Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: 2016 Photos & Report
This report includes our photos and thoughts from the 2016 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which we attended last night (November 15, 2016). It’s our 10th consecutive year doing the Christmas Party, so we’ve been around the block a few times with the event.
In this post, we’re mostly going to cover the changes to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party as compared to last year. Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about all the new flavors of Christmas cookies. In a valiant crusade to provide you, dear reader, with the most comprehensive and useful advice, we spent the entire party sampling every cookie from every treat spot every hour. In so doing, we’re now able to provide you with the optimal time and place to order each cookie. But absolutely nothing else about the party. You’re welcome, America. 😉
Okay, we didn’t really do that, but I did eat my weight in cookies (and that’s probably not much of an exaggeration), so we do have some recommendations on that front. We also cover reviews and photos of new and returning entertainment, the new “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration” show in particular. While we won’t spoil the plot of the show, there will be photo spoilers, so proceed with caution.
This won’t be comprehensive tips & tricks for maximizing your time and money at MVMCP. It’s just my random thoughts and photos from this year’s party. In other words, if you have never been, start with our Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tips & Review post, which is updated a couple of times per year. We try to do a better job being objective about that common “is it worth it?” question in that, and provide tips that are refined over years of experience; it’s not just an anecdotal report of one night.
As for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party itself, we donned our holiday finery–matching plaid shirts straight out of a circa 1973 Christmas card–and left Bay Lake Tower for the Magic Kingdom, arriving shortly before 4 p.m.
Once in the park, we rushed over to Liberty Square to see The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History. I had avoided spoilers of this, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. To say my expectations were exceeded would be an understatement.
This was my favorite new thing in Magic Kingdom in the last decade, and keep in mind that all of New Fantasyland opened in that time frame. The show was pitch perfect, and the most true to character use of the Muppets in ages (better than both movies and the tv series). That it also gently poked fun at the British was icing on the cake.
After watching the last two shows, it was on to dinner at Pecos Bill. From there, we headed towards the front of the park to check out the scene for Frozen Holiday Wish. Despite this being a “cute little show” it still draws hordes of guests. This has been the case for the last few years; seeing that after the first year, Disney really should’ve done something to plus this to make it more satisfying for the guests who wait over an hour for it.
I will say that if I could be any character performer, I’d want to be the Elsa in this show who darts around, waving her arms about, “causing” the ice to appear on Cinderella Castle. It’s as if they saw me performing air kung fu moves at home and emulated my style.
With not much else to do to kill time, we headed to Storybook Circus way too early to get in line for characters. We met Scrooge and Donald at about 7:05 p.m., meaning we waited 45 minutes. The line behind us was about 45-60 minutes at that point.
If you’re going to the party for the first time, don’t follow our strategy here. You’ll want to get in line for Nick & Judy, Seven Dwarfs, or Sandy Claws, and do so more like 5 p.m. (as all of those sets start meeting prior to the party starting–if you have a wristband). We opted for Scrooge and Donald because we haven’t met them in a while, and have covered all of the other popular sets in the past or elsewhere.
From there it was on to the Castle Forecourt for Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration, the new stage show. We didn’t get a spot anywhere remotely close to the stage, and that coupled with pop-up shoulder kids and a sea of phones held over heads recording the entire show (pro tip: YouTube exists) made it difficult to see and take photos.
Speaking of social media existing, the first song was..uhh…interesting. Called “Text Me Merry Christmas” this song does not belong in a Disney show. Attempts at making the classic Disney characters feel about as authentic as your dad bleaching his hair and getting an earring at age 45.
Yeah, those are the things hip young people do, but doing the things hip young people do does not one a hip young person. Not to mention that the explicit references to current social networks will feel super hip in about a decade when this show is still running in the same form. Just like the Carousel of Progress reference to laserdiscs (LASERDISCS!). Oh wait.
Mickey, Minnie, and friends are “classic” and “timeless” characters. Those are better words than “hip” and “trendy” and these feeble attempts to force them to be today’s version of cool should be abandoned. It may work for a few cheap laughs for the sharp juxtaposition, but it’s bad for character integrity.
