Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Recap & Review
At this point, the smart thing to do would have been getting spots for the second Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, since I have an absolute favorite location for it, and try not to watch it from anywhere else. If you read this blog, though, you know I’m anything but smart. Seeing the mass exodus of people, I figured we had plenty of time to claim a great spot.
So, we headed back to Diamond Horseshoe for the dance party there. Normally, I hate dance parties in the parks. They are lazy and go for the low hanging fruit of contemporary music with some characters tossed in, with almost no effort made for thematic cohesion. Again, another rant for another post.
The dance party during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is no exception to this. However, I’m willing to overlook all of this and boogie-woogie to some Justin Bieber or whatever the kids are listening to these days if that means a chance to get jiggy wit’ it (see, I’m cool…?) with my homeboy Big Al.
The Country Bears have long been one of our favorite staples of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. From Christmas 2008 when they met in Adventureland Veranda and we had them to ourselves for long stretches to seeing them wandering around Frontierland as other guests asked “who are you?” to their current location in Diamond Horseshoe, no Christmas Party is complete until we see them.
I have to admit, character integrity be damned, their current role in the dance party is my favorite of the bunch. The incongruity of contemporary dance music in the Diamond Horseshoe alone is too much, but the Country Bears busting sick moves to that music transcends the bounds of human comprehension and moves it into this surreal, theater of the absurd kinda realm.
I’d like to think that the Country Bears are offering their own brand of vaudevillian satire of these awful dance parties, even though I know that’s not really the case.
Whatever the real case may be, watching the Country Bears do their thing and dancing with them, if you’ve got the mind to, is a fun respite from the crowds of Main Street. I keep fearing that the Country Bears will be cut from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and they keep returning. Here’s hoping they’re back in 2016.
We didn’t get to spend as much time with the bears as we would’ve liked, but we needed to get back to Main Street to grab a parade spot. We also had to grab more snickerdoodle cookies along the way, obviously.
I hate to complain about additions, or nitpick over things that are unquestionably personal preference, but one thing I used to really love about waiting for the parade was the MVMCP Main Street USA Background Music (it has several songs from this album by Ray Conniff, which I love). The background loop had some real gems on it, and hearing it was one of my favorite parts of the Christmas Party. In fact, even as I listen to it today, I’m transported back to those nights on Main Street.
Parts of that loop still play throughout the night, but a lot of modern stuff has been injected into it (Miley Cyrus belongs on the MSUSA loop about as much as she belongs in the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln post-show). Worse yet, the Kringle Crew that provides pre-parade entertainment makes a lot of noise over the loop as it tries to entertain children with balls, hula hoops, and that sort of thing. (Get off my lawn.)
It’s good to see additional entertainment and something for the kids to do during the long wait for the parade, but much like tinsel, I find this group distracting. It’s just too loud and takes away from the inherently beautiful ambiance of Main Street during the Christmas Party. I realize kids may not appreciate this quiet, subtle beauty, but there has to be a way to allow for both kids to be entertained and adults to enjoy the ambiance.
In recent years, I’ve found this to be a tension within a lot of Disney’s entertainment and ambiance, and almost universally, adults come out on the losing end. Kringle Crew is cute and not obnoxious like a lot of time-passing entertainment in the parks, so it’s not nearly as problematic for me as dance parties, for example, but it does seem like another example of “kids will love it!” being the ultimate trump card. That should not be the case, but I’m getting off on too much of (GET OFF MY LAWN!) tangent.
As for this particular parade, We arrived well before the parade was to start (in time to enjoy Kringle Crew’s full show!), but there were no front row spots available. When we first started attending the seasonal parties, this spot was fairly easy to snag at the last minute. Over the years, word seems to have gotten out (stupid bloggers! 😉 ) and it now fills much more quickly.
Fortunately, luck was on my side this evening, as a reader who had a front row spot saw me, and offered to make room on the curb next to him. This time, the parade was firing on all cylinders, and I did slightly better in terms of photography. I have no excuses this time, so I guess any shots I failed to get are *gasp* my own fault!
After the parade was over, we rushed to Tomorrowland, hoping to catch the tail end of the last VoicePlay performance…
On Page 3, we’ll wrap up by contemplating Christmas in Tomorrowland, along with my overall thoughts about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Click here to continue reading.
Thanks for all your great Christmas posts, Tom! I have been on a binge of reading them the past couple of days :). Where do they sell the bear cupcakes?
