Guide to Very Merriest After Hours Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom: Dates, Prices & Info
Disney Very Merriest After Hours is Magic Kingdom’s Christmas party in November & December at Walt Disney World. This info guide covers dates, prices, sold out nights & entertainment schedules for the new holiday event replacing Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP).
It’s unclear whether Disney Very Merriest After Hours or MVMCP will return in 2022. It’s about 50/50 at this point, with crowd levels and other factors influencing which Walt Disney World opts to hold this year. If Disney Very Merriest After Hours returns, it’ll take place on ~25 select nights from around November 7, 2022 through December 19, 2022 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. This year’s holiday celebration will coincide with the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary, “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.”
Tickets for the 4-hour Disney Very Merriest After Hours event grant guests admission to Magic Kingdom starting at 7 p.m. That mix-in with regular day guests gives Christmas party attendees more time to enjoy attractions and more in Magic Kingdom. Additionally, both day guests and party attendees will be able to enjoy the brand-new fireworks spectacular Disney Enchantment and watch as projections transformation Cinderella Castle into a Beacon of Magic. Here’s everything you need to know about Disney Very Merriest After Hours…
Disney Very Merriest After Hours includes the nighttime spectacular Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks. That’s the still-new(ish) nighttime spectacular that debuted during the last year of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, replacing Holiday Wishes.
That means Disney Very Merriest After Hours attendees can see two different and unique fireworks shows in one night–Disney Enchantment and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.
Fireworks are not all that’s in store during this limited-capacity event. Here are additional details of what you can experience during Disney Very Merriest After Hours:
- Holiday attraction overlays are also making a comeback: Jungle Cruise transforms into the Jingle Cruise and Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor will get new jokes perfect for this joyful season.
- After Magic Kingdom closes to day guests, enjoy less time waiting in line for more than 20 attractions including favorites like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Jingle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and more.
- Sightings of Disney characters throughout the park all dressed in their holiday finery, including the Country Bears, Jiminy Cricket, and friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.
- Reindeer Wranglers, a musical group performing seasonal songs as they provide sensational street-mosphere in Frontierland.
- While you are walking down Main Street be sure to look up to the sky, you might catch some magical snowfall!
- Dance and boogie the night away at themed Club Tinsel dance party in Tomorrowland.
- Enjoy complimentary snacks like ice cream novelties and popcorn, seasonal treats, and select bottled beverages.
- Disney PhotoPass will offer holiday magic shots throughout the night (images available for purchase)
- Special Christmas background music, lighting, and projections on Cinderella Castle
Now let’s turn to the major entertainment offerings during Disney Very Merriest After Hours. First up, the special holiday-themed parade “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” that is normally shown for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. In this parade, Mickey and Minnie Mouse are joined by pals from Frozen, Santa Claus, and many other favorite Disney characters including the very popular Toy Soldiers.
This is a full parade–the same one from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party–and not a cavalcade. This is a fairly significant milestone, as it marks the first time (barring any other announcements) a full parade will roll down Main Street since March of last year.
Next, a new stage show called “Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories” will be joining the lineup of event-exclusive entertainment at Disney Very Merriest After Hours. Guests attending the party will be able to watch Mickey and his pals in a celebration filled with music, dancing and nostalgic yuletide fun.
Presented on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage, the show features nods to classic Magic Kingdom holiday stage shows, including “Mickey’s Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Celebrate the Season,” and “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration.”
For those who are curious about attending the new Christmas party, let’s turn to event details, pricing, and other planning info. Disney Very Merriest After Hours dates are:
- November: 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30
- December: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21
Of course, all of the above entertainment comes at a cost. Here’s a chart with ticket prices for each Disney Very Merriest After Hours date with discounts factored in:
As you can see, tickets range from $169 to $229 plus tax for select November and December nights and $249 (!!!) plus tax on December 19 & 21. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can take advantage of a $10 discount on select event dates in November.
These dated event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or Disney Park Pass theme park reservation. Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling 407-939-7947.
DISNEY VERY MERRIEST AFTER HOURS ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
Disney Enchantment (8 pm) – Enjoy Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary fireworks show before the event officially begins as part of the pre-party mix-in!
Mickey and Minnie’s Very Merry Memories (9:25 pm, 10:35 pm, 11:45 pm, 12:50 am) – Join Mickey and his pals for a stage show filled with music, dancing and nostalgic yuletide fun on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (9:45 pm, 12:05 am) – Wave to Disney friends during a holiday parade brimming with joy and magic. This jolly procession begins with Mickey and Minnie, and ends with an appearance by Santa Claus himself!
Reindeer Wranglers (9:25 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:40 pm, 12:35 am) – This musical group brings their holiday hoedown to the streets of Frontierland, performing seasonal songs with a distinctive country flair.
