2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Guide: Dates, Info & Tips
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is Magic Kingdom’s holiday special event in November & December 2024 at Walt Disney World. This info guide offers tips, strategy, photos, likely dates & ticket prices, and our review of whether it’s worth the money based upon attending MVMCP annually for 15 years.
In terms of basics, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party features exclusive fireworks, a parade complete with snowfall on Main Street, an excellent stage show, and other holiday-themed entertainment (plus unlimited cookies and hot chocolate). For some people, shorter lines at attractions is also a big draw of the event–and the ride roster includes the new TRON Lightcycle Run.
If you’re already wanting to plan ahead for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the bad news is that Walt Disney World has yet to release dates, tickets, or other details. We do know that MVMCP will return, with more info coming soon. If you want to be notified when dates & tickets for the 2024 party are released, subscribe to our FREE email newsletter! While we don’t have any other official details for 2024, there’s more we can surmise based on past precedent…
One of the most common questions we hear from readers is when will Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates be announced and tickets go on sale? Our expectation is sometime between March and June 2024. Yes, that’s a fairly wide range, but the historical release dates are truly all over the place.
For each of the last two years, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was announced in June during “Halfway to the Holidays.” The three parties before that were announced between mid-March and early April. It’s possible that the last 2 years were anomalies, as Disney was still working to get back to normal, delaying announcements as a result.
It’s also possible that could be the case again in 2024, or that Walt Disney World has come to like doing the “Halfway to the Holidays” marketing campaign. However, we expect a return to normal-ish, with dates and tickets being released sooner–especially if Disney expects a further exhaustion of pent-up demand. Better to get ahead of that, and release tickets in the first quarter of 2024.
As for the event itself, our prediction is that the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will start on or around November 7, 2024 and continue several nights per week until around December 22, 2024. That would be consistent with the last couple of years. The event is usually held multiple nights per week–but not Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. (Except during holiday weeks, when the schedule can vary.)
Ticket prices for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will likely range from $169 to $219 depending upon the date. Costs have skyrocketed in the last several years, and it doesn’t help that all dates sold out last year. That happened faster than ever before and it occurred despite huge price increases. This could mean even more expensive tickets for the 2024 MVMCP.
As always, the cheapest dates will be earlier on. The cheapest dates will all be in the first half of November 2024. After that, the lowest price will be $179+. Parties around holiday weeks and peak season are most expensive, and there usually isn’t a single date after the first week of December that’s below $189. Closer to Christmas, all of the parties will $199 or more.
Dates and prices for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party depend, at least in part, upon Disney Jollywood Nights, which is the Christmas Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Or at least was the event last year. After the first Jollywood Nights event was held, word of mouth was overwhelmingly negative. That resulted in cancellations and changes to MVMCP, as well as many guests who were previously on the fence opting for the Magic Kingdom event.
If Disney Jollywood Nights returns for Christmas 2024, there won’t be as much “pressure” to increase prices or have as many MVMCP dates. If Jollywood Nights doesn’t come back, expect the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to make up for that “lost” revenue with higher prices and more dates.
We hope that Disney Jollywood Nights returns for Christmas 2024. Despite the first night that we attended being an operational meltdown, Walt Disney World recovered for night two and beyond in spectacular fashion, addressing almost every issue in relatively short order.
The party still is not perfect and those initial reviews might’ve doomed its chances of returning for 2024. We sincerely hope that’s not the case. Although our review was fairly scathing, we did praise the “bones” of the event. Jollywood Nights was a good idea, and it could be great counterprogramming to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party if given the chance.
Before we dig into the details of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, we should note that this isn’t the only thing Walt Disney World does to get into the spirit of the season. While it’s the flagship Christmas event at Magic Kingdom, you can have plenty of holiday fun without paying extra for MVMCP.
To that end, we’ll start with a quick plug for some of our other resources for the holiday season at Walt Disney World. First, our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World, which offers comprehensive advice on the holiday season at all four theme parks, the resort hotels, and Disney Springs.
With that out of the way, here’s everything else you need to know about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party…
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place from 7 pm to midnight.
Ticket holders are admitted to Magic Kingdom as early as 4 pm on the valid date of their ticket–giving them even more time to enjoy park favorites before the event begins. These date-specific event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or theme park reservation so long as you enter Magic Kingdom at or after 4 pm.
