This past March, the Disneyland Resort introduced the World of Color Dessert Party. My family and I had the pleasure of attending recently, and what a special treat it was! I’m always up for a Disney Dessert Party. I’ve done the Fanstasmic Dessert Party at Disneyland (currently on hiatus due to construction) and also a handful of different dessert parties at Walt Disney World.
World of Color Dessert Party Signage
I’m excited to say that the World of Color Dessert Party both met and exceeded my expectations! The dessert party starts one hour prior to World of Color show time. Reservations must be made in advance either online or by calling Disney Dining; the dessert parties are nightly.
On the day of your party, proceed to the queue at this sign. When you reach the front of the line, check in and you will be shown to your table.
Table Seating
YES, TABLE! The seating was honestly one of the best things about the World of Color Dessert Party. It’s also, by far, the main difference from the Fantasmic Dessert Party; there it’s just folding chairs and you eat on your lap. It was so lovely to have tables. It made the event feel much more special. It was also easier for our group to socialize while eating dessert!
There are two types of tables at the dessert party, the lower tables as shown above and the high tops with director type chairs as seen below.
Additional Seating
Once you are shown to your table, your server brings over a Menu and a basket of Parmesan Coated Breadsticks and Sliced Baguettes. ALSO, please note that I am aware of the misspelling of the French “Macaron.” We know that the coconut ones are “macaroon” and the French are “macaron.” It’s a common mistake that we’ve seen before, so please don’t get upset, I did not write the menu.
Bread Basket & Menu
The Parmesan Breadsticks were delicious, especially with the cheese selection that was soon delivered! BUT, before the dessert platter arrives, it’s drink time.
Beverages include Soda, Water or Hot Chocolate. Grown ups can choose an “adult beverage” if they’d like: either a glass of Champagne or the party’s signature drink, the Wonderful Cooler. The Wonderful Cooler consists of Sprite, Lemonade, Blue Liqueur, and Coconut Rum. I highly recommend the Wonderful Cooler — SO tasty! Non alcocholic beverages are refillable, and adult beverages are limited to one per person (ages 21 and up of course).
Champagne & the Wonderful Cooler
If you really want to be fancy, you can upgrade to the World of Color sipper for an additional fee. These cups are “made with magic” and glow with the show. I did not ask the price at the event, but I know that they were $28 when they were first introduced for Disneyland’s 60th.
Made with Magic World of Color Sipper Glows with the Show
Now, on to the desserts!!!
Dessert!
This gorgeous assortment of treats is brought to you plated. I thought it was much nicer than the plastic take out box at the Fantasmic Dessert Party. Also, a little less gluttonous than the all you can eat dessert buffets I’ve been to in Walt Disney World. The plates were brought out with silver domes over them and then revealed to you at your table. It had a very classy feel to it.
World of Color Dessert Party Platter
Let’s start at twelve o’ clock on the plate and go clockwise! How adorable is the Waffle Bowl with Berries and Lime Yogurt Mousse? And that little World of Color chocolate logo??? Not only adorable, but also delicious. This was one of my favorite treats on the plate. The sweet & tart flavor combination was so nice and I loved the fresh berries it was topped with.
Waffle Bowl with Berries and Lime Yogurt Mousse
Next up is the Mini French Macaron and the Dulce de Leche filled Shortbread Cookie. The Mini Macaron wasn’t anything to write home about…but I’m not a big fan of French Macarons. However, I did LOVE the Dulce de Leche filled Shortbread Cookie. The gooey caramel center was amazing and the soft shortbread shell was wonderful too.
Mini French Macaron & Dulce de Leche Filled Shortbread Cookie
The cheese assortment was also fabulous. A trio of Brie, Mild Cheddar & Manchego was served with a side of Seedless Green Grapes. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cheese. Maybe even more than dessert. The selection here was really nice. Nothing too overpowering, all delicious. That mini Brie wheel was perfect for dipping one of the Parmesan Cheese Coated Breadsticks in.
The green grapes were fresh and tart — a perfect accompaniment to the cheeses and bread.
Another one of my odd dislikes? Anything mocha or coffee flavored. But I can assure you that if you are a fan of these flavors, you will love the Chocolate Mocha Bundt Cake! I donated mine to my friend Lisa, who LOVED it!
