It’s here! It’s here! It’s FINALLY HERE! Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is BACK in Disney World, and we’re at the party on the very first night to check everything out!
Toy Soldiers
The party hasn’t happened at Disney World since 2019, with it being canceled in 2020 due to the global pandemic and replaced with Disney Very Merriest After Hours in 2021. Now, it’s finally back, and there is a TON to do! From food to entertainment to merchandise, there’s a lot to check out. So, let’s jump right in! Follow along as we go to the first Christmas Party of this year.
First, a little bit about the logistics of the party.
This is a separately ticketed event, so you have to buy a ticket specifically for the party in order to attend. You can’t just buy a ticket for Magic Kingdom for that day and then stay in the park for the party.
Cinderella Castle
If you do buy a ticket to the party, you’ll be able to get into the park 3 hours before it begins. The party starts at 7PM, so you can get into Magic Kingdom at 4PM (unless you purchased both a party ticket AND a Magic Kingdom park ticket for that day, in which case you can get into the park when it opens and stay through the party). For those people not attending the party, Magic Kingdom will close at 6PM.
It’s very wet and the clouds are looming, but it’s time to kick off Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom! ✨🎄🌧
Drop any questions you have about this event below and come along! #MVMCP pic.twitter.com/tdYTaCOQdI
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 8, 2022
The party takes place on 24 select nights from November 8th through December 22, 2022, and ticket prices range from $149 to $199 per person (depending on which night you go). There are still tickets for certain nights on sale, but some might have completely sold out!
Click here to see ALL of the SOLD-OUT dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Crowds
We certainly weren’t the only ones who wanted to be at the first Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World — tonight’s event is sold out, and there were BIG crowds at the entrance to Magic Kingdom at 4PM (when party-goers could go inside).
Crowds at the entrance
Despite the bad weather (click here for updates on Tropical Storm Nicole and its impact on Disney World), there were plenty of guests waiting to enter the park. Most people had ponchos and umbrellas with them, which is a good thing as it has already started to rain.
All the ponchos
Although the lines looked long, we were able to enter Magic Kingdom within about 15 minutes. We recommend getting to the front entrance about a half hour early (so around 3:30PM if you’re coming for the party) in order to have a shorter wait time to enter.
Lots of people
Although there were initially a lot of people in the park, once the park closed to regular daytime guests (who didn’t have a party ticket), the crowds thinned out by quite a bit.
Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?
Tonight’s event is a sold-out party, but even so, the park feels pretty roomy.
Magic Kingdom officially closes to guests without party tickets in 20 minutes, and tonight’s party is SOLD OUT! pic.twitter.com/AKqXr7Taxy
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 8, 2022
The lower capacity is a big draw of these after-hours parties, as it usually means shorter wait times for popular rides!
Click here to learn more about the crowds at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Checking In
Guests visiting for the party need to have a special wristband that lets Cast Members know they have a ticket.
If you’ve ever wondered how Disney separates day guests and party guests after the park closes, cast members are spread throughout the park to check for your party wristband! pic.twitter.com/Ts1eDviwer
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
If you enter Magic Kingdom before it closes to daytime guests at 6PM, you can head to a wristband station to get yours (otherwise they will likely be handed out at the entrance to the park).
Wristband
We spotted one station in Tomorrowland and another at the Chamber of Commerce on one end of Main Street, U.S.A. You can ask a nearby Cast Member where the nearest station is for you! Once you’ve got your wristband, you’re ready to start the party.
Decorations
This year, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has some special Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary touches including “3 new interactive photo locations inviting you to step right into a very merry scene that can double as your holiday card” and a commemorative 50th Anniversary keepsake.
Holiday photo op
Of course, you can also check out the regular holiday decor around Magic Kingdom, including the Christmas tree, wreaths, and garlands.
Cast Members
The decorations look especially beautiful at night!
Check out more Magic Kingdom holiday decorations here.
Merchandise
We were told by a few Cast Members that there wasn’t any party-exclusive merchandise available for purchase. However, guests did receive a free Disney ornament…
Free ornament
…and we were told that there will also be a commemorative 50th anniversary poster headed out at the exit.
Food
Around the park for the party, you can find cookie and cocoa spots that will give you complimentary snacks and drinks throughout the evening.
