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

[monorailrabbit]

The party keeps calling to me! I just can't get over Tony and that view! Honestly - how much will this impact our ability to meet characters? I am still on the fence because of the $$ and I don't know if I am willing to sacrifice characters. Is it feasible to do the Tony party plus: Nick & Judy, Pooh, Mary & Bert, Scrooge (not necessarily in that order), Frozen show, and fireworks?

 

[Boulie]

Attended the second party on Friday 11/9 which was sold out. I was disappointed by the crowd levels which I felt to be higher than I was expecting. My only point of comparison was the first party last year which was also a sell out but didn’t feel as crowded. We did catch the second parade of the night from liberty square and it was truly great. The fireworks were also extra good, and the finale was especially awesome (watched from Tomorrowland). But the crowds felt too high for me to justify the cost and I’m not sure we’ll do it again. We like to do rides during the party but lines for rides like big thunder and jungle cruise and haunted mansion (rides we did last year with little wait) were too long for our taste this year.

We attended EMH on Saturday nov 10 and it felt like crowds at Christmas party were like 50 percent higher than EMH for rides. Obviously I could be wrong about that and that was just my “feel,” but thought I’d share my experience.

 

[ericar]

I just watched the Dis youtube video on the first party night and it looks crazy busy. The lines for free snacks were crazy. We did the party 6 years ago and I don't remember it being that busy. I wish Disney would post the number of tickets they sell and also the number of guests that the limit is for MK. That would give us something to go by.

 

[lambdabeta]

I just watched the Dis youtube video on the first party night and it looks crazy busy. The lines for free snacks were crazy. We did the party 6 years ago and I don't remember it being that busy. I wish Disney would post the number of tickets they sell and also the number of guests that the limit is for MK. That would give us something to go by.

If Disney posted the number of tickets they sold, they would sell less tickets. People want to go because they expect limited numbers of crowds. That number seems to be going up over the years. Where it will stop no one really knows. It is to Disney's advantage to not let us know how many people are there during a sold out crowd. It may also be a moving target. There may not be a definitive number for a any given day. Keeping us in the dark gives people hope that their party will be less crowded which keeps people buying tickets.

 

[evlaina]

I saw on a Facebook post that it now "snows" in Frontierland? Is that the case? everything I read said Main Street and a small part of Tomorrowland.

 

[ashnicole]

Attended the second party on Friday 11/9 which was sold out. I was disappointed by the crowd levels which I felt to be higher than I was expecting. My only point of comparison was the first party last year which was also a sell out but didn’t feel as crowded. We did catch the second parade of the night from liberty square and it was truly great. The fireworks were also extra good, and the finale was especially awesome (watched from Tomorrowland). But the crowds felt too high for me to justify the cost and I’m not sure we’ll do it again. We like to do rides during the party but lines for rides like big thunder and jungle cruise and haunted mansion (rides we did last year with little wait) were too long for our taste this year.

We attended EMH on Saturday nov 10 and it felt like crowds at Christmas party were like 50 percent higher than EMH for rides. Obviously I could be wrong about that and that was just my “feel,” but thought I’d share my experience.

What time did you have to get a spot for the second parade in liberty square?
That concerns me! I was also at EMH on 11/10 and was hoping for the same or shorter lines for MVMCP.

 

[monique5]

I saw on a Facebook post that it now "snows" in Frontierland? Is that the case? everything I read said Main Street and a small part of Tomorrowland.

Will you share link/group and photos? TIA!

 

[Boulie]

What time did you have to get a spot for the second parade in liberty square?

We got a spot around 30 minutes prior to parade time. We settled in down the path a bit toward frontier land, where open spots were more plentiful. We probably could have waited a little longer to get a spot in that area (another 10 minutes maybe before it started to fill in), but we had enough of the crowds by that point and decided to at least get a good view of the parade.

Can't tell you what crowd levels were like on Main Street or the hub for parade viewing because we avoided those areas. Assume they were very crowded for viewing.

Crowds for snacks definitely thinned out over the course of the evening. Lines at Pecos Bill for soft pretzel and snow cones at around 7:00 were crazy long. Other venues had long lines earlier in the evening too. But by 10:00 we were able to get a snow cone in Tomorrowland without any wait at all.

 

[evlaina]

Will you share link/group and photos? TIA!

No, It was a random commenter on a FB page saying it was snowing there, no images. I'm not sure I believed her, which is why I was asking here

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Attended the second party on Friday 11/9 which was sold out. I was disappointed by the crowd levels which I felt to be higher than I was expecting. My only point of comparison was the first party last year which was also a sell out but didn’t feel as crowded. We did catch the second parade of the night from liberty square and it was truly great. The fireworks were also extra good, and the finale was especially awesome (watched from Tomorrowland). But the crowds felt too high for me to justify the cost and I’m not sure we’ll do it again. We like to do rides during the party but lines for rides like big thunder and jungle cruise and haunted mansion (rides we did last year with little wait) were too long for our taste this year.

We attended EMH on Saturday nov 10 and it felt like crowds at Christmas party were like 50 percent higher than EMH for rides. Obviously I could be wrong about that and that was just my “feel,” but thought I’d share my experience.

I had similar thoughts as we walked around the first party on 11/8. I've been to sold out parties before but this seemed like more. I'm pretty convinced they've increased the permitted attendance which is quite sad considering they've also very much increased the price of the tickets.

 

[JustCurious23]

I was watching a stream not sure who's, but she could speak both English and Spanish. She asked a security gaurd how many people were there and the estimate was apparently 30k

 

[Taylor Smith]

MEET & GREET QUESTIONS:

If we get in line for Nick/Judy around 6:45, about how long of a wait should we expect?

If you wait for Snow/Prince & Aurora/Phillip do you get to see both sets? Or does each couple have their own wait line?

