MVMCP, holiday dessert party, avoiding crowds?

[gottalovepluto]

Title gives it away, I have issues with crowds. Someone very dear would love to do the party so I have decided to take her. The only night we can is a Fri night (not Thanksgiving week or close to Christmas). If the weather is good it looks like we're in for some heavy crowds from my research. My current plan is to arrive around 7pm, avoiding the hours the park attendees overlap with party attendees, hit a ride with a short line or something, and then do the dessert party for parade and fireworks (fingers crossed it will be offered). My understanding is the parade viewing for party attendees is a roped off area and then fireworks are viewed from tables at a terrace. I'm thinking this will be a good way to avoid the largest crowds during the earlier hours of the evening and then we'll enjoy whatever rides are running short lines in the second half of the evening.

My goal is to avoid being packed in like a sardine with other people as much as possible to prevent a panic attack. Are there any other very crowded areas of the park to avoid during MVMCP besides fireworks viewing and parade viewing? Any chokepoints in the park for crowds? (I've only been to MK once and it was during a lightly attended weekday MVMCP a couple years ago of which my memories are kind of fuzzy- additionally I didn't have this problem then so I didn't pay attention to where the crowds were.) Thanks for any advice!

 

[mamabunny]

I am not sure that the Dessert Party is offered during MVMCP; I know it is *not* offered during MNNSHP (or at least it wasn't the last 2 years when we were there)

Based on my MNNSHP experience, a lot depends on what rides/attractions are open. In years past, we found that the older, "legacy" rides and attractions (think Country Bears, Jungle Cruise and Carousel of Progress) all had lighter crowds, smaller lines. Even Haunted Mansion was usually fairly easy to get on; 7DMT and character meet n greets were usually stupidly busy. Ironically, Princess Fairytale Hall had some of the shortest lines anywhere.

But... that was Sept/Oct (2015 and 2016) and we try to go to the first parties, and not wait until late in October to go. I get it - it can be hard to get in the Halloween spirit in September, but the parties are *much* less crowded then. I don't know if that rule applies to MVMCP as well.

We found that overall it was pretty easy to avoid crowds until we wanted to see the Castle Stage Show, and/or the Boo To You Parade. That Parade does have a HA viewing area; it can get VERY crowded, so either plan on getting there early (so you are at the front, right behind the rope line) or look for a spot outside that area, well away from the crowds that line the Hub and Main Street. (Weirdly enough, we often find the crowds are a bit thinner right in front of Tony's and the Train Station...

The stage show was a LOT tougher for us - we got lucky the first year, and snagged a nearly perfect spot where we had a perfect line of sight, and it was just the right size for us, and somehow no one every stood in front of us... but of course we have never found that spot empty since! Last year, we finally gave up, and went on; the stage show was basically identical to the year before anyway.

Again, I know that all of this is about MNSSHP, but I'm sure that some of it applies to the Christmas party as well.

 

[jaminmd]

OP, I don't have answers to a lot of your questions but I did want to mention one thing.

I think you should enter the park at 1600 (4 PM) and take advantage of the overlapping hours. I find that to be the best time to get my favorite rides done or to have a sit down meal.

You also avoid bigger crowds at the entrance by doing that, IMO.