Warm Deep Dish Cookies Right from Mrs Claus' Kitchen!
For several years now, SeaWorld has hosted a Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party during their Christmas Celebration. The event usually takes place on Saturdays only, but in cases where Christmas falls on a weekday, they might add one or two extra weekday parties. The cost of the event has been kept relatively low over the years — enough for me to say that in it's current state ($18-$20 per Adult, less for Children) it's actually a pretty good deal.The event takes place on the Lakeside Grill Cantina patio (so it's mostly outdoors, but covered) and lasts for about 60 minutes. The cookies, cocoa and milk are "all you care to enjoy" for the duration of the event. There's a "special holiday guest" meet, greet and photo opportunity with Mrs Claus… and the patio offers a unique and unobstructive view of the "Holiday Reflections: Fireworks Finale".
The special guests at the "Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party Featuring a Special Holiday Guest" were Mrs. Claus and two elves, Ren (left) and Kirby (right).
While not being on the same level as the large scale dessert parties that Disney host — this cookie party is very close to being a great event. There's a couple little environment and process things that should be better — but first things first… how about those cookies?
Fresh Baked Deep Dish Cookies
So the good new is, the cookies are all actually really good. These are the same cookies that are being sold at the Christmas Celebration Food Booths. There's Chocolate Chip, M&Ms, and Oatmeal Raisin. They are served warm (aka "fresh baked") and are a big step above the cookies you'll find at many of the SeaWorld counter service restaurants.
Fresh Baked Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie at the "Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party" at SeaWorld, Orlando.
I haven't taken photos of the pricing boards at the festival yet this year (not sure I'm going to), but back in 2022 these same cookies were listed as being $5.99 each. I suspect they might be a little more now, maybe $6.49? Not sure really, but most definitely not less than $6.00. The cookies are "all you care to enjoy", but they are big and a little rich. I'm a pretty good cookie eater and I managed to eat three (one of each kind), plus most of a fourth cookie — but that was about my limit.
The Chocolate Chip and M&M's cookie batter is very similar with a slight hint of vanilla. They are thick and crunchy around the outer edges (almost like the edge part of a good brownie), and softer, but not quite gooey, possibly a little under baked in the center… so there's something for everyone no matter how you like your cookies.
The Chocolate Chips are not large and chunky, or like those nicely formed Toll House chips — they almost look hand diced and shaved — but they do seem to be made out of a decent, meltable chocolate — and that gives the whole cookie a nice warm milk chocolate flavor.
It's a little easier to taste the base cookie with the M&M cookie — M&M's are cool looking in a cookie, but they don't melt in the same way that a chocolate chip does.
Fresh Baked Deep-Dish M&M Cookie at the "Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party" at SeaWorld, Orlando.
While Oatmeal Raisin might not be at the top of everyone's "holiday cookie" list — it probably should be. The base cookie cookie uses some familiar fall spice flavors with a few raisins here and there. This cookie has a little more depth (as it should), is not quite as dense but is a little softer.
The Oatmeal Deep-dish Cookie at the cookie party is actually really good. Just from a retail value perspective, if you can eat three cookies at this party, you've broken even with buying each one at the food booths.
Each guest also receives one plastic sippy cup full of warm cocoa or cool milk. This is your cup to use during the event (and yours to keep after the event, so it's a nice souvenir). There are free refills on the warm cocoa and cool milk (and some people switched to just plain water after the first cup of cocoa) — but you won't get another cup — they'll keep refilling your cup. I didn't try the milk or water, but the cocoa was a decent warm beverage. Sure, it's probably mix-based cocoa — but a good mix. I wouldn't expect any actual melted chocolate to be used at this price point.
Each guest at the "Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party Featuring a Special Holiday Guest" received this cool little sippy cup — which was filled with either hot chocolate or milk. This is your cup for the event, if you wanted a refill of anything, it would be poured in this cup... i.e. they're not going to give you a new plastic cup each time.
There's always been some verbiage in SeaWorld's marketing copy about "adult beverages" being available for additional purchase — but I didn't really see any signs where that would be possible. The Lakside Cantina is closed, all the registers are shut down, there's no open bar anywhere — so I think that's probably copy that didn't get erased. This party is cookies, cocoa and milk only.
