In terms of basics, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) 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 MVMCP.
One thing you can expect is more expensive tickets! Prices start at $99, with most dates over $100 per person. We’ll cover whether we think the Christmas party is worth the money later in the post, but suffice to say, we have some initial sticker shock. It wasn’t too long ago that tickets were under $50 per night.
Before we dig into more info about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, here’s a 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.
For those readers wanting that same info in the form of a beautiful eBook, our free Walt Disney World Christmas eBook covers everything. It is 75+ pages, with 100+ photos, and tons of great tips & info! You can get this totally-free ebook via instant download by clicking here.
Unfortunately, no significant additions were made to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party last year. There were some new costumes in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and slight changes to entertainment, but that’s about it.
The last big addition was a new Cinderella Castle forecourt stage show called “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration,” which replaced “Celebrate the Season” a few years ago. Despite Disney replacing Wishes with ‘Happily Ever After’ which features new projection mapping, there was no replacement (or added effects) to Holiday Wishes. Here’s hoping that happens in 2019, as Holiday Wishes is starting to feel a bit tired.
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.
MVMCP doesn’t offer as much entertainment or as many unique character meet & greets as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so utilizing some sort of advance plan to maximize your time isn’t really necessary. You should be able to tour at a much more leisurely pace, and still experience everything.
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 party. The cost is $84 per adult or $50 for children ages 3-9.
The dessert party includes 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.
Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party – Speaking of things we don’t recommend, another is the new Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party, which is the exact same idea as the fireworks dessert party, but with a spread at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, followed by reserved parade viewing for the 11 p.m. parade.
This costs $99 per person on top of the cost of your party ticket, and includes savory appetizers and desserts, plus complementary beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. It also extends beyond the normal end-time of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, running until 12:30 a.m.
All of this might sound good (except the price), but note that this is at Tony’s Town Square, which is notorious for being one of the worst restaurants at Walt Disney World.
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 availably only during the event. These include the Yule Log, Red Velvet Zero Waffles, and Holiday Burger (pictured above).
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 Pinocchio Village Haus, 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.
Note: this location is now the reserved viewing area for the Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party during the 11 p.m. parade. Occasionally, it is also reserved for other purposes during the earlier parade, as well.
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.
A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show – A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas is a bizarre little stage show in Tomorrowland focusing on Stitch’s efforts to track and capture Santa Claus, with appearances by Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski, and human singers and dancers.
Depending upon your perspective, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas is cheesy and lame or kitschy and oddly endearing. We are unapologetic fans of A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas and love it in unironically. Seriously. It’s not actually the greatest thing ever (there’s nary a dinosaur in sight, after all), but it is pretty awesome.
There are probably only a handful of people in the world over the age of 8 who will admit to enjoying A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, and we are both among that handful. When it initially debuted several years ago, replacing Mickey’s Twas the Night Before Christmas, we were both annoyed. Since then, it has slowly won us over, and has attained must-do status at the Christmas Party for us.
We think A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas is fun, crazy, and downright silly, but overall, enjoyable. We also recognize that it’s an acquired taste, and not everyone will enjoy it. We’d encourage you to give it a chance before writing it off–you may love it like we do.
The Edge Effect – Taking the same stage as A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, the Edge Effect is an a capella group that appears 4 times nightly singing Christmas music.
Previously, this same role was occupied by VoicePlay. Both groups are excellent, and we’d strongly recommend watching one of Edge Effect’s performances almost immediately before A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas.
If you read our report on the party from the year Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration debuted, you know that we really enjoy this show…for the most part. We don’t want 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 11:55 p.m. 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.
Holiday Wishes! – One of the highlights of the night is the fireworks show, Holiday Wishes. Holiday Wishes is amazing in its ability to thematically incorporate fireworks so they fit not only the name of the show, but more importantly, with the accompanying song lyrics.
For those who have seen Holiday Wishes, who among you, when you first heard and saw the “O Christmas Tree” portion of the show didn’t melt a little inside? While the fireworks play an important role, the lyrics truly deserve more than just a passing mention.
In terms of viewing these 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 Holiday Wishes, 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.
I am not exactly musically-inclined, but I absolutely love the music in this fireworks show–it does a great job of tugging on the heartstrings. From its opening, with “Spirit of the Season” to the conclusion, the soundtrack is perfect. Its transitions are wonderfully done, as it often goes from drastically different songs without seeming forced.
, which has the soundtrack from the Christmas fireworks. It’s definitely one thing you must see if you’re going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and a highlight of the evening for many guests!
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.
The other big meet & greet of the event is the Seven Dwarfs. With Sandy Claws and the Seven Dwarfs, it’s really an either/or thing. If you want to meet both, you’re going to spend about half of your Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party waiting in those two character lines. The Seven Dwarfs will be appearing in Storybook Circus at Pete’s Silly Side Show.
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 and the Seven Dwarfs due to their 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!
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 per year 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 $95/adult and crowds increasing every year, we can no longer make that unequivocal recommendation.
Yes, it’s a lot of fun. Is it ~$100 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.
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.
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. Many party nights are just as crowded as a normal night in the Magic Kingdom. 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 few years, 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 to Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 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.
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 2019 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!
Do Judy hopp and the princesses with their princes meet before the party start?
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!
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.
We are first timers with our grand daughter; love your blog!
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.
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.
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.
I love the parade and the fireworks show. I hope they remove the “odd” song because I am still scarred from it 2 years ago haha. Although I dont partake in the Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom, I love the special Tiki Bird card.
How do they “clear out” the park of regular daytime guests once the special ticketed events begin? I am guessing you will need to show your wristband after 6 to ride rides, get cookies, etc. but if you have a dining reservation close to early closing time and then just stroll around and shop for an hour or so after that, is anyone going to stop you?
Does a memory maker purchased with a package date that includes the Christmas party dates include the Christmas party photos?
Yes, we used our Memory Maker during the MNSSHP Halloween Party this year (2018), and it worked.
Yes. We used our Memory Maker during the MNSSHP Halloween party, and it worked.
Are the parks less crowded on MVMCP days the week before Christmas? Trying to decide if it is better to go a non-party day or a party day the week of December 16th. I’ve read party days are less crowded and many calendars show the crowds are not expected to be as bad on those days, but wondered if that has changed over the years with more people going and with DVC members getting earlier access. Our goal is less crowds and we are okay missing fireworks. We would be going either Monday Dec 17th without the party, or Sunday the 16th or Tuesday the 18th with the party. Thanks for any help!
They have announced that DVC members will be able to access MK at 2 p.m. on for MVMC Party What is unclear is how Fast Pass+ can work during this time. Yes, it is non operational for the actual party 6pm+ but what about from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.? That is if you DO NOT use a regular park ticket and enter only with the party ticket at 2 pm, can you make fast pass selections? I see conflicting reports. Some say you can and some say if you do it will take one of your regular park tickets off your total.
You have to schedule all non-party day fast passes before you schedule the fast passes for the party. The system uses normal tickets first, but if you’ve used all of them, it will then recognize that you have a party ticket and let you schedule for that day. I called and asked a cast member about this. I currently have fast passes for all days of our normal tickets, and for the party we are going to in December.
I tried to do that and got an email that my last day of fastpasses would be removed because I used more days than were on my ticket.
Are you required to have a park ticket or can you just purchase a ticket for the party?
You can just purchase a ticket to the party. Entry begins at 4pm, but the DVC members are possibly being allowed in at 2pm. They changed that for the Halloween party this year, but have not announced it for the Christamas party yet.
Also, the fastpass is not active for the party, nor is the disability pass. Prior to 6pm, both are active and you can make selections for fast pass, but that’s it.