"Official" 2018 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - Holiday Magic

[VeronicaZS]

are you paying OOP??? or DDP?? because BOG is 2 TS credits.. Do the kids like Winnie the Pooh & Friends? espeicially if they are walking around while you are eating? or would you rather have your meal and then meet the Beast afterwards? also, Crystal Palace is a buffet while BOG is a sit down meal pre-fixe meal. they are both on opposite sides of the spectrum!!! So its really up to what type of mood/ menu/ experience you and your family would prefer!!

Paying OOP but price isn't going to push me one way or the other. I think I am leaning toward CP. I will ask the kids this evening and maybe show them some YouTube videos.

 

[monique5]

are you paying OOP??? or DDP?? because BOG is 2 TS credits.. Do the kids like Winnie the Pooh & Friends? especially if they are walking around while you are eating? or would you rather have your meal and then meet the Beast afterwards? also, Crystal Palace is a buffet while BOG is a sit down meal pre-fixe meal. they are both on opposite sides of the spectrum!!! So its really up to what type of mood/ menu/ experience you and your family would prefer!!

^^^This. Very different experiences. BoG is the only place to meet the Beast.

 

[Anabelletoronto]

More of a transportation issue but it is specific to the party so I am adding it here.
HOw long would it take to park the car at MK, then scan the ticket, take the boat to the park (or whatever else you may recommend) and then get to the ticket line? If we wanted to enter the park ASAP at 4pm, what time should we plan to arrive to park? I want to maximize our time in the park but I Assume if we arrive at 3pm, we may be way out in the boonies in the parking lot.
We plan to go on December 9th which is a Sunday.

Thanks!

 

[Anabelletoronto]

And along that line, is there a big crowd ready to enter at 4pm? Will we have to wait in a line? A long line? Is it better to arrive at 4:30pm and just walk in?

 

[JenStork]

OMG, in the last hour I snagged BOG at 4:15 and Crystal Palace at 4:40 for SEVEN on Friday Nov 9!!
Which one should I keep? We have never been to either restaurant, it is our first Christmas party, and the group is me DH, our 3 boys (9, 7, 7) and the in laws.

Is 4:00 the dinner menu?

 

[Mikey15]

And along that line, is there a big crowd ready to enter at 4pm? Will we have to wait in a line? A long line? Is it better to arrive at 4:30pm and just walk in?

Shown up at ~3:30 and gotten in at ~3:45 all three times we've done it. 4pm is the "official" time they let people in, but they always seem to start letting people through sooner. Line length is going to vary based on day (crowd level, sold out or not) but I think this last time we waited longer going through bag check than we did to get in. YMMV.

I'm guessing if you showed up right at 4pm there wouldn't be much of a line at all. But yes, parking-wise you're probably far out in Scar and waiting for a tram.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Shown up at ~3:30 and gotten in at ~3:45 all three times we've done it. 4pm is the "official" time they let people in, but they always seem to start letting people through sooner. Line length is going to vary based on day (crowd level, sold out or not) but I think this last time we waited longer going through bag check than we did to get in. YMMV.

I'm guessing if you showed up right at 4pm there wouldn't be much of a line at all. But yes, parking-wise you're probably far out in Scar and waiting for a tram.

What time you're let in seems to be becoming more strict this year for sure IMO.
I'm just recalling the last 4 parties I've gone to:
2015 MVMCP: we arrived at 3:40pm and they were already letting people in.
2016 MNSSHP: we arrived at 3pm and were let in at 3:48pm.
2017 MNSSHP: we arrived at 3pm and let in at 3:52pm
2018 MNSSHP: we arrived at 3pm and let in at 4pm
BTW all 3 MNSSHP's were the same Friday party.

Hoping to get into MVMCP earlier than 4pm but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[twinklebug]

OMG, in the last hour I snagged BOG at 4:15 and Crystal Palace at 4:40 for SEVEN on Friday Nov 9!!
Which one should I keep? We have never been to either restaurant, it is our first Christmas party, and the group is me DH, our 3 boys (9, 7, 7) and the in laws.

If it was my kids- they’d pick crystal palace. Food wise with the buffet there is more for my kids to pick from. And my kids are huge fans of Winnie the Pooh and friends

Between the two, I think Crystal Palace has more types of food to cater to all tastes. It is standard buffet fare though, so if you want something different, check out the BOG menu (which I am not a fan of the new version) I'll stick to lunch there.

 

[Tessaf]

Between the two, I think Crystal Palace has more types of food to cater to all tastes. It is standard buffet fare though, so if you want something different, check out the BOG menu (which I am not a fan of the new version) I'll stick to lunch there.

I agree about not being a fan of the new dinner menu at BOG. We will continue going for lunch, but probably won’t do supper there again. The amount of food my kids would eat is extremely limited compared to the buffet at CP.

 

[jmbarnes101]

Be Our Guest dinner looks great to me but I would recommend Crystal Palace for a larger group, especially if you have picky eaters. Crystal Palace would provide more food choices, the kids have the interactions with the characters, and you're not waiting on service so you can eat at your pace.

