Is MVMCP worth it?

[benny]

I was wondering if anyone has done the MVMCP at Magic Kingdom and whether you thought it was worth it?

My friend and I will be visiting WDW Dec 13 to Dec 21 and thought we might do this. We will have no children with us.

Do you think it is worth doing and if you do, is it best to book the earlier one or the 12am one?

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Many thanks
Jenny

[Donald]

I know a lot of people may disagree with me, but, I do NOT think it is really worth it. WDW has so much going on in all of their parks: DHS Spectacle of lights, the Candelight Processional, all of EPCOT's "traditions" in WS, (DTD even has some evening entertainment) I don't think it is necessary to spend extra money for all you can eat cookies and hot cocoa.

Buy yourself some hot cocoa in a collector mug and enjoy the Florida snow fall at DHS, then watch the parade on TV with some hot cocoa in that mug when you get home and reflect on your wonderful vacation!:secret:

[Strmchsr]

I'm not sure it's worth it every year, but we think it's worth it to do every couple of years. The snow on Main St, characters in their holiday attire, and the parade are definitely worth it to us. I would say it's a must do once and then it's up to each individual whether or not you repeat the experience.

[benny]

Thank you both so much for your replies. We are from New Zealand and I didn't realise it was televised on tv? Or do you mean to purchase a DVD?

Gosh its so hard to decide what to do and what not to do. What is a 'must do/not to be missed' and what could be missed. I guess we have time to do research but I so want to make the right decisions.

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Jenny

[BronxTigger]

I have not attended but I just want to clear something up. There is only one party each night that it is available; it begins at 7 (7:30?) and ends at 12 midnight.

At least that's one less decision to make!

[benny]

Oh whops - thanks for that! That shows how much I know! You are right that is atleast one decision I don't have to worry about!

[Strmchsr]

I didn't realise it was televised on tv? Or do you mean to purchase a DVD?

I'm not sure if you would get the televised parade in New Zealand or not. In the USA it comes on ABC on Christmas morning. It's not broadcast live, but taped the first weekend of December. However, what they show on TV on Christmas morning is only a small part of the actual MVMCP parade. You don't see all the floats and characters that appear during the party parade.


I There is only one party each night that it is available; it begins at 7 (7:30?) and ends at 12 midnight.

You're right about the one party per night. However, guests with MVMCP tickets can begin to enter the MK at 4:30 pm even though the party does not officially begin until 7. What many people do is not purchase a park ticket for that day and spend the day sleeping late, swimming, shopping at DTD, etc and then hit the park at 4:30 for the party and have all night. There are 2 parades (identical, just one is early and one late) and 1 special MVMCP -only version of Wishes per party.

[Deesdisney]

I think it is. I loved this time of year. Alot of people would not pay the extra if you are going to be there for a while. I loved the characters dressed up in holiday outfits and the rides being open late. My DD loved the dancing parties. If you have not tried it you might want to.

[cal5755]

My mom and I attended our first mvmcp last November and we loved it. It was just the two of us, no kids. The snow on Main St. was awesome. The parade was awesome... the fireworks were awesome.... and yes you can watch it on t.v. but it is so not the same as being there in person with all the smells and bright colors and Magic of Disney. I say you have to try it at least once. I think you will enjoy it...I know we did :0). By the way we did not have any cookies or hot cocoa while we were there.. we were too busy taking pictures with characters, watching shows, fireworks and parade and just taking in the holiday cheer throughout the park. We had a wonderful time and it was a wicked awesome way to start off our holiday season.

[RobWreck]

It's definitely worth it. Since you're going to be there 8 days, chances are that MVMCP won't be your only time in the MK, so focus on the special entertainment that's only available during the party... the parade, the special fireworks, the live shows. Of course the lines for the rides will be short as well...
Rob

[minnie2002]

My family and I attended three years ago. We talk about it often. Except we don't talk about it in a fond way. We would never attend again. The crowds were worse then Christmas Day at Magic Kindgom. (We attended the party the week after Thanksgiving.) We were shocked with the number of people. The lines for the rides were 45 mintues or longer. The lines for the cookies were terrible. It was like mass hysteria. We left early. The crowds during the day were extreamly light compared to this. You couldn't walk down mainstreet without stepping on the person in front of you or to the side of you. I have been there Christmas day and Christmas eve and again, the crowds were lighter then this party. We were very disappointed, and surprised the capacity wasn't capped at a much smaller number. We didn't get the disney loving feeling that night. This could have been a fluke. It was the first party of the year I believe too.

