New Date-Based Prices & Increases for Fireworks Dessert Parties & Tours at Disney World
Walt Disney World has moved to date-based pricing for fireworks dessert parties at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, as well as for tours in those parks, Animal Kingdom & beyond. This post shares the price ranges & increases; plus our commentary about why this is happening and a brief rant about the WDW FOMO machine.
This comes amidst other price increases to start the Walt Disney Company’s new fiscal year. At Walt Disney World, this also includes Annual Passes, Memory Maker, parking, water parks tickets, miniature golf, and more. Over in California, Disneyland increased park ticket prices…and pretty much everything else, too.
But wait, there’s more! Walt Disney World bumped up the price of hundreds of menu items all around the parks & resorts at Walt Disney World and also on most character dining experiences in the parks and resorts. Now, we’re finding similar price hikes to the “Enchanting Extras Collection,” along with a new variable pricing model.
For starters, it should be of absolutely no surprise to anyone that Walt Disney World has debuted date-based pricing for fireworks dessert parties and tours. If anything, it should come as a surprise that it took so long for the change. Like pretty much every hotel everywhere, Walt Disney World resorts have long had rate charts that charge more for weekends, holidays, and other peak weeks–while charging less for the off-season. (Discounts likewise tend to offer higher percentage savings for less popular dates, making the gap even larger.)
More recently, Walt Disney World launched date-based pricing for park tickets a few years ago. That effectively allowed them to increase prices for more popular dates, while still advertising a significantly lower starting price for the off-season. Not to rehash the contents of other previous posts, but this is why there’s such a chasm between the off-season cost of Animal Kingdom–which hasn’t gone up since 2018–and Christmas or New Year’s week dates at Magic Kingdom.
When it comes to add-ons, the same thing happened last year with the Genie+ service, as the paid FastPass option debuted date-based pricing…and then per-park pricing this year. Several years ago (pre-closure), there was also peak season pricing for character dining experiences; I don’t know when that started or stopped, but it hasn’t been a thing since reopening. (I’m guessing they got some bait & switch complaints about menus/reservations not reflecting the seasonal surcharge?)
Suffice to say, it’s par for the course that Walt Disney World would want to capitalize on the most popular dates of the year–when families are already paying premium prices for resorts, park tickets, and Lightning Lanes–and trying to squeeze a bit more. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the new variable pricing for tours at Walt Disney World…
Magic Kingdom
- Keys to the Kingdom Tour: $110 to $149 (previously $114)
EPCOT
- Behind the Seeds at EPCOT Tour: $39 to $45 (previously $35)
- EPCOT Seas Adventures – DiveQuest: $229 to $249. (previously $219)
- EPCOT Seas Adventures – Dolphins in Depth: $209 (previously $199)
Animal Kingdom
- Caring for Giants: $39 (previously $35)
- Savor the Savanna: $161 to $199 (previously $148 to $174)
- Up Close with Rhinos: $49 (previously $45)
- Wild Africa Trek: $219 to $229 (previously $199)
Fort Wilderness Campground
- Wilderness Back Trail Adventure: $90 to $99 (previously $90)
Turning to fireworks dessert parties and dining packages, the first change comes at EPCOT as it prepares for its new nighttime spectacular. The Spice Road Table package now costs $81 (previously $79), while the Rose & Crown Dining Room package is now priced at $92 (previously $89). The multi-course meal packages include unlimited beverages and table-side viewing of the World Showcase nighttime spectacular.
In our post about the New Luminous: The Symphony of Us Dining Package, we did the math on these dining packages and concluded that, pre-increase, you’d be essentially paying $44 for the reserved seating and unlimited alcohol. Now you can bump that number up to $46-$47.
Technically, these new prices apply to EPCOT Forever fireworks viewing, which runs until December 4, 2023. But you’d be crazy to pay any premium for reserved viewing of that. I would not recommend paying more than $5 for seats to watch that, so you really need to plan on going hard with the booze to justify the EPCOT Forever dining packages.
Finally, Walt Disney World has also introduced date-based pricing for its Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert parties. One silver lining is that this variable pricing scheme only applies to adult dessert pricing, as children’s pricing remains a fixed rate. (But given that kids cannot consume alcohol, they’re massively overpriced either way.)
In any case, you’ll now see different prices on the Walt Disney World booking flow based on which day on the calendar you pick to attend the dessert parties at Magic Kingdom. Here’s a rundown of the changes and ranges:
- Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties: Pre-Party – Adults: $99 to $109 (previously $99) & children $59
- Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties: Seats & Sweets – Adults: $119 to $129 (previously $114) & children increased from $69 to $75
- Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties: Post-Party – Adults: $99 to $109 (previously $99) & children $59
For those who are curious, December 11 has peak-season pricing ($109) whereas November 11 has the lower pricing ($99).
