Lanyard for Skyline Lounge Experience 2018

Watching the fireworks at Disneyland is a challenge.  Many people line the streets in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle hours before the 9:30 pm showtime.  I am not one to wait around. There are alternate places to walk up at the last minute, such as Rivers of America and It’s a Small World area.  Yet, you don’t get to see the projections on the castle, flying Tinkerbell, or the fireworks right at the castle. There is reserved seating on benches at the castle, but that is for invited guests or guests that had VIP tours that day.

Disneyland has lacked the Fireworks dessert parties that other Disney Parks have offered for years.  At Walt Disney World, you can attend dessert parties for nighttime entertainment at all four parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and now Animal Kingdom.  Even Disneyland’s neighbor, Disney California Adventure, has offered a World of Color Dessert Party and now a Paint the Night Dessert Party.

If you are looking for a relaxing place to watch the fireworks from afar, try the Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Experience!  I brought my Dad to Disneyland for the day and gave him my own VIP tour of the best of the Disneyland Resort. My Dad has not visited Disneyland in about 10 years. We visited on Disneyland’s 63rd Birthday.  He enjoyed a multitude of  rides using Maxpass, Carthay Circle Restaurant for lunch, and the Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Experience to end the night.

The Skyline Lounge opened about a year ago and has quietly kept it’s place on the second level of the Star Wars Launch Bay.  Reserve your spot in the same way that you reserve table service restaurants at the resort.  The cost is $50 per person, no discounts, and is paid when you arrive at the lounge that night.  The lounge has several couches and high top tables with bar stools and chairs. For the best seat choice, arrive 15 minutes prior to 8:00pm when the lounge opens. You are able to come and go during the 2 hours that the lounge is open without losing your seat.

A host will help you take your dessert box and drinks to an available table or couch of your choice.  Drinks are unlimited, but the dessert box is the only food available. There are cans of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Perrier.  Coffee and hot tea are also available.  Your host will offer you games, Jenga or Connect Four, to play while you wait for the fireworks.  They also offer blankets because Southern California nights can be a bit cooler, especially up on the second level of the Launch Bay building.

A surprise from the night was a visit from Minnie Mouse.  Disney’s website did not mention character visits. Minnie spent time taking group and individual photos with all of the guests in the lounge.

The reason we book the lounge is for the fireworks views.  Anaheim was quite windy that day, and the fireworks were delayed by about 10-15 minutes.  Disney’s website says does not guarantee the fireworks. Fireworks are often cancelled at Disneyland due to winds. If fireworks are cancelled, I do not know if you will receive a partial refund of your lounge experience.  A downside of the high top tables and bar stools is that the tops of the fireworks are cut off. You are asked not to lean on the railing for viewing of the fireworks.  Most of the guests who were seated on the couches remained there to watch the fireworks. I would recommend arriving early for couch seating.

Firework view from the Skyline Lounge

Overall, I would recommend ending your day with this lounge experience. It was a great to have a seat and wait for the fireworks. The desserts were quite tasty, even as breakfast the next day! We did take the box home because we had a full day of meals and snacks already. Since the desserts come in a take-out style box, it was easy to close up and take the uneaten treats home.