[Mickey91]

We loved it!! I definitely think it is worth it! For the time you are there, I would concentrate on the special characters. They are only there during the party. Since the Saturday of your trip is after the last party, they will probably have the shows/fireworks and parade as part of regular admittance that day as well. But the Characters in their Christmas outfits are only there duing the party. Go and have a great time!!:mickey:

[CaptainSad]

My family and I attended three years ago. We talk about it often. Except we don't talk about it in a fond way. We would never attend again. The crowds were worse then Christmas Day at Magic Kingdom. (We attended the party the week after Thanksgiving.) We were shocked with the number of people. The lines for the rides were 45 minutes or longer. The lines for the cookies were terrible. It was like mass hysteria. We left early. The crowds during the day were extremely light compared to this. You couldn't walk down main street without stepping on the person in front of you or to the side of you. I have been there Christmas day and Christmas eve and again, the crowds were lighter then this party. We were very disappointed, and surprised the capacity wasn't capped at a much smaller number. We didn't get the Disney loving feeling that night. This could have been a fluke. It was the first party of the year I believe too.


I want to clear something up. First the parties are nowhere near as crowded as Christmas day. They don't allow that many people in on party nights. I was down this past December. I went to the parties on the 18th and the last one on the 21st. (Got deals on the Mickey Christmas hats that night. Paid $50 for 10 of them.) Both nights were sell outs. I did not wait in line that long. If I remember correctly I was at Haunted Mansion 6 times on the 21st. I went up to the door and I was the only one there. Same way for BTMR and POTC. There was very small lines after 8:00p.m. I had no trouble getting Hot Chocolate and cookies. The lines were very fast. You might have had a fluky night.

[chrisb26]

I would recommend this party!!!

It was great all the decorations and everything. Christmas in WDW is just amazing. We went the first weekend of December 2 years ago and it was not crowded at all in the park. We walked on all the rides basically and got lots of cookies and Hot Chocolate and some apples too :D

The parade was great! I think I liked it more then the Halloween parade but that is also great. Another thing that was awesome was the fireworks. There were amazing!

So far I have been to MVMCP and MNSSHP and I would say MVMCP is my favorite!!

[benny]

Wow - you are all wonderful! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I value ALL your opinions.

Thanks everyone.

[Bringonthemouse!]

While my DD16 and I are huge fans of Christmas and everything that goes along with the season we were very much looking forward to MVMCP. My opinion of the event is that it is simply very expensive EMH. While we did enjoy the parade and Mickey's "Twas the night before CHristmas" show, we did not feel that it was worth the $45. (ish) per person and we will probably not be attending this Nov. Yes, the decorations are beautiful, but that is also the case on non-MVMCP evenings.
:mickey:

[DNS]

Honestly, unless your money will be very tight, I think it would be a good thing to do once. Everyone has a different opinion and I think it just depends on the individual. We went to the Halloween party last October and while it was fun and I am very glad we went once, we probably won't go again. The ticket price, in my opinion, is on the high end for what there is, but it is a nice event. We are going to the Christmas party this year, but probably only this once.

[GrmGrninGost]

MVMCP is definitely worth the money! It is one of the best times to be at the park! They only allow in a limited amount of people, and they have many other things going on that attract a lot of people. This makes the ride lines very short compared to what they are during the day! But, on the other hand, they have so much other stuff going on, you may be like my family and not ride anything! We go to the shows, parade, fireworks and character meet and greets instead! There are always rare characters out during the parties that you can hardly ever find any other time! The snow on main street is really cool! And the cookies and hot chocolate are most yummy! All in all, it is a wonderful event! :santa:

[DigitalDaredevil]

Is it worth it? I am going to ride the fence on this one.
The party itself was nothing spectacular. I enjoyed going to the Studios for the Osborne Lights. That was wonderful.
The cost isn't really worth it, but I don't mind paying the extra money once in a while for some late night and usually not as crowded experiences.
I usually try to go to the Halloween Parties which I enjoyed much more, and the children seem to like it too. The queues later in the evening are almost nonexistent.
If you don't go to the parks that often, I would spend the money and enjoy yourself.

[snerd475]

I LOVE Christmas at Disney! I'd definitely recommend it! We went for the past two years, and we live in South Florida, where it's usually about 80º in December, but the atmosphere at MK is so festive, it's infectious! Ride waits were much shorter than usual. The earlier in the month you attend, however, the better. So, I'd book on the 14th or 16th.

Please try it once. Since you're on the other side of the planet, you may not have another chance for awhile. It's worth the extra money.

