Hey Dad, We are going to Walt Disney World from Nov 28th-Dec4th. I was very excited to get tickets to Mickeys Christmas Party. I took your advice and got the tickets for Sunday night November 28th the day we arrive as not to double pay for the day.
My question is regarding crowds. I have been reading some reviews and many complain about crowds being a problem. I wasn't expecting that considering there are limited tickets available. So I am wondering what you think the crowds at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party will be like that night, and what have your experiences been? I am worried because it is the tail end of Thanksgiving weekend. Also read some review that many "non-payers" sneak into the party. is this accurate?
We are really looking forward to this even and I am hoping you can ease my fears about the crowds that night.
Amy
Dad's here we go again Answer
Hi, Amy, Thanks for taking the time to send Dad a great question.
Let me say right off the bat Amy, that I'm going to say some things that are kinda unkind about those people who post in some of the Disney forums. Let me assure you, I am not talking about you. You are just trying to get the best information you can for your family. That's a great thing, and you've come to the right source for that.
Now about those (insert unkind word here) people that write stuff in forums. People in forums sometimes post things that are a bit exaggerated. I know, I used to be one of those people. When you post in a forum, the idea is to generate conversation and controversy. So what is a small to medium crowd becomes a huge mass of people that keeps you from riding all the rides. So all of the sudden you are talking about a wild mob, when really things were only as busy as a typical February day.
Dad has talked about this "so-called" expert phenomenon before ...
So, now that I have that out of my system, here is the answer to your question about Crowds at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I just checked, there are tickets remaining for your Party. So what does that mean? That means that there are less than (some secret number thought to be 20,000) people in the park for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
So, Dad is that a big crowd? You asked about our experience. Because of school holidays and The Princess' birthday, we've gone to the last Christmas Party of the year a couple of times. The first time, it was raining and only about 5,000 people were in the park. It was magical. The other time, Disney had added some extra tickets and probably about 30,000 people were at the party. It was busy, but not as crowded as it was the next day. In fact we had Mrs. Moms Mom and Dad with us and they thought everything was very special.
Just like any Magic Kingdom visit, if you want to ride Space Mountain at at the busiest time, you will find a crowd. But if you are smart, you'll be fine.
Will there be Party crashers? I don't know. Maybe, but not enough to make a big difference, and there is nothing you can really do about it, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Dad's Bottom Line
Amy, relax, you will have a great time if you let yourself. A Merry Christmas Party is a magical time. Make sure to walk down Main Street, enjoying the music, marvel at the castle, and scream at the top of your lungs ... I love Disney World!!!
I have been to the Party 5 years ago, 3 years ago and this year. In past years I believe the tickets were limited, however this year, the crowds were like any normal day in Disney. Long lines for rides, etc...was disappointing considering the cost (nearly doubled from the previous years) and the length of time of the Party. Won't be going back again.
Dec 11, 2018
Crowds by: Anonymous
We are here on December 11th. We have been to several Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties and I have never seen it so crowded. I think the 20K number from years past has been quadrupled.
Dec 06, 2018
Going to mvmcp late by: Anonymous
Hi, my son and I are going to the Christmas party on December 11 . Which is a Tuesday night . Our flight doesn’t land until 6:10, so I was planning on going to check in at the hotel first, then head out to the party late . My son is 10, he’s really not into the parades or shows. We are frequent Disney visitors.. I was wondering, if we got to the party by 8:30, would we still be able to have enough time to enjoy a lot of the attractions. We bought the tickets so we could get on a lot of rides with a short wait .. any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much
Dad Answers
Yes, in fact the later you get in the night the shorter the lines get. As midnight approaches (the ending time of the party) you can walk on almost all of the rides. We literally walked on to Space Mountain at 11:30 one night at a party.
Dec 01, 2018
Dec4 by: Anonymous
Do you think December 4 will be busy?
Dad Answers
Not really. Tuesday night parties aren't usually busy.
Aug 07, 2018
Crowd for MVMCP Dec 12th by: Stephen
Will Dec. 12th be a busy time to go to the party?
Dad Answers
You never actually know, but that should be a good night to go.
May 10, 2018
MVMCP Nov 12th, help! by: Anonymous
Hello, I know the crowds at the park on Nov 12th are expected to be very high(Veteran's Day observed), do you think they will be also high at the party? Do you think going on Tuesday the 13th would be better (or the same) because park crowd levels are lower, or does the crowd levels during the day not affect the crowd levels at the party? Thank you so much for your help!!
Dad Answers
I don't think crowds on the 13th will be bad at all. I don't think the 12th will be that bad either. A lot of people will be going home and the locals probably won't come out on the 12th or 13th.
As I said above, even if it is a sold out party, crowds really aren't that bad during a party. Rides for the most part will be walk on.
Mar 28, 2018
If you were going... by: Joy
So Dad, if you were going the week after Thanksgiving this year (2018), which date would you go to the MVMCP? We will be there at Disney November 25 (arriving around 3pm)-Dec 1st and the parties are offered Nov 25, 27, 29, and 30.
Dad Answers
As Tom Hanks says in You've Got MailMonday, Tuesday, Thursday...
I don't think it matters much that week. The crowds will be pretty low that week. That being said, in general Sunday is the best, lowest crowd night for the party.
Mar 22, 2018
by: Carl
Joy, Tuesdays followed by Sundays are the two "slowest" parties of the week typically. BUT... immediately after Thanksgiving you'll probably find higher crowds at the parties than say, the first week of November or the second week of December. It's just a more crowded time.
Mar 22, 2018
After 8 years, what would your advice be? by: Joy
Amy how did your time end up being on the Sunday after Thanksgiving? Dad, we love your site and all of your information. We are going the week after thanksgiving to Disney this year and I am wondering if you would recommend MVMCP the Sunday, November 25th when we arrive? Or would one of the other parties that week be better? I know someone went to the party on Tuesday after thanksgiving last year said it was a zoo! ha! Thank you for all the valuable advice!
Oct 29, 2010
I can't wait! by: Julie
We're going right before Christmas!!!! I can't wait!!!!!
Sep 29, 2010
You are very welcome by: Dad
Thanks Amy, I'm always happy to help out, and thanks for the kind words. It's humbling to hear about people trusting me (don't let Dad kid you, he loves it when people say nice things about him).
Since you have so many children that are young, I'd go directly to Fantasyland and ride Dumbo, and all of the other great rides for the small ones.
I'd make sure to catch the first available Castle show, and find a place early for the first parade. Try to stake out a place around Casey's Corner for Holiday Wishes.
Don't worry too much about the shows. You can see most of them when you visit the Magic Kingdom later.
Have a great time and come back and tell us all about it.
Sep 29, 2010
Thank you by: Amy
Thank you Thank you Thank you...
I am calming down about it already!
If it's not too much to ask...do you have any recommended game plans for the Mickeys Christmas Party. We have 4 kids 2,4,5,and 7. So we don't really know if we will make it to midnight. Like in what order we should view the shows, parade, etc. And what rides we should try to check out. We will be back at Magic Kingdom 2 more times through the rest of the week. Thanks!!! Glad to have a site I can trust.
If there’s one ride that you MUST DO at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it’s this adventure through a vast savannah populated with dozens of real, live animals from Africa!
If you are going to Walt Disney World, you need to meet Destinations to Travel. They are Dad's Disney World Travel Agency. They are the best Disney Travel Agency I've found.