What are the expected wait times about half way through the party for Snow/Prince & Aurora/Phillip & Minnie/Daisy?

 

[CMNJ]

Any unique photo ops this year??? When you went in to the right side of the hub in the pass did they have anything?

I don’t recall seeing the wreath frame last year but I could be wrong. It was in the bypass. The other shots in the bypass were the normal rectangular frame and the giant ornament they had last year. The only other unique shot (or at least that I missed last year) was a filter they do on Main Street facing the tree. The filter makes all the lights behind you look like Mickey heads (like how fireworks glasses work). It is a closeup shot.
We did not go crazy looking for photopass photographers but other than that we just saw the same stuff from last year.
The giant ornament, toy soldiers and snow on Main Street, zero at haunted mansion, mistletoe, and the candy cane being held overhead.

 

[mefordis]

I just watched the Dis youtube video on the first party night and it looks crazy busy. The lines for free snacks were crazy. We did the party 6 years ago and I don't remember it being that busy. I wish Disney would post the number of tickets they sell and also the number of guests that the limit is for MK. That would give us something to go by.

I was at the first party and it was crazy crowded. The treat lines were insane, but did calm down a bit later. The Tony's Town Square party was like an oasis within a sea of people. I guess not too many people knew about it.

As a side note, I cannot believe that a dad relatively close to the stage for one of the shows put his kid on his shoulders. That blocked out my entire view and caused us to just leave the show. I had a good spot, too, then once the show started all I could see was the back of his kid. Just a little vent. I don't think this can be prevented unless you pick a spot right up against the stage, which would mean arriving about 90 mins before the show starts.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I was at the first party and it was crazy crowded. The treat lines were insane, but did calm down a bit later. The Tony's Town Square party was like an oasis within a sea of people. I guess not too many people knew about it.

As a side note, I cannot believe that a dad relatively close to the stage for one of the shows put his kid on his shoulders. That blocked out my entire view and caused us to just leave the show. I had a good spot, too, then once the show started all I could see was the back of his kid. Just a little vent. I don't think this can be prevented unless you pick a spot right up against the stage, which would mean arriving about 90 mins before the show starts.

It's like the people who were in the front row of the parade sitting down while waiting. Then stood up for the parade. Most stayed sitting but not the ones right in front of us which then had an affect of others standing and crowding in to see past them. I almost suggested that if they wanted to stand then we'd be happy to switch with them and we'd sit.

 

[JustCurious23]

I was at the first party and it was crazy crowded. The treat lines were insane, but did calm down a bit later. The Tony's Town Square party was like an oasis within a sea of people. I guess not too many people knew about it.

As a side note, I cannot believe that a dad relatively close to the stage for one of the shows put his kid on his shoulders. That blocked out my entire view and caused us to just leave the show. I had a good spot, too, then once the show started all I could see was the back of his kid. Just a little vent. I don't think this can be prevented unless you pick a spot right up against the stage, which would mean arriving about 90 mins before the show starts.

Hate when parents do that, so ignorant and selfish. It's high time Disney banned it. But 90 minutes?? What show was that? The 7:40?

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Well, based on the some of the posts here, it appears that the Tony's bookings are gaining some traction and most are citing the early reviews of the parade viewing as being the main factor. With that being said, if the bookings continue to increase and that view with the snow is important to them, I fear it's possible we might have some disappointed party goers. Those initial reviews were for parties that were not well attended. They have almost 40% of the hub roped off for this event and obviously not everybody is going to get the coveted castle view that is being continuously talked about. Although that range of space can hold a lot of people, even if it's three to four rows deep, if bookings continue to increase, it's quite possible that most could be off to the side of the hub where the majority of the viewing area is located facing the bypass area and Tony's. This could turn into people waiting for an hour to be the first groups into the roped off area to get the main street view which obviously diminishes the value in the party and not having to stake a parade spot. I hope it works out for everyone and the reviews continue to be stellar. It's such a lot of money to spend to not get what your expecting.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Well, based on the some of the posts here, it appears that the Tony's bookings are gaining some traction and most are citing the early reviews of the parade viewing as being the main factor. With that being said, if the bookings continue to increase and that view with the snow is important to them, I fear it's possible we might have some disappointed party goers. Those initial reviews were for parties that were not well attended. They have almost 40% of the hub roped off for this event and obviously not everybody is going to get the coveted castle view that is being continuously talked about. Although that range of space can hold a lot of people, even if it's three to four rows deep, if bookings continue to increase, it's quite possible that most could be off to the side of the hub where the majority of the viewing area is located facing the bypass area and Tony's. This could turn into people waiting for an hour to be the first groups into the roped off area to get the main street view which obviously diminishes the value in the party and not having to stake a parade spot. I hope it works out for everyone and the reviews continue to be stellar. It's such a lot of money to spend to not get what your expecting.

Agreed. It will then be what it always was. A spot to stake out. And now at a high price.

 

[Louie7080]

Is spot 1 on this map https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/mickeys_christmastime_parade_route.jpg still a option this year? anyone ever stake out a spot there and how soon do you have to get there for the first parade? second parade?

editing to add: it is hard to see spot 1 without zooming in - it is near the front of the park on the right near the theater. All the areas recommended by Josh are highlighted in green.

 

[JustCurious23]

Is spot 1 on this map https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/mickeys_christmastime_parade_route.jpg still a option this year? anyone ever stake out a spot there and how soon do you have to get there for the first parade? second parade?

editing to add: it is hard to see spot 1 without zooming in - it is near the front of the park on the right near the theater. All the areas recommended by Josh are highlighted in green.

Yes its still good. From what I've seen on tbe streams you should arrive 45mins on a sold out night and maybe 30 on other nights to be safe. That is for the second parade, maybe longer for the first. Good luck.