or ECV. Lots of people seem to be saying there’s plenty of room once everybody stands up but until that time how do I maneuver in? Last time we did it I was able to park on the left side in the back and that was without going out early. Now it sounds like there could be somewhat of a traffic jam at the garden entrance.

Based just on what I saw on a heavy, heavy crowd night, if you can and it works with your schedule, do the after party. You're almost assured a prime ECV spot doing it that way. If it looks to be low crowds, I think you'd be okay to do the before party. This was a double sold out party and a crowd level of 9 so it's entirely possible my experience was the exception rather than the rule.

 

[kat_lh]

Thanks for the input! I keep checking for the after party, but it is sold out (and 10 is probably impossible to get if people do cancel). I am sure we will be fine, it is just me stressing since I raved about the party last year and talked everyone into doing it this year.

If prime viewing is your priority - split up. Have five people stake out spots for the first half of the party while the other half eats, then switch. And don't forget to go containers so you can take things and enjoy them in the garden.

 

[CJN]

Based just on what I saw on a heavy, heavy crowd night, if you can and it works with your schedule, do the after party. You're almost assured a prime ECV spot doing it that way. If it looks to be low crowds, I think you'd be okay to do the before party. This was a double sold out party and a crowd level of 9 so it's entirely possible my experience was the exception rather than the rule.

Thank you so much for this. I expect our night to be a heavy crowd night, too, so the after party sounds much better for our circumstances.....except I love sitting in the garden, waiting to see OUAT. That’s the one drawback.

 

[kat_lh]

Thank you so much for this. I expect our night to be a heavy crowd night, too, so the after party sounds much better for our circumstances.....except I love sitting in the garden, waiting to see OUAT. That’s the one drawback.

Again, based on what I saw, you should have plenty of time to sit and watch OUAT and then go grab desserts. We didn’t leave until after 10 pm and they weren’t cleaning up. Also, crowds had really died down so you wouldn’t have problems leaving the restaurant and heading over to see it and then coming back

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

So I have the before party reserved for Spring break, but wondering if I should switch to after. Last time we did this, we made the silly mistake of attempting to leave after, sea of humanity...
My question:
I know we can take the stroller into the garden (We will have both my GSs age 9 months and 2 in March), I am wondering if they fall asleep during the fireworks, will they allow us to take the stroller into the Terrace for the after party?
That would be the deal breaker, because alteast with the before party they should be awake, and then we could put them in the stroller for the fireworks.
Did anyone notice strollers in the after party at all?

Thanks @kat_lh for all your reviews! I am planning about the same extras you did for our trip in March, so reading all your experiences is very helpful!

 

[amiskell28]

Full after party review with some photos.....All in all, this was a great add on our for our family and I'm very glad that we did it.

OK - your review came at the PERFECT time for me.

I literally just today switched our before party to the after party. We're going in February, staying at the Poly, and we have dinner reservations at 4:15. Not only did I think we'd be too full for the before party, I am like you - it would drive me batty to watch the garden fill up and I would rush us through the eating and it wouldn't be relaxed. Plus, I figure we'd hang out for 15-30 minutes after the fireworks just waiting for the crowds to let up - might as well be eating!

A note for those thinking of switching: not trusting the website fully, and since it was prepaid, I called Disney to make the switch. While the CM I was speaking to was nice, it took me fully 5 minutes of explaining that I wanted the AFTER dessert party with seating in the GARDEN before she understood that I didn't want the party where you sit over at the Terrace. It was pretty comical, but we eventually got it figured out.

Oh, and I was charged again, since I had to cancel the before party and book the after party. Anyone know how long it'll take to see a refund on my debit/credit card? The CM had no clue, and told me to call in a week if the money isn't back in my account.

 

[Ijohnson1987]

Hey everybody! I’ve got the before party booked with garden viewing on 11/28. How early are they letting you in the Dessert party? The time listed on MDE is 7:30 and the fireworks start at 9 that night.
Thanks!