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show (11:15 pm) – Feast your eyes on a scintillating fireworks display, hosted by Minnie Mouse. See the sky light up in dazzling colors to the tune of favorite Christmas carols.
Club Tinsel Dance Party (9:00 pm to 1 am) – Dance the night away at the Rockettower Plaza Stage.
Disney Very Merriest After Hours Commentary
When it comes to this new event, there are a few notable things worth discussing. First, the return of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. You might recall from Christmas at Walt Disney World Dates & Details: What’s Coming & Cancelled that no cavalcades or parades were announced back when holiday season details were first released.
We speculated at the time that more announcements were likely coming, concerning things like the parade, Candlelight Processional, and other entertainment that it was still “too early” to announce. It does come as a surprise that Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is happening during the event.
Next, the stage show. “Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories” was added to the lineup in late October, and it thus might seem like that happened added due to low ticket sales. That was my initial guess, and may be part of the motivation. However, in hearing more entertainment rumors recently, it sounds like this is part of an urgent push to recall as many performers as possible in the near future.
In a nutshell, there’s the concern among some leaders at Walt Disney World that if more performers aren’t recalled now, they won’t be available when they’re needed in 2022. Think of it as similar to the staffing situation as a whole that has played out throughout this year, but with more specialized roles. (Even this might be too little, too late.)
Most importantly, we should discuss the price increase. This is significantly more expensive than Disney After Hours Boo Bash. It costing more is not a huge surprise–Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party always averages higher prices than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
However, it’s never by this much. Starting prices at $169 per night and going up to $250 is not something I would’ve predicted. That’s a big yikes from me. I did not expect this to cross the $200 threshold, let alone smash right on through to $250.
Moreover, there isn’t a single Very Merriest After Hours night under $200 in all of December. The last night of the $169 or $189 prices is November 19. These prices are astronomical, even as an “I know it’s not worth it but I want to do it anyway” splurge. I say all of this as someone who more or less “defended” the Boo Bash pricing as being on par with Villains After Hours.
Our hope with the slow early ticket sales for Disney Very Merriest After Hours is that Walt Disney World has exceeded the maximum price ceiling most guests are willing to pay. While the company is unlikely to remedy the overpricing issue this year, that would be a positive development for years to come. Pricing has gotten out of hand with these parties in the last few years, but they continue to sell out–the only way anything changes is if people stop buying overpriced tickets.
The main difference between Boo Bash and Very Merriest After Hours is that Walt Disney World has added fireworks, a full parade, and attraction overlays to the event. Additionally, Disney Very Merriest After Hours is an hour longer. It’s thus likely that Walt Disney World views those as sufficient “value adds” to justify a significantly higher price point.
In my view, the problem with that reasoning is Very Merriest is either an entertainment-centric Christmas party or a limited-capacity After Hours event with low wait times. While it’s promising both, it cannot deliver both simultaneously to guests. They have to choose one or the other given the practical realities of physics, the space-time continuum, or whatever.
People either can take full advantage of the entertainment or the short wait times, but not both. Four hours might seem like a lot of time, but it goes by fast. Disney Very Merriest After Hours isn’t long enough to enjoy both a lot of attractions and the fireworks and parade. As we discussed in our Disney After Hours Boo Bash Photo Report, we found it difficult to do both and recommended ignoring the cavalcades because they were such a time waster.
That was the case with virtually no crowds along the parade route and it being easy to snag a last minute spot to see the cavalcades. I’d hazard a guess that won’t be true with Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, which is a bigger draw–guests will camp out for it.
In a way, this feels like Walt Disney World trying to offer Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party…without actually bringing it back. Maybe they think this is the “best of both worlds,” but it doesn’t feel like it. Not only is it considerably more expensive than MVMCP (which cost $100 to $139 in its last year), but the start time is several hours later.
For those wondering why Walt Disney World would do that, it’s because the last three months of the year are going to be bonkers. As we’ve previously stated, running an After Hours event in November and December makes more sense than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Normal park hours will need to be much longer due to attendance forecasts during the kick-off months of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, it’s simply not feasible to close Magic Kingdom early so many nights of the week.
Even in a normal year closing Magic Kingdom at 6 pm several nights per week for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party creates a logistical nightmare. As you can probably imagine, most guests don’t want to spend their day in Magic Kingdom during the holiday season if they won’t be allowed in the park after sunset.
The event hours here suggest that Walt Disney World agrees with our perspective–that it’s simply not feasible from an operational perspective to close that early in November and December. However, the solution doesn’t make a ton of sense either. Very Merriest After Hours starting at 9 pm and running until 1 am is going to automatically rule out a ton of families who would otherwise love to see the parade and fireworks. Many of those who aren’t eliminated by virtue of the late hours will find the price points to be a total non-starter.
