REVIEW: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! Our Review with 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.

Click here for our Instagram Story with lots of photos and video from our visit to 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 $169 – $219 per person. Event dates are (with availability as of November 13, 2024):

• • November – 8 (sold out), 11 (sold out), 12 (sold out), 14 (sold out), 15 (sold out), 17 (sold out), 19 (sold out), 21, 22, 24 (sold out), 26, 27 and 29 (sold out)
  • December – 1 (sold out), 3 (sold out), 5 (sold out), 6 (sold out), 8 (sold out), 10 (sold out), 12, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 20 (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 at 4:00 pm, you might want to arrive early and line up.

3 – Market Street

When you arrive, you’ll be directed down Market Street. Be sure to follow the directions of the Cast Members because you will receive your complimentary ornament here. See the photo above for this year’s ornament. If you head over to the Christmas tree for photos, just make sure you go back to the right and walk down Market Street rather than Main Street, USA, so you can receive your ornament.

4 – New! Santa’s Christmas Carnival at Storybook Circus

New this year is a must-visit destination for families, a new Santa’s Christmas Carnival filled with fun activities and North Pole friends. At this fun location, located next to Pete’s Silly Sideshow, you’ll find:

• • Meet Santa
  • Take part in crafts and activities for young partygoers, including writing a letter to Santa
  • Capture snapshots
  • Enjoy a variety of holiday snacks, including the Santa Belt Buckle desert and Festive Pretzel.

We visited the new area early in the evening and found that Santa was out greeting guests already by 6:30 p.m. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes to visit with him. There is a small area for kids to write letters to Santa and do other crafts, such as coloring paper ornaments, while their parents wait in line. There are elves to help reunite the kids with their parents. We thought it was great that the kids had something to do while waiting to greet Santa. We love this new area and think Disney did a great job with it!

5 – Fantastic Entertainment

The fantastic entertainment offered during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a huge draw for most people. Here is a rundown of each of the offerings. First up is the stage show, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration, which is a show with high energy and lots of your favorite characters. Frozen Holiday Surprise is a shorter show where Frozen friends ring in the holiday season, and Elsa works her magic on Cinderella Castle. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is a fun parade featuring fan-favorite characters like the Toy Soldiers and the reindeer ahead of Santa himself. Finally, there are dance parties around the park. We’ll have an in-depth article covering the entertainment, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter to learn more.

6 – Enjoy Complimentary Treats

We hope you come hungry and ready for sweets and treats because this party has many. All locations are open until midnight.

Here are the Treat Locations:

Adventureland

• • • Tortuga Tavern – Red Velvet Cookie and apple cider

Liberty Square

• • • Columbia Harbour House – Carmel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie and hot chocolate

Fantasyland

• • • Gaston’s Tavern – Frosted Gingerbread Cookie and apple cider 

Tomorrowland

• • • Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café – Buttercream Frosted Sugar Cookie and hot chocolate
    • The Lunching Pad – Buttercream Frosted Sugar Cookie and apple cider

The complimentary treats are a nice bonus to the party. You’ll receive hot chocolate or apple cider at various locations. The cookies are Cheryl’s Cookies, and they were delicious. They are definitely a step up from the cookies in past years. 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!

7 – 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.

8 – 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
• Princess Elena

Fantasyland

• Anna and Elsa
• Cinderella and Prince Charming
• Rapunzel and Flynn Rider
• Aurora and Prince Phillip
• Belle
• Ariel and Prince Eric
• Friends from Alice in Wonderland
• Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet
• Snow White and Prince
• Mirabel and Bruno

Storybook Circus

• Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Scrooge McDuck
• Santa Claus

Adventureland

• Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, and Genie
• Captain Jack Sparrow
• Moana

Liberty Square

• Tiana and Naveen
• Mary Poppins

Tomorrowland

• Stitch

9 – 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! We also enjoyed two of the treats from Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and one from Cosmic Ray’s.

10 – 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.

11 – Stay Late

We recommend staying late and enjoying everything the party has to offer. 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 left the party at 12:40 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.

12 – 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!

13 – 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 two complimentary Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and a Disney Gift Card for holiday treats. However, as always, the thoughts and recommendations contained in this article are entirely our own.