Any input on the two different viewing packages? Whats the difference?Are they worth it? I’m really interested especially in the terrace package due to the fact that we can sit.
Happily Ever After has a ton of fireworks, but also relies heavily on projections on the castle. I would recommend the plaza garden so you can see the projections. It is also cheaper.
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I agree, the garden view is cheaper and has a slightly better view. If you get a table at the edge of the terrace it is an off-centered view. This is from the garden- taken with my phone
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We did Plaza Garden. Before the fireworks started people were sitting on the grass — there was plenty of room for everyone in the enclosure. During the fireworks people were standing.
Personally I would choose Plaza Garden every time.
We did the plaza garden recently. The view from the terrace is not going to be as good IMHO. If you have to be seated, I do not think you will be able to do this successfully in the garden during the show. Before the show, yes- but once it starts everyone stands and if you are on the ground you will not have a good view. There is one option I can think of. At the back of the plaza there is a fairly high planter with a tree growing out of it- almost in the middle. It hasn’t been trimmed back, so the leaves might get in the way of the higher fireworks- but you could lean (do a ‘sort of’ sit) on this. This spot was taken by the time we arrived 25 minutes or so before the show started- but we wanted to lean on the back railing anyways. View was excellent from there- by the way- as many people tend to move forward. My wife sat on the ground and read her book until just before the show started- then stood up to enjoy the fireworks/projections. I do not know how early you would have to arrive to get the planter- sooner is always going to be better than later.
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View is definitely better from the garden; in TL, the fireworks are not directly over the castle, and the projections don’t look as good.
I don’t necessarily need to stand but DS8 gets tired at the end of the evening and sometimes mom is stuck holding him, and he is getting a bit big for this!
We did the garden, and we were very happy with the view. I did the dessert party specifically so my kids would be able to see without tall people in front of them, and that worked out. We staked out a spot near the fence in front, then when people stood for the show, they stood up against the fence. The walkway in front of the fence was kept clear by cast members, so they had a clear view.
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Did you feel like it was worth the money? The husband is not at all convinced that the dessert party is worth it. There are other items there besides dessert, right? I guess it is too much to hope for that Disney would do a heavy appetizer/dessert party for the fireworks!
The crowds for HEA are crazy! The party, for me, it worth it for the view alone. There are a lot of desserts. I stuck to chocolate covered strawberries. There was also fresh fruit and I think cheese and crackers?
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I felt like it was worth it for the view ONCE as a special thing. The desserts themselves were buffet-quality, except for the chocolate covered strawberries, which were excellent. The beverage selection was lacking if you don’t drink coffee and don’t want to drink sugary juice with your sugary desserts. So, if you’re asking if the food and drinks are worth the price, I would say no. Is it worth the price to not have to stake out a spot for the show a couple hours ahead only to end up with a 6-foot tall man with a kid on his shoulders directly in front of you, blocking your view, then I would say yes. The show is spectacular and the view from the garden is perfect.
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It should be noted that the hub and Main Street were closed due to capacity again tonight before HEA.
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Yeah I think I’ll go for the plaza. Why not let him pig out on sweets once. It will be a one time thing for us.
Are there different reservation times or does the party start at the same time for everyone? You guys suggest getting there at least a hour before the show starts?
On chat it was just reported that there is cheese but no crackers.
You don’t do a dessert party for the desserts. That’s not what they’re selling. It’s the stress-free view of the fireworks and projections.
The desserts were fine. Not great. The seating area was incredibly busy. People with some kind of allergy got amazing fruit plates with strawberries the size of watermelons.
But the viewing area was not crowded and the view was terrific.
You have to decide if that’s worth the money to you. For me, it was. I would do it again.
Oh yeah. I would add that I thought the organisation was poor. You need to know where you’re going and when. No-one’s there telling you or escorting you.
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How early did you arrive at the dessert party and what time did you leave the dessert area for the plaza garden view?
When I went they said they would escort everyone down to the viewing area about 15 minutes before the fireworks but if I knew the way I could go earlier. I believe I went about 30 minutes early and at least half of the dessert party viewers were already there.
I was there last week . The dessert party was very unorganized. They had the usual buffet desserts as previously mentioned. Everything tasted fine. However, what no one there tells u is that u can eat your dessert or choose to skip it all together and just be escorted to the viewing area! My family and I sat down ate a few desserts and I looked/waited a few minutes for someone to mention when we would be taken to the viewing area . NOPE! After about 30 minutes I walked to the check in hostess and asked when we would be going to the viewing area . “Oh you can go now if u r ready” that’s when I asked her if we could have gone without eating desserts st all. She said people do all the time! After all, u r paying for the view😊 By the way we arrived at 7:15 pm to a longgggg line and the check in time actually is st 745. There are 2 check in/hostess stands too. One for garden and one for terrace
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I think we arrived about 15 minutes “late”. On the plus side, there was zero queue to get in. On the downside, the place was packed and it was a bit of a struggle to find a table. There were plenty of desserts still available and plenty of time to eat as much as we wanted.
I think we left about 15 minutes before the fireworks. The were people in the garden but it wasn’t hard to find a spot.
As others have confirmed, it’s not well-organised. You need to know what you’re doing and ideally have a plan.
But I don’t regret having done it at all and, as I said, if/when I go back I’ll do it again. (That being said, if you’re a family of four, say, it’s pretty expensive.)
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