Your Experience at MVMCP

[WayTooExcited]

Hello all! I need your help.

Short story: What's your experience at MVMCP?

Long story: We're going to WDW in November. It's going to be my daughters' very first time going. We're going to do a big reveal in August... hopefully it'll be as awesome as I've made it up to be in my head... Anyway, the problem is that we're staying off grounds so we won't be able to make our FastPass+ reservations until 30 days out. For the most part, this won't be a big problem, except for with the newer rides - i.e. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, etc.

Since the hours for the parks aren't out yet for the week we're going to be there, it's hard to plan (no matter how much I try). So I was thinking about us maybe doing MVMCP since the park will be less crowded and maybe the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train won't have a two hour line, and we can also experience the fun Christmastime extravaganza.

However! Will it be less crowded? I've never been there for MVMCP so I have no idea. What are your experiences? I saw the price hikes today and spending almost $300 on something at Disney would not please my frugal husband, so I need to sell it to him somehow and I'm hoping less crowded will be a big selling point.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[tsme]

My first time to MVMCP was a few years ago. It was awesome! Last year we went to MVMCP & it was awful. It was much more crowded than the previous time making the lines longer & any of the "special" events crowded. By 8:30pm, we had enough & left. But everyone's experience is different & some nights are less crowded than others. Though, last year there were a lot of complaints from the MNSSHP & MVMCP of over selling the parties causing over crowding.

 

[Iowamomof4]

My first time to MVMCP was a few years ago. It was awesome! Last year we went to MVMCP & it was awful. It was much more crowded than the previous time making the lines longer & any of the "special" events crowded. By 8:30pm, we had enough & left. But everyone's experience is different & some nights are less crowded than others. Though, last year there were a lot of complaints from the MNSSHP & MVMCP of over selling the parties causing over crowding.

Where were you? Were you on Main St? I've heard it's always crazy around Main St. and in front of the castle but the rest of the park is not too bad. I'm just curious, because it would have to be truly awful to force me out 3 1/2 hours early after paying all that money to attend.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I have gone the past 4 years to MVMCP and each year was better than the last. Last years party we went to was the best I've ever been to! It was a Thursday night, earlier in November and the crowds were so light. We were the only ones walking around certain areas, we kept saying to each other how great it was and how worth it was just for the low crowds alone! We had an early 4:30 ADR at BOG and we were done by 6pm, so it was great to relax and enjoy a meal without using up any of the party time. We always watch the first parade in Frontierland, and we didn't have to stake out a spot hours beforehand. We walked right up to our spot minutes before and enjoyed the parade. We did a couple of meet and greets before the parade. We walked on every ride that night and 7DMT was less than 10 minutes. It was just so much fun and I am not sure I'd be writing this if the party was sold out. I hear it can get pretty crowded when it is sold out. It makes a big difference in crowds if you go to a sold out party or party that is not sold out, that's for sure!

It all depends on the night you go and it is very hard to tell in advance which night will be better than others. I have been lucky with picking certain nights to go I guess lol.

 

[revdon64]

We went last year and it was our first one... it'll also be our last. I had read that early December after the Thanksgiving crowds went home was an ideal time for lower crowds. It just wasn't the case. Party felt crowded. No good place to watch the parade. No good place to watch the fireworks. Free cookies tasted stale. Free hot cocoa was just lukewarm. The best things all night were my adult DD31 getting to meet Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws, and riding 7DMT with about a 15 minute wait later in the evening. Mostly, it just didn't feel like it was worth the money.

 

[princessjadesmom]

I have gone the past 4 years to MVMCP and each year was better than the last. Last years party we went to was the best I've ever been to! It was a Thursday night, earlier in November and the crowds were so light. We were the only ones walking around certain areas, we kept saying to each other how great it was and how worth it was just for the low crowds alone! We had an early 4:30 ADR at BOG and we were done by 6pm, so it was great to relax and enjoy a meal without using up any of the party time. We always watch the first parade in Frontierland, and we didn't have to stake out a spot hours beforehand. We walked right up to our spot minutes before and enjoyed the parade. We did a couple of meet and greets before the parade. We walked on every ride that night and 7DMT was less than 10 minutes. It was just so much fun and I am not sure I'd be writing this if the party was sold out. I hear it can get pretty crowded when it is sold out. It makes a big difference in crowds if you go to a sold out party or party that is not sold out, that's for sure!

It all depends on the night you go and it is very hard to tell in advance which night will be better than others. I have been lucky with picking certain nights to go I guess lol.

Can I ask what night you went? We'll be going for the first time on November 13. I hope we have the same experience you had.

 

[matthewhavens]

I suppose it does depend on the ages of your children and what your objectives are. My wife and I went in 2013 with our kids who were 3 & 5. We definitely took advantage of short ride lines. Can't comment on 7DMT but everything other than PP was a walk-on. The parade is amazing. My kids didn't like fireworks, so we did tons of rides while everyone else was watching. The character lines were longer then I would have expected. There are definitely many people who go to get the unique photos with characters who aren't available on regular days. If you have the stamina to stay until the end, you can definitely make up for your 30 day FP+ window due to being offsite. I've also read that the ticket allows you to make FP+ reservations between 4pm-7pm. This is the window of when you are allowed into the park and before the party officially starts. In the end, it's a fun party (definitely has it's own unique energy) and you will enjoy it.

