2024 Very Merry Christmas Party dates

[DerraZ]

Quick question...when are the dates announced and is it wise to avoid MK on those days if we aren't attending the event?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Dates will likely be announced in late July.

As long as you don't mind missing the fireworks, going to the MK ON a party date will mean much lower crowds. Highly recommend you go on a party date.

 

[Genie+]

MVMCP season is a mixed blessing.

MK is very low crowd on party days, like crowd level 2 to 5… mostly 3s or 4s.
On non party days crowd level 8 to 11… mostly 9s or 10s.

For the most part both party seasons leave Wed and Sat open for full hours and fireworks. As the holiday approaches more of the calendar becomes parties until there are 4 or 5 every week. Those non-party days are nuts! Tickets are expensive so most people will choose the longer hours and ability to see fireworks. You can get alot done during the short party day. It’s a hard choice though.

Hoppers work well this time of year. Then you can do short party day and go elsewhere after, and avoid the crowded non-party day and just show up late for fireworks. It adds considerable expense but is some of the best value about hoppers.

 

[DerraZ]

Dates will likely be announced in late July.

As long as you don't mind missing the fireworks, going to the MK ON a party date will mean much lower crowds. Highly recommend you go on a party date.

We will be doing 2 MK days so we won't necessarily miss the fireworks. Is there another reason that you recommend going on a party day?

 

[DerraZ]

MVMCP season is a mixed blessing.

MK is very low crowd on party days, like crowd level 2 to 5… mostly 3s or 4s.
On non party days crowd level 8 to 11… mostly 9s or 10s.

For the most part both party seasons leave Wed and Sat open for full hours and fireworks. As the holiday approaches more of the calendar becomes parties until there are 4 or 5 every week. Those non-party days are nuts! Tickets are expensive so most people will choose the longer hours and ability to see fireworks. You can get alot done during the short party day. It’s a hard choice though.

Hoppers work well this time of year. Then you can do short party day and go elsewhere after, and avoid the crowded non-party day and just show up late for fireworks. It adds considerable expense but is some of the best value about hoppers.

So, the party days might be the BEST time then? I was thinking that only Party guests could be there in the evening but that isn't the case? We have decided as a group not to do the party... the expense is too much.

 

[DerraZ]

We will be doing 2 MK days so we won't necessarily miss the fireworks. Is there another reason that you recommend going on a party day?

Shoot...sorry, I read your response incorrectly... lower crowds on party days.

 

[scrappinginontario]

So, the party days might be the BEST time then? I was thinking that only Party guests could be there in the evening but that isn't the case? We have decided as a group not to do the party... the expense is too much.

The park will close to day guests at 6PM. Day guests need to leave the park. They will be led towards the entrance and unable to access stores, food or ‘wander’ once 6PM arrives.

 

[DerraZ]

The park will close to day guests at 6PM. Day guests need to leave the park. They will be led towards the entrance and unable to access stores, food or ‘wander’ once 6PM arrives.

Ok, got it.

 

[Genie+]

We have decided as a group not to do the party... the expense is too much.

It does get pricey. How many park days are you planning? There’s different strategies people use.

The nice thing about low crowds before the party is getting through the attractions much quicker. What you can get done in 10+ hours on non-party day you might get done in 7 hours before 4pm on party day.

You could do that then plan somewhere outside MK to watch fireworks if that important.

It’s worth mentioning one current strategy for MNSSHP. People have found that the 4-day 4-park ticket deal saves enough money to buy the party ticket (vs the regular priced 5 day ticket). That ticket only goes through Sept, but I’d keep an eye out to see if WDW extends it through 2024.

 

[DerraZ]

It does get pricey. How many park days are you planning? There’s different strategies people use.

The nice thing about low crowds before the party is getting through the attractions much quicker. What you can get done in 10+ hours on non-party day you might get done in 7 hours before 4pm on party day.

You could do that then plan somewhere outside MK to watch fireworks if that important.