I just found a 4:25 Jungle Navigation Co ADR for 11/25. That will work nicely for us and it's nice to finally find something for before the party starts.

 

[monique5]

Is 4:00 the dinner menu?

Yes, 4pm is Dinner, Table Service.

 

[VeronicaZS]

Between the two, I think Crystal Palace has more types of food to cater to all tastes. It is standard buffet fare though, so if you want something different, check out the BOG menu (which I am not a fan of the new version) I'll stick to lunch there.

I agree about not being a fan of the new dinner menu at BOG. We will continue going for lunch, but probably won’t do supper there again. The amount of food my kids would eat is extremely limited compared to the buffet at CP.

Be Our Guest dinner looks great to me but I would recommend Crystal Palace for a larger group, especially if you have picky eaters. Crystal Palace would provide more food choices, the kids have the interactions with the characters, and you're not waiting on service so you can eat at your pace. CP

After re reading easywdw’s most recent review and showing the kids the pictures and menus I think we will probably go with Crystal Palace for the reasons you all mentioned. BOG seems like it is more geared to a trip with no kids especially with the new fixed price menu. Someone is going to be thrilled to pick it up!

 

[disneyworldsk]

nov. 8th mvmcp we will be at 4 pm jungle skipper canteen. couldn't get cp adr but want one over skipper. but skipper is good too. that hour or so is so crazy in mk we're happy to be secluded from it but still in the parks.

 

[rey_rey]

Just bought our tickets for the Nov 12 party. Cant wait! It's our first MVMCP and we are at disney celebrating my daughters 10th birthday! 16 sleeps till we leave!

 

[monique5]

Christmas Decorating Has Begun at Hollywood Studios (Article from 10/16)

It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Christmas decorating has officially begun and Sunset Boulevard is beginning to be lined with dazzling stars for the holidays! Don’t they make you want to grab a cup of hot cocoa and sing your favorite Christmas Carol?

This is only the beginning, but it certainly puts us in a festive mood to see decorations going up around the park.

https://chipandco.com/christmas-decorating-has-begun-at-hollywood-studios-325183/

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I know the MVMCP schedule hasn't come out yet, but I'm trying to make some plans based on last year's. We have a BOG ADR at 6:15. After that, we are wanting to find a spot to view the entertainment starting with A Frozen Holiday Wish which will probably be at 8:15 and stay there for the parade at 8:30, Mickey's Merriest Celebration at 9:25, and Holiday Wishes at 10:00. Would the best place to try for be in front of Casey's Corner? (I had asked previously about the train station, but it's too far to see some of the shows.) Will we be able to see all of these shows from Casey's Corner? Also how possible is it for my DH to actually sit somewhere while I run to get some of the free treats? He has bad knees and will need to sit at this point and I don't mind backtracking to get snacks. Will this work?

 

[monique5]

I know the MVMCP schedule hasn't come out yet, but I'm trying to make some plans based on last year's. We have a BOG ADR at 6:15. After that, we are wanting to find a spot to view the entertainment starting with A Frozen Holiday Wish which will probably be at 8:15 and stay there for the parade at 8:30, Mickey's Merriest Celebration at 9:25, and Holiday Wishes at 10:00. Would the best place to try for be in front of Casey's Corner? (I had asked previously about the train station, but it's too far to see some of the shows.) Will we be able to see all of these shows from Casey's Corner? Also how possible is it for my DH to actually sit somewhere while I run to get some of the free treats? He has bad knees and will need to sit at this point and I don't mind backtracking to get snacks. Will this work?

I’m not sure about the stage show & if seeing the show or being more comfortable is most important. We’ve watched the stage show from the dessert party @ TT. We could see that the show was going on & see people moving on stage, but we couldn’t SEE the show. We went to the HUB later to watch it. Our intention wasn’t to watch it from TT, but it was going on while enjoying our desserts.

 

[GeorgiaTiggerGirl]

Any idea if party ticket holders will be admitted earlier than 4:00? I think I remember seeing that this happened for MNSSHP.

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

Any idea if party ticket holders will be admitted earlier than 4:00? I think I remember seeing that this happened for MNSSHP.

DVC will probably be let in around 2. Annual passholders can go in whenever they please and just use the in-park wristband stations. From my experience with MNSSHP this year, one party let us in at 4, and one let us in at 350. My guess is it will be probably the same for MVMCP.

 

[twinklebug]

Christmas Decorating Has Begun at Hollywood Studios (Article from 10/16)

It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Christmas decorating has officially begun and Sunset Boulevard is beginning to be lined with dazzling stars for the holidays! Don’t they make you want to grab a cup of hot cocoa and sing your favorite Christmas Carol?

This is only the beginning, but it certainly puts us in a festive mood to see decorations going up around the park.

https://chipandco.com/christmas-decorating-has-begun-at-hollywood-studios-325183/

I am so excited! Christmas decor is the best, and MGM... excuse me... DHS has that history of (formerly) having the best light show ever.
What I will not do is tell my daughter. LOL. She has a side job working with a haunt in our area as a makeup artist and actor. She adores Halloween and hates the Christmas hype. This would crush her.