 

[HapaDuniani]

I have never been to the MVMCP. Just bought tickets for November 18th. I am expecting crowds and not being able to do everything, but am still excited and looking forward to all the festivities.

 

[redsbe]

When crowd calendars show WDW to be busy any parties during that period will also be crowded, also a lot depends on the weather and weekend vs weekday party dates (plus first offerings vs later dates). In December 2014 we visited in the pause in crowds levels - early Dec. - after Thanksgiving but before Christmas breaks and crowds start to arrive. If you look a crowd calendars you can see that dip in crowds. But many have already posted, party crowds can be hard to predict and their impact on ride waits, so I would go in with use of 4-7p window for FP, and reasonable expectations for what else you can see and do, especially if your interests include character meet and greets, parades and shows - all of which take time away from the rides/attractions. Hard to say how much you could get done, but likely not as much as you may think in going in as time is limited and passes quickly including stopping to eat or just moving around the park with a family in tow.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We went 2 years ago and had a great time. We went to MK right at 4 and stayed until after midnight. We did wait in some long times for some of the more coveted meet and greets, but it was worth it because we got great pictures. We ended up watching Wishes from the line for the 7 Dwarfs meet, but it was actually a pretty good view. We walked up the train station/flag pole area about 10 minutes before the second parade and easily found a place along the curb to watch.

We are going again this year on November 11th. I can't wait.

 

[WayTooExcited]

See that's another problem. I'm not sure what the issue is but the crowd calendar I'm waiting for hasn't come out for November yet because the park hours for November aren't out yet. I'm assuming the delay has to do with the River of Lights issues.

 

[Iowamomof4]

See that's another problem. I'm not sure what the issue is but the crowd calendar I'm waiting for hasn't come out for November yet because the park hours for November aren't out yet. I'm assuming the delay has to do with the River of Lights issues.

The park hours have been out for 2 weeks now.

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/staticfiles/parkhours/wdwtravelagent_november.pdf

 

[WayTooExcited]

The park hours have been out for 2 weeks now.

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/staticfiles/parkhours/wdwtravelagent_november.pdf

.....dag nab it!!

I thank you

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We did MVMCP very near Christmas last year. We expected it to be wall to wall with folks. It was busy but we got to do 7DMT and quite a few rides, meet characters see the parade. We thought the cookies were nice and enjoyed the hot chocolate. The atmosphere is electric that's what you can't see online. Was it worth it? Yes it was totally magical I cannot explain. I would totally recommend it and we have no kids! The snow down Main Street.. I am getting goosebumps thinking about it! Plus it will be less crowded in November!

 

[FindMeAFishingSpot]

We went the first week of December last year - Main Street and the parades were packed. The lines for the rides were not. The wait at 7DMT was 25 minutes early on in the night (probably around 7) which was much lower than during the day times. Most of the other rides were walkons. My son still talks about the snow on Main Street. For us, it was worth it!

 

[missnikki411]

We went the first week of December 2014 right after Thanksgiving. We had heard to hit the second parade so we skipped the first and enjoyed much shorter than normal wait time on the rides. Unfortunately, it started pouring after the first parade, we watched a delayed Wishes in the rain, and then they cancelled the second parade. Luckily, after a line of people formed all the way down Main Street waiting to talk to Guest Services, Disney made good and offered tickets to another night to make up for cancelling the second parade. So we went again 2 days later, we didn't take any chances and lined up 2 hours early on Main Street for the first parade, watched Wishes, enjoyed short wait times, then watched the parade again with much smaller crowds. It was absolutely worth the cost-we are going back this year to do it all again.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

I went the first time many years ago and it was great as far as crowd levels. I went again in 2014 and it was NOT sold out and the crowd level was terrible especially for the parades. Here's a video of that night to give you an idea of the crowds - especially look at the parade footage. We do not plan to go back for it at all unless they start selling fewer tickets which is highly unlikely.

 

[WayTooExcited]

My main goals, if we do MVMCP, is to ride 7DMT and to meet Jack Skellington because I love him. However, if we do rope drop (which might be difficult since my hubs and I like sleeping in a bit too much), that could be our rope drop ride... I have to get this figured out! We only have 191 days left!!

 

[rwdavis2]

We went on a Friday in 2012 and it was pretty crowded. This year we're trying a Tuesday.

 

[jne7043]

I have gone to MVMCP in 2010, 2011 and 2015. In 2015 we went the same time as you are going, Mid November. While 2015 was more crowded it was still great. We aren't in to character meet and greets and rarely do any of the dance parties/shows. We use it as an extra park day. Once the crowds die down (after 7) ride lines are great! Even this past November which was the most crowded we had been to we waited the longest at Pirates, but even that was maybe 10 minutes. Everything else we walked right on. We still watch the parade and the fireworks and they were more crowded this year, but we were okay with that.