Being a DLR ap for last 5 years we finally went to WDW and went to the same party. In fact we were directly behind you in line for Sandy Claws. Being our first trip to WDW it was also our first Christmas party. Having read your previous posts about it we tried to do as much as possible and still couldn’t. We went right from Sandy to the line for Scrooge and that took 45 mins. Then from there to 7 Dwarfs but the rain hit when we were about 6 groups from them and had to wait an extra 40 mins to see them. Had to watch the fireworks while in line, as we didn’t want to give up on our spot in line. I got sick from the cookies and hot chocolate so after the last parade we left (plus we rope dropped MK and was exhausted). We really enjoyed the parade and only had to camp a front area about 20 mins before it started. Right by Diamond horseshoe so the kids went and danced with the bears while we waited.
Hey Tom,
So glad we got to meet you and Sarah that night at the Christmas party! My only regret is not asking to take a group picture, but my wife was already chiding me for being a “stalker”!
Thanks for the tips for shooting the parade. It was a long trip but worth all the hassle. Wishing you and Sarah a very Merry Christmas!
Aloha!
Len
I always enjoy reading your posts but this one made me laugh out loud several times and I think I may have shouted “Amen” to many points that you made.
Do you remember the entertainment in years past at the Saloon? The piano players from Main Street (Jim and Mark), in their Holiday Best! Would entertain on the piano as guests would sit and enjoy the live holiday music along with cookies and coco. I specifically remember listening to the music, and Jesse from Toy Story sneaking up and trying to snatch a cookie. That’s Disney to me. If you are going to have a “dance party” why not make the music theme specific? It’s like they aren’t even trying.
Also agree on Main Street Loop, pre-parade entertainment, and your thoughts on Totally Tomorrowland Christmas.
We were at MVMCP exactly a year ago today so it was great for read your experiences this year. We weren’t sure it was worth the extra expense after buying a 7 day MYWPH for our trip but decided to splurge since my parents were with us and could watch my younger sons while me, my husband, and oldest daughter could have a night out. We were so glad we went as we had the absolute best time and were able to give our daughter the one on one time she rarely gets. We did many of the party events we wanted and also got to ride our favorites with minimal waits. The Haunted Mansion reopened that day and I was so excited because I thought it would be closed for refurbishment during our whole trip. I hope to attend as many parties as you have in the future!!
We are heading to Walt Disney World for our first Christmas trip on the 19th. Can you tell me what elements of the MVMCP are still in place after the 18th and what are not continued after the hard ticket party. I haven’t been able to find any information about it anywhere.
THanks!
Your wit never fails to entertain! I was laughing – which turned to crying – about halfway through b/c the sarcasm is just too funny!! Made my day 🙂
We were there on the 1st and tried lining up for the 7 Dwarfs by 6:30pm. The line was already an estimated 2 hour wait! So no go there. Then with our kids in tow it was hard to do a bunch of things due to the crowds, so we got a spot for Celebrate the Season where the kids could see (this was really tough and they had to stand on the stroller). Then just stuck it out there for the parade, which we really enjoyed. We walked down Main Street to see Wishes, and both my kids (6 & 4) fell asleep before it started! So we ended up just leaving after that.
We enjoyed the party, but I think we will wait until the kids are older to do it again so that we can stay later and enjoy more of the things there are to offer.
Tom, we are going next Tuesday to the Christmas party. I have a 35mm on a crop sensor, will this lens suffice or do I need something wider
That’s a good focal length for the parade, but having something wider (and more zoom) would definitely come in handy.
The sweaters are the best! Sarah needs to add them to the Outfit of the Day thread – or does that require specific WDW theming?
Found the sweaters on Amazon!
Thanks–I’ll remind her to post them there!
We are attending the party on Dec 13th and we bought Christmas sweaters (not as hella fly as your dinosaur/manatee combo, but still pretty awesome)- but I’m afraid it may be too warm to wear them! The low is going to be a dry 66 that day, which is super warm for us Midwesterners! Since you have been there many times would you be able to give a recommendation? Right now we’re planning on wearing them with shorts but it would be great to know if you think it may actually feel cooler than it looks.
A low of 66 is going to be pushing it for sweaters, especially since you’ll be active and (probably) carrying a bag or something. We bought ours with the intent of wearing them to Disneyland (cool SoCal nights) and only packed them once we saw the forecast for cooler weather in Florida during our trip.
Interesting thoughts, Tom. I always appreciate your earnest attempts at explaining why you feel a certain way, even if it is for something that is really indefensible (yeah, dance parties, I’m talking about you. I visited Disney Parks for decades sans these ‘entertainment’ offerings and never felt I missed a damn thing. Still don’t.)
If you’ve done the event nine years in a row, it’s very obvious you like it and feel it’s worth the money paid (I’m assuming you didn’t attend on blogging comps or would have mentioned it).