Ultimately, the entertainment and other details announced for Disney Very Merriest After Hours feels very much like an internal “compromise” between competing factions in Walt Disney World management. Maybe some leaders or divisions wanted an After Hours event and some wanted Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party–so this is what we got. A combination of the two events and, it would seem, the cost of the two added together for one outrageously priced evening.
While I am very heartened by the return of holiday fireworks and a full parade, the numbers just don’t add up. It would’ve made more sense to rename the party and remove the After Hours branding, increase the capacity cap, and price this more competitively. With a few weeks until tickets go on sale, perhaps we’ll still see that change happen. It wouldn’t be the first time that Disney pivots with this event or other modifications due to guest feedback.
Of course, that assumes guest feedback to this will be negative. Perhaps it won’t. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how well Disney Very Merriest After Hours sells. Many dates for Disney After Hours Boo Bash sold out quickly, and this offers a significantly better lineup than that, at least in theory.
With that said, the price increase for Disney Very Merriest After Hours seems too steep to me. While it has sold well, the audience was already narrow for Disney After Hours Boo Bash. I suspect many of the guests who reluctantly paid more than they would’ve liked for that will sit out Very Merriest After Hours due to that significant price jump–especially the dates that cross that $200 threshold. Then again, maybe I’m underestimating the number of guests with disposable income or willing to splurge around Christmas. (‘Tis the season!)
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts about all of this? Is Disney Very Merriest After Hours fairly priced or way too high? Do you think this is a “compromise” between an After Hours event and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year? Will your family be buying or sitting this Christmas-themed event out? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Are you disappointed that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party won’t be happening, or is Disney Very Merriest After Hours a superior (or at least sufficient) alternative for you? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My friend and I are trying to decide between visiting in the beginning of December (1st – 5th) or towards the middle/end of January 2022. I have been during the holiday season and absolutely love it (huge Christmas fan) but I’m wondering if it would be better to go in January when crowds may be lower. Has anyone gone around these times and recommend one?? If the crowds are going to be around the same due to the 50th anniversary and revenge travel, maybe we should shoot for December just to enjoy the holiday festivities/decor? I would also love to try the Merriest after hours event but I don’t know if it would be worth it for that amount of money :(. As two young adults, we have the ability to stay up late, but not sure if our wallets can take the hit.
“The event starting at 9 pm and running until 1 am is going to automatically rule out a ton of families who would otherwise love to see the parade and fireworks. Many of those who aren’t eliminated by virtue of the late hours will find the price points to be a total non-starter.”
You hit the nail on the head with this statement! We are going the week of Thanksgiving as a group of 10, with ages ranging from 4 1/2 to 61. We could handle the late hours for 1 night of the trip by resting before going to MK and doing a late start the next day. However, spending $2,000 plus for a trip that’s already costing so much money is just not in the cards for us. I considered just having my husband and myself go while the other adults stay with the kiddos, but even spending $300-500 is just too much that close to Christmas.
Very thankful that our trip happens in November when we can get the “cheapest” party pricing. If it were at the higher end of the spectrum…we’d likely not be going. (And it’s only going to be my husband and myself – can’t imagine if our family of 4 were going…!)
Agreed! We will be there December 20-27 so only party we could attend is 21st. $1000 for family of 4. Not to mention they are non-refundable. Being from Canada I am not even sure this trip is a go until much closer to. I can’t throw away $1000 US on something that might not happen. If the trip happens it will be our first time at Christmas so that will be good enough.
We are probably in the minority here but we plan on going. We haven’t gone anywhere since Covid started and figured a trip to Disney World at Christmas time would be a great first trip. I expect this will likely be the only time we ever go at this time of year (we are diehard Spring Garden Festival people) and I wouldn’t want to miss out on the “extra” Christmas celebrations. I am, however, concerned about how we will maintain any sort of touring plan after staying up so late at the start of our trip to catch the only Very Merriest night that takes place while we’re there. Usually we stay up late for Villains After Hours or fireworks on the last night of a trip and then drag ourselves to the airport the next day. Getting up early is key to riding more in the parks! I hope the tradeoff to see Very Merriest will be worth it!!! (And can anyone tell me what time tickets for this go on sale on the 17th? I’d ask if you think they might sell out quickly but it sounds like the verdict is still out!)
I will pass on this one. I think Tom makes a great point that while they can advertise all that they are offering for this price, you are so constrained by time you can’t possibly get to all of it. Just waiting around for parades and fireworks is a huge time-suck. I’m very glad I got Boo Bash tickets now (for August with the AP discount) because it was a lot less than Christmas would be. I’ll be curious to see how this goes. As a TA I’d say about 65% of my clients traveling during Boo Bash wanted tickets for that. So far none of my Nov/Dec clients are willing to pay the prices for this event.
