Veteran MVMCP Questions

DisMom1981

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 21, 2011

• Feb 27, 2015

• #1

Hi! We are able to take our first Nov/Dec Christmas trip this year. We are usually August travelers, so I'm excited for the Christmas festivities and the (hopefully) lower than August crowds.

The catch is we are traveling on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, with that Sunday being our first park day. We love to do MK for our first park day and it is perfect because there is a Christmas Party this night- but, will the parks still be a madhouse this day? Are we better off waiting until Tuesday, December 1? Are we better off skipping that Sunday in the parks altogether? MK has the lowest prediction for the parks on that Sunday. I just feel like it will be a late night and we will have the most mojo at the beginning of the trip (traveling with three little ones). Our trip is planned from Sat, Nov 28 - Fri, Dec 4

 

mom2rtk

Invented the term "Characterpalooza"

Joined

Aug 23, 2008

• Feb 27, 2015

• #2

Unless one of those days has discounts not offered the other day, I would go with Tuesday.

Discounted nights are always more likely to sell out (CM, DVC, etc.)

 

letsgoreds

DIS Veteran

Joined

Nov 2, 2011

• Feb 27, 2015

• #3

I like to pace myself with our vacations, essential with little ones. I would just do MK on Sunday. People are headed home from Thanksgiving, so crowds will be decreasing. You aren't going to want to wait until Tuesday to visit MK. If possible, I would book the party the last night of your trip.

We just returned from a DL trip, and kept reasonable hours most nights, but then closed out the parks our last night, since we were just driving home the next day. My kids don't nap, but by the last day in the parks, they were getting run down and asking for a nap, which worked beautifully with the late night!

We did the MVMCP when my youngest was 3, and he had a great time. He does better with later nights...and we planned a resort/pool day for the following morning, with FP+ booked for later afternoon/evening (worked great). We also did do MK earlier in that day (crowds are always lower on party days), and left after lunch, returned at 4pmish, booking our FP+ for that 4-6pm timeframe, and then got our party on!

 

MrsHull

Mouseketeer

Joined

Mar 27, 2014

• Feb 27, 2015

• #4

We are going to be there at the same time! Like you, we've never been to the Christmas Party and I'm beyond excited! We are planning on going to the Tuesday night party to hopefully avoid the biggest weekend crowds.

 

DisMom1981

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 21, 2011

• Feb 27, 2015

• #5

I didn't realize there are discount nights. How do you see what nights are discount?

 

siskaren

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 8, 2007

• Feb 27, 2015

• #6

DisMom1981 said:

I didn't realize there are discount nights. How do you see what nights are discount?

Click to expand...

You'll probably have to wait until they release pricing. (Tickets go on sale in April, but no exact date has been announced.) Discounts aren't that big, though. Last year's advance sale discount was $4 and the Passholder/DVC discount was $9. (I don't know if you can combine discounts.)

 

lauradis

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 20, 2012

• Feb 27, 2015

• #7

We will be there the same time too. I was hopeing to do thursdays party.

 

DisMom1981

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 21, 2011

• Feb 27, 2015

• #8

Im so nervous of making the wrong choice! This trip is going to be so different from our summer trips!

 

kiford

DIS Veteran

Joined

Nov 9, 2012

• Feb 27, 2015

• #9

We've always read WDW has the lowest attendances from the weekend after US Thanksgiving until two weeks before Christmas. That's typically when we go and we've often gone on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving and found the attendance levels very good, although we don't tend to spend a lot of time at MK. We usually do MVMCP about Dec 3-5 or towards the 10-12th so I don't what it would be like earlier but the daytime crowds are relatively low those first few days.

 

ktlm

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jun 20, 2008

• Feb 27, 2015

• #10

You will be fine that Sunday at MK. We have been there that day before. The Thanksgiving crowd is headed home and the park has lower crowds because it closes early. Also that party does not always sell out. We have been there and they were still selling tickets that day.