No castle show at the moment means back to the snacks! There’s NO shortage of cookies and cocoa in Magic Kingdom! pic.twitter.com/FG0pkDsTs0
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
In addition to these included goodies, there are also a bunch of exclusive tasty treats that you can buy during the party. First, we tried the Christmas Cookie Churro, which we found at a popcorn cart in the Magic Kingdom Hub for $7.25.
Christmas Cookie Churro
We also checked out the Christmas Wreath Donut, which is available at various snack carts around the park. This snack is a red velvet doughnut with green buttercream and holiday sprinkle decorations for $4.50.
Starting the night off strong, this is the Christmas Wreath Doughnut! You can find it at various carts along Main Street U.S.A! pic.twitter.com/Pj3SjDiG8w
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 8, 2022
Up next is the Christmas Tree Cake from Casey’s Corner! This is a red velvet brownie cheesecake with eggnog buttercream and spiced caramel, topped with mini sugar Christmas lights for $5.29.
It’s time to TURN UP the Christmas tree cake a notch! This one has red velvet brownie cheesecake with eggnog buttercream and spiced caramel topped with mini sugar Christmas lights! pic.twitter.com/l9ekvbN0AK
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
One of our favorite treats was the Once Upon a Christmastime Tart. This snack can be found at Sunshine Tree Terrace, and it’s a chocolate and cranberry tart with chocolate Mickey ears.
Once Upon A Christmastime Tart
Another winner was the Mickey Mousse Ornament Treat, which is a gingerbread mousse with a crispy center and a spiced almond cake with brownie crumble for $6.49. You can get it at the Main Street Bakery — and we highly recommend it!
This Mickey Mousse Ornament is almost too festive to eat! 😍 It's gingerbread mousse with a crispy center and a spiced almond cake with brownie crumble! pic.twitter.com/NkmCWfD2PZ
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
Adventurous eaters should try the Sugar Plum Shake from Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies. This is spiced sugar plum soft serve topped with cherry syrup, whipped cream, and sprinkles.
Give it up for the Sugar Plum Shake from Auntie Gravity’s! This spiced sugar plum soft-serve is topped with cherry syrup, whipped cream, and sprinkles! pic.twitter.com/IDWYrfsksb
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
Is it even a party if you don’t have funnel cake? Surely not — so we stopped by Sleepy Hollow Refreshments to get the Funnel Cake Sundae. This treat is made with peppermint ice cream, M&M’S chocolate candies, and hot fudge served on funnel cake for $8.49.
Funnel Cake Sundae
Sleepy Hollow Refreshments also had a Sandy Claws Peppermint Mousse Treat, which comes with white chocolate peppermint mousse with a chocolate fudge center, a chocolate Santa hat, and a Jack Skellington face for $7.99.
Did you think Jack Skellington wouldn’t sneak his way into #MVMCP? 👀 This is the Sandy Claws Peppermint Mousse Treat: White chocolate peppermint mousse with a chocolate fudge center, chocolate Santa hat, and Jack Skellington face! pic.twitter.com/kIm2Inl6H1
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
And to wash down all the snacks, we tried the Apple Cider Float (also at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments), which is made with apple cider topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with cinnamon for $5.99.
This is delish!
We were a little disappointed by the Polar Bear Claw from Cool Ship, which is a chocolate hazelnut pastry with white and dark chocolate. It’s a holiday take on the Wendell’s Bear Claw, which is one of our favorites! But this version wasn’t as good in our opinion. If you’d like to give it a try, it’s $6.50.
Covered in white chocolate
We rounded out the evening with a couple of treats at The Friar’s Nook. The Curry Brat Tots are tots topped with chopped bratwurst, curry ketchup, and apple slaw for $11.49.
Also over at The Friar's Nook, a snack big enough to share! These are the curry brat tots! They're topped with chopped bratwurst, curry ketchup, and apple slaw! pic.twitter.com/c11ISKVuvo
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
And the Tinker Bell Cream Puff is a cream puff and compressed carrot cake topped with spiced cream cheese icing, spiced walnuts, and chocolate wings for $6.79. In our opinion, that cream puff is well worth a buy!