I’ve attended the event roughly six times and only paid the first year I went (1997 … also in the rain the same week you went this year) and last year. Before last year, I hadn’t been since getting comps in 2012. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the event, but I think there is a key point about value that you don’t mention and it deserves it.
That point: WDW is the only Disney resort that extorts Christmas from you. Or Christmas entertainment. If you want to see the parade, Holiday Wishes pyro, stage shows etc., you must either buy an extra ticket or wait until the park is packed and the hotels are the priciest. Some years, the Christmas stuff isn’t available for all until as late as Dec. 22nd or 23rd. This year, with the final party on the 18th, the stuff is included starting on the 19th. No other Disney resort in the world does this. And considering the traditions in those parks, I doubt they ever will or ever could.
Another point: WDW used to offer this entertainment (except for the pyro, which I think only made its debut around 2005 or 2006) for all Guests generally starting around Thanksgiving.
It still packs in a ton of value, although they’ve cut plenty over the years, including Mickey’s Twas The Night Before Christmas spectacular, while raising the prices annually. But the biggest value is for people who don’t have an AP. If you want a ticket to the MK, it can be a downright bargain to buy a MVMCP ticket and enter at 4 p.m. (they used to do a hard close at 6 or 7 and empty the park and then let partygoers in an hour later, but that cost them too much in labor). Much cheaper than a one-day ticket. And can even be a deal when you have multi-day tix.
Don’t want to drop coal in your stocking because you’ll always be my favorite Lifestyler, but I do think all the facts, history and perspective are important whenever you are someone people look to for advice on whether they should spend their hard-earned money on something.
I went last year somewhat reluctantly at first. But I was in the midst of a crisis as my uncle had just died, my father was diagnosed with cancer and looked like he was about to follow (thankfully, that didn’t happen and he is about to celebrate another birthday!) and my Thanksgiving had been a disaster worthy of a reality TV show. So, when we got to WDW after a week on the Fantasy, I wanted to actually feel Christmas. And the Party was great and almost worth what we paid. … But I still think it is sleazy of Disney to not make the party offerings more unique and special and return some of the Christmas entertainment to the regular schedule for more than the two weeks around the actual holiday when only the insane or those who have no choice due to work or school attend.
BTW, while we didn’t do dance parties (except watching the T-land trainwreck from a safe distance) and character meet and greets, we did plenty of attractions (yes, we were there at 4) and saw everything else, all the entertainment.
Oh, and if you think WDW does Christmas up — and they do — I’d advise a visit to Sea World as I was amazed at how big they go for the holidays, from entertainment to extended hours, light displays to music, menus to merchandise.
Fair points, to a degree. (As mentioned, I do cover most of the ground you cover here in the more comprehensive ‘MVMCP Tips’ post.)
Like you, I will grumble and groan about the rising cost, and the fact that it’s a hard ticket event in the first place. However, while I think that’s an asterisk to place next to the party, for me, neither consideration is outcome-determinative in choosing whether to attend. I can’t travel back in time to the 1990s to go to the parties when they were cheaper and, if I’m already going to Florida, I can’t see castle park Christmas entertainment without either paying for the upcharge or going during peak season (and paying more in the long run).
Given that, the real options are paying the current price or going to another castle park. Given that they don’t have upcharges, I’d take/recommend both Tokyo Disneyland (Country Bear Christmas!) and Disneyland (thankfully holiday crowds and the lack of 3 other gates have stalled Xmas upcharge nights out west) over Magic Kingdom, but not Paris or HKDL. Even then, it’s still fairly close, as I think Magic Kingdom has the best entertainment of the lot, it’s just the fact that they charge more for it that’s irritating.
You’re the second person who has mentioned SeaWorld at Christmas to me in the last week and now I’m *really* intrigued. I just bought a Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass, but I’m still tempted to make the trip out there (San Diego) before the holidays end. Thanks for the tip.
One of my favorite parts of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was getting to meet you. My wife just looked at me sideways when I said, “Look, it’s Tom from Disneytouristblog!”…and off I ran. Thank you for being gracious enough to let me grab a picture with you.
Besides the hour-ish of rain, MVMCP was a blast!
One of your favorite parts?! Now that *really* sounds like a lame party! 😉
We attend the party Dec 1st and Dec 4th. We had an awesome spot in frontier land for the parade and was not crowded at all. Dec 4th we did more rides and meet and greets. Seemed less crowed on the 4th and was cool and breezy. Our wait for Sandy Claws was 10 mins and Elsa and Anna was 15 mins.
I’ve heard the waits for Anna and Elsa have been a lot shorter at the parties, but I’m surprised to hear that about Sandy Claws. What time of the night did you meet him?
