Just wanted to chime in with our experience. We booked the dessert party for before the fireworks on 7/25. The desserts were okay which I fully knew going into. We also have done this party twice before. I book for the viewing. We got to the viewing area around 8:15 and a cm told us this was the perfect spot to see everything. We were on the side but the first on the grass area. The location was great, but then the trouble started. The other side basically stood and our side everyone sat. Well with people outside of the area standing watching the show, (which I fully expected) I couldn’t see the bottom of the castle. I was shocked that the same cm that told us this was the perfect spot told us to sit. I was really upset as I only took that spot based on his recommendation (I did know about the back railing, but I have never had people sit before). My husband did go to guest relations as I felt we didn’t have a great experience and they confirmed we shouldn’t have been told to sit. I was really surprised to hear others have this experience as well.
 
For those that have done the after-party, can you still get a box to take some goodies with you like you can with the before-party?

They can't leave them in the launch cannons so at some point that night they will have to shoot them. So the optimal time is with guests watching.

What do they do at DLR, because fireworks seem to be canceled all the time there.
 
Just wanted to chime in with our experience. We booked the dessert party for before the fireworks on 7/25. The desserts were okay which I fully knew going into. We also have done this party twice before. I book for the viewing. We got to the viewing area around 8:15 and a cm told us this was the perfect spot to see everything. We were on the side but the first on the grass area. The location was great, but then the trouble started. The other side basically stood and our side everyone sat. Well with people outside of the area standing watching the show, (which I fully expected) I couldn’t see the bottom of the castle. I was shocked that the same cm that told us this was the perfect spot told us to sit. I was really upset as I only took that spot based on his recommendation (I did know about the back railing, but I have never had people sit before). My husband did go to guest relations as I felt we didn’t have a great experience and they confirmed we shouldn’t have been told to sit. I was really surprised to hear others have this experience as well.
I’m glad you went to guest relations. I would NOT be happy if this happened to us and I most definitely would complain. They all need to be consistent and on the same page.
 
Just wanted to chime in with our experience. We booked the dessert party for before the fireworks on 7/25. The desserts were okay which I fully knew going into. We also have done this party twice before. I book for the viewing. We got to the viewing area around 8:15 and a cm told us this was the perfect spot to see everything. We were on the side but the first on the grass area. The location was great, but then the trouble started. The other side basically stood and our side everyone sat. Well with people outside of the area standing watching the show, (which I fully expected) I couldn’t see the bottom of the castle. I was shocked that the same cm that told us this was the perfect spot told us to sit. I was really upset as I only took that spot based on his recommendation (I did know about the back railing, but I have never had people sit before). My husband did go to guest relations as I felt we didn’t have a great experience and they confirmed we shouldn’t have been told to sit. I was really surprised to hear others have this experience as well.
I am confused ... the CM told you that you were NOT allowed to stand? I definitely would have had a problem with that. We pay extra money for that experience how can they dictate whether we sit or stand?
 
Just wanted to chime in with our experience. We booked the dessert party for before the fireworks on 7/25. The desserts were okay which I fully knew going into. We also have done this party twice before. I book for the viewing. We got to the viewing area around 8:15 and a cm told us this was the perfect spot to see everything. We were on the side but the first on the grass area. The location was great, but then the trouble started. The other side basically stood and our side everyone sat. Well with people outside of the area standing watching the show, (which I fully expected) I couldn’t see the bottom of the castle. I was shocked that the same cm that told us this was the perfect spot told us to sit. I was really upset as I only took that spot based on his recommendation (I did know about the back railing, but I have never had people sit before). My husband did go to guest relations as I felt we didn’t have a great experience and they confirmed we shouldn’t have been told to sit. I was really surprised to hear others have this experience as well.


Right from the website description:
  • “Plaza Garden viewing is standing room only.”
It’s nuts to be told otherwise.
 
I am confused ... the CM told you that you were NOT allowed to stand? I definitely would have had a problem with that. We pay extra money for that experience how can they dictate whether we sit or stand?
Yep, he came over to us and asked us to sit because everyone behind us was sitting. I was really upset by this and it ruined the whole experience. I really didn’t want to stand because I knew the people behind us were sitting but I truely couldn’t see and I paid just like everyone else. If I could have seen everything I would have sat.
 
Right from the website description:
  • “Plaza Garden viewing is standing room only.”
It’s nuts to be told otherwise.

