We'll be there too. I think the people who are disappointed are the ones who try to do it all--see every show, get a good spot at the parade and front center for fireworks, meet all the characters. try all the cookies. But that is not how ANYTHING at disney world works. If I went to MK on a nonparty day and got mad because the parade and Happily Ever After were crowded and there were waits on rides, people would look at me like I am crazy, yet somehow the expectation persists that the party is supposed to equal zero crowds, no waits on rides, and endless christmassy entertainment. Here's my advice: pick three things, do em, and enjoy other stuff without stressing that you have to see the mickey show at the hub.
That said, we always book shorter stays at WDW, so adding a party ticket is not much different than the cost of just a regular park day. I can see how if you were there for 7 days and at the point where each day ticket is only like $20, the party price would seem like a ripoff. For us, it's just another day at MK but with slightly different offerings.