Disney...Please back your Christmas of old!!

[Kris517]

We just got back last weekend and as Christmas regulars, we were disappointed in the Christmas party and the Osborne lights.

Christmas Party: I miss the old sugar cookies with sprinkles!
I know it is movie competition, but I LOVED the reading of the Polar Express by the castle by that great speaker. I was dying for my son to hear the story for the first time this year and alas it was gone. Now there was some Belle storytelling. Very disappointing.
Hoping for some change in the show department. The one in the Galaxy theater is good but the same after several years. Now there is no stage show next to space mountain either.

Osborne Lights: While I appretiate the hard work to put up the lights and something is better than nothing (like last year)..it was disappointing. There was no 3D glasses, it was all crammed in, I miss the houses that showed all the awesome details of the lights. The lights on those street buildings are pretty but show no detail but sheets of lights. Very little "snow" too.

This car stunt spectacular better be worth it....the back of MGM is really dying. No food stations, most of street gone, no replacement for attractions (like that ABC theater that had those AWESOME skits).


There also seemed to be less shows and skits, everywhere from MGM to Downtown Disney.

PLEASE BRING BACK CHRISTMAS DISNEY!!!!!!!

 

[Muushka]

Just one comment. This was our first MVMCP that we attended last Tuesday.

I thought the Christmas cookies were great! Delicious.

We missed the Osbourne lights, just didn't get to MGM!

 

[Peter Pirate]

While I think the Osbourne lights were better in previous years, I think it's only by a hair and I know people who actually liked this one better. I'm sure the hubub over the glasses will bring their reappearance next year and I'll bet we see some cool upgrades in year two as well. I'm not worried and I will make a special effort to return next year to see them.

 

[KNWVIKING]

We thought the cookies and coco were better this year then in years past..... of course, how much do we really remember about the tastes from a year ago. The only part of MVMCP my DW didn't like was the lack of the big metal button we used to get - instead we got a postcard from the Twice before Christmas vid. DW was collecting those pins,covering a sweatshirt with them.

As for Osborns lites, we liked them also. While there isn't a bunch of grills,bikes & wagons covered with lights (there are some,just not a lot), there were some pretty clever additions to the new display (no spoilers). The only part we didn't like was how they "herded" you thru the display. They channel you in front of Sci Fi Dinner to enter the display,but rope off from the "tree" to the front of the Sci Fi which only leaves a four foot bottle neck for everybody to squeeze thru. Also missed the 3D glasses.

 

[Texowl2]

having been at WDW during Xmas in 96, 97 and 2000, I also believe that the experience is not as good as in those years. Osborne was much better on the back streets. The EPCOT country XMAS entertainment was vastly better. The extras at MVMCP were clearly down, not as many locations for eats and the cookies were kinda sad this year compared to last.

 

[Chuck S]

I actually liked the cookies better this year than those dried out sugar cookies with sprinkles. Osborne lights...well, different...not necessarily better or worse...but a vastly different "feel", I hope the Studios builds a new "Residential" street area, both for the lights and the tram tour...the tram tour is pretty sad now. I understand the concentration is on the stunt show for this year, but maybe the can make a new backlot area once that is completed.

Polar Express...I did not hear the readings during my past visits to MVMCP, but I would assume that it is now a copyright or right to use issue with the movie being released.

The Galaxy Theater show is a classic, but I chose to skip it this year. It is basicaaly the same show I saw at Disneyland in the mid 1970s. Although, I bet we'd hear just as many complaints if they changed it from people that want to see the same show with their children/grandchildren.

I still feel MVMCP is worth the admission for us, seeing the parade and the spectacular fireworks and riding the Mountains after dark.

 

[DisneyKidds]

I'm in the "cookies were better" camp. Those sugar cookies of years past reminded me of store bought crap and I thought they were terrible. This years seemed fresh baked and were much better, IMHO.

As for the Polar Express reading and "some Belle storytelling".........how may years have you been going to the party? Belle is back in the theatre she always used to be in and the Polar Express reading seems to have been a one year and done kind of thing. I like Belle's Enchanted Christmas back in that charming little theatre where it used to be.

I thought the Osborne Lights sucked compared to the Ligths of old, although I'm ok with making way for a new show.

Yes, a few things were different for the Christmas season, but we were far from disappointed. Actually, this year had a Christmas parade in MGM and AK, as well as an incredible new holiday ending to Illuminations.

 

[Darwineffect]

I agree with almost everything except the cookies, they were much better this year. I always thought that Disney baked too many cookies for the first MVMCP and we have been stuck with the stale leftovers ever since. These were soft and good. The shows need to be updated or at least add one as I do kinda like the ones they have. The cookie/cocoa points were reduced (bummer), no button, and some of our favorite rides were closed as well. I havent seen the Osborne lights yet this year but I have heard it is not the same.

 

[King Triton]

Please bring back the Jolly Holiday Christmas Dinner show at the Comptempory Hotel. It was our favorite Christmas tradition at Disney. That show really did put you in the Christmas spirit. It was awesome!

 

[Pinnie]

I am going to agree that the Osborne lights were NOT as good as they used to be. To me it seemed like "lights for lights sake" I missed the themeing the houses used to have. It really felt like a "residential street". The current show reminded me of the Vegas strip!

We also missed the buttons at the MVMCP. Come on, a POSTCARD? Give me a break! For the amount of money we pay for that night, a button would a nice memento. I did like the cookies this year. The were a lot better than the "institutional sugar cookies" of the last few years.

As to the snow. We have over 8 inches of it here. That is one thing I didn't mind seeing less of.

pinnie

 

[DebbieB]

I thought the MVMCP cookies were better this year. I do miss the buttons, my yearly collection is now incomplete. I liked the Osborne Lights the old way but since that is not possible, they were OK. Why are they cheapening the experience by getting rid of the little things like the buttons and the glasses?

 

[Lesley]

I think I enjoyed the Osborne lights more the new way....didn't look as much like a bunch of tacky overblown suburban lawns (which I know is where it all came from...but I don't think its as enjoyable). It was like a city of lights! I did miss the glasses though.

And the cookies were much much better this year! It was also a relief for me since my kids can't have artificial colors. I definitely prefer the soft tasty more like homemade cookies over the manufactured hard artificially colored ones. And the cocoa wasn't so hot it was undrinkable this year. Last time we went to the party we could barely hold the cups it was so hot. I really had thought the burning cocoa and dry yucky cookies were a way to try to discourage people from having them! This year was very nice.

My only major complaint about the party this year were the handling of will call tickets - not nearly enough cm's handling the situation....plus if we could have gotten the tix at our resort it would have fixed the whole problem....its not like they have no idea how many will call tickets they've sold....the line was completely out of hand and it took them a good half hour to even begin rectifying the situation. Live and learn. I will only use will call in the future if I know I'll be able to pick up my tickets earlier during our vacation. We unfortunately made MVMCP our first activity of our vacation this time....and it did not work out well.