It’s FINALLY happening — Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has returned to Disney World!
Magic Kingdom’s Christmas Tree!
This Magic Kingdom event is back for the first time since 2019, and we’ve already taken a look at what we can expect from the party this year like the festive eats and drinks, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, and more. We’ll be sharing everything you need to know during the very first night of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — starting with the crowds!
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party technically kicks off at 7PM, but guests with party tickets can enter the parks as early as 4PM! This means that for the first few hours, day guests are still in the parks and things can get pretty crowded.
Unfortunately, the night started off pretty rainy...but that didn’t seem to stop the crowds!
All the ponchos
There were LOTS of people in ponchos gathered at the entrance to Magic Kingdom, waiting to get their wristbands and head into the party. Seriously, like A LOT of people. But this area gets congested pretty quickly, so just how bad were the crowds once we headed inside?
Crowds at the entrance
Things are still looking pretty crowded around here, but keep in mind that now we’re mingling with regular day guests until they have to exit the park.
Lots of people
We said hello to some very festive Cast Members greeting partygoers, and then trudged on to see what the rest of the park looked like. Typically, the crowds thin out after day guests exit — some of the best parts about Disney After-Hours Parties are the low wait times we’ve seen in the past!
We spotted some Cast Members greeting the crowds…
Since it was raining, we popped into the Emporium to stay dry, but so did everyone else!
Whoa!
Main Street, U.S.A. was pretty congested as well — but just look at how pretty those lights are! Can you blame people for wanting to just take it all in?
A crowded main street
But, after the day guests started to clear out we were able to get quite the view of Main Street, U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle — with very few guests impeding our view! It seems like once those day guests exit the park, the crowds really do begin to dissipate. This is a sold out night, though, so it’s possible that more guests will show up.
Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?
Cinderella Castle was all aglow in green, and a good amount of guests had gathered down in front of the castle to take photos and admire the festive decor. We’ll be keeping an eye on the crowds all night long and reporting on everything there is to know about the party!
Cinderella Castle
There were quite a few guests over in Tomorrowland waiting to get their party wristbands…
Wristband line
…but as the night went on, it seemed like this futuristic land started to get a bit roomier — at least over by Space Mountain!
Not too crowded over here!
Keep in mind that this is just what we experienced on the first night of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and things could vary depending on when you’re visiting. This is a sold-out night, so that’s worth noting as well!
Stay tuned as we continue to report on the crowds at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!
Cast Members
Thinking about grabbing a ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Check out all the dates that have already sold out here, and see everything announced for the 2022 holiday season in Disney World here!
We’re LIVE From the First Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — Follow Along Here!
DON'T MISS A MOMENT
OF HOLIDAY MAGIC
Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World.
It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including:
- The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season
- How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!)
- ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM.
- And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat!
Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT.
MORE Disney World Holiday INFO!
Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights
Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
Are you heading to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year? Let us know in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
We went to the opening night party and thought crowds were perfect this time.
We had a 7pm dinner at Citricos while it rained. Took an almost empty monorail one stop to MK and No one was in sight. We were the only family scanning IN to the park/party at about 9pm.
Lot of people lined up for the parade and fireworks at this point once on Main St. but since we weren’t interested in any of that, we took a quick left to Jingle Cruise & Pirates … 5 min wait on each. Basically just the walk in. 5 minutes on BTRR and SM. 13 minutes for HM was our longer wait times.
Very impressed that they kept crowds low. Perhaps rain did it? But from 9pm > 11:30pm it didn’t rain at all. So I was dry as a bone.
No special pins this year was a bummer. And far less “cookie & coco” stations like years past.
Overall; A-