MVMCP Crowds

[RMulieri]

How is that possible? You wouldn't wait 50 minutes to buy food on a day when MK was at complete capacity. You had to wait 45 minutes to get on a ride? That doesn't make any sense to me.

Not ALL of the restaurants are even open, so I imagine on a sold out night it is possible.Sold out nights are very very crowded.

 

[Dr. M]

When Disney sells the MVMCP tickets, they will likely offer discounts for certain dates. These are dates when smaller crowds are expected, usually weeknights in early December.

DISCOUNTS? when are these discounts usually offered? I think, with everyone's advice to go on a weeknight, Thursday the 2nd of Dec might be a good choice.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

I was set on going Friday the 3rd because my DS 13 wants to be in the MK for our last night of parks. After reading this thread I am afraid his dream will not come true. I think I am going to have to get the tickets for the 2nd.

There is no way I can wait until I get there. I am too afraid that I would not be able to get them. I have been to MNSSHP during a rain mess, and we just made the best of it. Disney is Disney. You have to add some of your own pixie dust to enjoy the magic.

 

[luvndizny]

We went to the party next to the last last year. Crowds were manageable...the longest we ever waited in line was 25 minutes for Thunder Mountain. Parade was VERY crowded though so getting a decent seat will take some planning. If you don't care for the parade, then just go on the rides during.

I haven't had the time to scroll through all the responses, but just in case you didnt know this already, you can get into the park as early as 4:00 with your wristband. Definitely do that!

As far as which day to go? We went towards the end of our trip because we wanted to close out the trip that way and I'm glad we did. It leaves you with that "Christmasy" feeling, the lights at night, etc. Our whole trip was kinda building up to that night with the cookies and cocoa, etc. We really enjoyed themselves.

And as far as hanging around to decide if you want to buy, that might be a good idea of how crowded it might be. I know when we went last year, we bought out tickets the week of our arrival and that was the last week they were having the parties...so most likely you'll be alright, but you do take a slight risk in not having pre-ordered the tickets.

I would honestly pick which day you wanna go and order advance tickets. (And as far as discounts, I don't know of any except the discounted military tix we got last year. But you can't pre-order those, etc.)

Also, you'll see alot of people wearing Santa hats, etc. and we've decided the next time we get to go to a MVMCP, we're gonna do that too! It just seemed all the more festive!

Lastly, if you plan on buying party-related souvenirs, pick those out early in the day. Even better, if you are staying on property, buy your stuff and have them delivered to your resort instead of carrying them around. I missed out on some stuff last year because I waited too long in the night to get my souvenirs and they'd already sold out. Again, this might not be the case for you since you're going earlier in December.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

I think I am going to take the plunge, and purchase 4 tickets for the 2nd.

 

[siskaren]

DISCOUNTS? when are these discounts usually offered? I think, with everyone's advice to go on a weeknight, Thursday the 2nd of Dec might be a good choice.

You can find out which nights have pre-purchase discounts here:

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

 

[THEJOEL]

Sundays are the lightest because that is the day a lot of folks arrive at the resort and are tired from traveling (something to keep in mind) By Tuesday all the hype from Disney make that party very crowded. The locals come on the weekends so I would try to avoid Fri and Sat. Personally I like Thursdays the best - for all the above reasons. In fact I just made plans to attend the Thursday we are there in December!

I hope this is true because we have tix for Sunday Dec 5th.

 

[BuenaVistaBound]

We went to a Thursday party last year, second week of December (which also happened to be Pop Warner week). The crowds were fine -- we were able to hit our favorite rides (we entered about 4:30) with little to no wait. We even got onto Dumbo in under 15 minutes!

Kids did the Pirate League and then rode Pirates of the Caribbean twice in costume. Caught the Buzz Lightyear & Stitch show, watched the fireworks from Liberty Square and were still able to stake out a prime parade spot on Main Street to see the snowfall. We didn't attempt any of the most popular rides like Space Mountain or BTMRR, but we did do others like the Space Ranger Spin twice.

We purchased our tickets well in advance, and when discounts were offered closer to our date, we were able to get credit for the price difference. Just keep your eyes open for special offers!

 

[mom2rtk]

If you want a lower attendance party, go in November. ANY party in the month of December can easily sell out. When we went in 08, we were there on Tuesday the 16th and when we asked we were told it was sold out, as was the Tuesday prior the 9th. Be prepared for anything, weekday or weekend.

Lines can get long for concessions since there are a limited number of vendors open at the party.