When it comes to what changed last year, we cover that in What’s New & Missing from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The short answer is not much. There are some new characters, and several things absent this year–including ‘A Totally Totally Christmas’ stage show, Cinderella Castle Dream Lights, and the Toy Soldier Marching Band.
The biggest positive change is that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is Less Crowded! If you last attended in 2019, this is especially noticeable and it’s quite refreshing. While MVMCP is otherwise pretty stagnant and in need of updates, this is a brief breath of fresh air. The overall experience was much more pleasant than it’s been in recent years. The only significant crowds we encountered were on and around Main Street before, during, and after entertainment. Even meet & greets that are usually pretty popular had manageable lines.
In light of the lower crowds, we’ll soon be updating our 1-Night Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Plan. We took years of experience doing the event and put that together, testing out a few different approaches to beating the crowds and character lines at the event. That MVMCP plan won’t materially change–we’ll just squeeze another character or two in there.
Here’s the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party schedule:
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration
- 7:40 pm, 9:25 pm, 10:35 pm, 11:55 pm
Frozen Holiday Surprise
- 8:15 pm
Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade
- 8:30 pm and 11:00 pm
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks
- 10:00 pm
Reindeer Wranglers at Country Bear Jamboree
- 7:15 pm, 8:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:40 pm
Disney Junior Jingle Jam (Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland)
- 7 pm until midnight
Club Tinsel in Tomorrowland (Rocket Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland)
- 7 pm until midnight
During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, select attractions in Magic Kingdom will operate. Here’s the current list of attractions that will be open during the event:
Adventureland
- Jingle Cruise – with a holiday twist!
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Swiss Family Treehouse
Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Liberty Square
- Haunted Mansion
Fantasyland
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- “it’s a small world”
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mad Tea Party
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Storybook Circus
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Barnstormer
Tomorrowland
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor – with a holiday twist
- Space Mountain – with a holiday twist
- Tomorrowland Speedway – with a holiday twist
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- TRON Lightcycle Run
TRON Lightcycle Run will use a virtual queue during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, allowing guests to enjoy all the festivities while they wait to enter the Grid. Stay tuned for more details!
Main Street USA
- Mickey Mouse
- Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws
- Mary Poppins
Fantasyland
- Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
- Alice & White Rabbit
- Winnie the Pooh & Friends
- Ariel & Prince Eric
- Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder; Cinderella & Prince Charming
- Snow White & Prince; Aurora & Prince Phillip
- Belle
- Mirabel
Storybook Circus
- Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck
- Scrooge McDuck
- Santa Goofy
- Seven Dwarfs
Frontierland
- Big Al, Liverlips, Wendell, Shaker (free roaming Country Bears)
Liberty Square
- Santa
- Tiana & Naveen
Adventureland
- Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, Genie
- Captain Jack Sparrow
- Peter Pan
- Stitch
Before we dig into the practical advice and editorialize, we should warn that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has gotten more popular and much more expensive in the last several years, despite nothing major being added–and some things being removed. Some of this dynamic is attributable to FOMO, as well as inertia.
The event continues to coast on its own reputation, even though it has arguably gotten worse in recent years. This guide and review can help you determine whether it’s right for you in light of that. Also consider reading Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Worth It?
Obviously, that covers the Halloween party, but 90% or more is applicable to the Christmas party. That’s especially worthwhile if you’ve only attended the After Hours events, which are dramatically different from these parties. Notably, crowds are higher at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, especially on Main Street around parade, fireworks, and stage show times. The rest of Magic Kingdom usually is much less busy, but the front of the park feels packed.
In terms of what’s relatively new at the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, first is a replacement for the Holiday Wishes fireworks show, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks. This show is hosted by Minnie Mouse, celebrating the magic of Christmas with medleys of beloved holiday songs.
It features “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney and also includes “Joy to the World,” “Deck the Halls,” “Up on the House Top,” “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” and other favorites. Projection mapping also features heavily, with the end result being that Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks evokes heartfelt moments of home and family, and the spirit of the season before an incredible finale.
Second, there are attraction overlays for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that debuted a few years ago. Four Magic Kingdom attractions are receiving special enhancements just for the holidays, including what we’ve dubbed the Totally Tinsel Tomorrowland Trio.
First, when you get behind the wheel on the Tomorrowland Speedway, you’ll find yourself cruising a festive freeway filled with thousands of lights and decorations. This is really well done, with some stellar scenes, custom-made decorations with a retro-inspired, mid-century style, and a great background music loop to which the lights dance. It’s a tad like the Osborne Lights.
