The halls are once again decked throughout Walt Disney World and Magic Kingdom has kicked off its big holiday bash — Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
This year, the holly-jolly soiree welcomes back the charming Seven Dwarfs meet-and-greet and spices up the night with new entertainment. Whether you’re trying to decide if you should buy a ticket (don’t delay, nights are selling out fast!) or just want to ensure you make the most of the festive fete, our annual guide will help you sleigh this year’s celebration.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — The Basics
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a ticketed after-hours event that runs from 7 p.m. to midnight on select nights between November 9 and December 22. Ticket prices vary by party date and range from $159 to $199 for adults, $149 to $189 for kids ages 3-9. A $10 discount is available to Disney Vacation Club Members and Annual Passholders on select event nights. Quite a few nights are already sold out so act quickly if you want to attend.
The party officially begins at 7 p.m., with the park closing to day guests at 6 p.m., but your ticket gets you admission to Magic Kingdom beginning at 4 p.m. (no park reservation needed). To get the most out of your ticket, get to the park right at or just before 4 p.m., as a few high-demand party experiences begin early.
A ticket to the party. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
Party guests need a wristband to experience party-exclusive offerings — pick yours up at the designated “Event Entrance” tapstiles at the main entrance. Or, for guests who were already in the park on day tickets, wristbands are also distributed at several in-park locations: Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland, Tortuga Tavern in Adventureland, across from Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Tomorrowland and Chamber of Commerce.
Yuletide Tactics: How to Maximize the Merriment
Although shorter-than-normal wait times for rides and attractions are an advertised perk of Disney’s ticketed after-hours parties, you’re paying a premium for a limited-time experience so it’s best to prioritize the party’s unique offerings. Here’s a rundown of all of the party exclusives to help you choose how to spend your time.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (8:30 p.m. & 11 p.m.)
Most Magic Kingdom parades can be enjoyed relatively consistently anywhere along the parade route, but for an extra dose of holiday magic, there’s nothing like watching Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade parade along Main Street, U.S.A., where “snow” falls throughout the parade and the holiday lights and wreaths lining Main Street cast a cozy, festive glow. This year I tried a slightly different spot just off Main Street in Town Square, where it was even easier to get a spot.
Mickey and Minnie lead the parade and are joined by Disney friends and holiday characters like the beloved gingerbread men and toy soldiers. Santa and his dancing reindeer bring up the rear in the parade’s finale.
The parade happens twice a night — at 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. — kicking off in Frontierland and taking about 20 minutes to make its way to Main Street. Unsurprisingly, the later parade is significantly less crowded.
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration (7:40 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:35 p.m. & 11:55 p.m.)
On Cinderella Castle’s Forecourt stage, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration takes place four times a night and features an upbeat soundtrack of Disney takes on Christmas classics — our favorites include Clarabelle Cow strutting her stuff to “All I Want for Christmas,” the Toy Story gang with a “Holly Jolly Christmas” hoedown, and the Three Caballeros singing — you guessed it — ”Feliz Navidad.”
As with most everything else at the party, later performances are less crowded. To really maximize your time, wait for the 11:55 p.m. show. The rest of the party technically ends at midnight so you’re not trading anything but sleep when you’re watching this show after the clock strikes midnight.
Christmastime fireworks show. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show (10 p.m.)
Minnie hosts this holiday nighttime spectacular, which includes fireworks, projections on Cinderella Castle, and a soundtrack packed with holiday favorites plus a moving rendition of “When We’re Together” from “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.” While this is a solid show, there’s no single must-see element that demands you camp out all night for a good spot, so don’t waste valuable party time getting there too early.
Frozen Holiday Surprise (8:15 p.m.)
New this year on the Cinderella Castle Stage, characters from Arendelle help deck the halls—Frozen style in this seven-minute show! Olaf leads a flurry of more than 100 snowgies in adorning Cinderella Castle with festive flair. Then, witness the royal arrival of Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff, all donning beautiful new holiday finery. The musical celebration peaks when Elsa wields her icy magic, transforming the castle into a glistening ice palace. The show happens at 8:15 p.m. during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but to maximize your party time, consider instead catching the 6:15 p.m. show before the party starts.
Reindeer Wranglers (7:15 p.m., 8:05 p.m., 9:30 p.m. & 11:40 p.m.)
Catch these cowboys performing country and bluegrass-infused holiday music in Frontierland. You might find yourself hoeing down alongside some Country Bears too.
Disney Junior Jingle Jam (7 p.m.-Midnight)
Moving to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland this year, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, Timon and other Disney Junior characters celebrate with a holiday dance party perfect for young kids.
Club Tinsel (intermittently from 7 p.m.-Midnight)
Head to the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland for a dance party featuring Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and Chip ‘n’ Dale.
The Collective 5ive (intermittently 7 p.m.-Midnight)
New this year, also on the Rockettower Plaza Stage, boy band fans will recognize some of their holiday favorites performed by this dynamic quintet.