Pricing only shows up for dates with availability, so I couldn’t assess the entire calendar. With that said, I didn’t find any dates that had prices other than $99 or $109. My guess is that those are the only two price points for now. As with other date-based prices at Walt Disney World, I’d expect both the range and price points to expand over time. People will pay a lot more for a fireworks dessert party on December 28 than they would on September 13.
Turning to commentary, I’ve made it clear on a number of occasions that I’m not a fan of most of the “Enchanting Extras Collection” at Walt Disney World. Tours are actually an exception to this, as I think a lot of them offer good value. They’re also targeted at different demographics than the dessert parties.
I could be wrong about who’s booking them, but I view these tours as experiences for repeat visitors who have “done” Walt Disney World and want a deeper experience about a niche topic of interest to them. They’re a way of learning and enriching, and are truly a special splurge. For me, it’s tough to make any sweeping statements about whether the tours are “worth it” at X or Y price point because the reasons for doing them are all over the place, among other things.
I have no such difficulties with the fireworks dessert parties or dining packages. In my view, which is obviously subjective, none of them are worth it. That was true at the prior price and it was also true at the 2018 prices. So of course it’s true at the 2023 prices.
As has been mentioned here many times, we still remember back when Tomorrowland Terrace offered free first-come seating. When the Fireworks Dessert Party debuted as a test offering roughly a decade ago, we opted not to do it. Given that we didn’t love the view from the Noodle Station seating area, the $25 price tag seemed steep for desserts. Now, the idea of unlimited desserts for $25 at Walt Disney World seems so quaint!
These fireworks packages are all very expensive, especially for families with small children, adults who don’t drink, etc. Our thinking is/was that the mirror image view of what Tomorrowland Terrace offers is free and often uncrowded. (See our Best Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Locations for our recommendations, plus a color-coded map of where to watch—and where to avoid.)
Given all of that, there’s absolutely no way for me to do the math and conclude that the fireworks dessert parties can ever be worth it. You’d have to consume a seriously unhealthy amount of sugar and alcohol (so like 3 desserts and just as many drinks) to even get in that ballpark. And at that point, why not just buy good desserts from somewhere else in Walt Disney World?
Nevertheless, I also must acknowledge that this is seemingly an unpopular opinion on my part. Walt Disney World’s dessert parties are incredibly popular with regular guests. There’s something about the mix of exclusivity, a private event space, all you can eat sweets and alcohol, and a stress-free viewing location for the Happily Ever After fireworks or other nighttime spectaculars that’s a winning formula.
With that mindset, the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties are probably something I’d file alongside Club Level at Walt Disney World. As with that, there’s really no way to contend this is “worth it” from an objective perspective. You can try to rationalize it or trick yourself into believing it is, but why bother? Just say you want to splurge or TREAT YO SELF and move on. A lot at Walt Disney World isn’t objectively worth the money–the whole place is a nonessential vacation experience, just enjoy the extravagances that appeal to you.
A key difference between tours and dessert parties is also that, in my opinion, these are aimed largely at first-timers who are worried about fireworks crowds or having a truly magical vacation. This could just be my perspective, but it seems like there’s an element of opportunism to them that doesn’t exist with the tours.
Walt Disney World knows that the crowds and chaos of the nighttime spectaculars create a market for this, and the prices can be detached from the value offered as a result. These fireworks packages offer peace of mind, and are not necessarily judged on their own merits.
To that point, I’ll reiterate my standard spiel that no enhancements or up-charges are necessary to have a great trip to Walt Disney World. When it comes to online trip planning and social media, there’s a pervasive sense of FOMO that drives many people to spend on unnecessary experiences. Consider it a form of keeping up with the online Joneses (or Kardashians, these days).
This is exacerbated by certain popular experiences booking up quickly, but that’s less a reflection of quality and demand than it is limited supply and the FOMO machine. Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties and EPCOT Fireworks Dining Packages are great examples of this.
These two experiences have nightly capacities that number in the hundreds, whereas there are tens of thousands of people watching the nighttime spectaculars each night. You don’t need a math whiz to explain why these things booking up quickly is more a numbers game than it is a reflection of whether these things are “worth it.”
It’s easy to fall into the FOMO trap, but you should try to avoid falling prey to it. You could easily drop an extra $5,000 or more on extras and upcharges to “guarantee” a great trip to Walt Disney World…and end up having an inferior experience to someone who didn’t buy any of those things. Spending more creates more pressure, meaning more tension, and leading to a great chance of meltdowns. We see this all of the time.
