Christmas time at WDW...rough trip

[Praying Colonel]

MVMCP just made my family feel ripped off. The only difference from EMH was the parade and the dance parties. The cookies did not make up for the really long lines and extreme crowds...and the party monday was not even sold out.

Sorry you had a not-so-great time.

Your comment about the cookies reminded me of a recent WDW Today podcast they titled "The Fifty Dollar Cookie." The guys opined that Disney has removed value and added so much cost to the extra-cost events that they're no longer worth it. 1 of the guys said that you're basically paying $50 for a cookie. Sounds like you may have the same opinion.

We're looking forward to being there for December 08 (can't believe it's so far away! ) but I don't think we'll pay to go to MVMCP.

 

[golden1]

It seems that there is a narrowing window in December to avoid crowds. We went Dec 8th-15th and encountered generally low crowds. I was told the week before was crowded due to Pop Warner and the week after the Holiday crowds arrive. That really only leaves the second week in December. The weekends were moderately crowded with waits of 40-60 min on the major rides in the mid-afternoon. It was pretty easy to avoid the waits with Fastpass though. The weekdays were not crowded at all.

We avoided MVMCP because we had two young children who couldn't stay awake long enough. Plus, it didn't seem like it was worth $100 for us just to see an extra parade, fireworks and eat cookies. We went to HDDR with that money instead.

 

[Fore2213]

We were there 8th to 14th. Did MVMCP on the 12th. Didnt have to wait in line for anything. Very low crowds (during the day also) Now i have to ask a silly question about the original post here......Why would you take the time to apologize for typing in CAPS.....if you realized you did it, why not just correct the problem????

We just got back from out first WDW christmas trip. No one in our 12 person party ever wants to do that again. We enjoyed out WDW trip but WDW at Christmas not so much. About half of the decorations we expected. No WOW factor at all and it was SO crowded from Friday the on that it was effecting our touring. Fastpasses were out by 2pm for sorin' and everest. And there were just people everywhere. We were prepared for crouds but thougfht the Christmasy feel would be worth it. Nope not so Christmasy.
I will say that the CP at Epcot was great and that MGM was a little more decorated than other partks.
MVMCP just made my family feel ripped off. The only difference from EMH was the parade and the dance parties. The cookies did not make up for the really long lines and extreme crowds...and the party monday was not even sold out.
We also noticed that we always feel spoiled at WDW. That is why we go. It always has good cast members, yes one or two are occasionally off but overall it is good. We actually felt that they were horrible this trip. The first day or two we blamed it on coincedence. By day three it was just off. My DH thought maybe they just were not prepared for the amount of people that are there.
Also the busses though they claim they come every 20 minutes were rarely there that fast. tHE TYPICAL TIME WAS 45 MINUTES. aLSO ONE TOOK MY PORR SISTER AND HER BUSSLOAD OF csr GUESTS TO SSR (sorry for the caps hit the wrong key) It really was unreal how bad teh overall effect was.
We do love WDW and of course we will be back. Already started talking about the next trip. In Sept., oct., early Nov., January or February. Those are the only months we will return.
We had hoped to fall in love with WDW this time of year and were very disapointed.

 

[scraptoons]

We were there 8th to 14th. Did MVMCP on the 12th. Didnt have to wait in line for anything. Very low crowds (during the day also) Now i have to ask a silly question about the original post here......Why would you take the time to apologize for typing in CAPS.....if you realized you did it, why not just correct the problem????

maybe it's faster for some people to type sorry for the caps than to highlight/delete/backspace then hit caps?

 

[davihaun]

Just got back yesterday from a 16th - 20th stay and had a great time! Did early AK magic hours and had a 5 minute wait on Everest and then used a fastpass to ride it again right after that. The longest wait the whole trip was maybe 30 minutes for Soarin', which is understandable. MVMCP on Tuesday was great! No lines, gauranteed seat on the curb of Mainstreet for the parade, and a good atmosphere!

Service was wonderful and all the food we had was great! The decorations did seem to vary between the parks. In my opinion, MGM had the most, followed by MK, AK, and then Epcot which really didn't have much.

 

[Mo-Yo]

We went the first week of Dec. last year...and I can definitely relate to two things you said.

1. MVMCP - I'm not sorry we did it. It was a nice experience...but I probably wouldn't do it again. We went on a Tues., but still we hit some pretty good crowds in spots. It was a fun half-day for us though...we saved our non-expiry park-hopper days for out next trip.

2. I really enjoyed the Osborne Lights at MGM...but that was the only Disney "Christmas" experience that knocked my socks off. My theory on this is that as a Yankee, I equate snow, and cold, and real evergreens, and family traditions with Christmas. So, while in most everything else, Disney is UNMATCHED at bringing fantasy to life. For me, I think, Christmas the way I know it, is magical in a way that Florida and Disney World just can't compete with.

