To purchase an Epcot fireworks dining package or a Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party, that is the question.
These special events provide guests the opportunity to enjoy nighttime spectaculars at each park in unique ways with extras, like food, drinks, and reserved viewing locations.
The catch? They cost extra — and they aren’t cheap.
Your choices are:
- Magic Kingdom: Pre-Party, Post-Party, Seats & Sweets, or Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise
- EPCOT: Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package or Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package
We’re here to not only offer our honest reviews, but to hopefully give you enough information that you’ll be able to decide whether or not to make a reservation and spend a big chunk of change to see two individual nighttime spectaculars that are already accessible to all guests.
There’s definitely a lot to think about (and spend) when it comes to any Disney parks add-on, so let’s get to our Epcot fireworks dining package and Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party comparison.
Important: Theme park admission is required and not included in the price of dessert and dining packages.
EPCOT Fireworks Dining Packages
There are two different dining packages with reserved viewing for Epcot fireworks. One is located at Spice Road Table in Morocco pavilion and the other is at the Rose and Crown Dining Room in the United Kingdom pavilion.
They both offer solid food and somewhat similar views, but one is partially obstructed depending where you sit.
Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package
The Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package gives guests the chance to enjoy Mediterranean-themed food from an outdoor covered patio while watching the nighttime spectacular.
Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package
The Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package serves up classic British fare on the outdoor patio that sits along the World Showcase Lagoon.
Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties
There are four different dessert parties available to book for the Magic Kingdom fireworks. You can choose from the Pre-Party, the Post-Party, Seats & Sweets, or the Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise.
All include different all-you-care-to-enjoy sweet treats and drinks, along with reserved nighttime spectacular viewing. As for the views, they vary.
Pre-Party
The Pre-Party starts with dessert at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant and ends with fireworks. After you’ve enjoyed your treats, you head to the Plaza Garden viewing area to watch the show.
Important: Pricing for adults varies by date.
Post-Party
The Post-Party starts with fireworks and ends with dessert at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. Upon arrival, you grab your reserved spot in the Plaza Garden viewing area. Once the fireworks end, you head over to the restaurant to enjoy your dessert party.
Important: Pricing for adults varies by date.
Seats & Sweets
Seats & Sweets is a dessert party that offers seating for the duration of the entire fireworks. After you check in, you’re escorted to a table at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant with views of Cinderella Castle.
Then, you can help yourself to desserts and drinks before the fireworks. Once the show begins, you remain at your table and enjoy the nighttime spectacular from the comfort of your own seat.
Important: Pricing for adults varies by date.
Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise
Like other Magic Kingdom Dessert Parties, the Ferrytale Fireworks dessert cruise allows you to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks while dining on a range of desserts and beverages (both non-alcoholic and alcoholic).
But, unlike the parties that happen inside the park, this one takes place on a ferryboat that sails on the Seven Seas Lagoon just outside the entrance of Magic Kingdom.
While it sounds enchanting, it doesn’t quite capture the grandeur you’d experience land-side. Reflections on the lagoon and distant firework sounds are a different experience, and not necessarily the magical one you might expect.
Comparison Chart
Epcot or Magic Kingdom fireworks package: which do we recommend?
There are pros and cons to both Epcot fireworks dining packages and Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert parties.
Really, what you want to book comes down to if the packages and parties fit into your schedule — and if you’re willing to spend the money. It’s all personal preference.
Except for the Rose & Crown Fireworks Dining Package (don’t worry, this is on our to-do list), we’ve personally tried the Spice Road Table Dining Package and all of the Magic Kingdom dessert parties (some multiple times), including the Ferrytale Fireworks dessert cruise.
So, what do we recommend?
If you’re going to save your money for only one fireworks viewing package, then we suggest saving it for the Post-Party at Magic Kingdom.
We’d much rather have a reserved spot for Magic Kingdom fireworks compared to Epcot. The nighttime spectacular crowds at Epcot aren’t nearly as crowded or crammed like they are on Main Street and in the Hub at Magic Kingdom.
You can’t beat the fireworks view from the reserved Plaza Garden viewing area. Now, you won’t get a good view of the Main Street projections, but, in our opinion, the main show is on the castle. You’re not going to miss a big part of the story if you don’t see the Main Street projections.
Being able to enjoy desserts and beverages at the Tomorrowland Terrace after the fireworks is a lovely way to relax, end your day, and allow time for the crowd to filter out of the park. You might not even have to wait in a long bus, boat, or Monorail line to get back to your hotel!
And — not having to fight the crowds for a space to watch the fireworks and then having chairs to sit at while you dine on desserts makes the hefty party price tag much easier to justify.
Now, you might be wondering, “Well, if you had to recommend one for each park, what would you suggest?”
Ok. Ok. We’ll narrow it down.
- Magic Kingdom: Again, we’d choose the Post-Party.
- EPCOT: Even though we personally haven’t purchased this dining package, we’d choose Rose & Crown over Spice Road Table. (We have eaten here on the patio along the lagoon before and the views during the daytime were stunning, so we’re confident in saying watching the fireworks at night here tops Spice Road Table.)
Spice Road Table has excellent food (you should eat here at least once), but the fireworks view isn’t the best.
There’s a small section close to the lagoon reserved for those who booked the dining package. Parties with 3 or more will be seated at tables closer to the railing, whereas smaller parties of 2 and under are seated at tables behind these parties.
Admittedly, the view here isn’t the best, even close to the railing, which is the “better” view. The restaurant lighting also stays on, which makes it harder to see and you don’t get the full nighttime spectacular effect. It’s not that you can’t see the show, it’s just not a stellar view. You may even have a pillar in your way.
Keep in mind that for Rose & Crown, if there is bad weather, the experience will take place in a covered area outdoors rather than the uncovered patio. No matter what dessert or dining package you book, you’re always taking a risk with the weather.
Remember: if you don’t snag an Epcot fireworks dining package, there really isn’t a bad view around the entire World Showcase. You’re still going to enjoy the show.