Your Experience at MVMCP

[Princess_Kirky]

If you do the party you could save on buying a park ticket for that day since you can get into the park beginning at 4pm. That might help justify the extra cost. The best part of the party is lower crowds, short waits and the special parade/firework, imo. The character greets aren't as cool as they are for MNSSHP and the waits were so long! We waited 20 minutes for Santa Goofy and said that's it for characters.
We arrived at 7pm last year (early November) and droves of people were leaving the park on Main Street. I suggest getting there before that happens. I knew it would be a mess but we took an afternoon nap and took our time getting ready. Oh, well... I was happy to see the sea of people leaving! Good riddance! Now we can breathe and move around. We rode Splash at midnight. I think that will be a tradition if we go again to either MVMCP or MNSSHP. I do prefer MNSSHP over MVMCP but I think I would do either or depending on the timing of the visit.

 

[BarbieGal457]

We attended our first and only (so far) MVMCP last year on Thursday Dec 10th and LOVED IT! I think if you go in the middle of the week the crowds might be more manageable. We read that before we went, and on our weeknight, they were very easy to handle. For us, in our mid-20s and without children, our objectives were to take in the parade and fireworks and then stroll around and hop on things as we liked. We got our wristbands ASAP at 4pm and went to wait in line for Jack Skellington, where we were the 5th group. He was amazing - and talks! - and was our far and away favorite of anyone we've met in all our trips. After that we booked it to the line for the dwarfs and were about the 8th or so group in line and it was worth waiting! The dwarfs were amazing and we were done with them by 6:58pm, 2 minutes before the party technically started. If you think you may even want to meet them, have someone get in line because the line absolutely exploded in length by about 5:15 I would say.

We found the crowds extremely manageable all night. We basically walked on almost every ride, honestly didn't stop walking until we got in the ride vehicle, even for Peter Pan! We were able to find a nice viewing spot last minute for the parade near the Diamond Horseshoe as well (disclaimer: we're both on the taller side so we were able to easily see over the heads in front of us). We picked up some hot chocolate and cookies, joined in on the dance party with the Country Bears, and had an all around great time. I highly recommend stopping for the photo op with the Elf and Reindeer as they were the cutest! The Reindeer and my boyfriend ended up doing a little jig while taking photos!

 

[SaintsManiac]

We went on December 10, 2015 which was a Thursday. We used 3 FP we had booked on our party ticket from 4-6:30 (Tinkerbell, BTMRR, and PP).

Then we headed over to Fairytale Hall and lined up for Flynn and Rapunzel at about 6:30. We were 2nd in line.

After that we headed to grab our cookies and cocoa and then to the FP fireworks viewing area to get a spot for Wishes. These were the best fireworks I have ever seen. We saw some glimpses of the 1st parade through the crowd.

After that we hit a few rides in Fantasyland, grabbed a cupcake from Gaston's (which they gave us for free) and then caught the "snow" and 2nd parade on Main St near the main entrance.

My take on it is that it was too crowded for the money. 7DMT and Space had very long waits during the party. Both parades were pretty crowded, too.

I would not go again, but I sure am glad we did once.

 

[tinkerbella16]

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.

We went to the November 12th party. It was a Thursday night.

 

[jaysmom4285]

Touring plans has posted information about the least crowded dates for 2015 and what they predict for 2016, based on history: http://blog.touringplans.com/2016/04/07/least-crowded-disney-world-christmas-party-2016/

 

[CynBeth]

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!

We are 3 adults and love this event! We will go to our 3rd in Dcember.

 

[Isabel]

When DH and I did MVMCP years ago not all the rides were open. Are they all available now? Trying to justify the cost.

 

[Iowamomof4]

When DH and I did MVMCP years ago not all the rides were open. Are they all available now? Trying to justify the cost.

No, not all rides will be open. Here's the list from last year.

From this link: http://allears.net/tp/hol_mk.htm

2015 Magic Kingdom attractions that will be in operation:
Main Street
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Adventureland:
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Swiss Family Treehouse
Jingle Cruise - special holiday version
A Pirates of the Caribbean Adventure - Treasures of the Seven Seas

Frontierland:
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Liberty Square:
The Haunted Mansion

Fantasyland:
It's A Small World
Peter Pan's Flight
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Enchanted Tales with Belle
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mad Tea Party
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
Ariel's Grotto
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
The Barnstormer

Tomorrowland:
Astro Orbiter
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Tomorrowland Speedway
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

 

[WayTooExcited]

So all of the good rides will be open.