Another thought...

Isn't it strange how people can be in WDW at the same time and have such different crowd experiences? I thought that during our trip last year (11/30-12/7) we hardly hit any crowds...but some others we talked to said it was really crowded where they had gone.

I imagine some of it is individual perception and mood, some of it is planning....but some of it definitely is just dumb luck (or bad luck, I should say) of being in some area of some park at the same time as a crowd surge.

Hope your next trip is fun!

HAve a cold and snowy Christmas!!

 

[Magickndm]

After years and years of going to Disney about 2 times a month, we did the MVMCP for the first time on Dec. 8th. While I LOVED the snow on Main Street, Wishes, and all the extra lighting effects, I'm not convinced we got our $48 per person's worth of extra enjoyment. But I'm very glad we did it at least once.
I think the biggest drawback of the Dis is the way things get so built up, very few things can live up to expectations like that.

 

[ransom]

We were there Dec 8-16, MVMCP the 12th. We didn't have a problem with crowds at all. MVMCP was a breeze, with walk ons to even the most popular rides. MK was crowded on Saturday the 9th, but that's to be expected - it was Saturday. But, then, we'd planned around it and done most of what we wanted to do in the morning, when there were no lines.

Perhaps it's a timing thing. I agree with the previous poster that it's probably a good idea to do MVMCP on Tuesday. The other days tend to sell out, which means more people will be there.

Also be careful what park you're at on which day. We park hopped on Friday the 15th, and what a difference from park to park! Started the day at MK, and it was crowded by 10 AM. Hopped over to AK by 11, and stayed there for a few hours. It was MUCH better at AK that day not only than it was at MK, but than it had been at AK the previous Sunday!

We'd left AK on Sunday feeling kind of down on the park, but after our short time there Friday, it's got a special place in our hearts - just like all the other parks at WDW!

 

[kenny]

We were there from 12/9-12/17. I agree that 12/15-12/17 the crowds started to pick up and we were very happy that we were leaving (not disney but the crowds).

The first half of our trip was great. During the week the waits for most rides were 5-10 minutes. Big rides like Thunder Mountain maybe 20 minutes but that was it.

As for the christmas party I agree that it is a lot to pay for basically EMH, but it was fun anyway.

We will definetely be going back during December but not Christmas week. Early Decemeber seems like the better deal as you get all the christmas stuff but no crowds. I am not sure how mousefest effect crowds the 1st week though.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad time.

 

[SuperTink]

When we went to MVMCP, we walked on many rides after about 9:00. Can you really do that on EMH? I've read here that EMHs are really crowded in MK.

 

[loveDmouse]

We were there the 10th-16th. We had a great time. Little to no wait for anything. We loved the Christmas decorations. I thought it was awesome.
We went to the party on the 12th and again had no wait for anything we wanted to do. The parade was great and so were the fireworks. I would do it again. We did notice that Friday the 15th people were really pouring in. I wouldn't want to go any later but we won't hesitate to go during this time again, in fact we are already planning for next year.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

We went the first week of Dec. last year...and I can definitely relate to two things you said.

1. MVMCP - I'm not sorry we did it. It was a nice experience...but I probably wouldn't do it again. We went on a Tues., but still we hit some pretty good crowds in spots. It was a fun half-day for us though...we saved our non-expiry park-hopper days for out next trip.

2. I really enjoyed the Osborne Lights at MGM...but that was the only Disney "Christmas" experience that knocked my socks off. My theory on this is that as a Yankee, I equate snow, and cold, and real evergreens, and family traditions with Christmas. So, while in most everything else, Disney is UNMATCHED at bringing fantasy to life. For me, I think, Christmas the way I know it, is magical in a way that Florida and Disney World just can't compete with.

Another thought...

Isn't it strange how people can be in WDW at the same time and have such different crowd experiences? I thought that during our trip last year (11/30-12/7) we hardly hit any crowds...but some others we talked to said it was really crowded where they had gone.

I imagine some of it is individual perception and mood, some of it is planning....but some of it definitely is just dumb luck (or bad luck, I should say) of being in some area of some park at the same time as a crowd surge.

Hope your next trip is fun!

HAve a cold and snowy Christmas!!

I was at MVMCP on the 5th as well, it was my first and last time to waste the money on it. Way more crowded than I expected, and the holiday fireworks were nothing special. Parade could have been seen at any other time, as well as Christmas show. Little extras here and there did NOT add up to a worthwhile experience. I also do much better at walking onto rides if I open a park rather than close it. Looked like lots of the little kids were having fun in the streets, though, pre-parade, with CMs with hula hoops, etc., so I'm sure many people enjoyed the party. But I'm getting old and cranky, and it just wasn't worth it. We have a more entertaining party in my hometown every year, IMO.