Tom and Sarah,
Do you know if they will be adding dates between Christmas and New Years? My wife and I are going down on 12/26 and really would like to attend The Very Merry Christmas party and were bummed to see the last date on 12/21!
Thanks,
Mike
Considering how bad the Christmas season was last year I was really looking forward to coming to Disney World this Christmas. The pricing of the hotels is completely outrageous and the price of this after hours ticket is unbelievable. I’m seriously considering buying a one-day ticket for half the price and just spending the afternoon and early evening in the Magic Kingdom. After all, it’s still going to be decorated for Christmas. This would be especially so if the after-hours ticket is nonrefundable should Disney have to cancel at the last minute. I don’t believe anyone can afford to throw away over $200 if the show doesn’t go on.
Gktw lights was great last year – it was about the only Christmassy thing I did last year. I will be going again this year. And I will be going to Disney Christmas thing too – yes it is ridiculously expensive ( I’ll go on a “cheaper” night though. BUT I have worked my tail off in a very busy Covid unit since day one and this is my reward to myself!!
(It is a price hike but I think some people seem to think Disney is – or should be – a charity)
Umm…NO! Our family and grands thankfully won’t arrive in Orlando until shortly after the 21st of December. However we would pass on spending upwards of $1500 to see a parade. Disney should be ashamed of themselves for prices so high, but welcome to post-covid corporate America.
I was debating about attending the event when I thought the prices would be higher than Boo Bash but $209 just doesn’t seem worth it for what I’d be interested in. I’m going to hold out hope that the extra evening hours continue into December so I can enjoy a few short lines then. Either way, we’re staying at Poly so at least we’ll get 2 firework shows on those nights.
Is there a tentative schedule of events? Like what time are the fireworks and parade. It will be difficult for children to stay up past 1am and be rested to enjoy the next day.
It’s most unlikely that my wife and I who are retired seniors will spend $400.00 plus to see a parade. Disney has gone too far!!!
seriously, that price jump is nuts. combined with the later start time and being billed as after hours event, it almost seems like a crowd control measure, to counteract the insane jump in attendance for the anniversary. doesnt make a lot of sense otherwise to cut out a stage show, 2-3 hours of the event, and then charge 80-100 dollars MORE for it. thats logic-defying lol
@Bridget-
We can afford to go as we are only a family of 3. We do work hard and have the funds. However, since we attended the MVMCP in 2019 and already experienced the same Minnie Christmas fireworks show and similar Christmas parade, the price increase of double what we paid in the past is just ridiculous. We would simply rather spend money on something new that we haven’t seen yet.
We would also like to “vote” with our money by not supporting an event when we feel like the prices are being inflated unfairly. I know Disney could probably care less about our little family of 3, but if everyone who says they’re not going actually doesn’t go, it will be a significant number that MIGHT get their attention.
Also with the tickets not being refundable and everything going on with COVID, it just seems silly to spend that much money on it at this point. But you do you!
@Kimberly- Thank you for the reply and insight on the organization. Since we’ve already experienced the Disney Christmas parade and fireworks at previous Christmas parties, we will definitely be supporting this cause and attending Night of a Million Lights instead this year… it just feels better to spend the money on that!
Our family of 8 will be going to Disney week of Nov. 6th. We have been saving for awhile so we could take our family, all but 2 of us 1st time at Disney. Call me clueless, I just assumed things like a parade and such were included in your park ticket price! To attend this event would cost our family almost $1,600??? And nonrefundable??? Absolutely NO WAY!! Disney: Please keep things affordable for the middle income families, so everyone can have a “Magical” experience!
How much for kids under 2 years old????
@ Teri. You only need to purchase the ticket for the After Hours event. You will be allowed to enter MK at 7 PM on the night of the party. If you want to be in MK for the full day and arrive earlier, that is when you would need a separate park ticket as well.
@Jess and the other people asking about Night of a Million Lights. We kicked off our annual Christmas trip to WDW with by attending last year, and I would HIGHLY recommend it. Is it the anywhere comparable to Disney programming or the Christmas parties? Of course not. But it’s for an excellent cause, and it really is beautiful and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Plus Disney is one of their biggest supporters in terms of lights donated, and the Disney houses and trees (unsurprisingly) stood out from the others and were absolutely gorgeous. Since last year was the first year and they still did a great job getting everything together, I can only imagine what all they’ll do to build it up even more this year. Plus it can’t be overstated how great the cause is. If anyone can squeeze this into their Orlando trip this holiday season, I would definitely say do it!