 

[Shellee999]

I have the before party booked. I have been checking for availability for the after party, but it's a sold out night, so I'm not sure that's going to work out.

I have a question assuming I end up sticking with the before party. The fireworks are at 9 and the park's hours were just extended to 10. From that location, where should I go to make the most of the end of the night?

 

[Lisa F]

Full after party review with some photos.

We went on 10/10 to the HEA after party. Touring Plans had predicted a crowd level of 6 and it turned out to be a 9. It absolutely felt like a 9. Like @cakebaker mentioned above, when ISAW has an hour long wait, you know it's crowded.

At 6:35 (which I know because I sent my husband a text), I was meeting up with my family at the 3:00 o'clock spoke of the Hub. I actually stopped and asked two CMs to confirm the fireworks were at 9 because people were already staking out spots, ropes were being set up and CMs were out directing traffic.

Our family of five, me, hubs, and three kids, 10, 8, and 4, attended. We had no dinner reservations and this was our second time back in the MK that day. Previously, we left after the Festival of Fantasy parade, went back to the Poly and took a massive nap. We went back to MK about 6ish, did Buzz and Speedway with FP and then headed over to the party to check in at 8:10. We were given our bands very quickly, told to head over to the garden, take our time coming back if we wanted to wait for the crowd to die down and then we would check in again at the podium inside the restaurant.

We parked our stroller there so we wouldn't have to deal with it in the garden and then followed another family and a CM to go into the garden.

This was the crowd at 8:14. We found a spot at the center back up against the rail.

8:24 - still room around the photographer but it was starting to fill in.

It downpoured earlier that afternoon, so we brought towels with us to sit on in case it was wet (it wasn't.) The towels were nice however in staking out our space, which was great because the kids could run about a little bit and we didn't have to worry about saving their spaces for them. Also the towels were good because the top of the back rail was wet and so we wiped it off. If you're in a group, and don't want to just sit still, bring a blanket or something for establishing your space, so to speak. Everyone coming in was coming in and sitting down right away which was nice and even though it was crowded, gave it a relaxed feel. Also, bring a backpack with you so you have something to rest against if you aren't able to get a seat along the railing. Oh, and teaching your kids old fashioned clapping games is a great way to pass the time (and probably annoy your neighbors. Sorry neighbors, at least you know all the verses to "A sailor went to sea, sea, sea" now.)

Around 8:40, the right side of the garden became noticeably more crowded than the east side of the garden. There was a definite bottle neck of ECVs. If you could step through, it was a good deal more clear on the west side of the garden. Don't be afraid to use the flashlight on your phone to help you find a path to a clear area. Several people were sitting on black trashbags which made it almost impossible to see where to go.

At 9, everyone stood up when the show started. The family next to me was surprised (we had briefly chatted before) that you'd be standing, so yeah, go in expecting to stand up, and if you can sit, it's a bonus. The towels came in handy as we used them as a cushion and my 8 year old was able to sit on top of the rail. I did have to hold (my husband and I switched off) the 4 year old so he could see. The 10 year old (who is very very short for her age) probably would have appreciated a boost of some sort but she never complained about standing.

Our view. Pretty freaking amazing if you ask me.

So after the show, we sat back down for roughly 10-15 minutes. (I took a picture of my son at 8:31 waiting for food so we were over at the Terrace by then.) Crowds cleared out very quickly as they had the bypass open. The CM when we checked in told us to take our time coming back over so we took her at her word.

Now begins the party where I just fell in love with this event. It's entirely possible that we got the best CMs ever and hit everyone on an amazing day, but it was just so great. First of all, we had the absolute best and happiest and nicest CMs ever. Everyone single person we came in contact with was smiling and greeting us and just seemed really happy to be there.

The CM who was escorting us to our table showed us around the setup and told us several times to help ourselves to as much as we wanted, etc etc. She found a round table for six and sat us at it and put the reserved sign on the table. There was a small line so we just grabbed some drinks for ourselves while the line died down (and by line, I mean less than 10 people.)