 

[tsme]

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.

Main Street was nuts. But the ride lines were a lot longer than previous years, some rides were down, & there were a few other issues for us. It was really a combination of things. It had gotten to point where it felt like work, not fun, we were just done. Also, we weren't the only ones leaving. There were quite a few people waiting for the bus with us.
If we hadn't been to other parties including some MNSSHP & experienced those with lower crowds, we probably wouldn't have been as bothered by the crowds because we wouldn't have known anything else, if that makes sense. We really felt that last year Disney didn't limit the amount of tickets sold to the parties as they had in previous years. Just our opinion, no data to back it up with.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We are 3 adults and love this event! We will go to our 3rd in Dcember.

Oh lucky ducks do enjoy!

 

[alliecat523]

We went on a Sunday this past December. Even though it was sold out, we didn't feel like it was that crowded. We had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves.

 

[Lothlórien]

Here is an honest comparison of what I have seen. If you feel the ticket price is worth it you should totally go, but in my opinion based upon experience, it is no longer worth the cost of the ticket for the limited things that are added outside of a daily park ticket.

The first MVMVCP I went to was in 2001. I have been every year since. I will not be going this year.

The first year we went the tickets were roughly $23 per person.

• They offered a variety of cookies.
• The cocoa was thick and very chocolaty.
• The ticket included a voucher for a photopass picture from the party.
• The fireworks were pretty much the same.
• The parade was much longer.
• They put everybody with a wristband in tomorrowland and made everybody without one leave.
• They sold fewer tickets then.

Today the tickets are $100

• They have one sugar cookie that is pretty much like eating sand.
• The cocoa is watered down.
• No photopass picture.
• Parade is shorter than years ago.
• I see people all over the park who do not have a wristband sneaking their way into spots to watch the parade and fireworks.
• On the plus side, I do think they have more characters now than they did in the past.
• They sell a lot more tickets and the parties are very crowded.

 

[Lothlórien]

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.

Really? We were there the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Magic Kingdom was dead. We stayed for 10 days and each day for each park, almost everything was no more than a 20 minute wait (not including TSMM, Soarin' and BTMRR). We did two parties and we didn't feel they were overly crowded. More crowded than in the part years for sure, but still only 10 minute waits for attractions. Now the lines for characters are different story. Those lines are insane. 45 minutes to meet Minnie Mouse is crazy.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Really? We were there the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Magic Kingdom was dead. We stayed for 10 days and each day for each park, almost everything was no more than a 20 minute wait (not including TSMM, Soarin' and BTMRR). We did two parties and we didn't feel they were overly crowded. More crowded than in the part years for sure, but still only 10 minute waits for attractions. Now the lines for characters are different story. Those lines are insane. 45 minutes to meet Minnie Mouse is crazy.

Do your recommendations change for a family who has never experienced a Christmas party? We planned a trip for the week after Thanksgiving so we could do MVMCP at MK and CP at Epcot along with all the other holiday offerings at wdw. We're torn now though and may end up having to choose between a Christmas party and keeping our upgraded dining plan (we're staying at AoA on free dining). My hope is we can save enough to do both, but we won't know that for sure until much closer to our trip. This will only be our second trip to wdw and we were looking forward to cooler temperatures and Christmas decorations as well as moderate crowds.

We don't have plans to see characters, we just want to see Elsa light the castle, Holiday wishes, and the second parade. We'll do rides when we aren't busy at the castle. Staying up late should be no problem for our group (youngest will be 8).

 

[revdon64]

Really? We were there the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Magic Kingdom was dead. We stayed for 10 days and each day for each park, almost everything was no more than a 20 minute wait (not including TSMM, Soarin' and BTMRR). We did two parties and we didn't feel they were overly crowded. More crowded than in the part years for sure, but still only 10 minute waits for attractions. Now the lines for characters are different story. Those lines are insane. 45 minutes to meet Minnie Mouse is crazy.

Did you go to the party that Tuesday? That's when we were there and it certainly didn't feel dead to us. We only waited for one character, and he was out greeting people before the actual party started (Sandy Claws). Maybe you usually go at more peak times than we do? Our previous trips had been last week of August 2013, first week of May 2011, and third week of January 2006. Perhaps we were just used to lighter crowds, but the first week of December 2015 were the biggest crowds we had seen.