It’s worth mentioning one current strategy for MNSSHP. People have found that the 4-day 4-park ticket deal saves enough money to buy the party ticket (vs the regular priced 5 day ticket). That ticket only goes through Sept, but I’d keep an eye out to see if WDW extends it through 2024.

We have 5 park days planned. We do plan 2 MK days so a lower crowd day on a party day sounds very attractive. We would do Fireworks the alternate MK day.

 

[Genie+]

We have 5 park days planned. We do plan 2 MK days so a lower crowd day on a party day sounds very attractive. We would do Fireworks the alternate MK day.

That’s a great plan! And leaving MK at 6pm isn’t always bad. It’s nice to have a day with some extra time to relax.

 

[glocon]

We have 5 park days planned. We do plan 2 MK days so a lower crowd day on a party day sounds very attractive. We would do Fireworks the alternate MK day.

That’s a really good idea.
The party people can get in starting at 4, so leaving a bit before then is a good strategy as well.

You can do a sit down meal at one of the monorail resorts, or do a monorail crawl for apps at one resort, meal at the next then dessert at the last.
Adult beverages optional.

Then you can watch the EWP before heading back to your room.

 

[DerraZ]

That’s a really good idea.
The party people can get in starting at 4, so leaving a bit before then is a good strategy as well.

You can do a sit down meal at one of the monorail resorts, or do a monorail crawl for apps at one resort, meal at the next then dessert at the last.
Adult beverages optional.

Then you can watch the EWP before heading back to your room.

Great Idea!!

 

[DebbieB]

Non party days are very crowded. I remember one time we left around noon, hopped to Epcot. Came back in the evening for the fireworks.

 

[Nikkimouse44]

With Halloween announcement coming later than people expected this year, do we still expect Christmas to be announced early July?

 

[kmsprincess]

My favorite thing to do during party season at MK is to have park hopper tickets and go to MK on a party day as you can get more done before 6 pm on a party day (and more pleasantly/less time in line) than you can during a full non-party day, minus fireworks. It's just SO much more pleasant with the lower crowds. Sometime between 4 and 6 pm, we hop to either Epcot or Hollywood Studios for the evening. Then on an alternate day, we start at the same park we hopped to - either Epcot of HS - and then we hop over to MK for the fireworks.

With no park hopper, I would still go to MK on a party day (as you and others have indicated) and then like someone else suggested go to a monorail resort and have dinner (maybe even with a fireworks view like California Grill, Narcoosee's, or Ohana), or maybe take the boat over to Wilderness Lodge and do the Artist Point Storybook Dining (Character dining with Snow white, Evil Queen, Grumpy, and Dopey), or just have a more relaxed evening at your resort (dinner/pool/hot tub - yes, even in December!). As you've stated you will already go back to MK another day and can see fireworks then. I somewhat think you should do the fireworks day first so that you aren't disappointed by how much more crowded it is, but rather extremely pleased when you return on a party day to much lower crowds. But on the flip side, it would be good to get everything or as much as possible done (particularly the more popular attractions) on the lower crowd day, and then return for the more filler attractions/streetmosphere/entertainment/parades and just repeat any top favorites as time allows and then top it off with the fireworks. So now I think I might have talked myself into thinking the latter might be best!

 

[Nikkimouse44]

For snow on Main Street - is it constantly snowing or just during a parade?

Has anyone been with kids almost 5 and 6.5? If so, what was your best plan of action? My kids can hang until at least 11, maybe 1130.

Things we want to accomplish are: parade, fireworks, snow on Main Street, getting cookies, some interesting snacks just for the party, a few character meets (not really the rare ones - Mickey, stitch, Donald, etc.), and some rides (space mountain, Tiana, big thunder, pirates, 7dmt, jungle cruise, haunted mansion)

This will not be our only MK day, so if we can’t get one some of the rides at the party that’s fine since we most likely did them earlier in the week.