Regardless of how much you spend or plan, you’re going to miss out on something. That’s the bad news. The good news is that some of the best magical moments at Walt Disney World occur by chance, and no amount of spending or planning can “force” those to happen. In short, spend strategically on splurges to treat yourself here and there, but don’t chase perfection. It’s a fool’s errand, and you can have an amazing trip without spending anything extra.
Ultimately, Walt Disney World is a big place with a ton to offer. Even on a “highly successful” trip, you’re barely scratching the surface of the great things to do. Absolutely no single thing at WDW is make or break in the grand scheme of a trip. The pressure to plan a perfect trip is optional, because there’s no such thing (and paradoxically, every imperfect trip can be perfect in its own way if you let it).
You can have an incredible trip dining booking all of your ADRs same-day and eating exclusively at hidden gem restaurants. You can do attractions on a whim without spreadsheets or even our semi-structured itineraries. You don’t need to ride TRON Lightcycle Run or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to have a memorable trip. Likewise, you don’t need some fancy fireworks viewing to enjoy the experience. Honestly, I’d rather watch Happily Ever After in New Fantasyland for “free” than pay hundreds of dollars for a dessert party. But that’s just me, and others feel the splurge is worthwhile for them. They are not wrong, but neither am I.
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Your Thoughts
Will you be booking any of the EPCOT or Magic Kingdom fireworks packages with the new date-based pricing scheme? What about the behind-the-scenes tours in the parks? Thoughts on the WDW Fomo Machine or which of these things are worth it? Do you agree or disagree with my ‘review’ of WDW’s dessert parties? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Do you have any information if the Backstage Magic tour will return. We took the tour in 2019 and it was the highlight of our trip.
We did the dessert afterparty this past January as we have three younger children (at that time, 9, 7 and 5), so the opportunity to have a dedicated viewing area where we could lounge back on the artificial turf instead of the hard concrete was very refreshing for their little legs (and dare I say our older ones too!). I rarely drink (and didn’t at that party), and my wife enjoys responsibly, and we’re not huge dessert eaters (and thankfully the kids eat what they want and stop when full), so no, the financial value wasn’t there. But being off our feet for a while, with a decent view, and out of the ankle-biting stroller/ECV pandemonium following the fireworks was worth it for us. When my wife and I recently went for Mickey’s Not-so-scary Halloween Party? No way it would have been worth it!
We did do the Rose & Crown dinner fireworks package at EPCOT that same trip as well. The dedicated seating wasn’t necessary at that time in January, we could have had any number of excellent viewing areas. However, luck just so happened that it was one of those cold (for Florida) days and being in a heated, enclosed dining area with the outward-facing zip-ups removed just before the show was welcome! Not that we could have planned it that way of course. But again, it was an opportunity to sit our tired legs down.
Better yet, we ate at La Hacienda de San Miguel at fireworks time in June. Same great view, much cheaper price! No free alcohol but that’s okay for us!
We haven’t done a dessert party since pre-covid and I would agree that it’s more of a FOMO thing than a value add, at least for us. The kids were 8, 2 and 1 on that trip and it was worth it due to their ages. Not so much now at 12, 6 and 5. The novelty of it for us was the ability to watch it from a boat on the lake, versus in the park, or at another location. That and character meet and greets, but that was the only real value for us. Dropping $500+ on unlimited sweets and some sugary drinks (no alcohol when we last went) is a waste for us and that capital could be better allocated elsewhere. As another commenter mentioned, it’s better to just stake out a spot in the park and purchase any treats in advance or within the confines of the park. But Disney’s pricing model is based more on the perception of value versus the reality, and that’s why they’re able to do what they do.
Hi Tom! Any chance you think they’ll just raise prices on all “other” things but not actually tickets? I keep waiting for the announcement that prices on tickets have been raised, but seems like so far its just been everything but that so far; APs, food, special events, etc. I’m holding out hope!
It’s definitely possible–maybe even probable–especially since it already happened at Disneyland. They wouldn’t draw out the price increases unless there were a good reason; more negative news days about price increases is not good for Disney.
At this point, my only concern is whatever advance-booking of Lightning Lanes entails. If they’re changing tickets again to accommodate that, I could see another scenario like in mid-December where they roll out new ticket options for that, and raise prices at the same time. I doubt it, though.
Respectfully disagree on the fireworks parties. (so long as u do afterparty) With holiday party events at mk, fireworks spots get crowded fast on non-hard ticket nights. Not being in the crush of people during, with a great view, and having a spot to relax and wait out the post-firework exodus is so nice. I will happily skip a couple table service meals and do that instead.