I agree that this year's decorations don't seem as dramatic as last year's, but I can't put my finger on the reasons...maybe that "old and cranky" thing again.

 

[loveDmouse]

I am pretty sure the parade can only be seen during the Christmas parties. ONLY after the parties are over just before Christmas is the parade run everyday.
We enjoyed the party and the decorations. We enjoyed the whole trip.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I am pretty sure the parade can only be seen during the Christmas parties. ONLY after the parties are over just before Christmas is the parade run everyday.
We enjoyed the party and the decorations. We enjoyed the whole trip.

Oh. Well, the parade was nice.....

 

[monami7]

because I am lazy!

 

[mkpat]

Strange. We were there the 9th-16th and had a completely different experience. The CMs were great, the party on the 11th was near empty, crowds were low, transportation was quick and efficient. December is my favorite time of year to go to Disney. Sorry you didn't enjoy it!

We were there the same time. I thought it was a little crowded, but the longest we had to wait for anything was about 15 minutes. At AK during the middle of the afternoon, I rode Everest 3 times in a row back to back with no wait.

 

[Blondie]

I'm sorry the trip didn't live up to your expectations.

We were there from the 29th of November until December 3rd. While it was more crowded than everyone had said it would be (hard to predict, I know) we still really enjoyed all the decorations. Having never been during the Christmas holidays before, we didn't have anything to compare it to. I have read that some people feel Disney didn't decorate this much as in years past.

At night is when you can really see the Disney decorations come to life I thought.

The only ride with long waits was Soarin' (expected.) We always grabbed a Fast Pass for that and the return times were always 3-4 hours later! Mission Space (green side) was a walk on as were a few others, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on Thursday Nov. 30th, and Expedition Everest on Friday Dec. 1st. We walked right on Test Track twice.

It seems the closer you get to Christmas, the more crowded it becomes?

 

[dawgsgirl]

We were there from Dec 9-17. Did MVMCP on the 12th. I was surprised at how low the crowds were all week. People can have different experiences! This was our first Christmas trip, so nothing to compare. We had a good time at the party, but it is very expensive! I used Tourguide Mike to plan my days and that seemed to work well. We stayed on-site and never went near a park with EMH. I took my mother, age 73, and my neice, age 10. I was in the middle all week with the kid in front and my mother behind! We had a good trip, but rested plenty and just did some relaxing. The few times we got on a crowded bus or monorail, someone ALWAYS gave my mother a seat. That is a good feeling in today's world. Everyone, guests and CM's, seemed in a festive mood. Hoping your next trip is a great one!

 

[Buckalew11]

I was there Friday the 15th through Tuesday the 19th. It was crowded but I was only doing Christmas stuff. My sister arrived Friday mnorning and wwent to AK. She said it was not very crowded that day at all.
Sat, at Osborne Lights in MGM it was wall to wall people. It was hard to move! My sister and mom loved it though. It was too crowded for me. I saw those lights last Jan. marathon night and it was much more different seeing them w/o the thick crowds. That is the difference between comparing 2 different times though.

Sun. we did Epcot and FW was very crowded and WS was extremely nice and easy to tour. As the day wore on, the crowds picked up. We did CP which was beautiful and then toured BW, S/D, Y&BC for decorations. Those resorts were beautiful and were the highlight of the trip for me.

Monday we did MK and I thought it was crowded but mom and I saw what we wanted to for the most part. I treated her to MVMCP and it was fun but lacked compared to 2 or 3 years ago when DH and I did this with DD. Mom enjoyed it and the shows and the parade although there were more than usual rude adults in the park that night. And how could any adult push in front of a little child for the parade and stand in front of them not allowing a child to see a parade? Not my child but still, it really was hard to watch. Poor kids. MVMCP wasn't worth the price, for sure. I won't be doing it again until I have grandchildren, I guess.
Next time I do WDW at Christmas it will definitely be earlier in the month. The 15th - 19th is definitely too close to Christmas as far as crowds go.

I think the WDW parks are so big and spread out it is hard to make them look very decorated. I remember expecting WDW to look like Dollywood does at Christmas and there is NO comparison.

 

[2GuysSeattle]

Count me as one who attended MVMCP on 12/12 and encountered no lines whatsoever. We walked right on every ride. In fact, the whole week was very low crowds everywhere. Very short lines at Epcot and again at MGM we walked right on every ride. Followed TGM's advice and I heartily recommend subscribing to his website if you want to avoid crowds!