When it comes to Christmas, the most magical place on earth sure knows how to celebrate the most magical time of year. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an incredible yearly event at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World and I am brimming with excitement to share more with you!
Last year was the first time we had been in 13 years! It was an absolutely incredible time with so many fun things to do and even more is in store for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2023! Running from early November to just a few days before Christmas, the party is a special ticketed event on select nights leading up to the holidays.
Everything You Need to Know About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
While you will need to purchase a separate park ticket to attend the event, the magic of Disney’s Christmas party is not to be missed.
Running from 7 pm to midnight, guests can enter the park as early as 4 pm for their extra special holiday visit. DVC Members (Disney Vacation Club) can get in at 2 p.m. with a ticket and their DVC Member Card (and also enjoy a special viewing area of the fireworks).
Let’s dive into all magical holiday treats and entertainment you can enjoy at this event below!
Holiday Entertainment Shows & Dance Parties
A favorite part of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2023 (and each year for that matter) is enjoying the special holiday shows and performances. Throughout the park, you will find holiday-themed entertainment with all your favorite Disney characters.
Kick the evening off with “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration”, a show with all the best Disney characters singing and dancing to holiday tunes.
Another favorite is “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas” you can sing Christmas carols with Buzz Lightyear while Stitch goes on his own hunt for Santa. The Edge Effect show is a holiday acapella concert with all your favorite holiday tunes. And for a bit of dancing, check out Club Tinsel at Cosmic Ray’s.
You can also head to Club Tinsel or Disney Junior Jingle Jam for a dance party.
Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
This was probably my favorite part of the entire event. There is nothing better than a Disney parade. With music, incredible costumes, and amazing light shows, any parade at Disney is sure to impress. For the holidays though, the park goes all out on their extra festive Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.
The parade has all your favorite characters decked out in their holiday finest. Enjoy Christmas tunes while reindeer and gingerbread men dance up the street. Disney even adds the extra special touch of snow floating down all along the parade’s Main Street route. And if all that isn’t amazing enough, Santa himself even makes an appearance!
The Once Upon a Christmastime Parade travels through the park twice each night, usually starting around 8:30 and 10:30.
*Pro Tip – Grab the seat underneath the tree facing the castle for the most incredible view of the parade.
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show
Topping off a magical day, the nightly fireworks shows at Disney are never to be missed. During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there is an extra special version of the classic fireworks show – Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show.
Starting at around 10:00, you will definitely want to scope out a great viewing location for the show a bit ahead of time. Incorporating beautiful holiday music into the performance, the show is truly a 360° experience with fireworks and lights coming from all around the park.
Lasting around 12 minutes, the show will have you humming along with Christmas tunes before blowing up the sky with Disney’s holiday grand finale.
All Your Favorite Characters in their Holiday Best
While Meet & Greets with your favorite characters are possible anytime you visit Disney, during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party you’ll have some extra special opportunities.
All the classic characters are out and about during the party, dressed in their holiday best. Lines for Meet & Greets usually aren’t too long, even for the holiday favorites – Mickey, Minnie, the Seven Dwarfs, etc.
In addition to the main characters, during the holiday party, a few extra special guests appear. From the holiday favorite, Nightmare Before Christmas, you’ll have a chance to meet Jack Skellington, dressed as Sandy Claws, and Sally. You can also see Santa himself at the Candy Cane Garden.
Free Holiday Treats
So, this might have been my teenager’s favorite part of the night. In honor of Santa, the jolly man’s favorite treats – hot cocoa and cookies – are not only available but free to all party guests the entire night.
There are actually over 5 treat stops across the park and you’ll find not only cookies and cocoa but also free sno-cones, eggnog, and apple cider. There are a variety of cookies served throughout the park’s treat stops including classic chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, ginger molasses cookies, and the extra festive peppermint crunch cookies (my personal favorite)
Holiday Exclusive Dining
If you don’t fill up enough on the free cookies and cocoa, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party also has a number of exclusive dining events. These events are additional costs on top of the Christmas Party entrance ticket but include extra festive treats and benefits like reserved fireworks show and parade viewing spaces.
For a full dinner, book a spot at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Dining. The Fireworks Holiday Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace and the Fireworks Holiday Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing both have extra special holiday treats, along with perfect firework views.
Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party has savory hors-d’oeuvres, desserts, and even some festive alcoholic drinks, along with reserved viewing space for the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.
Shorter Lines for Your Favorite Rides!
Last but not least, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a great time to visit a few of your favorite Disney rides.
As the party is an exclusive nighttime event, the park is usually not as crowded as during the day. Plus, with all the extra special holiday shows and treats, plenty of people will just be too busy to check out many of the park’s rides.
What that means for you is short, quick lines for popular rides like Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and the extra special holiday-themed Jingle (Jungle) Cruise. We hopped on Big Thunder Mountain in 10 minutes and The Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride in just 20 minutes.
Overall, we had an incredible time at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We surprised ourselves and actually stayed until the party ended at midnight. You can save money by pre-purchasing your tickets at Disneyworld.com. Disney Vacation Club members can save even more!
Schedule of Events
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2023 – Full List of Entertainment & Times
Tomorrowland
- Club Tinsel Dance Party (Cosmic Ray’s) – 7 pm to 12 am
- A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas (Rockettower Plaza Stage) – 7:45 pm, 8:35 pm, 9:25 pm, 10:45 pm, 11:35 pm
- The Edge Effect (Rockettower Plaza Stage) – 8:10 pm, 9 pm, 10:20 pm, 11:10 pm
Frontierland
- Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade (begins in Frontierland) – 8:30 pm and 11 pm
- The Reindeer Wranglers – 7:15 pm, 8:05 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:45 pm
Cinderella Castle
- A Frozen Holiday Wish – 6:15 pm, 8:15 pm
- Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration – 7:40 pm, 9:25 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:55 pm
- Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks – 10 pm
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2023 – Character Meet and Greet Locations
Main Street U.S.A.
Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse, Jack Skellington (as Sandy Claws), Sally Nightingale
Frontierland
Country Bears
Adventureland
Captain Jack Sparrow, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie and Abu,
Peter Pan, Moana
Liberty Square
Mary Poppins and Bert
Fantasyland
Seven Dwarfs, Minnie and Daisy, Santa Goofy (Our Favorite), Timon, Doc McStuffins and Vampirina. Ariel and Prince Eric, Rapunzel and Flynn, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Belle, Pooh and Friends, Snow White and Prince, Aurora and Prince Phillip, Elena of Avalor, Tiana and Naveen, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck
Tomorrowland
Reindeer and Polar Bears, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps
*Disclaimer: We received complimentary tickets from Walt Disney World Resort, all thoughts and opinions are our own
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