We just returned from a WDW/DCL trip, and did MVMCP on December 10th. We were able to use DAS *during* the party.
We entered MK at about 3:50 and headed to Guest Services; the line was fairly short, just a few people ahead of us. It has been two years since we last visited, so I presented my old green paper DAS card and explained it had been two years and I wanted to "renew" my DAS. The CM was great: explained how the new all-electronic system worked, took my picture, set us up. He also explained that we could use the DAS to get return times DURING the party. I was surprised at this as I had expected we could only use it until either 6 or 7 pm. Nope. He explained that although there won't be FP lines during the party, we can ask for a return time, and then when we return they would let us in through the FP line.
This is exactly what happened. We would ask the CM at the standby entrance for a return time, and would be given one. When we returned they would let us in through the FP line. At one ride, which had a standby wait of about 35 minutes, they just let us in right away, but I treated that as a weird exception of pixie dust from the CM, since everywhere else we got a return time. FWIW, we were not the only people using the FP line -- there were some groups of guests with a VIP tour and their tour guide led them in through the FP lines.
This worked quite well for us, especially during the period of time where I started getting acutely ill and had we been waiting in a line would have had to leave it. Being able to wait outside the lines, even though they are shorter than normal during the party, was a big help. Note that for many of the rides the standby time was only 5 or 10 minutes (or less) anyway, and those we did not need nor ask for a return time -- everyone got to basically just walk on or or nearly so the ride.
SW
We entered MK at about 3:50 and headed to Guest Services; the line was fairly short, just a few people ahead of us. It has been two years since we last visited, so I presented my old green paper DAS card and explained it had been two years and I wanted to "renew" my DAS. The CM was great: explained how the new all-electronic system worked, took my picture, set us up. He also explained that we could use the DAS to get return times DURING the party. I was surprised at this as I had expected we could only use it until either 6 or 7 pm. Nope. He explained that although there won't be FP lines during the party, we can ask for a return time, and then when we return they would let us in through the FP line.
This is exactly what happened. We would ask the CM at the standby entrance for a return time, and would be given one. When we returned they would let us in through the FP line. At one ride, which had a standby wait of about 35 minutes, they just let us in right away, but I treated that as a weird exception of pixie dust from the CM, since everywhere else we got a return time. FWIW, we were not the only people using the FP line -- there were some groups of guests with a VIP tour and their tour guide led them in through the FP lines.
This worked quite well for us, especially during the period of time where I started getting acutely ill and had we been waiting in a line would have had to leave it. Being able to wait outside the lines, even though they are shorter than normal during the party, was a big help. Note that for many of the rides the standby time was only 5 or 10 minutes (or less) anyway, and those we did not need nor ask for a return time -- everyone got to basically just walk on or or nearly so the ride.
SW