Fortunately, the entirety of Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration after that was incredible. The production value is great, with a fresh set of castle projections and other lighting effects to go along with great costuming, a good mix of characters, great song selection, and some clever one liners.
These one liners include a couple of pop culture references, but those actually work, because they are not prolonged or forced, and if you don’t “get” the allusion, it doesn’t matter. They’re funny lines independent of the reference, and the show moves right along after.
The number with Clarabelle Cow was a riot, and the Three Caballeros elicited a similar response. Guests, us included, love both of these songs. As a Muppet Christmas Carol fan, the second-to-last song was my absolute favorite of the show. Really, though, every song after the first was top-notch. Once the show got past that, it was flawless.
It was nice to see Disney going for a few “deep cuts” in terms of character and song selection. My guess is that they wanted to replicate the lightning in a bottle captured with Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. Even though this show does not rise to that incredibly high bar (having passed on my idea of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas-tacular, and without a similarly beloved cult classic to build the Christmas show around, that’d be nearly impossible), it comes close.
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration exceeded my expectations, and is a great addition to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
After that, it was time to stake out spots for Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. My normal go-to spot was taken, so we went in search of an alternative. We found one in Town Square, and while Sarah laid claim to that location, I kept scouring the curb for an alternative. As I was passing Cinderella Castle, a family got up, and I quickly nabbed their spot.
I was ecstatic, as this was the same spot where I photographed the first Halloween parade, and I was really pleased with the results there. I was far less pleased here. (Warning: photo-geek talk ahead…) Although I manually select my focus point, my camera really struggled with focusing on the performers instead of that bright castle in the background. I got some keepers, but far too many shots like this…
I purchased the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens (read my review of the lens) a few days before leaving, and this was a big part of my motivation for the purchase. It’s also been useful for dark rides, and I think there are many other creative applications for it.
I didn’t notice much different about this year’s version of the parade, save for the addition of a small band and a couple of character changes. This parade has been running for a while in (more or less) the same form. With escalating ticket prices (and fewer sellouts) it seems like only a matter of time before the parade is changed so they can advertise a new draw. (It certainly worked for Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland!)
After wandering around a bit, it was time for Holiday Wishes! Admittedly, we camped out way too early for the fireworks. This is one of the “dangers” of being so obsessed with photography. We could’ve rolled up 5 minutes before the show and gotten an excellent view, allowing us to actually meet a character or something before the show…but we didn’t.
The upside is that it allowed us to listen to the Main Street USA Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party background loop more. I’m not kidding–I think one of the most underrated things about the event is the exceptional background music loops all around the park. (Tomorrowland is another standout.)
We were at the party the same night! We had a big group and sort of went into the party blindsided as to what to expect so we ended up doing a lot of rides since the lines were short. I wish I had done more and seen more of the Christmas party offerings. More reason to go back again soon!
Hi Tom-Thank you so much for the blog. I really enjoy the tips and have used your information to plan our last two trips. We are going to WDW Dec. 13-19 and staying at WL. While we do not plan to attend the party, I am wondering whether you have a sense for the crowds being lighter at MK on the day of the parties? Would you recommend those days as good ones to visit MK?
Party days are always a good pick for visiting Magic Kingdom *if* you’re able to park hop. This is because anyone who can’t park hop will try to avoid Magic Kingdom on those days.
With that said, remember that lighter is a relative term. Towards the end of your trip, you’re going to start seeing heavy Christmas crowds. Be prepared for that!
We were there last week at the party & it snowed, but only on Main Street. We thought the parade was great & enjoyed it more than the Halloween parade!
Tom, we’re just getting back home from WDW and I’m catching up on all your posts. We were also at this Christmas party with our five-year-old, and I got to meet Sarah (or I guess kind of attacked her if you ask from her point of view!). I ran into her right in front of Sleepy Hollow and she was so nice and chatted with us a few minutes. Anyway, you guys are great! Thanks for all the wonderful advice… we had an amazing trip by following all of your tips.
