Williams Family: Ferrytale Fireworks Sparkling Dessert Cruise

When planning for our summer 2018 Walt Disney World vacation, we wanted to try something new.  The Ferrytale Fireworks Sparkling Dessert Cruise was just the ticket!

Guests for the Ferrytale Fireworks Sparkling Dessert Cruise gather at the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) located across the Seven Seas Lagaoon from the Magic Kingdom.  Guest who drive and park at the Magic Kingdom know this area well.  Since we stay at Walt Disney World Resorts, the only time we head to the TTC is to transfer from the Resort Monorail to the EPCOT Monorail.

We had dinner at The Wave at The Contemporary Resort and rode the monorail to the TTC.  We were ahead of schedule and our plan was to ride the entire monorail circle before getting off, but as our monorail pulled out of The Contemporary there was a very loud and very close-by strike of lightening.  As the monorail pulled into the TTC it became evident that the lightening had taken out the monorail switch so our monorail wasn't going anywhere and neither were any other monorails, so we exited.

Soon Cast Members were setting up including putting ropes around areas of the Ferry landing and a covered location to the right of the bathrooms at the TTC.

Upon check-in, guests were given a lanyard, that lights up.  Also, when you look through the Mickey ears at lights or fireworks, you can see little Mickey's!  The lanyard were also a way to designate which guests were a part of the party.

I immediately recognized one of the Cast Members from our Highway in the Sky Dine Around that we enjoyed during our March 2018 trip.  I couldn't resist taking a photo!  Click here to read about Highway in the Sky Dine Around.

Guests gathered in the covered area and enjoyed snacks, water, and adult beverages--with ID--of beer and wine.  There are standing tables and seats around the perimeter of the location.

When the sun began to set, it was time to make our way to the General Joe Potter, one of the three ferry boats that serve the Magic Kingdom.  There was a Photopass photographer on the pier with a life preserver decorated to commemorate the occasion.  We scanned our MagicBand and voila, the photos were in our Photopass account.

Once on board, guests either found spots upstairs or downstairs.  We opted for upstairs.  There were some tables with chairs, but mostly standing tables and bench seating near the railings.  Centerpieces on the tables were designed for the event!

Dessert offerings were on both floors of ferry with adult beverages downstairs.  The husband made sure we both had our fill.

While I didn't get a photo, a magician made his way to our table while we enjoyed desserts.  He performed some great card tricks.

The Photopass photographer continued to make their rounds throughout the cruise.  They captured a proposal happening just on the other side of the ferry.

I was able to snap a few photos of the Magic Kingdom as dusk fell and the ferry continued to make its way around Seven Seas Lagoon.  There was an informational track playing on the speakers about the resorts we were passing, but it was difficult to hear.

Our lanyards all lit up!

As the time for Happily Ever After fireworks came nearer, the guests made their way to one side of the ferry, which caused the ferry to tip enough that water began to roll off the roof.  The music was piped in over the speakers and we enjoyed the fireworks show.  

The photo above is a fireworks selfie.  The photo below is one the Photopass photographer took as fireworks were in the background.

When the fireworks were over, the ferry pulled back to the pier at the TTC.  A Cast Member was waiting with balloons for the little ones.  We were directed to a line of buses that were just for us!  We told the Cast Member our resort, we were directed to one of the buses, and we were back at our resort in minutes, without having to navigate the exiting crowds at the Magic Kingdom!  This feature was a surprise as we had wondered how we would get back to our resort and all scenarios included returning to the Magic Kingdom and taking our resort bus.  

Cost:  $99 per person  for adults and $69 for children ages 3-9.  It is recommended to make reservations ahead of time as capacity is limited.  Click here to go to the official Walt Disney World website.

Some hints/tips:

• Bathrooms are at the TTC and on the bottom level of the Ferry.  The bathrooms on the ferry are primitive.  Not as bad as a KYBO, but pretty close.  
• It can get chilly out on the water, so bring a jacket or sweater.
• The desserts and drinks disappear as soon as the fireworks begin, so know this and plan accordingly.
• Be ready to stand at a table or sit without a table.
• Strollers, wheelchairs, scooters were all allowed on the bottom level of the ferry.
• There wasn't a bad view of the fireworks, so don't worry about staking out a spot early in the fireworks cruise.
• The ferry sets sail 50 minutes prior to fireworks start time, so plan accordingly.

All of us enjoyed the Ferrytale Fireworks Sparkling Dessert Cruise.  It was nice to experience the Magic Kingdom fireworks from another vantage point and highly recommend the experience.

Related Posts About Fireworks Viewing You Might Also Enjoy:

Williams Family Does Highway in the Sky Dine Around--Yes, there are fireworks!

Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage--We've now done this twice and yes, there are fireworks!

Magic Kingdom Dessert Party--our favorite now is the Plaza Garden View--which is less expensive!