Next, the crew at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor is putting some “Ha Ha Ha” in their “Ho Ho Ho,” with a new show for everyone visiting the Monster World. This is a show that is incredibly easy to see at your leisure; we’d recommend doing it early in the night when everything else is busy.
Rounding out the Totally Tinsel Tomorrowland Trio, Space Mountain is filled with dazzling holiday lighting and high-energy Christmas music. This is far and away the most popular of the ride overlays, and we’ve seen it drawing long waits early in the party. Our recommendation here is to do this right after the parades or fireworks, but only if you can get ahead of the crowds, because everyone else has this same idea. If not, do it after 11 pm.
Before these overlays, the last big addition was a new Cinderella Castle forecourt stage show called “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration,” which replaced “Celebrate the Season.”
Overview & Tips
Here are the main Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party offerings:
- Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade
- Totally Tinsel Tomorrowland Trio (holiday ride overlays)
- Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration
- Reindeer Wranglers
- Character Dance Parties
- Fireworks
- Meet and Greets with (some) characters dressed in holiday attire
- Complimentary cookies and hot cocoa
- Snow on Main Street
- Fireworks Holiday Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace
It’s worth noting that after December 22, the standard daytime parade in the Magic Kingdom becomes Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. This parade is a big part of the draw for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but it’s just one of the pieces of entertainment at MVMCP, with others being totally exclusive to the event.
In exchange for not having to pay extra to see the Christmas parade after December 22, you will face some of the worst crowds of the year at Walt Disney World. If you want the best of both worlds, there are some other tricks you can use to avoid crowds during Christmas and New Year’s Eve weeks. So obviously there’s a trade-off.
Now that we’ve set forth what entertainment you can expect at the parties, let’s give you some more details, tips, and our review of whether Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (or MVMCP as many Disney fans know it) is worth the money…
Now let’s elaborate on each of the unique offerings, getting the upcharges-within-the-upcharge out of the way first…
Fireworks Holiday Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace – We’ll start with one thing we think you should not do during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and that’s the dessert parties. These include a fireworks viewing area and dessert and non-alcoholic drink buffet. It does not include admission to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which is to be purchased separately. (This means you’re paying twice–once for the party, once for the dessert party.) The dessert party also does not include parade viewing.
For more details including pricing, see our dedicated post: Dining & Dessert Parties at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Party-Exclusive Special Food & “Free” Refreshments – Magic Kingdom has a large lineup of Christmas snacks and desserts, which are available for purchase during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Additionally, some items are available only during the event.
Next, the big one: the “free” cookies, hot cocoa, and other holiday refreshments. There are stations to get these all over the park, and different cookies are served at each of them. Although reasonable minds can differ on this, I think these free refreshments are delicious.
Just thinking about them as I write this makes me hungry, and transports me back to memories of many a cold night sipping on hot cocoa to keep warm (it doesn’t work, but hey, why not try?!). Lines for refreshments can get bad near the front of the park near the parade-time and during the first half-hour of the event.
The best place to go for the free refreshments is Cosmic Ray’s, which serves hot chocolate, Fanta, and a variety of holiday cookies. Other locations typically only serve one cookie each. My favorite of the cookies is the Peppermint Crunch–anyone who doesn’t like that cookie is just plain wrong.
Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade – Given the excellent lighting, ambiance, oh, and SNOW on Main Street, USA, it’s one of the best places from which to view the parade (which steps off in Frontierland).
We typically get a spot at the end of Main Street so the Castle is directly in front of us as we watch the parade. Most of the photos on this page were taken from that location, or near that location. You really must view this parade from Main Street. Nowhere else even begins to compare.
Really, any location on Main Street will do in terms of getting this holiday card-perfect view of the parade. A great alternative is, ironically enough, almost directly in front of Tony’s Town Square Restaurant.
This spot will give you a view of the floats as they round the corner coming down Main Street with the Christmas tree in the background, it has good lighting, and you’ll still be in the vicinity of snowfall. It’s also the last part of Main Street that fills up with people, making it easier to get a good view here.
Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade is absolutely awesome. Most people I know prefer the Boo to You parade over it, but I think I’m in the minority who prefers the Christmas parade. It has marching toy soldiers, dancing reindeer and gingerbread men, and ever the big man himself, Ole Saint Nick!