Trio of Cheeses, Green Seedless Grapes, & the Chocolate Mocha Bundt Cake
And last but definitely not least, the grand finale and my very favorite thing on this plate: the Mickey Coconut Macaroon! This treat was previously served at the Club 33 Dessert Bar pre-remodel. It is sorely missed, so when I saw it was being offered at the World of Color Dessert Party, I was pretty excited.
This Mickey is a little different, smaller in size with purple ears, but it tastes the same! Moist coconut with just the right amount of chocolate. I really wish these were sold park wide!
Mickey Coconut Macaroon
Now, for a few tips: Special diets can be accommodated, but you must contact Disney Dining BEFORE the day of the show. The dessert party plate is very generously portioned. If you have dinner plans before the event, make sure to eat something light so that you have room for all of these tasty treats. OR, if you consider cheese and bread to be a meal (yes, please) make THIS your dinner. Then follow it with the sweets on the plate in front of you. If however, you can’t finish, a wonderful cast member will offer you a to go box and you can take your leftovers home with you!
Treats To Go!
ALSO, my boys were asked if they’d like some Hot Chocolate to go! That was a fun surprise too.
Hot Chocolate To Go!
The World of Color Dessert Party is $79 a person regardless of age. As mentioned above, the party is nightly and you can make your reservations online or by calling Disney Dining at 714.781.DINE. This is a pricey event, but honestly, it’s a great experience. Not something to do on a “regular” basis by any means, but if you are looking for a special date night, are planning a birthday surprise, have a first timer with you, or maybe you just want to experience The World of Color sitting down comfortably while eating delicious food, I highly recommend this fun evening. I also think it would be a great alternative to the World of Color dining packages; the seating is much better than the standing reserved spots. Just look at our view!
Dessert Party View
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A big thank you to Disney for inviting my family to experience the World of Color Dessert Party.
Heather Sievers is the Disney Food Blog’s Dining in Disneyland columnist. See more of her columns here!
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Am I missing something? This seems like a really meager portion of food for $79.00. For that price point, a buffet would be a lot more reasonable.
Justin – It does include at least one alcoholic beverage (I’ve read multiple reports of people being able to get refills and/or to try both cocktails) at a SEAT and you don’t have to stand in a line for an hour to then stand to see the show. As this is literally the only way to sit and watch the show. That and the excellent desserts and bread baskets have most people believing that it’s worth it. Also the desserts are apparently very filling as most people are reporting taking a lot of it home with them.
Have to ask…..did you pay out of pocket??
$79??? Do you get to take the chair home with you? I’m sorry, for that amount of money you should be getting a prime steak as well. Maybe I’m missing something, but sitting down isn’t worth that exorbitant mark up.
I like the sitting-at-a-table aspect, but I agree that this seems like a really small portion of food for a really large price tag. Everything looks delicious, but I think they should offer seconds on the food, or more variety.
Thanks for the review!
Where is the dessert party section location-wise compared to the regular sections? Is it behind Blue? Or behind the Carthay Circle reserved area? Did you find that you had a good view seated over the heads of the standing guests in front of you?
So I’m curious if it one plate of food per party or one plate of food per person? Did your children get their own plate of goodies or only adults? Bread Basket one per party? Can you try both alcoholic drinks or only get one? Thanks!
Kudos to Disney for offering a dessert party that actually has seating included. However, for that price tag, I would prefer to be able to choose my desserts at the very least.
I also can’t help but compare this to the Villain’s Soiree they had during the Halloween party at WDW (which I also thought was a bit ridiculous given that you were also paying just to get into the party itself). This event was $20 more and also had plated desserts. It seems like an absolute bargain in comparison to this one. You got preferred viewing of both the Halloween parade and the fireworks, the desserts (as well as a meat and cheese platter), a dragon-shaped souvenir cup filled with candy, the chance to meet a bunch of Disney villains, and the opportunity to dine inside Cinderella’s castle.
This seems extraordinarily high-priced, even for Disney. Considering the Wishes! Dessert Party is $20 less and you get to go to a buffet and choose your own desserts, which is far more appealing to me as I don’t particularly enjoy having desserts I wouldn’t eat selected for me, it’s hard for me to see the value in this event. I just don’t see how a SEAT is worth the expense for a rather unimpressive looking plate of desserts.
