I so appreciated all the help I received from this thread, I thought I'd share our party experience in hopes that it helps someone else plan. This was our first party at MK and I was really unsure of how to plan for it going in. I am so happy to say that everything went perfectly and it was a great experience for all of us. I don't know if we'll ever be back, but it won't be for lack of wanting. We attended Tuesday 12/4. We started off in Adventureland and worked clockwise through the back of the park to end in the hub for the fireworks and second parade.
We're DVC and arrived at the park a little after 2:00. I had FP for Space, Thunder, and Jingle Cruise made before 6:00 so we could be sure to ride those family favorites no matter what the lines looked like later.
Food: We had late lunch at The Plaza at 2:45. My plan going into the night was to eat there and live off the treats for the majority of the night, with the idea to pick up some food at Casey's while we waited for parade/fireworks later in the night. That plan worked well for us - my husband and daughter split a hotdog around 10:45. We were all really well fed from the snacks. I have celiac and got the Yule Log from Pecos Bill's as my treat. It was good - perhaps a tiny bit dry - but I never really eat baked goodies like that so I was delighted to have it. I didn't get any of the other GF treats at the stations but did eat a Dove square; we were handed only 2 each. The rest of the fam loved the peppermint crunch and ginger molasses cookies. The egg nog and hot cocoa were delicious. The pretzel was also a big hit. The snow cone was meh to me. Not much you can do with ice, sugar and food coloring. No surprises there, but refreshing for a bite or two. Lines looked long but really only took a few minutes. We didn't go into Pinocchio's because that line looked pretty beastly.
Rides: We picked rides with little/no wait only, since we were trying to accomplish a lot and we know we'll be back to the park soon enough. We rode Big Thunder twice, Small World, Aladdin's Carpets, Tea Cups, Carousel, and ended with Astro Orbiter (My daughter wanted to end the night with a high view of the lights and castle.) The hope was to ride Space before we left but Astro Orbiter had some technical difficulties and a clean up to perform (yuck), so we didn't make it. Mine train was 40 min the majority of the party. Peter Pan was around 25-30. Pooh was only about 15 when we went by around 9:00.
Characters: We started with the meets we really wanted: Moana (in line by 5:40, out by 6:20), Genie/Jasmine, Mary/Bert, & (surprise!) the Tweedles. Aside from Moana, we didn't wait more than 20 minutes for a character. We timed it so we would meet Genie and not Aladdin and Abu, as they alternate on the half hour. If you can catch the Tweedles, don't miss them- they are a riot. Overall, each interaction was stellar. My only bummer was our photographer for Moana was so busy flirting with her that he missed pictures of some great interaction. I looked over at one point and he was just standing there staring at Moana with this blissed out face... ha! Guy loves his job!
Shows: We caught Frozen/light the castle, a fantastic marching band on Main St USA, The Mickey's Stage Show just before the Fireworks (the best I have ever seen in my life, and I am fireworks lover!), stayed in place for the second parade, and watched the Stich show from the line at Astro Orbiter. Also dipped into the dance party at Cosmic Ray's for about 10 minutes to see the reindeer and polar bears, who were super cute. I was hoping for a photo with a reindeer but they were really just there to boogie. I'm not pushy about asking for things though. Maybe someone else could finagle it. There was a photo pass photographer there.
Crowds: It was definitely busy but not unmanageable. This party was not sold out. I only felt smooshed when I was in the hub, but even then, it wasn't terrible. Everyone was super nice and jolly that we encountered, too. That helped with the crush of people that moved around parade time.
My biggest worry was finding a good spot for fireworks and parade, because I was traveling with folks who don't love crowds or blocked views. We got a great spot in front & to the left of of the TT dessert party area for the fireworks at about 9:40. My advice, stand behind folks waiting with ECVs - it gives small children the chance to see. Then, after the fireworks, we walked right over to the curb as the majority of folks left the park. We sat right down at the curve and had a beautiful curbside spot. It was wonderful and way easier than I thought it would be- so many people leave the park after the fireworks. It really thins out. That's when we ordered Casey's remotely and ate while we waited - also super easy.
Overall, I was so happy with the night... With a good plan and an appreciative attitude it turned into a memorable night our family will never forget.
Thank you to all the information on this page. It was a lifesaver!