100% agree. They never should have been told to sit. I hope managment informed the cast members after the complaints to guest services. I cannot sit on the ground because of back surgeries. I tried to along the back rail and couldn’t do it even leaning on the rail. At our party pretty much everyone stood
 
We did the before party on Thursday 2nd August. Arrived at 7.45pm for our checkin and ate dessert before leaving for the viewing area in the park at about 8.45. We didn’t notice many, actually any, people grabbing food and running off straight to the garden. Everyone around us seems very relaxed.

We sat at the back on the left with a few other groups. Not crowded at all - maybe 5-6 small groups over on the left by 5mins before the fireworks started. Most people seemed to enter the garden area and stay on the right side, rather than move further in.

Everyone on our side stood for the fireworks. We stayed at the back and leaned on the fence to watch.

I loved the show! Watching it from the garden was a great way to feel relaxed and uncrowded.
 
Wow!! I am so sorry to those who have had their experience ruined. We attended this past Sunday with desserts after. We entered the garden about 8:15 to get the spot we wanted. Mid garden along the front rail. We planned to sit this year until we had so many tall people in front of us in the reserved wheelchair area obviously standing making it difficult to see the lower portion of the castle. We stood as did the family right beside us ... the family directly behind us ruined it for us with their constant nagging to sit. I get it ... they didn’t want to stand ... but we paid the same amount and didn’t want to sit ... hearing others having it ruined by CM making them sit ... makes me seriously reconsider paying extra for this in the future
 
We have done the before party three times and will be doing it again in October. We always stand along the left side of the back rail. My husband has knee problems and if he sat he wouldn’t be able to stand up, so no matter who tells us to sit, we won’t be.
Can’t believe CM s are telling people to sit .
 
So we ended up getting tickets for the October 15 after party. It will be our first fireworks party and our first time seeing HEA!

Have fun! I know it's a few months from now, but if you think about it, stop by when you get back and let us know how it went.
 
We did the before party on Thursday 2nd August. Arrived at 7.45pm for our checkin and ate dessert before leaving for the viewing area in the park at about 8.45. We didn’t notice many, actually any, people grabbing food and running off straight to the garden. Everyone around us seems very relaxed.

We sat at the back on the left with a few other groups. Not crowded at all - maybe 5-6 small groups over on the left by 5mins before the fireworks started. Most people seemed to enter the garden area and stay on the right side, rather than move further in.

Everyone on our side stood for the fireworks. We stayed at the back and leaned on the fence to watch.

I loved the show! Watching it from the garden was a great way to feel relaxed and uncrowded.

That’s when I was there, and also where my DD and I watched from. I agree people did not seem to be rushing over early. We went over around 8:30 because my DD
Was sensitive to the noise inside.

I thought the food was about what I expected, I am not a foodie and it was fine. I enjoyed everything I ate, my DD did as well. Her favorite was the decorate your own cupcake area. The viewing spot was great, my DD could not have handled the crowds in the hub. We loved HEA, and I didn’t tell her about tinker bell flying so she was very excited about that.

I was fine with standing. Some people did sit, but I can’t imagine they could see the castle very well because of all the people outside the viewing area, even if people inside weren’t standing, which they mostly were.

Overall, I thought there was plenty of room and it was a great experience. What a way to end our trip!
 
For you and anyone else who has done the After Dessert Party, is staying to watch Once Upon a Time a possibility before heading over for dessert? We’ve done the “regular” dessert party a couple times, but have the After Party booked for our next trip.

When we did the Terrace party July 3, the CM said we could stay as long as we wanted and watch OUAT. She said they might be cleaning up around us, but no one was going to ask us to leave. I'm surprised that Hopper's experience with the Terrace was different. I've always thought that was the benefit of the the Terrace party -- you got to get in before and stay a little longer if you wanted to. Interesting to hear that might have changed.
 
When we did the Terrace party July 3, the CM said we could stay as long as we wanted and watch OUAT. She said they might be cleaning up around us, but no one was going to ask us to leave. I'm surprised that Hopper's experience with the Terrace was different. I've always thought that was the benefit of the the Terrace party -- you got to get in before and stay a little longer if you wanted to. Interesting to hear that might have changed.

I believe the original paster was talking about the After Dessert Party in the Garden viewing, not the Terrace viewing Dessert party. The After Party, the desserts are specifically served after, so waiting to see OUAT would significantly cut into the dessert eating portion. The desserts for the after party are served in the back half of the terrace area, so the view of the castle is not very good.
 
How difficult is it to get back to the dessert area after the fireworks for the after party? We will have an ECV to get through the crowds trying to leave the area....
 

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