This was a sold out after party as far as I could tell (that morning, I could only find a ticket for one person, not two, so I guess that's pretty sold out.) However, it never ever felt sold out at the Terrace. There were empty tables around us the whole night.

Our view at 9:40

My (first) plate. The cheeseburger spring rolls, secret sauce, macaroon, cheesecake bite and pineapple something. The other savory option was cheese, crackers and the spinach dip.

The macaroons were unexpectedly great.

These were mediocre, but when feeding children that late at night, all the cared about was the amount of sugar per bite, so they were happy. LOL.

This was the buffet at 10:04 - fully restocked. They did an amazing job of keeping the food out and full.

A little unexpected thing that made me happy - these were the prettiest extra bands we had during our whole stay! Don't worry @GADisneyDad14 - I'm not still wearing it!

The other unexpected thing that made me super happy - they had iced coffee! We closed the park down at 1 a.m. so that iced coffee came in very handy!

I've seen others ask about this, so I'll mention it. You apparently can see some/most of OUAT if you get to the railing and lean over. There were several people who watched it this way and given the fact that there were empty tables, some folks seated further back had no issue walking up to the railing to watch it. It's certainly not an ideal view, but you can see it. Of course, you could stay in the garden and watch it and for this party at least, there was plenty of food still left afterwards.

We left around 10:15 to start enjoying EMH which were from 11pm-1am. I didn't (foolishly) bring any containers with me but we did have our popcorn bucket so I took some rice krispie treats and cookies to go with us. I asked the CMs and they said "oh yes, please help yourself" so they have no issue with you taking things to go.

In hindsight, this ended up being our second favorite separately charged event that we did during our vacation, behind TSL EMM and before the Star Wars dessert party, FOLK dinner package and MK EMM. Going in to it, we didn't expect it to rate so high but the crowd level (being more crowded than expected) and the amount of the food and relaxed atmosphere really bumped this up for us in value.

I would do this again in heartbeat, especially if I knew it was an above 7 crowd level at MK. I would book the after party if MK had extended closing hours because this was a great way to pass the time and let the crowds clear out. I don't know if I would book the after party if MK closed soon after the fireworks because you'd miss low crowd times to ride rides (if that's important to you. If that's not important to you, then book the after party and leave the park in a leisurely manner.)

I'd also book the after party if it was going to be crowded and I was using an ECV or needed to take a stroller into the garden with me. You'd have plenty of time to find a good spot without being stuck wherever you could find space. Just my personality, if I'd booked the before party, I'd spend the whole time worrying all the good seats would be gone in the garden and I'd feel rushed to get over there and possibly miss out on fully enjoying the food. (But that may just be my personality.)

I think MK is just so crowded these days and even if you aren't on chat boards about Disney, word gets out about these extra events and I just don't see crowd levels dropping anytime soon. I think the after party adds a lot of extra value in certain circumstances that the before party doesn't offer.

All in all, this was a great add on our for our family and I'm very glad that we did it.

Thanks for the awesome, detailed review. I said I'd never do dessert parties again because i'm always rushing for a good spot but the after party is a game changer in how this event feels to me. I booked it for the sunday of MLK weekend as I expect the MK to be quite crowded. Will be alone with my 10 year old. Last year park was open til 11pm, HEA is scheduled for 8pm. I think I'm gonna enjoy this a lot more than the last time where I had a great spot but was eating macarons out of our popcorn bucket while sitting in the garden.