Just looking at this from a full retail standpoint though, (not knowing exactly what the prices at the booths are this year), if you figure the cookies are $6 and you eat three of them — you're already at a break-event point — so any cocoa, meet and greet photo ops, and having a quiet, not-crowded place to watch the fireworks from is just icing on the cake (there's no cake at the cookie party, it's an idiom.)
The Cookie Buffet Line
The cookies and beverages are located down one row of tables — the space kind of has a "one way, enter here, exit over there" vibe (as opposed to just walking up to the table). There's plates near the beginning, then some warm cookies, then the drink station.
Here's the basic layout of the cookie and beverage buffet tables. While guests are expected to enjoy their cookies out on the patio while waiting for the fireworks, the cookie and beverage tables are set up inside one small area of the Lakeside Grill Cantina (which is closed and no longer serving food by the time the holiday cookie party starts).
Because there's not too many choices, the line goes fairly quick. The big hangup tends to be down by the drink station. Those sippy cups are all empty until you select your beverage — then a cast member will pop the top off, fill the cup, and pop the top back on — which sounds easy, but those tops are snuggly fit on those cups and are not easy to get on and off.
While cocoa and milk are the only two items officially avaialble — it seems as though cast members would go around back and fill your cup with cool water if you requested.
The Patio
So if the cookies are great and the warm cocoa is great and you get a cool plastic sippy mug to take with you — why is it only "close" to being a great event? The patio space where you're supposed to enjoy your cookies and cocoa — needs some work.For starters, it's a little dark out there. I don't think the patio was really designed to be used after dark. There's some small accent lights on one wall, but they're not really enough to light the entire space. Most of the light is coming through the windows from the well-lit interior dining areas and spilling over onto the patio.
This is where guests are expected to sit to enjoy their cookies and cocoa at the cookie party. It's — a little dark, and can be cold if it's windy, because you're sitting right on the lake.
There is a very well-lit photo backdrop at the end of the patio — as in, a couple of car headlights on high beams kind of bright — but I'll get to that in a minute. Overall, it just doesn't have that warm, glittering, holiday vibe that you would expect to find at a holiday cookie party.
At the far end of the patio, there's a photo backdrop for taking pictures with the special guest. While the patio itself is very dark, the photo backdrop is very bright!
There's maybe seven tables outside along with two dozen Wrought Iron chairs — for roughly three dozen people that were attending the party. So that's kind of a planning, butts-to-chairs ratio, and organization issue. The chairs aren't easy to move, they're pretty heavy, and there's just not enough to go around.
Initially, we asked if we could sit inside — but were told "oh, I don't know if you can sit inside, I don't think so". After we almost got settled outside — one brave family sat inside, rules be darned — and they didn't get in trouble... so we picked up and went inside as well… along with two additional groups of people.
There's an additional seven tables in there, with maybe another two dozen chairs — together with the outside area, there's finally enough room for everyone — comfortably.
I know there's some guests that are going to like the cool outdoor setting (it was 55 degrees that night) and there's some (like me) who would prefer the light and less windy inside setting — to chat and eat cookies until the fireworks start. This small indoor area should be open for cookie party guests (it's only a small portion of the restuarunt, which is otherwise closed for the evening) — and all the cast members working the party, should know that's it's okay for guests to sit in either area.
The Special Holiday Guest(s)
About 20 minutes into the party's official start time, Mrs. Claus and two elves Ren and Kirby showed up to mingle a bit with guests and pose for photos near the giant, well-lit backdrop on the outside patio.
There's no "cast photographer" at the event, so the photos are all just taken with guest's phones or cameras.
We had just been to a showing of Mrs. Claus' Magic Kitchen in the Seaport Theater and these were the same characters (and actors) that were in that presentation. To create an extra sense of magic, I'd recommend seeing that show right before going to the cookie party. It's kind of neat seeing the people that were just on stage — up close and personal at the cookie party.
I have to give these actors a lot of credit — (spoiler alert) I'm sure there are several Mrs Claus, Ren, and Kirbies on the schedule — but these particular three were really great at proactively interacting with everyone that came over to see them, and with staying in character. It can't be easy, playing the role of someone like Belle from Beauty and the Beast… you have no mask to hide behind, you're just… out there — but at least you have the character's complete back-story to help guide your interactions with guests.