The floats are cool, Chip & Dale are mischievous, and Mickey & Minnie are dressed in their holiday finery. I will admit that I have a soft spot for anything related to Christmas, but c’mon, how could you not love this parade?!
Ralph and Vanellope from “Wreck-It Ralph” are in the parade, as is a procession of visitors from Arendelle with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf from “Frozen” will again be appearing in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.
As far as touring goes, the second parade is usually less crowded, but we always like to watch both showings of the parade, as it’s really that good. If you watch the second showing and really enjoy it, you can’t go back in time and watch the first, so you may want to consider watching the first if you think you might want to see it twice.
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration Stage Show – This new-ish show replaced the Celebrate the Season show a couple of years ago, which was fun, but past its prime. The premise of the Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is that it’s days before Christmas, and Mickey throws a Christmas party at his house, inviting all of his friends, who sing Christmas Carols before the show is “is Christmas-wrapped up in one sensational, snowy, show-stopping finale.”
We really enjoy this show…for the most part. Not to spoil it for you, but there’s one “odd” song that should really be cut; removing it would improve the show significantly. That has yet to happen (probably because it appeals to kids even if ‘ole curmudgeons like us dislike it), but setting that aside, this is an upgrade from “Celebrate the Season,” and we think most people will love it!
This show is incredibly popular, and the viewing area can be frustrating if you’re shorter. We’d recommend watching one of the earlier shows from a distance and then returning for the last showing of Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration. Not only will you have the lowest crowds for that show, but you’ll also effectively “extend” the party beyond its midnight end time!
Character Dance Parties – There are typically two of these, one in Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe and one in Storybook Circus. The latter is the “Junior Jingle Jam,” which features some sort of childlike vampire character (I’m clearly out of touch with what the kids enjoy these days).
The other party is Club Tinsel in Tomorrowland’s Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. This one features elves and knock-off Coca Cola Polar Bears–it’s pretty solid. If it’s a cold night, this is a great place to go inside and warm up for a bit, plus the lines for hot cocoa and cookies are usually fairly short here.
Fireworks! – One of the highlights of the night is the fireworks show, which in the past has been Holiday Wishes. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks are a recent addition, and showcase pyro plus projections. As with its predecessor, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks thematically incorporates fireworks so they fit the accompanying song lyrics.
In terms of viewing the Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, you’ll want to pick a location with an unobstructed 180-degree view of Cinderella Castle. This means anywhere in the middle of Main Street is out, as the buildings to each side of you will obstruct your view.
For Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, we’d highly recommend the green areas in our Best Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Locations. Additionally, the yellow areas that are closer to Cinderella Castle also work, but are slightly less desirable.
Character Meet & Greets – If you want to a lot of the characters at the Party, this is one area where you might want to employ a bit of strategy. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party features a mix of party-exclusive characters, party-exclusive costumes on regular characters, and regular characters.
Wait times for these meet & greets vary significantly, and depend upon the level of exclusivity. For a ‘regular’ character you might wait 10 minutes, whereas the wait could be 150 minutes for characters who don’t appear outside of MVMCP. Generally speaking, these waits have spiked in recent years as ‘character hunting’ has grown in popularity. Lines also tend to move slowly–even if there are “only” a couple dozen people in front of you, the wait could exceed an hour.
Of these meets, Jack Skellington in his “Sandy Claws” attire and Sally are the most popular. Their meet and greet is located in Town Square Theater, and if you want to do it, you should do it, you should get in line early–well before the party even starts.
Jack and Sally typically start meeting shortly after the unofficial start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (typically between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.), and only guests who already have their wristbands may line up to meet them. During the middle of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you can expect to wait 2+ hours for Sandy Claws and Sally.
Other characters who are not exclusive to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party but that can be found wearing their holiday finery meet outside in Storybook Circus. We typically do one or two of these meet & greets per party (lining up around 6:30 p.m. before the party officially starts or waiting until after 11 p.m.), skipping Sandy Claws due to the absurd lines.
There are several other character meet & greets and character dance parties that are not nearly as possible, so it’s not all long waits if you want to meet characters. The stars of the party, the Country Bears, rarely attract crowds (more like, “who are you?” questions) as they wander Frontierland, and they are an incredible amount of fun if you stick around to ‘play’ with the bears.