[benny]

It seems, from reading your replies, that most people think it probably is worth it once if you haven't done it before. We haven't been to the party before and the cost of the ticket for us isn't the issue. As we are coming from New Zealand and probably won't be back in the short future, it would be best to do MVMCP this time.

I think we should book 16th as 14th would be a bit to soon after our marthon flights from NZ! We might need match sticks to keep our eyes open and chairs to sit on!

Thanks everyone

Jenny

[LandFan]

We did it for the first time last November and we really thought it was worth it if you are a Christmas person!! We loved the special parade and fireworks. Mickey's Night Before Christmas show at the Galaxy theatre was great too! It was so fun to be able to sit on the curb on main street without the crush of a major crowd and enjoy the spectacular parade while it snowed! No lines either!

I would definitely try it!

[Maleficent's Dad]

Okay, I've purposely kept quiet on I'cot re the MVMCP... it's just so darned popular on these boards and I didn't want to be shot down for my unpopular opinions. Anyways, here I go...

For the first time, my family and I attended the party this past December. What a complete and total waste of money. :(

Other than the parade and fireworks, there was not one thing that we couldn't have seen during the day - normal operating hours.

People talk so highly about the "free" cookies, hot cocoa, and juice. Very disappointing. The cookies are nowhere near being very good (taste like slice & bake), the juice is out of a bottle, and the cocoa (if it hasn't "run out" at locations) is water.

Every show during the party was available to us during the day.
The lines at all major rides were shorter during the day.
Main Street was a zoo. We could see both Santa and the falling snow upon leaving during regular business hours.

I was in charge of a family reunion in December - we had 16 people there at the time - and I assured everyone that MVMCP would be a hit. Not one person of the sixteen enjoyed themselves. It was amongst my most disappointing times ever at Disney. And believe me when I say, I was looking extremely foward to the event. A major letdown...

[CaptainSad]

Okay, I've purposely kept quiet on I'cot re the MVMCP... it's just so darned popular on these boards and I didn't want to be shot down for my unpopular opinions. Anyways, here I go...

For the first time, my family and I attended the party this past December. What a complete and total waste of money. :(

Other than the parade and fireworks, there was not one thing that we couldn't have seen during the day - normal operating hours.

People talk so highly about the "free" cookies, hot cocoa, and juice. Very disappointing. The cookies are nowhere near being very good (taste like slice & bake), the juice is out of a bottle, and the cocoa (if it hasn't "run out" at locations) is water.

Every show during the party was available to us during the day.
The lines at all major rides were shorter during the day.
Main Street was a zoo. We could see both Santa and the falling snow upon leaving during regular business hours.

I was in charge of a family reunion in December - we had 16 people there at the time - and I assured everyone that MVMCP would be a hit. Not one person of the sixteen enjoyed themselves. It was amongst my most disappointing times ever at Disney. And believe me when I say, I was looking extremely foward to the event. A major letdown...


Frank,

I am sorry that a whole family thought it was a waste of time. Was there any children in your group? if there were, I find it hard to believe they didn't enjoy it. The lines were probably longer at the parties considering that it is a slow time at WDW during that time of year. Like I said in a post here earlier. I went on HM 6 times on the last night of the parties and was the only one in line when I got there. Let's see you say that happens during any day time. It was almost like that on BTMR and POTC. As for the cookies, juice, and cocoa. First did you expect a master chef to cook the ten's of thousands of cookie's that are needed. Same way for the juice and cocoa. Juice either comes in a can, bottle or carton. I thought the Hot Cocoa was pretty tasty. I kind of liked the grilled onions and mushrooms you could get at the Starlight Cafe for your burgers. You don't get that during the day. I think most parades on Main Street are crowded. I never go there. I usually get near the Country Bears or near The Hall of Presidents. I do this because after the parade I can hit the rides I want. The one thing about the MVMCP or MNSSHP is the atmosphere. They play Christmas music all night long. I remember they didn't when I went during the day. It just totally different. I say it is worth the money and I am definitely going to do it again someday.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Was there any children in your group? if there were, I find it hard to believe they didn't enjoy it. The lines were probably longer at the parties considering that it is a slow time at WDW during that time of year.
Yes, we did have kids - a total of 6 kids, ranging in age from 4 - 11.

And yes, you are right, we were there in December - parks weren't too crowded during the day.

I do concur that the atmosphere was great with the music and all, and I won't argue with you on that point.

It was just that for the money we spent (no DVC discounts on the night we attended), everyone in the group was severely disappointed after what I'd read about the party. We expected smaller lines on the big rides (not the case) and shows we couldn't see during the day (again, not the case).

