The Solo Scale:

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While the parks at Walt Disney World are known for their grand fireworks displays, the West Coast doesn’t run shows quite as frequently. This is because of the proximity of people living and local noise by-laws. However, at California Adventure, they get around the noise issue of fireworks with the elaborate and fantastical water show. Most often, that’s World of Color.

The show is a hot ticket. It means that if you want to stand in one of the prime areas, you have to join a Virtual Queue. There are plenty of articles on how to do that with plenty of tips. However, there’s another way to secure a seat. If you’re okay with spending a little money for an experience and a guaranteed seat, this is the article for you.

To start, some caveats:

• You should have a sweet tooth to get your money’s worth from the World of Color dessert party
  
• Make sure everyone in your party is interested (if you’re not flying solo)
  
• Don’t forget that checking in and sitting down to prepare will eat into ride time. Make your choices based on what really matters to you

If all the above doesn’t scare you off, then this might be a great option for you to enjoy the World of Color show with a dessert tray in hand, a guaranteed seat with a good view, and relatively low crowds to fight.

If you do purchase, you’ll be able to do so in advance with the same timing as any other dining reservations — 60 days in advance. Once you’ve paid, you get your confirmation number. After that, you won’t have to worry until the day of your visit. Your ticket will have information about what time you should check in (usually an hour before the show). It also tells you where to check in — outside the Redwood Challenge area. Check-in happens at a little stand before you get in line. That line is actually waiting for a host to bring you to your table.

Make sure you don’t skip your check in, especially if you have special requests or allergens in your party. Our group missed check-in due to the crowd hiding the stand. We were lucky that they had an extra plate for my gluten-free companion, but it wasn’t a guarantee.

There are two types of tables you might sit at. The options include high tops with director chairs or lower ones with regular chairs. Whichever you get, they all have great views. Best of all, they’re all seated. You’re not shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd vying for the best view, and you’re far enough back that you won’t get constantly sprayed with water.

They’ll bring out your drinks and desserts fairly quickly. If you’re of age, you’ll get a choice of an alcohol beverage or something like hot cocoa or coffee/tea. I got the cocktail, but truthfully, it was a bit too strong. It also didn’t pair well with the desserts. Luckily, I was able to switch to hot cocoa with no trouble. Alongside your drinks comes a dessert plate with lots of themed pastries.

The highlights? The mousse and macaron, and while cheese and grapes are standard, they were a nice bit of variety! If you find that you can’t finish everything in one sitting, you can also ask to take it to-go, and it’s a great snack for the next day (which we definitely did). Save some room for your plate, though. If you’re intending to do a full sit-down dinner prior to the experience, you may not have room, as it’s quite a generous portion and you’ll also get a chance to have some more if you really want.

At the time of writing, the show is currently World of Color Happiness. You can find more details here about the show, reserving via a virtual queue, or doing as we did and getting yourself a reserved spot (for an extra, but well-worth-it, charge).

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