Here though — Ren, Kirby, and Mrs. Claus have to act, react, and interweave themselves into whatever is going on around them. It's about the closest thing you're going to find to a Rated-G stand-up routine, and these three managed to stay on-point for their entire visit with all the guests.
A Token Gift for the Children
In addition to posing for photos, Mrs. Claus and her two elves have a little token gift to hand the children attending the Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party. On the night we were there, it was a light-up necklace. I'm not sure if the special gift changes from night-to-night — but it's a really nice, fun little gesture. The gifts are supposed to be just for the children at the party though (i.e. young people that are attending the party having purchased a "child" ticket) — there's not really any age check or verification process, but we did see a few teens (and older) trying to take advantage of the "free gift".Mrs. Claus and her two elves are only at the party for 10-15 minutes though (the probably have to make it back to the theater for the next performance) — so if you want to meet them and pick up that gift for the children, don't be late to the party. I did see one group come in, well after Mrs. Claus left, with a couple of kids that would have really enjoyed that interaction and the necklace. I felt a little bad they missed out on that.
The Photo-op with Mrs Clause
This is another one of those areas that could use some work. Getting to pose for photos with Mrs Claus and the elves is a real treat — the backdrop and the lighting really don't do the experience justice.The lighting is hard. Most people's smart phone's aren't going to be able to cope with just how much light that's being dumped into the corner. It's car headlight on high-beams kind of bright and unfortunately — all that light is hitting the highly reflective, creased, aging backdrop — and shining right back into camera.
Mrs Claus, Ren, and Kirby were really great. They took time to pose with everyone that wanted a photo, and even had little necklaces for all the children at the party.
SeaWorld has a great scenic design department… they do all these little themed carts for the various food festivals throughout the year. Honestly, I'd loose the backdrop and just put up a pine themed cart or a couple of trees at the end of the patio. If I'm not mistaken, I think it's actually open-air railing behind the backdrop anyway — there's a giant oak tree back there that could have lights on it. Anything would be better than the current setup.
I managed to grab a quick photo of the group inside the restaurant as they passed by — and aside from the chair barricade, it's a much more festive and well-lit photo.
Mrs Claus, Ren, and Kirby stopped by the cookie party in-between their show "Mrs Claus' Magic Kitchen" over at the Seaport Theater.
The Holiday Reflections Fireworks Finale
Well, I wish I could show you what that looks like from the cookie party patio — but the show was canceled due to high winds. So we got to see one small flourish of sparkles (which technically, I think were part of the skating show on the other side of the lagoon) — and that's it. There really wasn't an announcement or anything — which is a little odd.I know it's not going to be a fun job — but there should be at least one "cast member in charge" that should go around to each of the party's groups and say "hey sorry, the fireworks have been canceled tonight". We waited around for 20 minutes after the fireworks were supposed to go up, and they still hadn't started anything, and all the "Trees of Lights" on the water were dimmed. Cookie party guests just slowly started to meander out of the area — and that was it.
Conclusion
The Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party Featuring a Special Holiday Guest event is a good deal when you look at it solely from a retail standpoint. If you can eat or drink any three things — you're at a break-even point with the retail cost of those things at the holiday food booths.The cookie and cocoa and special guest interactions are great. The fact they're handing out a little trinket gift to children is a really nice touch as well. I'm sure it's a great place to watch the fireworks from as well… you do get a nice view of the trees that are set up around the lake — and it's not over crowned on the patio.
The slight confusion about where guests are allowed to sit, the really dark and un-decorated patio area is a little underwhelming for a cookie party — and the one themed backdrop that is there — is rather old looking and is just basking in a spotlight's worth of brightness.
Would I go back again? Yeah, I probably would. It's a pretty low price-point for a special event — and If I knew I could sit inside and just relax for an hour enjoying cookies and visiting with everyone in my party, until the fireworks started and then I would just slip outside and watch those — then yeah, I'd do it again.
If having to collect and move chairs around in a dark, slightly dirty patio just so your group can sit together — doesn't sound like something you want to do — then I'd stay away from this one. There's a good chance that on a warmer night, they'll make guests take their cookies and cocoa out there. Having to do that — kind of sucks the fun out of the experience real fast.
If you want to find out when the next Cookies, Cocoa, & Milk Party is — check out our festival page for SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration. The most recent info we have about all the special food-based activities that take place during the Christmas Celebration are posted there.