We attended two parties this year projected as the least crowded and second least crowded party nights. Hopefully future party goers can learn from our mistakes. First, line up for Nick & Judy. They are the NEW hot characters at the party. Note that they as well as the seven dwarves appear to be coming out at around 6:15 p.m. Also note, that the first 30 people on line had no Photo Pass photographer. He didn’t show up till 6:30 p.m.. If you can make it in time, try for a parade spot on the outside of partners statue hub. Do not sit on the inside of the hub. You will be removed for wheelchair parade viewers.. If you don’t luck into a Castle Glow spot, move quickly up Main Street and grab any spot you can. The head on parade spot by the Christmas tree is reserved for the Tomorrowland Terrace Desert party. Immediately after the first parade, weave your way over to get a picture with Santa Claus. Upon completing that, move to Tom’s number one spot for viewing the Wishes Fireworks. It works for Holiday Wishes as well! From here on its your choice. We had already got our picture with Sandy Clause at our first party. So we moved on to Scrooge and Donald. then back to a Castle Glow spot for the second parade. Then back to the seven dwarves followed by Minnie and Daisy. This gets you three of the top four of the evening’s character pictures. We had great spots and got good pictures of the midnight “Most Merriest Show.” Remember to bring several gallon size ziplock bags and a back pack. They will come in handy as you pick up cookies on the run to the characters and shows. If anybody has figured out a way to see both parades, two of the castle stage shows, see the Tomorrowland show, get pictures with the top four characters plus all of the princesses and their princes; please let us know how you did it. Yes we missed the Tomorrowland show at both parties. But on the bright side, our kitchen is filled to the brim with peppermint bark cookies. Thanks to Tom’s photographic tips, these were my most productive MVMC parties ever. Over two thousand pictures taken and lot of keepers. Don’t forget to Shazam that new party song “Little Jack Frost Get Lost.”
We did this party 2 years ago with our oldest and it was an amazing time. I wish I could take my boys who are old enough now but at almost $500 its impossible. It’s really too bad that we are now priced out of this because I would love to go as a complete family. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos and experiences!!
Wish we had the opportunity to read this b4 our party: we attended Nov 10 (Thursday) & were very surprised at the crowd levels. Got in line for Sandy Claws at 6:15 and proceeded to wait over 2 hrs. Went from the hub directly to Main St after Wishes to find a curb spot for the 2nd parade, and zilch. In fact the entire street was at least 2 rows deep. Def would have gameplanned differently had we known.
Sadly, I think 90+ minutes is the norm for Sandy Claws (2 hours does seem excessive). These days, you really have to line up before 5 p.m. for one of the trio of “elite” rare characters/groups at MVMCP.
Is a strategy guide for MVMCP something that would interest anyone?
A strategy guide for MVMCP would be a life saver!!
I went to my first ever MVMCP this year. It was so cool. We had a bit of (totally unrelated to the party) family squabbling, but the beauty and fun of the party actually did dispel it like magic. What started as kind of a rough night for our overtired group actually turned into one of the best memories of the trip. It was actual Disney Magic.
Scrooge is my favorite. I was so surprised to see him at the party (I hadn’t checked the list because we weren’t planning to do character meet and greets). When I saw him, I instantly jumped in line. The line took an hour, but it was totally worth it. Also, the rest of my family actually showed up at the last minute (literally, there was only one group ahead of us when they got there) and we actually got that sought-after, giant, group, Disney photo. MORE Disney Magic!
Also, peppermint bark cookies are awesome. The MOST Disney Magic!!!
I went to the first MVMCP this year and it was pretty crowded, but not crazy. I think a lot of Wine&Dine runners stayed for it. We didn’t do any character meets though. I don’t really mind the price being higher if it means less people in the parks for the party. Then I feel like I am getting better value for my money. In the past, we have gone to a park during the day and the party at night. With the higher prices we opted to skip paying for a park during the day and just attend the party at night. We hung out at the pool at the hotel during the day. By going to the party, I was able to do everything I wanted in the park in less time, with less crowds, better weather, and extra food and entertainment. Worked out great for us. We also did this for the MNSSHP this year.
Loved reading this, thanks Tom. I haven’t been to MVMCP yet but hopefully next year we will make it!
