I've done a couple of parties and I thought they were absolutely worth it for what we were able to fit in. We entered the park as early as we were able and stayed to the end, and at each party we had time to watch the fireworks and parade, shop, get treats, and ride all the major rides (some of them multiple times) because virtually everything was a walk on. The only ride we actually had to wait for at each party was mine train, but even that was only about 20 minutes each time. Overall I think that with the number of rides you're able to get on and the added entertainment, a party ticket is actually a better value for the money than a regular park ticket.