REVIEW: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! Our 16 Tips & Tricks for a Fantastic Night!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is one of our favorite special events at Walt Disney World! The party features favorite Disney characters in their yuletide finest, a shimmering Cinderella Castle, festive sweets and treats, and enchanting holiday entertainment – there’s even snowfall on Main Street, USA! Here is everything you need to know about this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

1 – Basics

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event, complete with snow flurries and complimentary holiday treats, amazing Disney entertainment, and holiday magic. The party begins at 7 pm, after regular park hours.

Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are limited and can be purchased on the Walt Disney World website with prices ranging from $149 – $199 per person. Event dates are:

• •     Thursday, November 9 – SOLD OUT
  •     Friday, November 10 – SOLD OUT
  •     Monday, November 13 – SOLD OUT
  •     Tuesday, November 14 – SOLD OUT
  •     Thursday, November 16 – SOLD OUT
  •     Friday, November 17 – SOLD OUT
  •     Sunday, November 19 – SOLD OUT
  •     Tuesday, November 21 – SOLD OUT
  •     Wednesday, November 22 – SOLD OUT
  •     Sunday, November 26
  •     Tuesday, November 28
  •     Thursday, November 30
  •     Friday, December 1 – SOLD OUT
  •     Sunday, December 3 – SOLD OUT
  •     Tuesday, December 5 – SOLD OUT
  •     Thursday, December 7 – SOLD OUT
  •     Friday, December 8 – SOLD OUT
  •     Sunday, December 10
  •     Tuesday, December 12
  •     Thursday, December 14
  •     Friday, December 15
  •     Sunday, December 17 – SOLD OUT
  •     Tuesday, December 19
  •     Thursday, December 21
  •     Friday, December 22 – SOLD OUT

Like last year, we expect the party tickets to sell out, so if you have a date in mind, don’t wait any longer to purchase your tickets, as they may sell out at any time!

2 – Come Early

While the party does not officially begin until 7:00 pm, you may enter with your party ticket at 4:00 pm. We highly recommend you do this for several reasons. First, you’ll have time to enjoy the decorations and Main Street USA with some daylight. It will get dark shortly before 6:00 pm. Second, there is a lot to do at the party. We recommend getting there early, eating dinner, and even getting a few rides in before the party begins. That way, you’ll be ready to enjoy the exclusive party offerings when the party officially starts. Just be aware that many people have the same idea, and it will be crazy busy trying to enter the park at 4:00 pm. We got off the monorail at 3:51 pm and didn’t make it into Magic Kingdom until 4:15 pm. If you want to enter Magic Kingdom right at 4:00 pm, then you might want to arrive early and line up.

3 – TRON Lightcycle / Run – Virtual Queue – Opens at 6:00 p.m.

Do note that Tomorrowland’s newest attraction, TRON Lightcycle / Run is open during the party. However, you’ll need to join the virtual queue, as no standby line will be open during the party. The virtual queue will become available at 6:00 p.m. You do not need to be in Magic Kingdom to enter the queue. However, the option to join the queue will only be available for guests on the day of the event, and your specific event tickets must be linked to your My Disney Experience account to join. Once joined, you will be given a boarding group that will be called sometime throughout the party. You’ll have an hour to enter the attraction once you are called. Keep in mind that you have no control over when you are called, and you may miss out on party offerings. But it’s great that party guests have the option to ride if they choose to join the Virtual Queue!

4 – Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration

Mickey Mouse and his pals appear on the Cinderella Castle stage for a Christmas extravaganza – “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration.” The show features singers, dancers, and surprises all choreographed to nostalgic and modern medleys of holiday music. You can catch the show at 7:40 pm, 9:25 pm, 10:35 pm, and 11:55 pm. If you’re up for staying up late, we suggest watching the 11:55 pm show of ‘Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration,’ which will free up more party time. 

5 – Frozen Holiday Surprise

New this year is the “Frozen Holiday Surprise,” the castle projection show. The new show brings together Olaf and more than 100 of his Snowgie siblings who attempt to add festive decor to Cinderella Castle. With Anna and Kristoff at her side, Queen Elsa adds sparkling finishing touches, transforming the castle into a shimmering crystallized palace – a look that will remain each evening throughout the holidays.

