I am soooo torn. We currently have the Before fireworks dessert party garden view booked but really second guessing myself and thinking of switching to After fireworks dessert party. Has anyone done both or recommend one over the other? I like the idea of getting to the garden area and finding a spot and then when everyone is rushing out, we are heading to enjoy snacks but concerned we are going to be exhausted and wished we were leaving and not enjoying the desserts. What is your experience?
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We’ve done both and I much prefer the after fireworks party. I felt like we rushed through desserts to get to the viewing area and the dessert area was crowded with lines for the food. We’ve done the after party twice and it was not crowded at all. It was so relaxing, no lines, great interactions with the CMs.
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I think it totally depends on if your group will enjoy being up that late. With my family I prefer before because they crash after FW. By myself or adults only I would 100% do the after party.
I agree with this. We’ve done both and I much preferred the After because I didn’t feel rushed at all. The before, I was so worried about getting out the the garden, we didn’t really enjoy the dessert part.
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Exactly how I felt too.
You should keep in mind that the after party costs more and includes beer and wine.
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Oh, that is a change since we last did it.
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a plus!
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Y’all sold me, just called and changed it to after! 
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I much prefer the after party. It’s so much less stressful.
With the before party, the dining area is usually really crowded. You’re constantly looking at your watch thinking “When should I leave and pick my spot in the viewing area?”
With the after party, you arrive when you’re ready to stake out your spot. And then after the fireworks, you can have a stress-free dining experience, which is far less crowded (in my experience).
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The Before party is perfectly fine. You have a whole hour and a half to check in before the actual fireworks begin. If you can’t get your fill of desserts in that time, then there is no help for you. I showed up with my gf and two toddlers right at 6:30. We were shown to our table and spent the next 30 minutes enjoying the treats, taking pictures, and soaking up the atmosphere. I don’t really see the need to take more time than that. We left the dessert party and walked over to the Plaza Viewing area where we staked out a spot at the back along the fence. My boys had a great time running around and playing with other kids while we waited for the fireworks. The Memory Maker photographer set up, and we were able to get a couple of pics in. Once the fireworks were over, it was chaos as a lot of people were heading towards the exits. I didn’t want to try fighting through the crowds so we hung back for a little. After about ten minutes, we broke out and ventured into the park as it just happened to be EMH Evening edition.
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