Rare and Holiday Character Meet-and-Greets
Rare Disney character meet-and-greets are one of the biggest draws at Disney World’s seasonal parties. The most popular meet-and-greets at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are the same as at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party — the Seven Dwarfs at Storybook Circus, and Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Town Square Theater.
While most meet-and-greets begin when the party starts at 7 p.m., Jack and Sally begin meeting at 4:30 p.m. If you have your heart set on seeing Sandy Claws (Jack dons his Santa suit for this party), a good use of pre-party time is to get your wristband right at 4 p.m. at the main entrance and head straight to Town Square Theater to get in line. This year, I lined up at 4:20 p.m. and was out by 5:20 p.m., well before the party started.
If you don’t want to get there early, try later in the evening. I visited again after 11 p.m. and had no wait at all.
The Seven Dwarfs begin meeting at 6:30 p.m., but their line is also busiest early in the evening, so you’re better off visiting them a bit later in the night. I waited less than 30 minutes at 8:30 p.m.
A cheerful greeting. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
Other popular characters meeting in their holiday finest include Pooh and Friends, Scrooge McDuck and Santa Goofy in Fantasyland and Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater (a much more manageable wait than Jack and Sally).
To keep wait times down, some characters won’t sign autographs, but you can still pick up a pre-printed autograph as a fun, free souvenir.
Here’s the full list of characters and where to find them. Once you’re at the party, look for the blue signs near meeting spots for posted times:
Main Street USA
- Mickey Mouse
- Jack Skellington and Sally
- Mary Poppins
Fantasyland
- Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
- Alice and the White Rabbit
- Winnie the Pooh & friends
- Ariel and Prince Eric
- Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder, Cinderella & Prince Charming
- Snow White & Prince, Aurora & Prince Phillip
- Belle
- Mirabel
Storybook Circus
- Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck
- Scrooge McDuck
- Santa Goofy
- Seven Dwarfs
Adventureland
- Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, Genie
- Captain Jack Sparrow
- Peter Pan
- Stitch
Frontierland
Liberty Square
Classic Attractions with Seasonal Overlays
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
Although exclusive entertainment is the biggest draw for most guests at MVMCP, there are a few rides that add a “holiday twist” during the parties. Space Mountain is an out-of-this-world blast of holiday cheer, with a soundtrack of rock versions of Christmas classics and a lighting package that feels equal parts festive and chaotic in the best possible way. If seeing Space Mountain with the lights on is on your bucket list, this is the closest you’ll get to seeing the interior intentionally lit.
Space Mountain is a popular party focus and another good one to hit early, as it starts loading party guests before 7pm. We got in line at 6:55pm and waited just 20 minutes.
Tomorrowland Speedway and the Mad Tea Party also get holiday glow-ups, with special lights and music, and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor Holiday Show gets a special holiday theme too. Waits for all of these lighten up later in the evening.
Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane selections aren’t available during the party, but riding during the first parade or fireworks is another way to avoid the crowds.
To ride Magic Kingdom’s newest ride, TRON Lightcycle / Run, you’ll need to join the virtual queue at 6pm via the Disney World app.
The holiday switch also gets flipped on Jungle Cruise, transforming it to Jingle Cruise for the full holiday season. This isn’t a party exclusive though so try to ride it outside of party hours to save your time for party-exclusives.
Here’s the full list of attractions open during the party:
Adventureland
Classic attractions take on holiday twist. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
Frontierland
Liberty Square
Fantasyland
Storybook Circus
Tomorrowland
Free Cookies and Holiday Drinks
Fuel up with delicious cookies and eggnog. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
Included with your party ticket, free cookies and holiday drinks are served at various quick-service locations around the park. Look for the peppermint-stick towers designating treat locations where you can get your fill of cookies, hot cocoa, egg nog, and cider. An allergy-friendly option is available at all of the treat locations, which are as follows:
- Adventureland: Tortuga Tavern
- Liberty Square: Columbia Harbour House
- Fantasyland: Pinocchio Village Haus
- Tomorrowland: Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe and The Lunching Pad
You can also balance all that free sugar and spice with something more substantial at a selection of quick-service dining locations open during the party, plus two table-service options — Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Quick-service locations also serve up a variety of for-purchase party-exclusive foods and drinks. Plan ahead with this Foodie Guide and even more time by mobile ordering wherever possible. You can select your return time for later in the evening so order early to ensure you get the pick-up time you want.
Free Commemorative Souvenirs
In addition to all those cookies, guests get to take home a free souvenir — a 2023 toy soldier ornament commemorating the party.
Holiday Photo Ops
Disney PhotoPass photographers are available at many character meet-and-greet spots. But you should also look out for them elsewhere in the park for festive Magic Shots, castle and Christmas tree photos, and seasonal props.
You can also step inside themed holiday photo frames with scenes and sayings like Mele Kalikimaka in Adventureland and Merry Stitch-mas in Tomorrowland.
PhotoPass photo downloads are not included with party admission, so you’ll need to buy them individually or purchase a Memory Maker photo package. Cast Members are also able to take photos with your phone at character meets.
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