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"Official" 2018 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - Holiday Magic
- Thread starter monique5
- Start date
- Status
mamaofsix
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2017
We attended the party last night (Tuesday, Nov. 27th). Thank you to @monique5 for all of the great information on this thread! It made what could have been a disappointing night into a great one because we were armed with knowledge and a good touring plan.
Some observations:
-This was not a sold out party. It was still ridiculously crowded. Because of this fact alone, we likely would never spend the money to go again. It was a nice one-time experience, though.
-We watched the first parade in Frontierland (to try to avoid main street crowds). Even so, Frontierland was a nuthouse for crowds. The parade was amazing, though! One highlight of watching it here was that the "Reindeer Wranglers" band and some dancing Country Bears entertained the crowds while we waited. We took the boardwalk along the river to try to escape the crush of humanity to get to Fantasyland afterwards. Even the boardwalk was jammed. If you are making a touring plan, I would recommend going to Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, or Pirates after the parade. It was much less crowded heading that direction.
-The free snacks were SO good! Soft, flavourful and moist cookies. And some of the best eggnog we've ever had. I would absolutely not waste my money on the special party desserts you can buy. The free offerings were more than enough for us! Lines were looooong, but it never took more than 5 minutes to get our treats. Longest line was Pinnochio's Village Haus, Shortest was the snowman pretzel / snowcone by Pirates.
-It was very cold. About 10 celsius (50 F). Even for us Canadians, it was cold because of the wind. Some in our party were not dressed warm enough, which kind of put a damper on it for the rest because they were uncomfortable / complaining all night. I would recommend bringing a hat, heavy sweater, thick pants and a coat with a hood if you are planning for a cold night.
-The lines for rides was a highlight for us. Walked right on Splash and Big Thunder, to the delight of our kids. The best part was seeing the castle all lit up and all of the lights from the top of those rides.
-The dance party at Cosmic Rays was unexpectedly amazing! Whoever the DJ was last night was great - dancing and bopping around on the stage and getting people excited. One Polar bear singled out our kids to dance with and they were loving it
-We watched the fireworks from the Tomorrowland Bridge. Waaaaay less crowded than the hub and still and amazing view.
-Left about 20 minutes before the second parade. It was so magical to walk down the centre of main street (which was not crowded at all - way less so than Frontierland during the first parade!). Snow was falling, the decorations looked beautiful, and there was nostalgic Christmas music playing.
-A tip for those who park at the TTC: When we left there was a gigantic line up for the monorail and ferry back to the parking lot. A Castmember kindly pointed out to us that if we took the RESORT monorail, the TTC is the second stop. There was no line at all for the resort monorail, and about 1,000 people waiting for the TTC monorail! It was a no-brainer - way faster to take the Resort one.
-All in all, a wonderful evening and are so glad we went
Some observations:
-This was not a sold out party. It was still ridiculously crowded. Because of this fact alone, we likely would never spend the money to go again. It was a nice one-time experience, though.
-We watched the first parade in Frontierland (to try to avoid main street crowds). Even so, Frontierland was a nuthouse for crowds. The parade was amazing, though! One highlight of watching it here was that the "Reindeer Wranglers" band and some dancing Country Bears entertained the crowds while we waited. We took the boardwalk along the river to try to escape the crush of humanity to get to Fantasyland afterwards. Even the boardwalk was jammed. If you are making a touring plan, I would recommend going to Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, or Pirates after the parade. It was much less crowded heading that direction.
-The free snacks were SO good! Soft, flavourful and moist cookies. And some of the best eggnog we've ever had. I would absolutely not waste my money on the special party desserts you can buy. The free offerings were more than enough for us! Lines were looooong, but it never took more than 5 minutes to get our treats. Longest line was Pinnochio's Village Haus, Shortest was the snowman pretzel / snowcone by Pirates.
-It was very cold. About 10 celsius (50 F). Even for us Canadians, it was cold because of the wind. Some in our party were not dressed warm enough, which kind of put a damper on it for the rest because they were uncomfortable / complaining all night. I would recommend bringing a hat, heavy sweater, thick pants and a coat with a hood if you are planning for a cold night.
-The lines for rides was a highlight for us. Walked right on Splash and Big Thunder, to the delight of our kids. The best part was seeing the castle all lit up and all of the lights from the top of those rides.
-The dance party at Cosmic Rays was unexpectedly amazing! Whoever the DJ was last night was great - dancing and bopping around on the stage and getting people excited. One Polar bear singled out our kids to dance with and they were loving it
-We watched the fireworks from the Tomorrowland Bridge. Waaaaay less crowded than the hub and still and amazing view.
-Left about 20 minutes before the second parade. It was so magical to walk down the centre of main street (which was not crowded at all - way less so than Frontierland during the first parade!). Snow was falling, the decorations looked beautiful, and there was nostalgic Christmas music playing.
-A tip for those who park at the TTC: When we left there was a gigantic line up for the monorail and ferry back to the parking lot. A Castmember kindly pointed out to us that if we took the RESORT monorail, the TTC is the second stop. There was no line at all for the resort monorail, and about 1,000 people waiting for the TTC monorail! It was a no-brainer - way faster to take the Resort one.
