Changes/updates are coming fast and furious today. If they bring back DDP I might have to downgrade the resort. I love me some signature dining and prefer to pay upfront. There’s no way I’m getting the $29 oxtail soup at Monsieur Paul’s if I have to reach into my wallet to pay for it. 
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Best thing we ever did was a private fireworks cruise for MK. You can have up to 10 people and I think it about $300 plus tip. FAR less expensive per person than a dessert party and SO amazing.
Before the fireworks we had a tour of all the MK waterways with lovely backstories about River Country, Discovery Island, and the shoe tree. We then anchored with an amazing front row seat for the Electric Water Pageant. The music for both the pageant and fireworks is played on the boat
When it was time for the fireworks, the boat was anchored with a perfect view of the railroad station and the castle slightly to one side. The fireworks went off, the train would go by, and then the monorail …I felt like we were in the middle of a WDW commercial!
I don’t think I would ever pay for a dessert party if I had more than 3-4 people, and even with less I would think twice because the cruise was just that amazing of an experience!
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Wow, I’ve never seen/heard of this and it sounds delightful!!! 
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We’ve done both MK and EP fireworks cruises and they are well worth the cost, especially if you can team up with people you know and share the cost. We did them in the early 2000’s for Wishes and Illuminations with a lovely couple from the UK that we knew from another Disney group. They provide basic snacks and drinks and you can have specialty items like birthday cakes delivered to have on the cruise.
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It was!!
I actually had tears in my eyes while watching the fireworks it was just that good.
The cruise includes bottled water and canned sodas as well as some bagged snacks (potato chips, etc). You can pay extra for event decorations, or catered food. We did this the night before my dd’s 17th birthday and the extras were far too $$$$ for me so we had dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe and then walked out and met the pontoon boat at the GF dock. You can arrange to meet the boat at any of the MK area resorts.
They also do EPCOT fireworks cruises, but I felt it was easier to get a good spot to watch at EPCOT so we opted for MK instead. The EPCOT cruises watch from behind the UK/France bridge and are not in the actual lagoon.
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Agree! Those cruises are amazing and the right way to go with a group of more than 3 people.
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If I remember correctly, our MK cruise sailed from the Poly, and the Illuminations cruise from the Boardwalk or Beach Club. We had a cake for that one bc it was Dh’s birthday and it came from the Boardwalk Bakery.
So you could see the projections?
If you have 2 young kids that need car seats, then that is hard to make work in a taxi or typical ride share.
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No projections, but full fireworks and sound is piped in.
We cruised out of WL both times and that was great bc we could enjoy Geyser Point before and after.
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Not in great detail as we were pretty far away from the castle, but we could see them.
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Now that the physical distancing is going away, when will we see attractions, shows, dining, etc. re-open that were being used as extra queue space for stand by lines.
Monsters Inc, Columbia Harbor House at MK , Mermaid and Beauty & Beast shows at HS
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I read the Beauty and the Beast cm were called back this past week.
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YES. I want Columbia Harbour House back!!!
I’m sure it’s going to be dependant on staffing, unfortunately. Hopefully at least some of them (COLUMBIA HARBOUR HOUSE) will be open by my August trip.
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Saw a report on another forum that Casey’s Corner and Main Street Ice Cream are starting training next week. They have started prep work for reopening.
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Okay so keeping track today we have got:
Fireworks return to MK and EPCOT
AKL is re-opening
Let’s see what tomorrow brings
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Thought of your prediction when I saw the flurries of reopening news today.
Yes, let’s keep an end-of-the- day news summary
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They’ve taken off spacing markers, removed plexiglass… Have they stopped lining ppl up at the stores? Are all the doors now open? There’s more I was thinking of but has now slipped my mind. Looking fwd to next week’s adventure into the world to see for myself.
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OH MY GOSH!!!
That is my PERFECT start to a WDW trip when one arrives at lunch. Which I will in 13 days.
Picture it: Sitting at Casey’s corner, under an umbrella, beautiful sunshine and bluebird skies. I’m chomping on some corn dog nuggets and gazing at that (still) beautiful (even with the weird paint) castle and listening the the piano player
Idyllic.
I’m swooning just imagining it!
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There ya go @Randall1028. Ice Cream Parlor coming right up. My powers are already at work. Who knew?
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