Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party or Pirate Pals Fireworks Cruise?

[DMLAINI]

I'm taking my daughter to WDW for her 12th. Birthday & wanted to surprise her with something special. I know the dessert party price increased so I thought the Pirate & Pals Fireworks cruise may be a better option since it's cheaper & we've never met Hook & Smee. Has anyone done either or both? Thoughts? Thank you!

 

[ilanakan]

Done the dessert party and it was amazing. I haven't done the pirates cruise, but I saw Timtracker's Vlog, and wasn't that impressed. If I had to choose between the two, I would do the dessert party. By the way, when raining the cruise is sometimes cancelled. In that case, you could get a full refund, or do the party without the cruise for half price.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I've done Pirates and Pals and the dessert party both at the Terrace and in the Plaza Garden. Pirates and Pals is cute, but unless your daughter is really into pirates and a ton of dessert, I wouldn't do it. The view of the fireworks is nice, but you will miss all of the projections on the castle which are stunning. I would actually recommend the Plaza Garden dessert party. Although you don't have a seat, you will have a much better view of the fireworks and the castle projections. This is our go-to party in MK when we want to see the fireworks!

 

[DMLAINI]

Thanks everyone! Such a hard decision.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

I second Plaza Garden viewing and I will also plug the "After Fireworks" party as another possible alternative. You can watch the fireworks in the Plaza Garden then sit down, eat dessert, and maybe watch the Kiss Good Night.

Of the two choices provided, I would choose the HEA fireworks at TT.

 

[DuskKodesh]

I'd go with the garden view dessert party as well. The pirates and pals voyage is also listed as a price increase as well starting Jan 31st, so really you're still getting hit with paying more and they don't seem to be adding anything for it. It would probably be more relaxing to just stay in the park and not have to rush out early, plus you'd get to see Once Upon a Time after HEA.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I would like to offer an alternative point of view for others who find this thread, as I did, searching on Pirates & Pals. I just booked this voyage for my family's second time on it. I've never done any of the dessert parties, so I won't speak to them. But I will say that we had an awesome time eating treats and meeting Captain Hook and Smee, then being uproariously entertained by our Patch (the comedian/host on board your boat) before the shows start. And it is shows plural, as there is nothing like watching the Electrical Water Pageant while on the water with the crafts and then you get the fireworks with music perfectly piped into the speakers on your boat.
Yes, I can see how this extra would appeal to young pirate lovers, but it's also just as special for those who love Neverland. For my family, it allows my DH and a DS who has sensory issues to wholly escape crowds before, during, and after the fireworks while comfortably seated. And, it allows us an easy way to guarantee a meeting with another son's favorite, Peter Pan. Spoiler Alert: Peter's the special guest waiting for you when you dock afterwards, with a Photopass photographer and everything. Don't tell the kids. ;-) Pan is a character you can find, but he roams and would take a lot more time and effort (or maybe just surrendering subscription cash to Kenny the Pirate's Character Locator).
You also get a full horizon-to-horizon view of the fireworks, which no one in the park could see, let alone anyone close enough to the castle to see the projections. They're bigger than you might think! So if you want to watch fireworks without the press of hub crowds, want to meet three Neverland characters in one night, and be entertained by a professional comedian in the meantime, try Pirates & Pals.

I hope everyone has a great time, wherever/however they view them!

 

[Figment Mom]

I've done both and loved both. I would definitely do both again.

Pirates and Pals was so much fun. Patch (the pirate on the boat) was hysterical. The desserts were plentiful. Meeting Hook and Smee was a treat, and my son had a magical experience with another character at the end who took him by the hand as we exited the boat and ran up the dock with him.

I also loved being on the water right next to the Electrical Water Pageant, one of my favorite childhood memories.

What you miss with Pirates and Pals is the feeling of being right on Main Street, and I'm not sure how the castle projections look from the water. It's a very different fireworks experience.

I did the after dessert party and loved having a reserved, uncrowded viewing area right on Main Street.

 

[Poohspaleeyore]

i have done both. the cruise when dd was 9 and the dessert party when she was 16. my Daughter enjoyed the dessert party more. i enjoyed both experiences but at the dessert party the view of the castle and fireworks is better and quite special. the cruise does have the character meet and greet which is special. we have the dessert party planned to do again for next trip. its been a while but for the pirates and pals cruise, we met in the contemporary had snacks and met characters the we boarded a fairly small boat which parked on the lake and we watched fireworks. afterwards we met peter pan. but i am not sure if he is still part if the cruise. the dessert party had really good desserts and a great view if castle and fireworks. we arrived early and were seated in one of the front tables. .

 

[canadian_belle]

I did both last week. Pirates was awesome and would do again. Firworks dessert party was a waste of money and would never do it again. My vote is the cruise!