And while the last party MIGHT sell out, it's a little different with MVMCP than with other parties. The very next day, they start doing the parade, shows and fireworks for free during the regular MK park hours. Many opt for that free version instead.

 

[05MM08MM]

Looks like a few of us will be in the world at the same time

My situation is different than others I guess. Most people on here are talking about ride times and such, but I am not attending the party to get on rides. I want to get pictures with as many characters as possible and see all the holiday shows I can.

Lastly, if you plan on buying party-related souvenirs, pick those out early in the day

.

I'll have to make note about getting my party merchandise early on, so thanks for that tip

So everyone is recommending 12/2 over 11/30? So does that mean I should go 11/30 because now everyone will be there on Thursday 12/2

 

[mom2rtk]

Looks like a few of us will be in the world at the same time

My situation is different than others I guess. Most people on here are talking about ride times and such, but I am not attending the party to get on rides. I want to get pictures with as many characters as possible and see all the holiday shows I can.

.

I'll have to make note about getting my party merchandise early on, so thanks for that tip

So everyone is recommending 12/2 over 11/30? So does that mean I should go 11/30 because now everyone will be there on Thursday 12/2

I'm WAY with you on that. I don't spend any time during the party doing stuff that can be done during the day. We love to find the special appearance characters and see the party only stuff.

It makes no sense to do anything during party hours if you're at the World on an extended stay. I mean, park tickets are only like $3 a day after the first few and a party ticket is $55.

However, for those down on a quick weekend with only one night in the MK, it's an awesome way to do the park. When they did the Pirate & Princess Party into June, we came though town on the way to the beach and used one evening at the party to get our fix. It worked great. My daughter and I did the special party stuff, my husband and son did tons of rides, in the cool(ish) summer darkness with minimal waits. And all for around $50 instead of a full day's admission!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Looks like a few of us will be in the world at the same time

My situation is different than others I guess. Most people on here are talking about ride times and such, but I am not attending the party to get on rides. I want to get pictures with as many characters as possible and see all the holiday shows I can.

.

I'll have to make note about getting my party merchandise early on, so thanks for that tip

So everyone is recommending 12/2 over 11/30? So does that mean I should go 11/30 because now everyone will be there on Thursday 12/2

I'm like you, I don't need to ride but I want to get as many characters (especially the characters that only come out during holiday parties) and see all Holiday events. We are attending 12/3 and 12/10 parties. I'm hoping to go to 2 parties we will be able to see all characters and see all holiday shows.

 

[nhl66pens]

I'm not going to go into a long rant about the crowds because its been beaten into the ground. Just know, any night can be sold out (we went on a Tuesday in early Dec) and if you think your night is going to not be a sellout for any reason other than you have access to information that says its not, you're in danger of being disappointed. You will not believe how crowded it can be, that is all I can offer you.

I just noticed the previous post:

I'm like you, I don't need to ride but I want to get as many characters (especially the characters that only come out during holiday parties) and see all Holiday events. We are attending 12/3 and 12/10 parties. I'm hoping to go to 2 parties we will be able to see all characters and see all holiday shows.

If it is sold out you will be lucky to do one or two events including the castle lighting and one of the parades.

 

[ldeflavia]

We'll be there the week 12/4 to 12/11 and I bought my MVMCP tix about 2 weeks ago. We're going to the Thurs. 12/9 party. Figured it would be a nice way to close out the vacation. I bought them early to get the advance purchase discount and b/c I was nervous that they would sell out. Better to just have them on hand.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not going to go into a long rant about the crowds because its been beaten into the ground. Just know, any night can be sold out (we went on a Tuesday in early Dec) and if you think your night is going to not be a sellout for any reason other than you have access to information that says its not, you're in danger of being disappointed. You will not believe how crowded it can be, that is all I can offer you.

I just noticed the previous post:



If it is sold out you will be lucky to do one or two events including the castle lighting and one of the parades.

This is absolutely true. ANY night in December is likely to sell out, regardless of the day of the week.

Just be smart about what you do and have reasonable expectations.

For example, if you'll be in the MK on another day, skip the castle lighting an do it another night. Be in line EARLY for your most coveted activity. Then go on from there. See the second parade.

If you plan to go twice and do parade/fireworks only once, you can come close to doing it all. We always go twice now. It just frustrates me to try and do it all in one night. It's not even close to possible.

 

[05MM08MM]

I just did a google search on the Christmas parade taping and it appears some stuff was even done on Thursday, but I'm guessing during the day and this would not effect crowds during party time