 

[Amy11401]

When we first booked the after party fireworks were scheduled for 9:00 and the park was set to close at 9:00 so I was happy we would not be missing anytime in the park after fireworks. Since then they extended the hours to 10:00. We are a little disappointed but still plan on keeping the after party.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

Hi,
So I have a few questions about the after party. I have booked the Plaza Garden FW party for 2/10 and after reading this, I'm strongly thinking I should switch to the after party. (ADRs are still available, at this moment)
How late did you finish the party? Could we possibly be back to CR by around 10 pm, if I seitch my ADR? We will have a pre schooler with us. I don't want to rush anyone in our group when desserting (cool new word, lol) but I am a little concerned with our little guy.
Food is actually not any part of my equation, but I'm absolutely sure DH will be very upset if I try to take a peanut butter/chocolate confection away from him. We are not looking to go to any other attractions from there.
It sounds far more pleasant than the pre fireworks.
What are your collective thoughts?
TIA

 

[Cluelyss]

All this talk about how awesome the after party is got me itching to switch from before to after...only to find out there’s one remaining opening for the after party my night (and before is sold out)....so I guess we’re going to get to experience a double sell out here soon....blech

 

[GADisneyDad14]

OK - your review came at the PERFECT time for me.

I literally just today switched our before party to the after party. We're going in February, staying at the Poly, and we have dinner reservations at 4:15. Not only did I think we'd be too full for the before party, I am like you - it would drive me batty to watch the garden fill up and I would rush us through the eating and it wouldn't be relaxed. Plus, I figure we'd hang out for 15-30 minutes after the fireworks just waiting for the crowds to let up - might as well be eating!

A note for those thinking of switching: not trusting the website fully, and since it was prepaid, I called Disney to make the switch. While the CM I was speaking to was nice, it took me fully 5 minutes of explaining that I wanted the AFTER dessert party with seating in the GARDEN before she understood that I didn't want the party where you sit over at the Terrace. It was pretty comical, but we eventually got it figured out.

Oh, and I was charged again, since I had to cancel the before party and book the after party. Anyone know how long it'll take to see a refund on my debit/credit card? The CM had no clue, and told me to call in a week if the money isn't back in my account.

This is more dependent on your credit card company than it is on Disney. For me, when I cancel pre-paid reservations I usually get a credit back within 2-3 days (I get notifications via e-mail setup with my CC company when I get a credit).

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I have the before party booked. I have been checking for availability for the after party, but it's a sold out night, so I'm not sure that's going to work out.

I have a question assuming I end up sticking with the before party. The fireworks are at 9 and the park's hours were just extended to 10. From that location, where should I go to make the most of the end of the night?

Fireworks are around 18 mins, so round up to 20 by the time you stand up, get your things, head out of the garden. The easiest thing to do is to head towards Tomorrowland. Something (usually) walk-on like PeopleMover is a frequent destination for us. Just keep in mind you're not moving anywhere fast outside the garden right after the show - so just hang on tight and go for it.

Keep in mind a lot of other people are flooding back into the park and getting in line for rides too... so I usually like to stay pretty observant/flexible and make judgement calls based on what I see. Posted wait times may/may not be accurate with the big influx of people potentially getting in line, so sometimes you have to make an educated guess based on conditions.

 

[cakebaker]

No you're right! I just went back and looked and they predicted a 3 resort wide and it was a 6.

I was going to say, if they called that a 3, they need to find another line of work. I’ve been to WDW dozens of times. I’ve been there during holidays and summers and I know a crowded park when I’m in it. Wednesday was a 9, no question about it. My daughter was there today and by her description, it’s just as bad today. I’ll be back there tomorrow and if the lack of available fp’s is any indication, it’s going to be another jam packed day. The MK has been exceedingly frustrating to visit this trip. Not sure what it is, but this crowd rivals any crowd I’ve ever dealt with.

 

[1437disney]

thanks to everyone who responded to my crazy posts and worries. I switched our night to watch HEA and was able to book the after party for all 10 of us! Now we can be together and enjoy our desserts too!

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

This is more dependent on your credit card company than it is on Disney. For me, when I cancel pre-paid reservations I usually get a credit back whiten 2-3 days (I get notifications via e-mail setup with my CC company when I get a credit).

That's good to know! My cc is connected with my credit union and they are really quick to respond. I thought it was all about Disney with how long it would take to post . I'm basically just moving Disney money around anyway. I spend, replenish, then spend again when planning my trips. (Wow, that sounds pretty scary when I read it back, lol)