Recently I had a brand new and amazing experience at Walt Disney World….the Harmonious fireworks cruise at Epcot. Having done several dessert parties in the past, I was very anxious to see how this compared in both cost and experience. With the dessert parties, I feel like this is one of the go to activities to celebrate a special occasion with a small group at Disney. And giving you a designated area to enjoy fireworks as well as snacks and drinks is very amazing. So I was ready to put the new experience up against the old standard for your consideration for the next celebration we plan together at Walt Disney World.
With Harmonious set to kick off at 9 am, you report to your pick-up spot at the Bay Side Marina in front of Disney’s Yacht Club on Crescent Lake at 7:45 pm. Bay Side Marina is also open from 11 am-5 pm daily for fishing excursions and sun tracker tour rides. The cost of this fireworks cruise is $399 plus tax for up to 10 guests, or around $40 per guest if you have that full party of 10 and tipping is encouraged and boy do these cast members deserve it! With this cost, the ride, snacks, drinks, and any celebration banners and balloons are included. No alcohol is included in this activity.
All guests board their boats at 8 pm and are taken on a tour throughout the Crescent Lake, Hollywood Studios entrance area, and then into the lagoon at Epcot, where you are situated for the duration of the fireworks. I loved that our boat captain Norman gave us so many fun facts and tidbits about the area we were sailing thru. Another lovely part of our sailing was just enjoying the peace and quiet of being out on the water, cozied up in blankets, chatting with Norman, and having an amazing out of the box Disney experience.
We docked several minutes prior to the start of Harmonious and I must tell you, while I love the nighttime shows at Disney, there is just something breathtaking about being able to sit away from the crowd and really take in the scenery and the show. And that view………we literally felt like we were in the middle of the show! And this is where my biggest difference between this cruise and a typical dessert party must be made. With your typical dessert party, you are looking at roughly $115 per adult and $70 per child. And I totally understand that you get a larger variety of goodies to munch on and drinks to sip, but, I feel you are sacrificing view for those treats. And after experiencing this cruise, I would much rather have that fully immersive experience than more snacks and sips. And of course, as always that is just my personal opinion. So if you have a party of 10 (5 adults, 5 children) this dessert party will cost you around $915 respectively as compared to the $399 plus tax, so this is a no brainer for me!
The show, the view, the company, all the history, conversation, and laughs, make this undoubtedly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had a Walt Disney World. And we all know that I have been blessed with some really amazing memories here. If you are looking for a special way to see one of the newest and most amazing nighttime shows at Disney, this is the perfect way to kick it up a notch! We felt like total VIP’s and as compared to the cost of other options, this was an amazing value for the experience! I highly recommend it! Also, the cast at the Bayside Marina is more than top notch! We so enjoyed our evening with Norman and the crew! We will definitely be sailing with them again!