We attended our first party this year (November 15th) and while we enjoyed it, I’d definitely do some things differently next time. We arrived right at 4, did some rides with Fastpass+, ate dinner, then lined up for the 7 dwarves at around 6:45. I don’t know if we were 15 minutes too late or if the line was exceedingly slow or what, but 1 hour and 45 minutes later we have a picture with them timestamped as 8:27pm. Given the ticket cost of the party per hour… that is one expensive picture. It was one of those things where we constantly asked “should we just leave”? but by that point we’d already been there so long it seemed like a waste to come out with nothing. I think that experience kind of soured us, but we soldiered on. We loved VoicePlay, then the night became magical again with Holiday Wishes. I got some good shots of both that show & the following Christmas parade. Like I said, overall we enjoyed it, but I would not do the 7 dwarves line again unless I showed up earlier or did it really late in the night.
My general rule for the Seven Dwarfs is no later than 6:15 p.m., and even then you’re looking at an hour wait, which is about as short as it’s going to get during the entire party.
Personally, I think the Seven Dwarfs should not be a dedicated meet & greet, but should be fun atmospheric characters marching around New Fantasyland during the party. This might seem chaotic and crazy, but after observing exactly this in Tokyo Disneyland, I think it would be a ton of fun and give people the chance to see and interact with them without spending ~2 hours waiting in line.
Good to know those specifics… it definitely jives with what we saw. I knew enough to get in line before 7, but didn’t catch just how long the wait would be.
I think the atmosphere characters would be a lot of fun & less frustrating for all involved. Nobody in our line was terribly thrilled to be there. 🙂
My family and I were there on the 3rd too! we had a great time, although it was so cold and rainy ( my 10 year old was the one in a poncho lovingly crafted from a large Disney parks shopping bag if you saw us:). I do have to disagree with you on one point, no lines at all for the rides is one of the main reasons we love the party! We’re the type of people who love hopping off Big Thunder Mountain and then run through and do it again and again…
To each their own with the party. I know a lot of people love the minimal waits, and that’s important to them. I get that, but for me (personally), it’s much more important to enjoy things that are exclusive to the party.
Glad to hear that you had fun! 🙂
We were there same night – best part of the parade was having the float full of princesses break down right in front of us. The assorted cast members gamely continued their practiced parade gestures, smiling and waving at the same people over and over and over with genuine seeming enthusiasm – despite the rain. Finally a little jeep – not in Christmas decor – showed up to tow the float down Main Street. We all cheered thee jeep, waved good-bye to the royal couples, and enjoyed the rest of the parade.
We were there on the same night as you! It was our first party and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Part of that was due to the weather. I did mention all of this over on your discussion forums as well.
For us (my 6 yr old and I; DH and DS stayed home), you nailed when you said that even at 100% efficiency, you just can’t do it all. I don’t have blog readers so we were 5 people deep for the parade and pretty far away from the castle for the stage show. I don’t mind being further away for Wishes, but with her in the stroller and the crowds near the hub, moving to multiple good spots each for the show, parade, and Wishes was not possible for us. We waited till 10 pm for snow on Main St and when that didn’t happen because of the rain, we decided we had had enough and made our way to the exit.
I wouldn’t rule out attending again in the future, but I will adjust my expectations.
We also stayed at All Star Sports and while we had an incident Friday night, it was overall a pleasant stay.
Osborne Lights, though, more than made up for any disappointment I felt from MVMCP!
Nice work Tom! Looks like y’all had a blast. Totally agree there needs to be some sort of policing when it comes to kids on shoulders during the shows/parades. I’m just starting to work with some of my shots from wishes that night. I underexposed the foreground on lots of them, failing to get any ambient light on the statue.. Rookie mistake 🙂 It was fun and I can’t wait to try again.
Nah, underexposing the Partners statue is exactly what you WANT to do. Now increase the shadows in Lightroom/Adobe Camera Raw (or your software of choice), and look at those results! Look forward to seeing what you get (I assume this is you on Flickr?)
Thank you so much for allowing me to set up next to you! I think I ended up with some really good stuff that night despite the weather, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your help!
Yep that’s me. Your welcome… It was no problem at all. Like I said your photos/blog is the inspiration for me to even attempt shooting wishes in the first place. It was nice meeting you both.
Tom, I’m in Disneyworld right now (arrived 12/4. Staying at our fav PO resort) and took the same picture of the partners statue you did, albeit not at MVMCP (and minus the fireworks because…too tired and too old to wait that long). But I did attend the party years ago and ate almost enough snicker doodles to cover the cost.
Happy a holidays to you and yours Tom.