If you happen to find them, you can really have some fun with them as there isn’t a ton of guest demand for them. Most people who see these famed stars of Country Bear Christmas don’t know who they are, which is really unfortunate, as Country Bear Jamboree is one of the best attractions in Magic Kingdom and basically a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Additionally, you’ll also find the Reindeer Wranglers in Frontierland. This is a country music string group performing variations of classic Christmas songs. They usually only draw a small crowd (or entertain guests along the parade route), but they’re worth seeking out. Sometimes, the Country Bears will join their act for a bit of fun, too!
Mickey & Minnie are most accessible near the very end of the party, however, there can be small “rushes” on them as guests decide to visit them on their way out of the park. Keep this in mind when contemplating when you should visit them and Santa Claus.
Aside from this, we don’t really have many character meet & greet tips for the Christmas Party. Unlike the Halloween Party, MVMCP is not all about meet & greets (at least not for us), and although there are more meet & greets than normal during the party, outside of the uber-popular meet & greets, they aren’t as big of a draw during this party.
Snow on Main Street – From what I understand, this isn’t “real” snow. Although there are persistent rumors that Disney imports real snow from the Swiss Alps, this is actually imitation snow, but it sure does look real.
Children and adults alike watch in amazement as snow falls on dry pavement in Florida. This is really a special sight, and between this, the wonderful music, and the decorations, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party really does have that Christmas feeling!
Review
Like I said above, we’re huge Christmas fans. We’ve been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party well over a dozen times since 2007 (yes, that means several times some years–we like it that much), even in light of the significant price increases.
Anyway, it should be clear that we absolutely love the Christmas Party. The Magic Kingdom gets decked out for the party, with cool decorations, snow, an excellent lighting package, and even different background music. It’s these little details that keep us going back every year.
With that said, the party is undeniably expensive. We used to recommend that those who could afford to do so splurge on the party once because it was that good. With prices starting at $149/adult and crowds increasing annually, we can no longer make that unequivocal recommendation.
Yes, it’s a lot of fun. Is it ~$150+ per person fun? That really depends. Tickets are now almost as expensive as 1-day tickets, and that’s on top of the multi-day tickets you’ve (probably) already purchased. That’s a lot of money, especially for families with kids.
Even if you aren’t on a tight budget, you might not want to spend that much money for the party. We can totally relate to that, and at this price point it’s hard to say the Christmas Party offers “good” value for money. (Unless you compare it to equally overpriced entertainment like NFL games or the opera to justify it to yourself.)
What it really comes down to is whether you really want to do it. That is the key. There’s no logical way to break this down in terms of value–it comes down to desire.
For us, the “desire” is still there. We really love Christmas (have we told you that yet?!). We love the ambiance of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, love the parade, love the fireworks. For us, there’s a certain energy to the party that puts smiles on our faces–from the snow on Main Street to families dressed in matching ugly Christmas sweaters, we can’t resist it.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an almost “magical” experience–at least we think so. Maybe that makes us suckers, but that’s my honest take on why we keep going back. I can’t justify it in terms of any sort of cost-benefit analysis. You might feel similarly about the Christmas Party, or you might not. It’s truly a personal thing.
If you are thinking about going, and wanting a little help justifying the big expense, here’s one way…
Purchase your Walt Disney World tickets for one fewer day than you otherwise would, and do our FREE self-guided resort hotel tour the morning of MVMCP (so you don’t use a normal park ticket day). Then, head to the Magic Kingdom at 4pm, which is the time you can enter the park for the Christmas Party.
You’ll want to visit the resort hotels to see their decorations, anyway, so in effect you save yourself from having to purchase one day on your tickets by doing this (in other words, if you normally would buy a 5-day ticket for your trip, buy a 4-day ticket and follow this plan instead).
Granted, that additional day to your ticket that you otherwise would have purchased would have only added on $10-30 in cost to your total package, but every little bit helps. To save even more money on multi-day Walt Disney World tickets, we recommend reading our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Between the day less on your tickets and the amount you’ll save by purchasing through an authorized ticket vendor, the cost of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a bit more palatable.
While some contend that you’re better off saving the money and seeing the parade for free after December 22, this is really just part of what the parties offer. The ambiance and other little details are what make these parties great. If you’re on a limited budget and your trip includes dates before and after the Christmas Party ends, you should consider skipping the party, but it’s definitely not the same experience.
