How does MVMCP affect park hours in Dec?

[Simba's Mom]

I'm going to WDW in December and trying to figure out when to go to the MK. On the nights of MVMCP, when does it close? Does the park get really busy on those days even long before closing? Should I avoid those days totally and go another day? And on the days when MVMCP isn't held, how late can I expect MK to be open? Will there be any kind of tree lighting ceremony on "regular" nights, or is that only held as part of MVMCP?

 

[gshoemate]

We went to MK one day last year on the day of MVMCP, I believe it was a Saturday around 2:00, and we parked in the very front parking lot, I couldn't believe it. The parking CM said it was because they close so early for MVMCP that the park was not crowded at all.

 

[DebbieB]

They close at 6:00pm on MVMCP nights. They still have the tree lighting at 5:30 & they had fireworks last year at 6:00. We arrived about 4:30 for a Tuesday MVMCP last year and the lines were not bad. MVMCP's are not held on Saturdays and that is usually a Spectromagic night and they stay open later (10:00), so it's going to be crowded on Saturdays. They also had Spectromagic on Wednesday night at 6:00, closing at 7:00, no MVMCP, so I would expect that day to be crowded too.