I have three teenage sons, so I can’t really envision them wanting to take the time to watch this show. However, I thought the show was fantastic and so much fun! This show is for you if you have little ones or Frozen fans. 

This show is offered at 6:15 pm and 8:15 pm. We feel it’s a tough call on which show to recommend. If you are there early, the nice thing about the 6:15 pm show is that it saves you time later during the party to enjoy other offerings. However, regular-day guests will be around to watch the show, so expect Main Street, U.S.A., and the Hub to be crazy busy. If you don’t want to deal with insane crowds, we recommend the 8:15 pm show. It will still be busy but not as busy as the 6:15 pm show. Also, keep in mind the parade starts at 8:30 pm. So, if you watch the 8:15 pm show, try to position yourself in a good spot to see both the show and the parade. That means in front of the castle and Hub area. 

6 – Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

Of course, you don’t want to miss Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. The parade begins in Frontierland and is at 8:30 pm and 11:00 pm. We recommend the second parade as it usually isn’t as crowded as the first. Most people flock to Main Street, U.S.A., or the Hub to watch the parade, so you might find fewer crowds in Frontierland along the parade route. 

7 – Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks

Minnie Mouse orchestrates a sparkling nighttime spectacular with dazzling fireworks, castle projections, and seasonal songs in “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.” Hosted by Minnie Mouse, the holiday extravaganza invites guests to come together in a celebration of heartfelt moments and the magic of Christmas.

The show is presented during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, although the fireworks are also presented nightly from December 23-29. While there are castle projections, they are not as essential to the story of the fireworks show. So, you really can enjoy the show throughout the park since the main focus is the fireworks! Seeing so many fireworks in the sky over Cinderella Castle was great. We highly recommend you watch these and not skip them! While everyone has their favorite part of the night, this was mine. I loved watching the fireworks show! It was awesome!

8 – Don’t Miss the Other Entertainment

There are other entertainment options that you don’t want to miss. Other entertainment options include:

• • Club Tinsel – a dance party at Rockettower Plaza Stage, Tomorrowland
  • Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jingle Jam – a dance party for the little ones with their favorite Disney Junior characters at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.
  • Reindeer Wranglers: 7:15 pm, 8:95 pm, 9:30 pm, 11:40 pm. They are an engaging trio in Frontierland that takes some older, popular songs and gives them a Holiday twist. We had a lot of fun with them before the 11:00 p.m. parade! 

9 – Enjoy Complimentary Treats

We hope you come hungry and ready for sweets and treats because this party has many. All locations, except for Market Street, are open until 12:00 am.

Here are the Treat Locations:

Adventureland

• Tortuga Tavern – buttercream-frosted gingerbread cookies and egg nog

Liberty Square

• Columbia Harbour House – chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate

Fantasyland

• Pinocchio Village Haus – red velvet cake cookies and hot chocolate 

Tomorrowland

• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café – snickerdoodle cookies and hot chocolate
• The Lunching Pad – buttercream-frosted green sprinkle cookies and apple cider

The complimentary treats are a nice bonus to the party. You’ll receive hot chocolate, apple cider, or egg nog at most locations. Cookie treats vary by location, including buttercream-frosted gingerbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, red velvet cake cookies, and buttercream-frosted green sprinkle cookies. The cookies are individually wrapped, so you can take them home with you later if you desire. Also, allergy-friendly and sugar-free treats are available at each location upon request!

10 – Enjoy Attractions with a Holiday Twist

Select Magic Kingdom attractions get a jolly holiday overlay with Jungle Cruise transforming into Jingle Cruise and special holiday makeovers of Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and Mad Tea Party.

The Space Mountain overlay is fantastic. I might like the Christmas version more than the Halloween version, and I didn’t think that could be topped. If you’re a Space Mountain fan, you don’t want to miss this! 

Tomorrowland Speedway is fun with the holiday twist. You’ll hear Holiday tunes as you drive around and see holiday decorations. 

