Friday night, November 12th, was the media event for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. The nice folks at the Walt Disney World Resort invited members of the media out to watch, participate and enjoy all the holiday cheer at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
If you have never been, and we had not been since we moved down to Orlando in the early 90’s, it is a great time to enjoy the mix of Disney magic and the Christmas spirit. The park is decked out in all its holiday goodness and there are special events all over the park throughout the evening.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a ticketed event and the after-hours family-friendly outing takes place:
- Nov. 8, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 28, 30
- Dec. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 19.
The evening kicks off at 7 p.m. and continues until midnight and their are various activities and events throughout the evening. As you wander the park there are a limited number of rides open to enjoy as well as special dance parties in Liberty Square and Tomorrowland.
If you head over to Liberty Square you can join Woody’s Holiday Open House for some hootin’ and hollerin’ fun at The Diamond Horseshoe Review. If you prefer, you can also step on over to Tomorrowland and join in at Cosmic Ray’s Jingle, Dance and Play at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.
On the Castle Forecourt Stage, directly in front of Cinderella Castle, you can enjoy the Celebrate the Season Show during its three performances of the evening; 7:45 pm, 10:05 pm + 11:20 pm. It is a wonderful holiday show featuring your favorite Disney characters as well as a few surprises.
Then there is Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade. The parade (twice nightly at 8:15 pm + 10:30 pm) starts in Frontierland and winds its way through Liberty Square and around the hub in front of Cinderella Castle as it makes its way down Main St. U.S.A. The parade is filled with your favorite Disney characters, but since this is a Christmas parade, the big man himself, Santa Claus is the main draw for this holiday parade. Oh, and did I forget to mention, you can’t have Santa’s sleigh ride without snow, so along with all of this Christmas magic there is snow on Main St. U.S.A.
There are also character meet and greets throughout the park as well as castmembers, dressed in their finest holiday costumes, throughout the park with a variety of holiday-inspired games for kids of all ages as well specific locations for some complimentary hot cocoa and cookies for you and your guests.
All of these celebrations lead up to the magical Holiday Wishes – Celebrate the Season fireworks spectacular at 9:30 pm. Disney is known for their fireworks displays and this show is certainly keeping up with their reputation. I watched the show near the flag pole on Main St. U.S.A.; although I got to see an amazing display, it was not the best location for photographing fireworks. Although I was able to get some shots, there are some better locations that are more conducive to getting that one shot.
One in particular is the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Party. This is a dessert party, about $20 per person, where guests can enjoy a sweet treat buffet and find a seat for one of the best places to watch the fireworks. This party is throughout the season, even on nights without Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but space is limited and reservations are required.
Attractions
In between all of the fun and excitement, there are also a limited number of your favorite attractions that are open during the evening as well. Adventureland has: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Swiss Family Treehouse. Frontierland’s attractions are: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Country Bear Jamboree. The Haunted Mansion is open at Liberty Square. Throughout Fantasyland you can ride: Peter Pan’s Flight, Prince Charming Regal Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Snow White’s Scary Adventures and “it’s a small world”. The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farms is open in Mickey’s Toontown Fair. While in Tomorrowland you can ride: Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Stitch’s Great Escape, Tomorrowland Speedway and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
Tickets
Day-of-party ticket pricing is $59.95 ($53.95 for ages 3-9). Advance tickets are available with $6 savings for most dates. Guests can visit Disneyworld.com/christmasparty or call 407.W.DISNEY.
Advance Purchase Price not available on 12/7, 12/10, 12/12, 12/17, 12/19. All other select nights, when purchased prior to the day of the event:
- $53.95 + tax (Ages 10+)
- $47.95 + tax (Ages 3 – 9);
Day-Of Event Prices:
$59.95 + tax (Ages 10+)
$53.95 + tax (Ages 3 – 9)
Wrapping it Up
Disney is great at crafting the atmosphere for great memories and this event is a great memory-maker for families. It sets the park aglow in Christmas magic and sets the bar for a great holiday season as well as years of memories to come. This is a great event for families as well as a chance to ride some of your favorite attractions without the long lines.
If you can’t make one of these nights, if it doesn’t fit into your holiday plans or budget, you can still experience a lot of Disney’s Christmas magic at the Magic Kingdom as well as all across the Walt Disney World Resort. There is lots happening in all of the parks during the regular hours as well as throughout the resorts, so take some time this holiday season to experience some of the magic of Disney with your family and friends.
To see more photographs from the event, head on over to our flickr set here.
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[Disclaimer – per FTC guidelines 16 CFR Part 255] I was an invited guest to this event and Disney provided me with tickets to the event as well as a small crystal ornament in celebration of their holiday season. I want to thank the great folks at Walt Disney World Event Services for asking us to experience this great party firsthand.