It’s also worth noting that these hard ticket parties used to be “known” for low crowds and, as a result, short waits. This is still true on certain nights, but it’s no longer the rule. Crowds are still lighter at the parties than the insane Christmas-week crowds, but by no means “light.” So, if you haven’t been to a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in a while, this is something that might have changed since your last party.
In addition to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there are a lot of great free offerings at Walt Disney World during the Christmas season, from Candlelight Processional and EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays to Merry Menagerie at Animal Kingdom and beyond, but we still feel the Christmas Party is worth the money to do once if your budget allows. If the special offerings listed here don’t appeal to you, I would strongly advise you not to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
With all of that said, if Christmas entertainment and ambiance does appeal to you, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a solid event at Walt Disney World. If you’ve never been to the party, love Christmas, and aren’t fond of Christmas-week crowds, it is definitely for you, and an event we’d still recommend if your budget allows and you can get past the sticker-shock.
For comprehensive tips for planning your Christmas-time trip to Walt Disney World, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Which aspect of the Christmas Party is your favorite? Are you going to the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Thank you for all the tips. Went to the Christmas party on Nov 25th, very busy. All the rides were open. I agree with eating the cookies and forget wasting time on dinner, big time saver. The parade was awesome should not be missed, but be aware that there are no fast passes available and in my opinion the party was over sold. My opinon may be different from others because I was traveling with a 16 year old daughter that thought everything was annoying. Had a good time, but don’t think I will drop $400 on it again. The self guided resort tour was a blast. Thanks Tom!
What happens on a non-party day? Im only going on December 12th, which I noticed is not a MVMCP.
Thank you for all the wonderful tips! We are going to WDW in December to celebrate our sons 5th birthday. This will also be his first visit there! So excited to see the magic in his eyes! Since we are only spending 4 days in Orlando we are planning on 2 parks (Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios). We are contemplating just buying tickets for the Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party on Tuesday, Dec. 11 and not purchasing a regular day pass. What are your thoughts and/or advice on this. We heard our son might have a much better experience during the party since crowds are somewhat smaller and lines are as well. Any input is greatly appreciated. Merry Christmas!
I have read that last year most of the rides were open, but so far, I’ve only found 5 listed as open for the Christmas party. (The mountains, seven dwarfs mine train answer dumbo) Can you please tell me what rides are open?
Tom, first thank you for providing us with all that great information. We are a family of 10 and be at Magic Kingdom and at the MVMCP on Nov 30th.
I am an amateur photographer and appreciate all your advice in in other articles.
I plan on taking lots of pics and hopefully many will turn out. We also all have the Photopass and will get as many pics as we can.
I have 2 questions about the MVMCP:
1. Special merchandise for the MVMCP is available until they run out. Does this mean that they only sell limited quantities at the MVMCP for a given night? If so, does this mean than one should buy them early?
2. The Jingle Cruise is unique for MVMCP. Is there generally a long line up for this and is it worth it.
Thanks, Maybe we’ll see you during MVMCP on Nov 30 if you are there.
Ford
Attended the Christmas Party on Nov 16 and had to say we were disappointed. Not in what the party offered as the parade and fireworks were amazing, but I had hoped that since the park was only open to ticket holders, it would be more of an “exclusive” visit to the Magic Kindom with Christmas extras. We were surprised to find horrendous crowds. The cookie and hot chocolate stations were so crowded, we didn’t take advantage and parade viewing was difficult along Main Street. We viewed the first parade. If children could stay up late enough, the crowds were thinning and the second parade might be better. I would say head to the back of the park to take advantage of the low crowds during the first parade. Wish we would have made the party our only activity that day and purchased one less day on our park tickets as suggested.
Do Judy hopp and the princesses with their princes meet before the party start?
You said: >>My favorite of the cookies is the Peppermint Crunch—anyone who doesn’t like that cookie is just plain wrong.<<
AMEN BROTHER!!!
And two years ago, when those were being handed out at Tomorrowland Terrance, we swung by at the end of the night because I wanted to get one more. They were closing up, so they gave me a couple hands full! YAASSSSS!!! I was in peppermint heaven!!!
I have a ticket for the Very Merry Christmas party and I can not find the parade times listed anywhere. Can you tell me the two times that you reference?