The Muppets great moments show is amazing! They started that when we were out there in October and it was one of my favourite things from our trip, I loved it so much. Even if we are British.. haha.
What’s interesting is that I heard from a Liberty Square Cast Member that they get a decent number of complaints from Brits about the humor (or “humour” for you guys!).
Personally, I didn’t think there was anything egregious…or even remotely bad. I mean, the movie Wall-E is basically a critique on Americans and our culture, yet we all love that movie. Perhaps we don’t mind self deprecating humor as much?
I am really surprised by that! People need to lighten up!
I would say most Brits are extremely self deprecating. Weird. Anyway I hope they don’t take those bits out incase of offending people, it’s really funny!
I wish the gingersnaps and hot cider was a stop. That would of been outstanding. I think everyone agrees that the first song needs to go on the castle show.
Very jealous that the muppets were preforming when you visited the party. The day I was at the show the last muppet presentation was at noon.
I really hope that first song is cut for next year. Insert another number headlined by a rare character and I think that’d put the show over the top. It’s just a montage show, anyway, so I doubt many people care if the plot isn’t exactly strong.
Hey there!
Thank you for the review! We’re actually going Friday for the Christmas party and it’s my first time ever to Disney, as we’re celebrating our mini-moon!
I wanted to ask what time did the fireworks for Holiday Wishes start? I’ve seen some websites list it at 9:30PM and others at 10PM?
Thanks for your information in advance!
When we were there last week, Holiday Wishes started at 10:00pm.
Thanks Sydney for your info! 🙂
Were the princes meeting guests along with their princessses this year? Meeting Flynn Rider/Eugene is my daughter’s #1 priority at the Christmas party.
I did see photos of Flynn with Rapunzel from this year’s party and heard the princes were meeting with the princesses in Fairytale Hall. I’m not sure about all of the princes being there though.
Thank you!! I hadn’t seen or heard much about the princes this year, so I was starting to worry. I’m so glad you’ve seen him in pictures!! That just made my night!
My family of 5 has been four times over the last 8 years. The issue is now with one child at 12 years old paying for an adult ticket for events and food it hurts the wallet. We really enjoy the event but at around 450 dollars for my family of 5 we can’t justify the event any longer. Better ways to spend the cash. Afraid next year it will be over 100 dollars on high demand nights. I am wondering at what price will be the tipping point. I also will say if you have never been you should go at lease once!!! But after 2-3 times its hard to justify the price.
As a data point, we went this to MVMCP this past Sunday Nov 13. It was PACKED. The line for Donald was over 2 hours long. We were disappointed – not expecting crowds this high this early in November.
Was great meeting you guys at the party! Totally agree with you on Mickeys Most Merriest Celebration. Hated the first song but loved the rest. We also really enjoyed A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas as well.
Did the new castle projection show, “Once Upon a Time,” play prior to the fireworks? I know “Celebrate the Magic” did at MNSSHP.
Thank you so much for this. We are taking our first trip at the end of the month, and I have been waiting on a good review of the party before finalizing our day-of itinerary. I appreciate your attention to detail and your honest writing style. Your blog has been a life-saver as I plan this trip, so thank you, thank you!
You always have such wonderful pictures. But that shot of Sam Eagle? Possibly my favorite DTB picture of all time!
I’m inclined to agree with you, but that’s not me–it’s the subject matter. Such a distinctly patriotic character makes it easy–and taking a poor photo of him would be tantamount to treason! 😉
Tom,
No characters are metting before 7pm, this was true for the Halloween Party, but for the Christmas one is not happening, lines to form early but characters are coming out at 7pm.
@disney_fanstx
I had heard that Judy & Nick and Jack were meeting early for MVMCP (I did not witness this at our party, but I didn’t look, either) and I actually saw the Seven Dwarfs meeting guests at ~6:45 p.m.
We did the MVMCP on the 10th & got in line for Nick & Judy at 5. We were 5th in line. They started merging at 6:15. According to my friends, who attended the party just before ours, they did the exact same thing– it’s possibly they didn’t meet early for the first couple parties but they definitely have since then.
*meeting, not merging. stupid phone.