Another attraction with a fantastic holiday twist is the Jingle Cruise in Adventureland. However, the Jingle Cruise is offered all day long during the holiday season. So, we suggest you enjoy this attraction during the 4 pm – 7 pm hours or another day so you can save your party hours for exclusive offerings you can’t get any other time.

11 – Rare Disney Character Meet & Greets

One of the biggest highlights of the Christmas Party is the chance to meet rare characters or characters in holiday costumes. Here is a list of confirmed characters. However, always check the My Disney Experience app, as character appearances are subject to change. 

Main Street, U.S.A.

• Mickey Mouse
• Jack Skellington and Sally
• Mary Poppins

Fantasyland

• Tweelde Dee and Tweedle Dum
• Alice and the White Rabbit
• Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet
• Ariel and Prince Eric
• Rapunzel and Flynn Rider
• Cinderella and Prince Charming
• Snow White and Prince
• Aurora and Prince Phillip
• Belle
• Merida

Storybook Circus

• Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck 
• Scrooge McDuck
• Santa Goofy
• Seven Dwarfs

Adventureland

• Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, and Genie
• Captain Jack Sparrow
• Peter Pan
• Stitch

Frontierland

• Country Bears: Liverlips, Shaker, Wendell, and Big Al
• Tiana and Naveen

Liberty Square

• Santa

12 – Specialty Foods

In addition to the complimentary holiday treats, there are other special holiday treats available for purchase. Click here for a listing of all of the holiday food and beverage items available during the party, most of which are exclusive to party guests. I tried the Candy Cane Tart at Casey’s Corner. While I like peppermint, this tart was very pepperminty! I would have liked to have a milder peppermint taste, and I also would have liked to have tasted the chocolate. If you love peppermint, this is the treat for you! 

13 – Get Some Magic Shots

Disney PhotoPass Photographers will be making merry photo opportunities during the Christmas Party. In addition to the six onboard attraction photo capture opportunities and character greetings, there are “holly-jolly props,” Magic shots, Animated Magic Shots, and scenic photo spots adorned in holiday décor. The locations are all over the park. Simply ask each photographer you visit which Magic Shots are available at that location.

14 – Stay Late

We recommend staying late and enjoying everything the party has to offer. So, enjoy the magical holiday atmosphere and stay as late as you can. The party will go on right through 12:00 am. As long as you are in line for an attraction by 11:59 pm, you’ll be able to ride that attraction.

Finally, don’t be afraid to stick around Main Street U.S.A. for photos after midnight. We have left the party as late as 12:30 pm, and it was still very busy, with many lines for PhotoPass photographers more than 10 minutes long. The cast members will gently move you along when it’s time to go, but you can enjoy the atmosphere and get photos taken usually through 1 am. Just be respectful of cast members and security directing you to leave.

15 – Have a Plan in Mind

We have good news and bad news about the party. The good news is that there is so much to do at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Between amazing entertainment options, enjoying Magic Kingdom attractions, snacking on complimentary treats, and meeting your favorite Disney characters in unique outfits. The bad news is that there is so much to do that you will not be able to enjoy everything the party has to offer. You simply can’t. Before arriving at the party, talk with your family about what everyone wants to do most and go from there. If this is your only time at Magic Kingdom, then you might want to focus on the attractions. If you’ve been to the party before and have seen the parade, then perhaps you’ll skip that for some character greetings. If you’re not into meeting the characters or don’t mind skipping attractions, then perhaps you want to camp out on Main Street USA or the Hub for the stage show, the fireworks, and the parade. There are lots of ways to experience the party. Having a plan in mind beforehand will hopefully set the stage for a perfect evening!

16 – Overall Thoughts

Overall, we really enjoyed the party. Magic Kingdom is a very special place to celebrate Christmas. The entertainment and decorations are top-notch. If you’ll be visiting Disney World during the holiday season, attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an excellent choice!

Editor’s Note: Disney Parks, Experiences and Products provided us with a complimentary Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. However, as always, the thoughts and recommendations contained in this article are entirely our own.