-All in all, a wonderful evening and are so glad we went
We went last night as well and were extremely disappointed. We have been to both Halloween and Christmas parties in the past and this one was even worse the the first Halloween party of the year fiasco that was a few years ago. Crowds were crazy and it seemed cast members were just not in the needed spots. I wonder if the colder weather made it harder to check wrist bands and many people were able to stay who shouldn't have. We tried to cross main street at one point and there were people everywhere, sitting in the taped off walkways and no cast members in sight to help direct traffic and/or tell people to sit in appropriate spots. The Tiana/Rapunzel line was listed as 15 minutes but took about an hour just to get into the meeting room. Cast members offered no explanation.
GaSleepingBeautyFan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2007
I've got one party booked for my husband and I and I'm going back and forth on if I want to book a 2nd party or take an uber to Universal to spend one day there and see their Christmas.
Half the trip I'll be solo and the other half is with him.
Going with my husband to MVMCP means no characters other than Sandy Claws because he doesn't care for characters and I did book Tony's for that night since he doesn't like to wait for parades so I wouldn't be doing that again and would have more "free" time. I've been to MVMCP quite a few times in the past but still need to meet Ariel and Eric and would love to meet the Winnie the Pooh Characters again since I made myself a Christmas purse from material with them on it.
I may want to attempt to Uber to Universal (the one time I tried to use Uber they never showed up and then cancelled the ride!). I'll have to do more reading on Universal Christmas items since I've only been there twice at that time and it was years and years ago.
Ugh - what to do? I just can't make up my mind and my trip is getting close (Dec. 10 through Dec. 16).
Half the trip I'll be solo and the other half is with him.
Going with my husband to MVMCP means no characters other than Sandy Claws because he doesn't care for characters and I did book Tony's for that night since he doesn't like to wait for parades so I wouldn't be doing that again and would have more "free" time. I've been to MVMCP quite a few times in the past but still need to meet Ariel and Eric and would love to meet the Winnie the Pooh Characters again since I made myself a Christmas purse from material with them on it.
I may want to attempt to Uber to Universal (the one time I tried to use Uber they never showed up and then cancelled the ride!). I'll have to do more reading on Universal Christmas items since I've only been there twice at that time and it was years and years ago.
Ugh - what to do? I just can't make up my mind and my trip is getting close (Dec. 10 through Dec. 16).
jennab
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2012
We were also at party last night 11/27 and felt it was busy. First time at a Christmas party. Felt it was just like a regular park day but dark instead. Lines for treats were long but moved fairly quick. Busy everywhere we tried to walk. Ended up doing 2 rides during party (small world and haunted mansion) and did ones with FP before party started.
Got a spot for the first parade in liberty square a little before 8pm. Saw people camped out on Main Street as early as 6:30pm when we attempted to go in the store there (Which was way to packed so we left). Only character we attempted to meet was Moana probably around 6ish but her line was an hour. Never did any special pics or characters as lines were long everywhere for those. Watched fireworks from in front of plaza and found a spot easily. We then waited about 15min and left. Walked by Tony’s viewing area around 10:30 and people sitting in the prime spot and a few other places but not tons of people yet. We ended up walking to BLT and catching an uber there. Tons of people waiting for busses when we walked by.
It was also COLD last night! Overall I thought it was too crowded for a separate ticketed event and would not have been very happy had we paid for the tickets (got free tickets from Disney due to a scheduling issue). Not sure that we would do the party again. I also don’t think this was a sold out night.
Got a spot for the first parade in liberty square a little before 8pm. Saw people camped out on Main Street as early as 6:30pm when we attempted to go in the store there (Which was way to packed so we left). Only character we attempted to meet was Moana probably around 6ish but her line was an hour. Never did any special pics or characters as lines were long everywhere for those. Watched fireworks from in front of plaza and found a spot easily. We then waited about 15min and left. Walked by Tony’s viewing area around 10:30 and people sitting in the prime spot and a few other places but not tons of people yet. We ended up walking to BLT and catching an uber there. Tons of people waiting for busses when we walked by.
It was also COLD last night! Overall I thought it was too crowded for a separate ticketed event and would not have been very happy had we paid for the tickets (got free tickets from Disney due to a scheduling issue). Not sure that we would do the party again. I also don’t think this was a sold out night.
JustCurious23
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2017
If the parties are as bad with crowds as people say they are now I dread to think of how bad they will be in the years to come 
ksromack
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2012
We just got back from 2 days at Universal and I was very impressed with their Christmas festivities. Very few people there Monday and tuesday (the last two days).....feel free to dm me if you want more info.
Lesley Wake
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2017
I was planning on doing Universal for a day but ended up cutting it once I checked costs. There is Christmas entertainment in both parks, with the parade in the Studios and Grinchmas plus the Harry Potter projection show in Islands of Adventure. Buying a 1-day park-to-park ticket is pretty expensive. And I don't really like many of the rides, so it just felt like a waste for me. But photos look cool.
