Whenever fireworks happen at Disneyland Park, an exclusive track of Star Wars music from John Williams are synced to the pyro display high above Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Within Batuu, the altered audio and pyro presentation is called Fire of the Rising Moons. The best viewing location for this is near the Millennium Falcon. And now, a new dining package is available to book: Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo Nighttime Gathering, including light bites, beverages, and reserved viewing for the Star Wars spectacular — and we tried it out!
What’s Included
For $89 per person (including tax and gratuity):
- Reserved viewing of fireworks set to Star Wars music from an upper level near Docking Bay 7
- 1 “Bento box” of savory and sweet bites listed below
- 1 Black Caf Cold Brew (this must be requested and is not automatically distributed)
- Unlimited non-alcoholic beverages (excluding that Black Caf Cold Brew)
- Souvenir light-up sipper
- For those 21 and up, a selection of wine, beer and hard seltzer are also available for purchase.
Our Experience
We checked in for the Nighttime Gathering event just outside Docking Bay 7, where we were instructed to wait until the doors would open for us at 8PM. Upon entering, we were given a beverage menu and credential for “clearance” for the reserved viewing area later on (the fireworks were at 9:30PM on this evening). You proceed to the cash register to place your beverage order – whether it’s part of the non-alcholic inclusions or alcoholic purchases. Then at the counter, you pick up your food and beverages together before enjoying at your table.
The bento box includes:
- Fried Cheeseburger Croquette Bites
- Apricot goat cheese topped with honey, za’atar, sour cherry gel, cheddar, Monterey jack and pita chips
- Dragon fruit yogurt topped with lychee popping pearls and fresh blueberries
- Cream puff pair of Black Caf cold brew and blue milk flavors
- Unlimited fountain beverages
- Specialty nonalcoholic beverages in a souvenir novelty cup
- A non-dairy version of the bento box is also available upon request; including plant-based quinoa croquettes, and alternative accompaniments — pictured below.
The food here was unique and fun for Docking Bay 7. Those who were fortunate enough to try the cuisine aboard the short-lived Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser in Walt Disney World may recognize some of the flavors here. I will say, there was an awful lot of sweet bites versus savory, especially considering the sugary beverage included in the novelty sipper (a kiwi soda concoction topped with cotton candy), alongside a Black Caf Cold Brew complete with sweet cream cheese topping & cocoa puffs. However, I will absolutely be craving those cheeseburger croquettes with their own “Big Mac” style dipping sauce. I wouldn’t be upset if those made it into Docking Bay 7’s permanent menu!
Besides their own version of cheeseburger pods (à la Satu’li Canteen), I was most excited to try the Black Caf cold brew puff pastry. This was a super fun idea, the soft pastry and crunch of the cocoa pebbles was nice, but it lacked that sweet cream cheese flavoring I love from the beverage so much. The rest of the desserts were just okay to me — special in appearance, but certainly not worth the price point.
I was pretty excited to learn our credential also included one Black Caf Cold Brew per person — a Batuu West staple in my book, and I was able to easily request extra sweet cream cheese topping or light ice, as it was especially made per person, and for a very small group of people (there were about 30 of us in total). This wasn’t advertised, and was only heard about through word of mouth from friends who previously attended a night. So make sure to get yours!
After leisurely capturing and enjoying our bites and beverages, we made our way outside for the show closer to 9:15pm. The reserved viewing area is blocked off for the Nighttime Gathering attendees, and is located just outside Docking Bay 7.
Of course, the show started promptly at 9:30PM, and there’s nothing a little John Williams music can’t fix – especially when it’s set to fabulous fireworks — GOODNESS, how I miss you Star Wars Galactic Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios…
This show was synced up to Disneyland’s Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks — you can watch the full display as seen from Batuu here:
Well, Is It Worth It?
Harkening back to the Rebel celebration on the forest moon of Endor from 1983’s Return of the Jedi, this experience comes with some premium features, but it also comes at a premium price tag.
Considering you can catch the fireworks synced up to the booming John Williams scores from any spot around the Millennium Falcon within Batuu, it’s not definitely not necessary to purchase this $89 add-on just for the show. The food was interesting, but was heavy on the sugary side to me. There is about a $25 value when you factor in the [generic-looking] sipper cup and Black Caf Cold Brew. So is the food and reserved viewing worth the extra $65? I’d say for a special occasion for a couple of Star Wars fans, sure. In fact, amongst the 30 of us within the reserved area, a proposal happened just after fireworks concluded!
I will tell you, I don’t think I’ll ever watch the fireworks at Sleeping Beauty Castle ever again. Guess I’m a Star Wars nerd, huh?
Reservations are now open for the Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo Nighttime Gathering, and can be made within the Disneyland app via dining reservations.