My prices haven’t increased.
Where the so called crowd calendar?
The one picture of Tiana’s is not enough content to make a story.
We all have lives you need to find a way to make all this news a 3-5 min read or I’m out!
Why should Tom change his entire writing style and the structure of his website because YOU can’t bother to read for more than 3-5 minutes? Some of us like long-form content. Not sure why you’re so entitled to think that should change.
I agree with Ann. I like Tom’s writing style. I have been a follower for years. There are other sites with advice if you prefer a difficult style.
Tom please don’t change. Your article are informative and also interesting and my favorite, sometimes funny.
This guy is one of the most well-written and analytic folks that I have ever come across, on any level. If you’re not able to pay attention for more than 3-5 minutes, Tom is not the problem!
I would not do the dinner package now. We did do the Fantasmic at Disneyland with Blue Bayou. It was totally worth it to us. Before that, it was about 15 years ago they were introducing the dessert party for Fantasmic at Disneyland. That was around $35 per person. There were about 25 people allowed and it included chairs! We had older people and that was very much worth the price. Finally, around 2000-2005 at Epcot, we just made reservations at Rose and Crown for the time of the fireworks(illuminations) and asked for a seat by the lake. No up charge. Boy have things changed!
We’ve done all the tours except diveQuest as we’re not certified. Many of these tours we’ve done more than twice.
They are great for people who enjoy learning.
Most of these tours can be done as often as you want (with a little time between them) because no two tour guides are the same and you get a lot of different info each time.
We’ve done Keys to the Kingdom 3 times in 5 years and on our last trip in August we had a guide who’s father was an imagineer and a friend of Walts.
Walt actually hand picked him to be an imagineer when he saw him working as a skipper on the Jungle Cruise
If memory serves me right, Walt Disney knew her from when she was 4 till 9 or 10.
She remembers him well from when she was about 6 on.
He would take her for ice cream and walks around Disneyland.
She told stories about outings that he had for his imagineers. She showed us pictures of her with Walt.
On a similar note she gave this very tour to Roy Disney when He visited WDW.
She had great stories and I kept asking questions about Walt. It was tremendous.
The price increases don’t seem too bad. The biggest jump is for Keys to the Kingdom and the only comment I’ll make is that at the new price I’d like to see them offer lunch at a better spot than they do now.
Another vote for DiveQyest as a good value. We did it pre-Covid and again this past June. Compared to other aquarium dives, it’s less expensive still. Diving is an expensive sport- I highly recommend this for divers of all levels. In our group in June there were 3 new divers- for one of them this was her first dive after certification! The rest of us (only 3 more) had at least 30 dives or more and advanced certs, but it’s just a fun easy dive at a good value.
We’ve done both the DiveQuest and Wild Africa Trek in the past and enjoyed both. My husband with 250+ dives under his belt still ranks DiveQuest as one of his favorites. If you see what zoos around the US are charging for anything like this the cost is pretty reasonable. I’d still recommend either to like-minded friends.
The dessert parties are a hard sell for us as we don’t drink and my husband isn’t as into the fireworks. We did do the Fantasmic dining package at Disneyland right after they revamped it in 2017 because it was only about a $10 upcharge and saved us more than an hour of waiting.
We do the dessert parties each time. I would guess the Dessert Parties are geared towards people like us who visit only once a year or less, usually with a small child who won’t sit still, and where the avoided stress of keeping that 3 year old in place, plus the added benefit of getting another hour of ride/character time and the ability to satiate my daughters unending ice cream need is worth the painfully high cost (and that bill is one of the worst for me to stomach each time). My daughter is scared of the fireworks (so she wears headphones that we play disney music on) but loves the projections so we really love that front and center view versus the other options that you’ve pointed out in your post. Also, avoiding the chaos at the end while sipping a beer is real nice. If we went more often or didn’t need to view it from the front, I would also never willingly pay that price for some mediocre desserts and, at max, 2 beers (I don’t want to be THAT guy).
I’m firmly with you on the value of the dessert parties – it’s just not there. If you are going to show up an hour before the fireworks and spend that much money… then just show up that early, stake out a decent spot on Main Street, and buy one of everything from the Main Street Bakery and the Confectionary. You’ll have better food.
The tours are harder to judge, as you say. We’ve only done one – the Wild Africa Trek as a birthday present. That was in 2018 and I think it was around $189 back then, though I could be wrong. So that one hasn’t gone up as much over the years, and it was a truly memorable experience.
Hi Tom hope all is well with you 3 is California Grill fireworks meal worth it there will be 7 of us in January please let me know your thoughts. Thank You.