Another option is on Dec 15th Orlando Informer is holding a meetup at the parks. It is after hours, so much less crowds and all food is included! I would have done that in a heartbeat, but unfortunately I'll be there the week before. (The meetup is $174 and includes both parks, which is less money than a 1-day park-to-park!)
TooBoyz4us
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2002
We went to the party last night.
It was not sold out, but did seem quite crowded in most areas.
Main Street/ hub area and Fantasyland we're like bumper to bumper traffic that makes you want to curse.
Frontierland, where we watched the 8:30 parade, was much better.
Would I do it again? Probably not.The thrill of it was fun,the treats we're good, but otherwise,eh.
It was not sold out, but did seem quite crowded in most areas.
Main Street/ hub area and Fantasyland we're like bumper to bumper traffic that makes you want to curse.
Frontierland, where we watched the 8:30 parade, was much better.
Would I do it again? Probably not.The thrill of it was fun,the treats we're good, but otherwise,eh.
JustCurious23
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2017
Dont know if I already said it here but selfishly I hope Disney stops raising the capacity and starts raising the prices more instead. Thats not good for everyone though so there's that.
twinklebug
Home is where the heart is.
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2005
.
I'm really on page with you here. In fact I don't want them to stop raising capacity, but to revert to the lower numbers they had before. From all the overcrowding reports I'm reading, I believe many of us would prefer to pay one third more for the night in a park with 1/3 less people in it.
mrsxsparrow
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2010
The problem is they'd have to raise the prices disproportionately in order to bring in the same revenue. Ticket revenue may stay the same, but fewer people means less revenue from food, merchandise, and parking. It would be closer to double the price per ticket, if not more, with 1/3 fewer people.
AMusicLifeForMe
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2016
On a sold out night at about 9:30 p.m, Peter Pan was a 50 minute wait (posted). There was no way I was spending 1/5 of my party time in line for Peter Pan.
mamaofsix
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2017
Most wait times are still great besides Peter Pan and 7DMT. It was crowded this past Tuesday, but these were our waits:
Small World - 20 min.
Speedway - 10 min
People Mover - Walk on
Splash - Walk On
Big Thunder - Walk on
Pirates - 10 min.
Buzz Lightyear - Walk on
Those low wait times were not my experience on Sunday, which was a sold out party. 45 minutes on 7DMT, 30 on Big Thunder, splash 15 at one point and speedway was 30 when my son and husband got on line after the first parade. Didn’t even bother looking at Peter Pan, as I knew that was going to be out of the question.
twinklebug
Home is where the heart is.
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2005
Maybe it has to do with the timing? Before/after/during parades, shows and fireworks? I assume most of the park goers will be paused in their tracks at least for the fireworks.
mamaofsix
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2017
Wow, a big difference between sold out and non sold out parties, then!
We went Tuesday night and I didn’t think it was that crowded. I guess different experiences for different groups. Our longest wait was 7D and it was 15 min.
We go mainly for rides as our kids don’t care about meet and greets. As everyone said it was freezing but I had been watching weather and knew it would be cold so we were dressed comfortably.
Cookie lines were long but super fast. That’s all we ate until we left around midnight when I grabbed a hot dog from Casey’s. At the end of the night they were handing out bag fulls of cookies when you went through the line. Got a decent spot for fireworks about 15 min before they started to the right of Walt’s statue.
Didn’t catch either parade.
We were exhausted but had a blast. This is our second party with the last being 3 years ago and this didn’t seem as crowded as that one.
Actual Wait times below not what was posted.
Barnstormer 5 min
Jungle cruise 5 min
Pooh 10 min
All 3 mountains were walk ons.
Pirates 15 min
Haunted Mansion wall on
Small world 5 min
Aladdin walk on
Pan 10 min
Buzz walk on
Orbiter walkon
7D 15 min
Speedway walkon
Do it again? Yep if it wasn’t so dang cold! Weird being cold in Florida. Lol.
We go mainly for rides as our kids don’t care about meet and greets. As everyone said it was freezing but I had been watching weather and knew it would be cold so we were dressed comfortably.
Cookie lines were long but super fast. That’s all we ate until we left around midnight when I grabbed a hot dog from Casey’s. At the end of the night they were handing out bag fulls of cookies when you went through the line. Got a decent spot for fireworks about 15 min before they started to the right of Walt’s statue.
Didn’t catch either parade.
We were exhausted but had a blast. This is our second party with the last being 3 years ago and this didn’t seem as crowded as that one.
Actual Wait times below not what was posted.
Barnstormer 5 min
Jungle cruise 5 min
Pooh 10 min
All 3 mountains were walk ons.
Pirates 15 min
Haunted Mansion wall on
Small world 5 min
Aladdin walk on
Pan 10 min
Buzz walk on
Orbiter walkon
7D 15 min
Speedway walkon
Do it again? Yep if it wasn’t so dang cold! Weird being cold in Florida. Lol.
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