 

M

mackeymouse4eva

Mouseketeer

Joined

Feb 23, 2010

• Feb 28, 2015

• #11

We have attended this party on THAT night for the past 5 out of 6 years. We have never had a problem. We usually arrive the night before Thanksgiving and leave on the Monday or Tuesday after. We attend the party that Sunday because they do not offer it the week of Thanksgiving. If I had a choice I would probably pick the Tuesday party because the Thanksgiving crowds are gone, it's the second party after a week of no parties-so not getting the people who can only go on that nite, and it's a week night so less locals. HOWEVER, as I opened with, because of our dates, that is the only party night available to us(thank god it is ) AND we have NEVER had a problem. It's probably busier than the Tuesday party but it has never been unbearable. We have always been able to accomplish most of what we want. I Wish ALL of the parties were like an hour longer...to enjoy all of the shows, parades, fireworks, characters and rides. Enjoy your trip!

 

DisMom1981

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 21, 2011

• Feb 28, 2015

• #12

Ok now I'm thinking of doing a mid Nov trip with the hopes of catching free dining between black out dates and lower crowds throughout (after Jersey week). Is it any less Christmasy in November?

Will free dining even matter at Pop over the standard room discount if we want to upgrade to the one sit down meal a day plan?

Will southwest come out with flights before or after free dining is announced? I don't want to buy flights and then have free dining not exist the week I thought it would.

I am literally making myself crazy.

 

siskaren

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 8, 2007

• Feb 28, 2015

• #13

DisMom1981 said:

Ok now I'm thinking of doing a mid Nov trip with the hopes of catching free dining between black out dates and lower crowds throughout (after Jersey week).

1. Is it any less Christmasy in November?

2. Will free dining even matter at Pop over the standard room discount if we want to upgrade to the one sit down meal a day plan?

3. Will southwest come out with flights before or after free dining is announced? I don't want to buy flights and then have free dining not exist the week I thought it would.

I am literally making myself crazy.

Click to expand...

1. MK will definitely be all decked out for Christmas in mid-November for the parties, except for the Christmas tree, which doesn't go up until after they film the Christmas parade, which is usually the first weekend in December. The Osborne Lights will be up at DHS (there have been rumors every year for the last few years that they're going away, but until I hear something from Disney themselves, I'm assuming they'll be there this year), but I don't know if there will be any decorations at AK or Epcot. (Epcot doesn't start their holiday events until after Thanksgiving.)

2. I think you'll just have to wait until discounts come out and crunch numbers. I'm tending to think though that it might be a wash.

3. Southwest will open up dates through January 4 on May 14 (although that date is subject to change), which should be about the time that fall discounts come out.

 

chefmb

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jan 24, 2003

• Feb 28, 2015

• #14

DisMom1981 said:

Ok now I'm thinking of doing a mid Nov trip with the hopes of catching free dining between black out dates and lower crowds throughout (after Jersey week). Is it any less Christmasy in November?

Will free dining even matter at Pop over the standard room discount if we want to upgrade to the one sit down meal a day plan?

Will southwest come out with flights before or after free dining is announced? I don't want to buy flights and then have free dining not exist the week I thought it would.

I am literally making myself crazy.

Click to expand...

I am only responding to your first question. As another poster said, MK will be all decorated except for the big tree. The other parks will most likely have their trees and decorations up as well, perhaps more showing up through the time you are there. Epcot will not have the special stages set for their "Storytellers Around the World." DH and I have been taking a trip in Nov or Dec for 4 years now (First time in 2011 and we were hooked!). This past November was the first trip before Thanksgiving--we went the full week before--I think Nov. 15-22. I think all of the MVMCPs sold out (I know Thursday and Friday did), which was very surprising, so get your tickets for that ahead of time. I decided after this last trip that I want to go AFTER Thanksgiving. The main reason is that the resorts were not decorated yet. For some reason, resorts were decorated later this year than in the past from what I have heard. Some of the gingerbread displays were up, but it just wasn't as impressive without any other Christmas decor. That being said, if you don't care about the resorts being decorated and your main joy will come from MK decor, then go for it! Also, if they do have Osborne Lights (please, please, Disney, do not get rid of these--they are my absolute favorite!!), then make sure you see them!!! Oh, one more thing you get after Thanksgiving is the holiday tag at the end of Illuminations--just an extra couple minutes with Walter Cronkite and children from many countries wishing you Merry Christmas and some extra fireworks. (And Candlelight Processional starts after Thanksgiving if you are interested in that.)
To give a summary of all of this, in my opinion it is less Christmasy before Thanksgiving..