All aboard! Guests embark on FerryTale Wishes: A Fireworks Dessert Cruise for sweet treats and sweeter views as the sun sets — Photo courtesy of A.D. Thompson
Magic abounds all around Orlando these days, especially at the "Most Magical Place on Earth." All around the realm, Walt Disney World resorts and park offerings are upgrading and expanding. So, too, are extra extraordinary experiences.
One of the (quite literally) sweetest of these takes guests out for an extended spin around the expansive Seven Seas Lagoon and superior Magic Kingdom views.
FerryTale Wishes: A Fireworks Dessert Cruise might just be a must-do for park visitors with a sweet tooth, or those interested in getting a unique perspective on Disney’s rousing and musical Wishes Nighttime Spectacular.
Bubbly pre-cruise refreshments get you glowing before you take your first sip — Photo courtesy of A.D. Thompson
The journey begins at the Transportation Center; this is where both ferryboats and monorails embark for all points Disney, including the iconic General Joe Potter – named for a Disney legend who helped craft much of the park’s behind-the-scenes operations.
Insider recommendation: If your party has time, consider dinner at the nearby Polynesian Resort beforehand. It’s a nice walk and eliminates the need for tram transport from the Magic Kingdom parking lot.
Once checked in, grab a glow-glass of something bubbly and prepare to embark, as the sun sets and Cinderella’s Castle casts its glow from across the water.
Guests will find refreshments at the ready. Desserts – beautifully crafted and presented treats – beckon, as do cheese, cracker and fruit platters for those with a hankering for something less confectionary.
The pastry chefs’ works are the stars, of course. At least, until the real ones emerge from the inky Orlando sky. Grab a glass of wine (Souvenir palette plates have convenient holders for them.), and sample treats from around the Disney kingdom.
From the Polynesian’s South Seas-inspired kitchen: deconstructed pineapple upside-down cake. From the Magic Kingdom’s most visited avenue: “Main Street” Mickey Balloon Tarts.
Cinderella's Sugar Slipper, with orange financier — Photo courtesy of A.D. Thompson
The Contemporary “Traditional with a Twist” Spiced Flourless Chocolate Cake’s white exterior reps its namesake’s iconic building shape, but also belies the dark, decadent and lightly heat-infused chocolate inside.
The tiny financier – a petite French cake – is perhaps the most beautifully presented, set inside a sugar-crafted slipper like the one that changed Cinderella’s life. It fits perfectly in this fairy tale, too.
Red and white wine and a selection of other beverages – alcoholic and non-alcoholic – complement both the selection and the view.
The cooling breeze washes over passengers, as the boat circumnavigates the Seven Seas Lagoon. Music plays. The waterfront resorts – the Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Polynesian – come alive with lights as the sky darkens. Cindy’s castle and Space Mountain mark each Magic Kingdom sail-by.
Come fireworks time, the boat eases into prime position. The Disney music and narration they’re hearing on Main Street flows through the vessel’s sound system. And the sky over the castle? It explodes in a wash of color that some say glows a little brighter for all the Disney magic.
Reservations for FerryTale Wishes: A Fireworks Dessert Cruise can be made online and are highly recommended. No park admission is necessary.
This cruise is "just desserts," but no one seems to mind — Photo courtesy of A.D. Thompson
