An Enchanting Extra that Saved Our Day
By: Dana Munoz, Travel Advisor
August 28, 2025
During September 2024, my family took a long-awaited Disney trip. We usually go annually (sometimes more than once a year, if we can), but it had been over 18 months since our last trip due to my (rough) pregnancy with our second baby. My son, who was 5, was so excited to go back to his favorite place. We were so eager to bring our second son for his first visit. We did so much planning as a family to make it extra special- including being there to celebrate our son's first birthday and bringing grandparents along. We were going during the Halloween season, which is festive and fun, and a season we had never visited for. On paper, everything was perfect, and we were so ready.
My older son's first Disney trip is something that will always be a positive memory for me. We took him when he was about the same age that we were bringing our youngest at. His face lit up when he saw the castle and Mickey for the first time. He loved every single ride. He was not bothered by the heat, and loved being in the stroller, people watching and looking at all of the sights. We assumed our second son would be the same, and boy, were we wrong.
He took his time to adjust to the Magic Kingdom. The people. The rides. The noise. He did not instantly fall in love like his brother did. If I could go back in time and re-plan this trip, I would (but hey, learning from my own mistakes also makes me a better travel advisor). This was our only full day at Magic Kingdom, and I remember feeling so upset and heartbroken that it did not go the way I had pictured it in my mind. My older son and I were set on seeing the Happily Ever After fireworks that evening and we knew the baby would be upset in the crowd of people with all the noise, so we started making a plan as a family for who would take him back to the resort. That is, until, I checked the My Disney Experience App and there it was- an open reservation for the Fireworks Dessert Party. After all but begging my husband for this splurge, we decided to do it as one last effort to save our day.
The Fireworks Dessert party is what Disney calls an “enchanting extra”, which is something you can add to enhance your day. At this ticketed event, you are invited to a terrace in Tomorrowland for unlimited desserts, fruit, beer/wine, water, juices, and coffee. Typically- I recommend my clients make this type of reservation in advance, we were very lucky to get one (likely off a cancellation) on the day of. You can attend the party either before the Happily Ever After fireworks, or after (you will have to select pre or post at booking). While the desserts and drinks are incredible, the biggest perk of this party is the VIP viewing area for the fireworks show.
In the main courtyard area of the Magic Kingdom, there is an area with a beautiful view of Cinderella’s Castle (known by Disney fans as the “hub grass”), that is reserved only for those who are attending the fireworks dessert party. Having this reserved area to view the show is simply incredible, and there is no other way to describe it. We stood at the back of the reserved area in a place we felt was best for our son, and had an amazing view. There was plenty of room for our son to move around. He loved seeing the lights on the castle, and not being too close and packed in with other guests completely changed his mood. He clapped throughout the show. Watching him and his brother stand and hold hands in the grass will forever be a core memory to me- and this is not something that can be done in a normal viewing area. I remember feeling such a sense of peace and calm, that even though our day did not go as planned, we had amazing memories to hold onto. It also helped me realize that for the rest of our trip we needed to slow down a bit, and remember our son is just a baby, and may take some time to adjust to new experiences. Experiencing this enchanting extra is now something I will always suggest to clients with little ones.
With a belly full of desserts, our baby had a great night of sleep- and each park day following was better than the one before. I am also happy to report that he has since become as obsessed with the Magic Kingdom as his brother- and his mama!
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Disclaimer: The trip referenced was paid for at a full retail rate.