 

[P&L@WDW]

I'm a big lover of the parties - granted, I'm an adult with no kids, so my goals for a party are often different than those with children. That said, I go because of the atmosphere. For MVMCP, there's something just so...magical (I can't think of a more perfect word) when you walk down Main Street at the end of the night with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand, and it's 'snowing' all around you.

Yes some nights can be busier, but even the 'busy' nights are better than 'average' days (at least in my experience). The parade, fireworks, etc will ALWAYS feel crowded - you're fitting hundreds or a few thousand people along a parade route only a few blocks long (half a mile, really), on walk ways that really aren't -that- wide. Main Street usually feels crowded even when the rest of the park isn't.

I usually attend MNSSHP closer to halloween and the very early MVMCP (our trips are usually about the 27 Oct through mid Nov, so we can have limited choices), and even then you are practically walk on for most rides/shows (Pirates, Space Mountain, Laugh Floor, Splash, etc), and very short waits for others (Haunted Mansion, 7DMT, etc).

I have also had great experiences with character meets. The most popular characters (Jack Skellington, the 7 dwarves) are looong lines (I think I waited an hour for each of them), but the regular meets are not nearly so bad. Heck, when I was there 2 years ago, I met Anna and Elsa with less than a 45 minute wait! Tinkerbell, Mickey, the Princesses (with their princes), and most of the Original 5 you can meet with a very, very short wait (5-10 minutes). And because there isn't a huge line, they have time to spend with you!

 

[CynBeth]

Do your recommendations change for a family who has never experienced a Christmas party? We planned a trip for the week after Thanksgiving so we could do MVMCP at MK and CP at Epcot along with all the other holiday offerings at wdw. We're torn now though and may end up having to choose between a Christmas party and keeping our upgraded dining plan (we're staying at AoA on free dining). My hope is we can save enough to do both, but we won't know that for sure until much closer to our trip. This will only be our second trip to wdw and we were looking forward to cooler temperatures and Christmas decorations as well as moderate crowds.

We don't have plans to see characters, we just want to see Elsa light the castle, Holiday wishes, and the second parade. We'll do rides when we aren't busy at the castle. Staying up late should be no problem for our group (youngest will be 8).

Definitely go to the party. See some of the shows as well as the parade and fireworks. Last time we waited until later to get our snack and the place we went to was empty. It was great to be able to just walk in and get our treat and sit down for a few minutes. They also have special items for purchase at certain gift shops. Last year they started selling early at 4 pm.

 

[Lothlórien]

Did you go to the party that Tuesday? That's when we were there and it certainly didn't feel dead to us. We only waited for one character, and he was out greeting people before the actual party started (Sandy Claws). Maybe you usually go at more peak times than we do? Our previous trips had been last week of August 2013, first week of May 2011, and third week of January 2006. Perhaps we were just used to lighter crowds, but the first week of December 2015 were the biggest crowds we had seen.

Well, I didn't say that Tuesday was dead. I was saying when we arrived Sunday 11/29 it was dead and the parks did not ever feel crowded our entire trip. We went to the Tuesday party on 12/1 and another on Sunday 12/6. Neither felt overly crowded to us. Wait times were no more than 10 minutes and most were nearly walk-ons. The only attraction that had a wait was Peter Pan's Flight and of course all of the characters.

 

[Lothlórien]

Do your recommendations change for a family who has never experienced a Christmas party? We planned a trip for the week after Thanksgiving so we could do MVMCP at MK and CP at Epcot along with all the other holiday offerings at wdw. We're torn now though and may end up having to choose between a Christmas party and keeping our upgraded dining plan (we're staying at AoA on free dining). My hope is we can save enough to do both, but we won't know that for sure until much closer to our trip. This will only be our second trip to wdw and we were looking forward to cooler temperatures and Christmas decorations as well as moderate crowds.

We don't have plans to see characters, we just want to see Elsa light the castle, Holiday wishes, and the second parade. We'll do rides when we aren't busy at the castle. Staying up late should be no problem for our group (youngest will be 8).

If you have never gone before and it is that important to you, you should definitely do it. However, it is a lot of money for fireworks and a parade.