Thanks for sharing your opinions! To answer a few of the questions: I agree that it seems expensive for what you get — especially compared to Disney World dessert events. But as commenter Allison said, this is the ONLY way to sit and see the show, the wait isn’t long compared to waiting with or without a fastpass, the desserts are very high-end, and most visitors feel like they have plenty of food and actually take some of it home to eat later. As with many of these extra events offered by Disney, the “worth” is extremely variable based on individual needs and wants. Our job is to show you what you get, and how much you’d be paying for it — it’s up to our readers to decide whether or not it suits their family and vacation plans. 😀
Allison – Thank you! Very well said!
Madoka – It’s directly in front of the Fun Wheel. There are people in front of you, but you are higher up. The view is GREAT and the people in front didn’t bother us at all.
Kristen – It’s a plate per person. One bread basket per table. But table was max 4. So plenty to go around. Also, one alcohol drink per adult, but I heard people were getting refills and/or tying both. One was plenty for me!
Sarah – The Villains Soiree sounds like so much fun!
Lisa – I loved the desserts, to me they were actually quite impressive. I also liked the plated aspect, no need to wait in line.
I wish I had found this blog before our visit a couple of days ago. I saw the price tag on this and thought it was too steep for me and my son. Seeing World of Color was a priority on this visit and we got our fastpasses and went to our designated area only to be milled into a very crowded pen of people who were rude and pushy. I got repeatedly kicked by a toddler that did not belong to me! My son could not see over the tall people and we got pretty wet. We left early and did not enjoy a single minute of the show. It would have been a completely different experience sitting at a table with a good view while snacking on desserts and a nice sparkly adult beverage. Live and learn.
Bethgo – They do cram a lot of people into those fast pass sections! I’m sorry you had a bad experience. The dessert party is very enjoyable and you have lots of personal space! ; )
I can’t wait to do this on our Anniversary trip in August – this will be a great way to cap off the end of a night! And since we plan to do this towards the end of the trip our feet will certainly thank us for the seat!
Allison – Remember to not eat a big meal just before! Happy Anniversary to you!
I just did this too. I was shocked at the price of it initially and decided to just go ahead and do it once instead of my usual Carthay Circle WOC experience.
I love the seating as I was the first in line to get in. Although I didn’t have the full hour ahead of time (2nd show plus the first time they are doing a 2nd show), I enjoyed my time tremendously.
I agree also that the portions are huge as I was able to take home quite a bit of desserts and all of it lovely. Drinks are refillable and the waiter even asked if he could refill my husband’s alcoholic cocktail but we turned it down. I had multiple cups of the hot chocolate and I am not sure why but it tasted much better than the hot chocolate that I got from the White Water Snacks the next day.
Due to price tag, I might not be able to splurge on it yearly, but definitely something I would do if I can swing the price again.
Not to be devil’s advocate, but it is silly to complain about the price.
If you think it’s too pricey than do not experience it.
I’ve book it for my spouse and I without even knowing exactly what was offered because I wanted the exclusivity of it.
But seriously what’s the point in saying what they “should do?”
You have the insight now, enjoy it or not.
☺️
Thanks for the helpful review. I just came across this experience and thought it would be a neat “date night” for just my girls and I. Only concern- they are aged 7 and 8, too young?
Jessica – I don’t think 7 & 8 is too young at all. I think they would love it!
Thanks for your review. We were planning to go the Mickey’s Halloween Party again this year, but it sold out faster than I got a chance to buy tickets. So wanting something fun and different to do, we’ve decided to attend the World of Color Dessert Party on October 31st. I thought this was a perfect alternative now that Disney California Adventure is all decked out for Halloween. The price tag is much cheeper than what we would have paid to go trick or treating at Disneyland & we still get sweets & a show. 🙂
Very much looking forward to the desert party on a trip with just me and my daughter on her sweet 16! The price keeps this event exclusive and that is for sure worth it to me for a special treat! When I go to Disney I go all out since I do not attend very often!
Would this work for 4 adults, a 4 yr old and 21 mo??? And, how would they seat us if tables are set for 4?
Carol, good question! As far as we know, this event is still “shared seating” with tables set up in two-tops and four-tops. A group of six would want to be seated as close together as possible, so you’d want to make that clear when you check in. We aren’t sure if they are amenable to shifting tables slightly closer together, but you could ask. Hope this helps!