Why do you make PS for 4ish on MVMCP nights?

[jkmmah]

I'm wondering why people recommend getting a PS for 4ish on the day you'll be going to MVMCP? If the front gate will let you in around 4 pm then that's just more ride time, instead of using up time at an early dinner, right?

I made a PS for CP at 4:15 on our MVMCP night based on what I'd seen a lot of posters doing. But now I'm questioning whether I want to use up a good 90 minutes or so of ride time with a sit down meal.

Your thoughts on why to have the PS as opposed to just going in the gates around 4pm and skip the meal?

 

[hezreck]

We are going to be at Epcot on the day we go to MVMCP. Eating lunch at Le Cellier and the Ice Cream Social at 3:00. We are planning on eating big at these and hopefully won't need any dinner that night. Just going to snack if we need to.
I'm planning on riding rides from 4:00-6:00 , because I don't want to ride the ride during the party. We want to see as many shows as possible.

 

[Tink]

Our family goes to Sea World on the day we do MVMCP. The food there is always just okay, so we eat a big breakfast at our hotel first. For lunch we do simple, sometimes just snacky stuff. We arrive at MK about 4pm, giving us a time at MK and not using a park hopper day. Our daughters love CRT so we eat a dinner there, and then snack our way through the night. We just build one of our sit downs into that night. It's becoming a tradition with us. Last time we did the Plaza.

Also, some people do a package where they can book LLT before the 90 day out mark.

 

[TammiMcMan]

I haven't been to MVMCP yet, but here's my thoughts on why the suggestion for an early ps was made. Technically, you can enter the park at 4pm with just your party ticket, but I'm guessing with 2 hours still left of normal park operating hours, the lines for the rides will still be pretty long. You may only get to do one or two big rides in that timeframe. On the other hand, you can enter the park at 4pm, have a nice sit down dinner and relax while the crowd starts to thin out.

I currently have a reservation at 4:15 for LTT, but I haven't decided yet if we're going to keep it. I was also thinking that it might be better to arrive at 4pm and do as many rides as possible. That way we can enjoy the shows more. From what I understand though, the only lands that remain open during the transition from normal park hours to party hours are Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. I would try to be in one of those area's by 5:30. In fact, that's my other idea if we don't keep our LTT reservation. I thought we'd just eat at Cosmic Rays or something at 5:30 and then do the rides while everyone else is exiting the park. I even noticed on the 2003 show schedule that "Twas the Night Before Christmas" has their first showing at 6:15 at the Galaxy Theatre in Tomorrowland. We could have all the rides there done and see a show before the party even officially started.

I guess it all comes down to personal preference.

Tammi

 

[Tink561]

In the past when we've done the MVMCP we haven't done any PS. We'd just eat at the hotel food court or something and go over to the party. This year we'll have our annual passes and we'll be in the MK on the day of the party...most of the day. We've got PS at LTT for 4:10p. We're going to use it as time to rest, have a good meal and take a break before doing the party for the night.

 

[DebbieB]

The lines usually aren't bad between 4:00 and 6:00.

I think alot of people consider the dinner as part of their MVMCP experience. Especially LTT since it is a character dinner. Usually MVMCP is not their only MK time during their trip.

I made a PS for the Plaza Restaurant for 4:30pm for my mom and I. We love this little restaurant, service is quick and we still have time after to do a couple rides before heading to Tomorrowland for the 6 to 7 period.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have a PS at LTT for 5:45. We will be visiting MK on a day before MVMCP so riding all the rides isn't a huge priority for us. But we found last year that by eating at LTT at this time, we could leave dinner around 6:45-6:50 and just head over to the Hall of Pres. and have our photo done. Then we ambled on down to Frontierland and rode BTMRR about 5 times in a row. I think we did about 5 rides the whole time other than that. We loved the shows and the parade and fireworks. So, I guess we get to the park around 5ish.

 

[bjakmom]

Similar to goofy4tink - we have 5:45 PS at LTT - our plan is to have a late character breakfast at USF that morning - check out and into BWV - take a rest in our room (or at the pool if it's not ready) - enter MK at about 4 - do rides until PS time - finish dinner just in time for the party to start (also planning on HOP for our pic right away and then to Splash and BTMRR).

We're doing the party a second night and that night we've decided to enter at 4 PM, do rides until they herd us to Tomorrowland - either see the 6:15 show or eat at Cosmic Rays until they set us free !

 

[LibertyBelle]

These days it is just a preference thing as other have said. But the reason that this originally started was because they used to clear the park out completely and you had to leave and re-enter Unless you were eating dinner. So if you got the PS for 4ish you could eat at the resturant and then when you were done they would validate your ticket and have you wait in the lobby, once the park re-opened for the party they would let you go, thus putting you ahead of the crowd coming in (because you were already there). After Septemeber 11, with the addition of the security bag check, it became apparent that it was too much congestion at the front entrance to do a complete exit and re-enter at 7pm so they decided that they would start opening the gates at 4pm in order to have people for the party flow in instead of bombard the entrance. That is also why you will only hear about the 4pm entrance policy on the boards (by word of mouth) they will tell you on the phone that the party starts at 7pm and you can't get in until then because they don't want the same mass entrance at 4pm. Does that make sense.

 

[Shutterbug]

I arrived at 6pm last year trying to get a place near the front of the crowd at the gates because the last time I went was before 9/11 and the crowd was a zoo. Well when I arrived at 6pm there was no crowd and no lines. When I entered the park they checked on main street to make sure I had wrist band then I was off to ride rides.