So this looks…interesting. This is the Tinker Bell Cream Puff from the Friar's Nook! It's cream puff and compressed carrot cake topped with spiced cream cheese icing, spiced walnuts, and chocolate wings. It's ONLY available during #MVMCP! pic.twitter.com/5r0tFnLmT2
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
You can also find a Peppermint Hot Fudge Brownie Sunday and Candy Cane Hot Cocoa at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.
The Peppermint Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae is made with peppermint ice cream, hot fudge, and candy cane pieces served on a brownie for $8.29.
Great for the holidays
The Candy Cane Hot Cocoa is made with hot chocolate with peppermint ice cream, whipped cream, and candy cane pieces for $7.99.
Are you a hot chocolate fan?
You can also get some specialty popcorn buckets and souvenir cups at this party, like the amazing Musical Popcorn Tin for $28…
Musical Popcorn Tin
…the Toy Story Premium Blocks Bucket for $28…
Toy Story Popcorn Bucket
…and the Mickey Snow Globe Sipper for $14.
Snow Globe Sipper
These were all spotted at various popcorn stands throughout the park (and check Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe for that Toy Story popcorn bucket).
See photos and reviews of ALL the holiday treats in Disney World here!
Entertainment
There are some exclusive entertainment offerings at the Christmas party, including Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration, the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks. You can also find dance parties around the park, like Club Tinsel, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, and Disney Junior Jingle Jam.
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration
Unfortunately, the Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration show was delayed due to weather and was ultimately canceled.
Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration has been canceled again, but we’ve got a special surprise coming up! pic.twitter.com/8qBbzcjMZx
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
However, Disney surprised us with a short musical number starring a TON of Disney characters.
Surprise! pic.twitter.com/RcRHJiOirs
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
The parade was also initially delayed because of the bad weather, but it carried on a little later at 9PM!
Meanwhile, parade crowds are starting to gather. #MVMCP pic.twitter.com/wDYJak6TN4
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
It started with a snowball dance party…
A snowball dance party means Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime parade is right around the corner! pic.twitter.com/dGvL2upvvG
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
…and then we were ready for the parade to begin. Lots of iconic characters led the parade, and many of them were wearing festive scarves! Mickey and Minnie greeted everyone from the first float.
It’s HAPPENING! 👋👋 pic.twitter.com/rFMOEu3K97
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
We also spotted Olaf, Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa!
Warm hugs for everyone! pic.twitter.com/lenwuZqLbm
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
Other floats brought the Toy Story toys, Wreck It Ralph friends, and more classic Disney characters. Of course, Santa Claus in his beautiful sleigh was the big finale!
SANTA! pic.twitter.com/kotinN5Wcm
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks
Don’t forget to head to Cinderella Castle to see the special Christmastime fireworks show.
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
The castle gets holiday projections, and the show is set to Christmas music.
Ride Overlays
Some of the rides during the party have special festive overlays! These include Tomorrowland Speedway Race Through the Holidays, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Holiday Show, Space Mountain — Holiday Run!!, Mad Tea Party, and the Jungle Cruise, which becomes the Jingle Cruise!
Jingle Cruise
Check out the Space Mountain overlay in our video below.
Space Mountain is one of the attractions that has a holiday overlay at #MVMCP! It also looks to be the perfect way to escape the rain tonight! 👀🏃🏻♀️🏃 pic.twitter.com/Yqlj4tUMSq
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 9, 2022
That’s not all the entertainment, though. There were lots of character meet-and-greets and more dance parties throughout the park. And don’t forget about meeting SANTA! Check out all the entertainment here.
Click here to see all the entertainment at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
For more on the holidays in Disney World, check out where you can ride a sleigh in Disney World this holiday season, the FULL LIST of entertainment for the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and how the Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster will be DIFFERENT this holiday season in EPCOT.
Stay tuned to DFB for more on the holiday season in Disney World!
All the Dates That Are SOLD OUT for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World
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Are you going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year? Tell us in the comments!
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Do you know if scrooge McDuck was there? I have a very anxious 31 year old husband who is dying to meet him.
Good news, Katie! He was!
What about crowds and wait times? I know it’s a food blog, but you did say you would keep track of the crowds. Although it was rainy, so probably not accurate to the crowd levels on a night with fair weather. We are going later in December, and I’m anxious about the crowds. Disney was so packed the last time we visited.