The fireworks and parade were very special, however, but hardly worth the cost of admission to the after hours party IMO.

[thatkindofday]

I've only been once a couple of years ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Granted my parents paid for my tickets, and I'm not sure if I'd pay the extra money for it myself. The atmosphere was awesome, the parade was awesome, but like someone else said, it was almost like an expensive EMH. I did enjoy the hot chocolate and cookies, and having the rides to ourselves (for the most part), I'm just not sure it's worth the extra money. If you do have the extra money though, by all means, do it once. It's really cool. Christmas time in general at Disney is pretty spectacular.

[Sweezy]

my vote is to definitely go...weve been to each party since 1993 (ish) and look forward to it more than anything else in our yearly winter trip. especially if you like christmas, you will love the party and the perfect christmas atmosphere.

[Imagineer1981]

I know a lot of people may disagree with me, but, I do NOT think it is really worth it. WDW has so much going on in all of their parks: DHS Spectacle of lights, the Candelight Processional, all of EPCOT's "traditions" in WS, (DTD even has some evening entertainment) I don't think it is necessary to spend extra money for all you can eat cookies and hot cocoa.

Buy yourself some hot cocoa in a collector mug and enjoy the Florida snow fall at DHS, then watch the parade on TV with some hot cocoa in that mug when you get home and reflect on your wonderful vacation!:secret:

couldn't agree more...definitely not worth the extra money. Spend it wisely at other parks enjoying much better events.

[minnie2002]

I am glad to see some others feel the way I do about MVMCP. Again, I wouldn't spend the money. I would spend the $40+ on something else. I also believe you need to try everything at least once and find out for yourself. You get the same christmas feeling during the day as you do at the party. Plus without having the crowds. Some of the rides didn't have long lines but others had the same or smaller lines during the day. I just want you to know what we experienced so you weren't surprised if it wasn't the best disney expreience of your life.

[KAJUNKING]

i cant speak for the christmas party, but to me the mnsshp is worth it everytime we went last year for the first time and we are waiting to purchase our tickets for this time :mickey:

[Cookie123]

I attended MVMCP once per annual vacation,
but SEVEN annual vacations in a row !!
( Mind you, I vacation solo )

I absolutely LOVE MVMCP !!! It is well worth the money to me. Early at the party, the lines in Fantasyland were long, but everthing else was great. I went back to Fantasyland much later, and things were a walk-on.

This has the most magical feeling ! Only one of the parties that I went to I would consider it to be too crowded. Your choice of the 16th looks pretty good because it is a Tuesday.

If you want to avoid massive crowds - NEVER do MVMCP on a Friday !!!!!!!!!!!

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

Okay, I've purposely kept quiet on I'cot re the MVMCP... it's just so darned popular on these boards and I didn't want to be shot down for my unpopular opinions. Anyways, here I go...

For the first time, my family and I attended the party this past December. What a complete and total waste of money. :(

Other than the parade and fireworks, there was not one thing that we couldn't have seen during the day - normal operating hours.

People talk so highly about the "free" cookies, hot cocoa, and juice. Very disappointing. The cookies are nowhere near being very good (taste like slice & bake), the juice is out of a bottle, and the cocoa (if it hasn't "run out" at locations) is water.

Every show during the party was available to us during the day.
The lines at all major rides were shorter during the day.
Main Street was a zoo. We could see both Santa and the falling snow upon leaving during regular business hours.

I was in charge of a family reunion in December - we had 16 people there at the time - and I assured everyone that MVMCP would be a hit. Not one person of the sixteen enjoyed themselves. It was amongst my most disappointing times ever at Disney. And believe me when I say, I was looking extremely foward to the event. A major letdown...


I agree with you 150%!!

Two of my friends and I went in December. The kids and husbands all stayed home. I was really looking forward to the party since we loved MNSSHP. But, I was really disapointed. The crowds were just ridiculous. MK was very quiet that day but, it was wall to wall people for the party. The lines for the rides could have been short but, we didn't check. I don't attend the special events for the rides. We finally were able to see the last showing of "Twas the Night" and I did really enjoy that. The parade was good. Not great. We saw the first parade and decided to see the second and see if the crowds were any lower..they were just as bad.:(

We had a much better time at Osborne Lights.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

I kind of liked the grilled onions and mushrooms you could get at the Starlight Cafe for your burgers. You don't get that during the day.

Don't laugh at me for quoting this but, I have always gotten grilled mushrooms and onions at Starlight Cafe every trip, during the day. It is one of the reasons we eat lunch there every time we are in MK.

;):confused: