Disney Vacation Club 25 and Beyond Bash at the Magic Kingdom
On February 25th, the first of two “Disney Vacation Club 25 and Beyond Bash” events at the Magic Kingdom took place. This complimentary event was exclusive to Disney Vacation Club Members and their guests.
Below, our special guest Amy Bashor (MinnieMomofOne) gives us her experience of this special 25th anniversary event.
Typically, when I hear the words “Disney” and “free” in the same sentence, I get skeptical. You can imagine my surprise when the Disney Vacation Club announced a special 25th anniversary celebration that would open the Magic Kingdom for a complementary party for members and guests for two nights in 2016!
As additional details rolled out about the event, we learned that Members would be have to make reservations to get into the party. There was no fee, however there were a limited number of reservations available. DVC members staying on property could bring up the number of guests listed on their hotel reservation. DVC members not staying on property could book for themselves and up to a total guests total. All DVC members and guests with a party reservation would be given complementary Magic Kingdom access starting at 7pm on party night.
I called and reserved five spots as soon possible the first day the reservations opened. The spots went quickly and the event was “sold out” well before the first party night. However, DVC is doing several other Members Only events in 2016. If any of these are of interest, one key learning from these Magic Kingdom parties is to .
Arriving at the Magic Kingdom just after 7pm for the first party, we saw others checking in the middle of the gate area. Cast Members asked to see a DVC member card and photo ID. This was used to verify reservations via Cast Member iPads.
Once checked in, Cast Members standing just past the gate area gave wrist bands to party guests. Just like the holiday Halloween and Christmas parties, these bands identified who was eligible to ride rides, meet characters, buy merchandise and, well, even be in the park for the party. Other Cast Members standing nearby gave out special Magic Kingdom maps to show which attractions were open for the evening, locations for character meets, spots to enjoy the complimentary refreshments and various other details such as where to meet DVC executives.
While it is strongly preferred the entire party check in together, we found on the first night it was possible to check in different members of the group separately. This was not efficient and I do not recommend it. Get your group together for the check in! While we checked in at 7 at the front gate, there were other options. The DVC resorts had check in from 6:30 till. For those already in the park, there was a third option for checking in at TomorrowLand. Basically, check in was quick and easy with DVC card and photo ID.
Most of the Tomorrowland and Fantasyland rides plus the Haunted Mansion were open for the event. The Seven Drawfs Mine Train had waits of 40 minutes or more posted throughout the evening. Most of the rest of the rides were walk-on waits of 10 minutes or less. In the three hours of party time, we did 12 of the 13 ride that were open.
In addition to short lines, the party featured tables of chips and cookies plus water and lemonade. There were even all you care to enjoy ice cream and hot chocolate options. Many rare characters, including Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Little John, Darkwing Duck, Wreck-In Ralph & Vanellope von Schweetz, Lanchpad Mcquack, Louis the Alligator, Daisy de la Cruz, Cadaver Dans and Baymax, attended the party. I understand Flynn Rider, Naveen, Phillip and Charming were meeting with their princesses as well. Belle was meeting in her blue village dress but neither the Beast nor Gaston seemed to make an appearance. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy were attired in some retro outfits and helped dance the night away in Tomorrowland.
However, the most special event was the special 11:30pm fireworks presentation. This was an unique show developed specifically for this event. It went for about 10 minutes and was the best fireworks show I have ever seen. We watched it from behind the castle in Fantasyland, which was somewhat like being part of the show as fireworks were going off in front and behind us. I can only speculate the view from main street was even more impressive. While the fireworks ended around 11:40, the party continued till midnight. As we were already in Fantasyland, we managed to ride It’s a Small World after the fireworks as well as just make it in to be the last guests of the evening on Haunted Mansion. It was lovely to walk out of a mostly empty Magic Kingdom.
The Disney Vacation Club 25 and Beyond Bash was a blast to attend. In fact, I need to go email my manager to see if I can take this Friday off to attend the second one just to make sure it was as much fun as I remember….
See you at the parks!
Amy
Read more in Amy’s Trip Report.
About the Author
Once Upon A Time, I fell in love with stories. That love of stories lead naturally enough to a Disney World addiction. I enjoy reading stories, blogs and books about Disney. Not too long ago, someone suggested I try writing my own Disney story. At first I laughed it off. Then I started tinkering with some ideas. Soon, I had a something I wanted to share. That turned into my first book, A Year of Disney.
Now the writing bug has bitten and won’t let go! My second book, Camping Disney, shares my family’s love of Fort Wilderness. It is based on our adventures in the Walt Disney World campground. If you have ever considered stopping by the Fort, this book shares how to have the most fun at the Fort for any kind of visit. With the second book published, I am hard at work on Book 3. If all goes exactly right, it will be available on Amazon this summer. To learn more, please drop by my blog or visit me on Facebook.
Sounds wonderful! We are out in California and they have done much of nothing here for DVC members at Disneyland. Any talk of future events at Disneyland?