We attended the party on Friday November 16 for the first time. Other than freezing from the cold front that came through we had a great time. We got to see some characters that we haven’t seen before (the Genie and Abu and the princes), ate some tasty treats and got great spots for the stage show. Your information has been sooo helpful. Wish we could have seen you while you were here this weekend. Tomorrow we hit Hollywood Studios!!
Were you aware that there are ways to get discounted tickets for the party? I didn’t see it anywhere on the blog and was disappointed after buying tickets full price to have two opportunities to get them discounted. One through one of the third party ticket sellers (a reputable one) and one through my husbands work. I think it’s an important option to check out that should be mentioned, as I could have saved over $15 a ticket (which adds up since we purchased five).
Went to the party Thursday, 11-16-18. First time doing the event and it was fine. Pretty crowded everywhere with long lines for the refreshments (lines didn’t seem any shorter at 11 than at 8). Parade was nice,but the decorations on Main Street were subtle. super crowded for the early parade (people on scooters and those with strollers were staking out spots at 6). I also noticed at many people attend in matching Christmas pajamas. I saw all the entertainment shows-also fine.
I wouldn’t do this party again. Very spendy and crowded. I like Disney. I like Christmas. But this was only so-so for me.
Hi, we are planning on visiting on 12/19 so that we can stay until 9pm with our regular tickets. What kind of fireworks/ parade will we be watching? Thank you for this great post!
Tom,
It sounded like you implied there are two parades at the Mickey Very Merry Christmas Party.
If that is true about what times are they? We are dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table at 6pm on November 16th.
Hoping we don’t miss the parade 🙂
We are first timers with our grand daughter; love your blog!
Thanks again,
Ron Hilton
If we can’t afford party admission, is it possible to watch Holiday Wishes from the Ticket & Transportation Center dock? If it is, how can we find out the time of the fireworks? I see the website doesn’t show times for MVMCP parades, fireworks, etc.
I’ve watched the regular and Halloween fireworks shows from both the Polynesian’s Beach and the Grand Floridian’s Narcosee’s pier. They pipe in the music so you can hear the soundtrack while you are watching. Not the same as being there in front of the castle but still very cool. And you get to eat or se the sites at the hotels.
I would recommend watching from the contemporary hotel. Go to the highest floor by elevator, walk towards Disney past rooms to the fire escape (door will lock behind you). Each fire escape has a covered patio. Best viewing spot ever and the fireworks explode at eye level. If at restraunt on the roof they allow patrons to walk outside on to the roof to view (uncovered)
This was so informative! Currently planning a trip for early December. Can someone please confirm, that if we purchase the MVMCP tickets, and don’t show up to the Magic Kingdom until 4pm on the day of our tickets, we do NOT require additional park admission to enter?
For example, if I buy a 4-day park pass, and a MVMCP ticket, I can go to the party AND still have 4 days of tickets?
Yes. If you show up to the party at 4pm and the party actually starts at 7pm, you will not have to buy another ticket. They let you process in at 4pm. We went for the Halloween party and had a great time between 4-12.
i called dvc recently to confirm if we could get in at 2pm and i was told yes we can, its also on their website that we can. I currently have FP’s booked for that day at MK starting at 130 with no problem, we only have one other day of tickets and its for the next day at HS, so its not confused that im using another day of park ticket . awesome that they are letting dvc members in at 2pm , we get to enjoy some of the parades and shows during regular park hours 🙂
Just be clear here that if you are entering before 2 pm as a DVC member, then you will be using a regular day’s ticket AND the party ticket. To only use the party ticket, you have to enter from 2 p.m. onward, hoping that the 1:30 -2:30 p.m. fast pass does not take off one of your regular day tickets. When I called DVC, they told me to book FP+ form 2p.m. onward to avoid any complications. They also said I should see Guest Services to ensure they take the party ticket first and not use any of regular day tickets.
One important note. since cast members did not advise us properly at 2018 MNSSHP: if you’re already in the park before 4pm, you can get your wristband at ANY of the lands within the park, including town square next to guest services. You DO NOT have to walk all the way to Tomorrowland or Frontierland. Wristbands become available shortly before 4pm, so avoid the rush by going 15-20 minutes early.
Does Disney publish the list of character meets for the MVMCP? Specifically, hoping to find out if Moana will be there. If I understand it correctly, she isn’t it any of the parks right now. Thanks so much.
Hi I’m not sure if this is common but I loved your input! I am going soon and I’m so excited it’s my first time and was wondering if you have any pointers for me.
Thank you so much!