Help! Can't decide about the Mickey Christmas Party!

[mommaU4]

I have never been to the Mickey's Merry Christmas party before and never even really thought about it until I started reading more about it and it sounds too cute. I think my kids (ds10, dd8, dd5, dd5) would love it but since we are on a budget (who isn't?) I can't decide if we should go or not. I've read alot of other sites reviews that were very mixed. Some said it was way to crowded, others make it sound deserted. I'm wondering if five hours is enough time. The parade looks great, but do you have to find a spot for the parade long before it starts and waste time waiting? The snow on Main Steet won't really convince me since we are from Michigan and get enough of the stuff at home. Any advice either way would be appreciated.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I'm on the fence about this, too, leaning towards going. I am not as impressed by the description of the festivities as I was experiencing MNSSHP, which we are missing this year. Snow on Main Street and a cup of hot chocolate doesn't get me that excited. But since we are going for just 3 full days, and 2 half days, I was thinking that one of the half days (Friday our arrival) could be spent at MVMCP experiencing the rides. Then I read on these boards that they will let you in at 4:00. So that is almost a full day at the park. I am still thinking, sorry I don't have any advice for you......I probably won't decide until a couple of weeks before we go.

 

[speakupjc]

It was amazing!!! I would highly suggest going. The shows and the parade were awesome. As far as the rides are concerned we got to ride Thunder Mountain twice in a row without having to stop. The lines were short and became even more so throughout the evening.

 

[ufmurphy]

We have been three times (did not go last year) and have always enjoyed it. We did not find the crowds too overwhelming and the lines at the rides not too bad, some worse than others. We hopped on space mountain with no wait but Peter Pan was long. One thing we discovered on this board was we were able to get into the park as early as 4:00. I'm not sure if this has changed but that gave us plenty of time in the park. We did not wait very long for the parade but did not look for a spot on Main street, we viewed it from Frontier Land. The shows are cute and the kids (ages 12,11,8,8,6,2 mine and my sisters) really enjoy themselves. The line for the family picture always seems long and my kids are always too excited to wait. We are looking forward to going again this year. Disney and Christmas, a great combination!

 

[Puffy2]

Did it last year and found it to be a profound waste of time and money. Never again.

 

[Piecey]

Haven't done it before.. after reading the mixed reviews on the board thought I'd just skip it as I have a strict budget.. Told my brother about the party (he is going on the trip with me) and he got so excited about it and how special it is and how it's a once in a lifetime thing for us to do together (we're both in college.. this is our first trip just the two of us.. and probably last) that I had to call and buy two tickets.. so we'll see.. hopefully i don't regret my choice!

 

[Rachie0507]

I was on the fence for awhile but I ended up buying tickets. I'm also on a budget but a couple of other things (airfare, rental car) came in lower than I expected so I had some extra money. I went 9 years ago. I remember thinking some things were cool but not being overly impressed. I'm not sure if our next trip will be around the holidays so I figured it would be a fun addition for my kids, something we can't do everytime. I don't have very high expectations for the evening, especially since my kids are younger (3&5) and won't stay til the end, but I love the holiday decorations and 'snow' and music.

 

[Donnask8pro]

I'm hanging also. If I decide to go, it has to be Nov 27th Sun or Fri Dec 2nd. Both busy days there. I need help too.

 

[Pats Dragon]

GOOOO!!! It is magical with giant colored snowflakes projected on the buildings and castles. The snowflakes on main street are special. Cocoa and cookies are a nice treat. The picture line looks longer than it is. Usually we have found that the lines are very short. One year, the lines were awful so we opted to just see shows. It is definitely festive and you don't need to get a spot for the parade that early. Just see the second parade! We'll see y'all there.

 

[lark]

I'm pretty sure that if you have tickets for the VMCP you don't need separate admission tickets for the park. Not sure about this -- you'll have to check. But if this is true, and if maybe there is some day you weren't planning to go to parks, you could go to the VMCP that night and defray some of the cost of admission tickets that day by buying one fewer day? Once you get to 5 or 6 days, MYM extra days start to get inexpensive, but just a thought.

