Visiting the MGM lights without Fantasmic

[Danestress]

We are arriving at Disney on Saturday (less than a week!!!!!!) and want to go to the MK for the first half of the day on Sunday. TGM says to leave before 1:30 or so, which we will do. So I thought maybe that evening we would go to MGM and see the Christmas lights. I don't think I want to do Fanstasmic that night. I think we want an earlier, easier night after our first full day at WDW. But the lights would be good.

Can anyone help me figure out how to plan this. If we arrived around 4:00 could we hope to get on a few key MGM rides, have a nice dinner (we don't have ADRs!) see the lights, and get home, all the while trying to avoid Fantasmic crowds?

Am I crazy to think we can split the day up this way?

The only other time I have been to WDW we just went to MK and I am kind of unsure of how long it will take to go from one place to another, get in a new park, etc.

Thanks for your help! Dana

 

[Samsma]

We went last Saturday night, but also hit Fantasmic at 7:00. I tried to see the lights at 6:00, but NY Street was a madhouse. I'd wait until Fantasmic begins at 7:00 and then go see the lights. They are well worth it. I would have skipped Fantasmic myself, but the people we were with had never seen it. We had gone to AK until about 4:00 then ran to MGM, no rides, just Fantasmic and lights, then boated to EPCOT for Illuminations at 9:00!!!

 

[goofy4dis]

This is perfectly reasonable. Infact we did the exact same thing on Thanksgiving day! More crowded even. It is really fine to do. The lights come on at sundown and its hard to say exactly when that will be. Still its not hard at all to do. HAVE FUN!


The streets are always a mad house nowadays with the show going off every 15 minutes. Instead of traffic flowing in and out people stop and watch. This makes it much more crowded.

 

[alfredromero1975]

<see below>

 

[alfredromero1975]

Sure, it's plenty of time. The Osborne Lights run from 6pm-8pm, so that leaves you at least 2 hours to do other things. Your best bet might be to hit the lights exactly at 6pm or so as this allows you to see them for as long as you like and then move off to do other things.

Not sure what else you like, but I'd recommend doing unique things like Tower of Terror. You can also likely do Star Tours, perhaps catch a show.

By the way, here's a video of the Osborne Dancing Lights that you may enjoy:
http://www.mousevids.com/mv/osborne.asp

 

[stapply]

I think you will have plenty of time. I was there the day before Thanksgiving (which was VERY crowded). The lights come on at 6:00. We did Fantasmic first and there were hardly any people at the lights after this show. You probably won't be dealing with heavy crowds that day so I don't think you'll have a problem, especially if you skip Fantasmic. And as you probably already know, the lights are absolutely beautiful! I was very impressed!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

We have gone to MGM for years just to see the Osborne lights. We always try to see them while Fantasmic is going on.

 

[bekkiz]

How funny, we'll be at the lights that night too! We're going to AK in the morning though, not MK.