Looking to add a little holiday cheer to your next Walt Disney World visit? Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party will add the holiday magic you are looking for. From a cookie walk around the park to exclusive entertainment and fireworks, Very Merry packs a lot to do into a short time frame.
During the holiday season (November 8th - December 22nd 2019) the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World hosts a ticketed event, kicks up the holiday cheer, and brings out the cookies and cocoa. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party offers ticket prices starting at $99.00 and closer to Christmas at $139.00.
At 6pm on the days of the party, regular park guests are asked to leave the park in preparation of the influx of guests attending the party. The party officially begins at 7pm and runs through midnight. This is when the rides will "transform" into their party identity and special characters will begin to assume their positions. Be aware that the lines for these characters will form much earlier. Guests that are attending the party can access Magic Kingdom at 4pm.
Parades, Shows and More
In 2019, Disney debuted a new fireworks show called Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show. This replaces the prior show and adds an impressive projection show on Cinderella's Castle area in addition to the new fireworks.
"A Frozen Holiday Wish" will take place daily in front of the castle at 6:15 p.m. (every night throughout the holiday season) and 8:15 p.m. on party nights. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf can be seen in the show and Queen Elsa's ice powers will transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace. To create the effect, 200,000 twinkling lights illuminate the towers and turrets.
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade happens twice each party night (8:30pm and 11pm). It is wonderfully themed and is a great addition to your holiday season.
Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration happens multiple times throughout the party on the Castle stage. Mickey and his pals invite their friends over for a Christmas party filled with classic and contemporary holiday music, live dancing, and singing. 7:40, 9:25, 10:30, and 11:55 p.m.
Tony's Merriest Town Square Party returns for 2019 offering another upcharge event similar to Cruella's event during the Halloween parties. This event comes in at the same $99 price point for all guests and will offer a selection of sweet and savory treats. It will also include beer and wine selections for the drinkers out there.
Last, but not least, the Disney photographers are again out in full force for the party exclusive PhotoPass Magicshots and with party props. There are a lot of cool additions that they have for your fun family photos, so be sure to ask each photographer what they have available.
Special Ride Additions
A recent addition to the Very Merry are changes to lighting and soundtracks to a few of the attractions around the park. For 2019, these enhancements include special lighting for the Mad Tea Party, a modified soundtrack and lighting for Space Mountain, a Christmas twist for Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and the addition of holiday lighting to Tomorrowland Speedway. Also, the Jungle Cruise becomes the Jingle Cruise throughout the holidays with their own brand of holiday cheer and the same bad jokes.
Be aware that these rides will attract more riders because of the changes, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Finding Rare Characters
As with the Not-So-Scary Halloween party, the Very Merry party goers will be able to enjoy the chance to meet some rarely seen characters around the park. Be aware there are a couple characters that tend to draw enormous crowds because the party is their only time in any of the parks. Below is a list of characters and their locations. Make sure to line up early as some of the lines will be capped even before the party begins.
Main Street U.S.A.
Santa Claus (Main Street Courtyard - Candy Cane Garden)
Mickey Mouse (Town Square Theater)
Jack Skellington (as Sandy Claws) and Sally (Town Square Theater)
Adventureland
Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie and Abu (near Magic Carpets of Aladdin)
Captain Jack Sparrow (across from Pirates of the Caribbean)
Moana (inside Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room)
Peter Pan (roaming)
Frontierland
Country Bears (roaming)
Fantasyland
Ariel and Prince Eric (across from Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid)
Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder (Princess Fairy Tale Hall)
Cinderella and Prince Charming (Princess Fairy Tale Hall)
Tiana and Naveen (Princess Fairytale Hall)
Aurora and Prince Phillip (Princess Fairytale Hall)
Elena of Avalor (Princess Fairytale Hall)
Snow White and her Prince (near Princess Fairytale Hall)
Belle (near Bonjour! Village Gifts)
Winnie the Pooh and Friends (next to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)
The Seven Dwarfs (inside Pete's Silly Slideshow in Storybook Circus)
Minnie Mouse, Scrooge McDuck, Donald and Daisy (Storybook Circus)
Santa Goofy (near Barnstormer exit)
Mary Poppins and Bert (near Mickey's Philharmagic)
Tomorrowland
Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps (near Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin exit)
Cookie Walk at Magic Kingdom
There are multiple locations around Magic Kingdom that are turned in to cookie stations for the night. Guests are given a cookie and drink at each location. These areas are marked with large inflatable candy canes and are open the duration of the party with the exception of the Main Street Welcome station that closes at 8pm. There are also allergy friendly treats at each location upon request.
Specialty Food and Merchandise
In addition to the cookie locations, there are multiple dining locations that have party exclusive food items. These items are listed on the party map next to the location description. If you are looking to take home some party swag, there are many special merchandise items that can be found in the shops, especially the Emporium, around the park on party nights.
Have you been or are you planning to go in 2020? Let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
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