 

[webprinter]

MVMCP is so wonderful, that DD14 and I are going twice. As far as I am concerned it is very magical and not to be missed. Debby

 

[hegs65]

I would say to definitely go if your budget allows as the shows and parades are not to be missed. (what we saw anyway) Having said that, I would say that the party is only worth the price if you think that your kids will be able to handle such a late night. Yes, you can get into the park at 4:00 (and no you do not need to use a day from your park pass for admission) but the shows and parades do not start until 7. So, if you feel your kids are going to be tired by 9 then I don't think it will be worth the money. The whole snow on Main st and cocoa thing didn't do it for me either as we have plenty of snow in the winter! We went in Dec of 2000 and (our kids were 5, 8 & 11 at the time) the kids were too tired and wanted to go back to the resort by 9:30. We had made the mistake of going non stop during the earlier part of the day and it obviously took away from the night. If you do plan to go, then I would definitely recommend a very relaxing day before the party. I would also have everyone take a nap- no matter what age. It's just going to be dh & I this trip so we are going to give it another try. This time, I am not planning a heavy day before or after the party! As far as crowds, you didn't mention when you are going but, I think if you go on a tues or thurs then you should be okay. I would not recommend any weekend night as the locals come and I have heard it is crowded. When we went, the crowds didn't come until after 7 so we were able to do almost all of fantasyland without any waits. In fact we went on Buzz 3 times without having to get off because there was no one else there. The bottom line, you know your family-if you think they can handle it, then I say go for it! Patty

 

[mmcguire]

Sorry if I my post comes across sounding too negative, but we went a few years ago, and definitely won't do it again. We felt it was a terrible value, and it was about the only time we REALLY felt cheated at WDW.

It was so crowded that we were only able to see one show. The "portrait" was on par with an elementary school photo; cheap, grainy paper and all, and the background was a tacky green color with giant MCVCP logos repeated all over. Of course it's free, but a nice winter/holiday scene would have been a little more tasteful. Ours ended up stuck in a drawer as soon as we received it; too ugly to sit out anywhere. The hot chocolate was instant, and the sugar cookies where the hard, thick kind with red & green sugar like you can buy in a plastic bucket at the grocery store.

MVMC parade didn't seem designed for nighttime showing -- very poorly lit, IMHO, especially compared to SpectroMagic. If you're there after the last MVMCP, it would probably be better enjoyed in the daytime. You can see the snow on Main St. most Dec nights, so that's also not something you need to pay for. The same effect is also used (for free) at the Candlelight Processional at Epcot, and at the Osborne Lights at MGM. If you were considering going just for the rides, you might do just as well to go to the EMH at MK one evening instead.

Of course, this is just my opinion, but we wish we'd had more info like this before we wasted our money! Best of luck to you!!

 

[MHTeacher]

I had not thought about it either, but then I tried to get ADR's for Cinderella's Castle during our trip for my DD's. I couldn't get breakfast any of the days. Then, we decided since our children were a little bit older and had done character meals before, that we would do the MVMCP. The cost came out to a little bit more than a character meal.

May 2001-All Star Sports
July 2003-CSR
Nov./Dec. 2005-Wilderness Lodge 48 DAYS !

 

[mommaU4]

Thanks for the advice. We are going to go for it! Maybe we'll love it, maybe not but there's only one way to find out.....

 

[disneyfreak71]

Am I correct that an actual park ticket is not needed to go to this??? Just the extra ticket for it.

 

[whacked]

Am I correct that an actual park ticket is not needed to go to this??? Just the extra ticket for it.

You are correct, it is a hard ticket event, and therefore does not require a separate ticket.

Just so you are aware, the ticket does NOT generally include parking, so if you aren't either staying on site, or have payed for parking earlier in the day, they'll hit you for the parking fee too.

 

[phisigprincess]

I loved it. I love Christmas and Disney so it's perfect.

 

[glawgirl]

I def. would not recommend it. We went on a Tuesday and the MK was super packed. The wait to ride almost anything was over 40 minutes. We had a reservation for the Liberty Tree Tavern at 6:00 p.m. and didn't get seated until almost an hour later - the waiting area at the Liberty Tree Tavern had so many people waiting to be seated that I was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic. The parade was great and so were the fireworks. I would not spend time or money going to MVMCP - I would just rather spend the entire day there during the holidays and that way you get to see the parades, holiday decorations, etc. at your leisure.

 

[Geubux]

We have been there twice and this year will be our third time. We do nothing else that morning nor the next morning but sleep in. Being from OH, the snow also does not excite me, but the shows are nice and you can ride almost everything. Seeing the decorations on main street all lit up are my favorite. The first time we went, people were stacked along main street like cordwood, and the parade wasn't for two hours! I was so mad at my poor wife, until we got to the lands and found them empty. Turns out they were filming for the Christmas day broadcast and everyone was going to waste their time and money waving for a 4.5 second moment on tv that no one could see because of the fast pan. Turns out they also film other nites and days to get the full effect. We started watching the parade over at liberty square because it's emptier than main street and we don't have to wait as long. True, there may be something more magic seeing the parade on main street, but I hate crowds and waiting doing nothing for two hours more than I love a nice setting. The later it gets, the more it clears and the more you can ride. Fantasyland starts clearing by the parade and by 10 is usually manageable.
To get your money's worth, sleep in, get there early, and stay till close. I wouldn't even waste time that night on a sit down dinner, just a quick bite.