Disney just announced lots of details about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in 2023, but should you actually consider SKIPPING Magic Kingdom‘s holiday event of the year?!

Celebrating the most magical time of the year in The Most Magical Place on Earth seems like an obvious choice, but there’s one REALLY good reason why you might NOT want to be in Magic Kingdom this upcoming holiday season.

You may want to ditch Magic Kingdom this holiday season and instead make your way over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios because there’s a brand NEW party coming to that park in 2023.

What is this new party, and is it really worth skipping the classic Magic Kingdom party? Let’s dig into it and find out.

The NEW Holiday Party — Jollywood Nights

Disney Jollywood Nights is a new, separately ticketed event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that will take place from 8:30PM to 12:30AM on ten select nights from November 11th through December 20th, 2023. Ticket prices will range from $159 to $179 per person, and tickets go on sale beginning July 6th. If you have reservations to stay at a Disney World hotel (or at the Swan and Dolphin hotels or Shades of Green) during one of the party nights, you can start buying tickets EARLY, on June 29th.

Here are the dates for the party:

• November: 11th,18th, 20th, 27th, 29th
•  December: 4th, 6th, 16th, 18th, 20th

Like other After Hours events, many rides will stay open during the party, including (but not limited to) Slinky Dog Dash, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (which will operate with a virtual queue). These rides will likely have much shorter lines than normal since the party will be a limited-capacity event.

Some of the party-exclusive offerings include a Latin Street Fair on Commissary Lane complete with live music, a live holiday special hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy at Theater of the Stars (where guest stars like Tiana and Belle will also make an appearance), and a Nightmare Before Christmas singalong at Hyperion Theater, hosted by Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie.

There are a couple of exclusive experiences coming to the party as well (Disney hasn’t announced exactly HOW exclusive these experiences will be, but they confirmed they will both be limited-capacity). The Hollywood Tower Hotel Courtyard will feature an “otherworldly soiree” with a ghostly band. The idea here is that Disney has recreated the Tip Top Club from the Tower of Terror lore.

The Hollywood Brown Derby will be home to a swingin’ good time too, as it’s transformed into a jazz lounge. It will become a singalong piano bar with live music, playing songs from the 20s through the 50s in a speakeasy-inspired party.

There will be unique character meet-and-greets throughout the park, including the following:

• Mickey Mouse — Animation Courtyard
• Minnie Mouse (and the rest of the iconic gang) — Animation Courtyard
• Powerline Max — Echo Lake
• Phineas and Ferb — Echo Lake
• Edna Mode and one of her super friends — Pixar Place

The nighttime show “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” will be returning this year. The show features holiday music, fireworks, special effects, and projections.

Finally, we can’t forget about the FOOD! Look out for snacks like Spicy Korean Chicken on a Mini Funnel Cake, a Christmas Tree Cookie Stack inspired by the iconic Echo Lake Christmas Tree, and specialty cocktails and holiday beverages.

With lots of brand-new offerings, we can’t wait to experience Jollywood Nights for the first time this year.

But is it really worth skipping Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? 

Which Party Is ACTUALLY Better for You?

Whether or not you should skip Mickey’s Very Merry to attend Jollywood Nights will depend on your group and your preferences. Although Jollywood Nights looks super fun, we think that younger kids will probably still enjoy the Magic Kingdom party a little bit more.

Mickey’s Very Merry is the more classic Disney holiday party option. You get the iconic holiday decorations on Main Street, and kids will love the colorful holiday projections on Cinderella Castle. Little ones might not be super interested in an “otherworldly soiree” at Tower of Terror (in fact, it’s possible that it’d scare them a little bit), but they’ll love waving to Santa at the Christmas Parade in Magic Kingdom. It doesn’t sound like there will be a parade at all at the Hollywood Studios version.

If you haven’t been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party before and want that classic holiday experience, then you should probably stick with the Magic Kingdom party. However, if you’ve already attended that party in the past and you want to try something new, then Jollywood Nights sounds like the ideal option!

Another thing to consider is the rides available during the parties. Both parks will have some big-ticket rides open, and those rides will likely have much shorter wait times than normal (since these events are limited-capacity). If you’re dying to get on Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash, then Jollywood Nights is the way to go. However, if you can’t wait to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run and want to tackle Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on the same night, then Mickey’s Very Merry can’t be beat.

And remember that there’s a NEW Cinderella Castle show coming to Magic Kingdom this year, with a Frozen theme. This show will be available during the day AND during the after hours party, so even if you opt for Jollywood Nights instead of Very Merry, you can still check it out during the day.

Overall, we think that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is best for groups with younger kids and for people who haven’t been to a Disney World holiday party before. Jollywood Nights sounds like a good party for adults and older kids, especially those who want to tackle more intense rides than you’ll find at Magic Kingdom. The Hollywood Studios event is also great for people who have been to Very Merry a few times and want to try something new.

But should you just ditch the decision and go to BOTH parties? You could! The parties take place around the same time (November and December), but some of the dates are not the same. For example, you could go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on November 10th and Jollywood Nights on November 11th.

The problem with that plan is the budget. Jollywood Nights costs between $159 and $179 per person, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ranges from $159 to $199 per adult (and $149 to $189 per child ages 3 to 9). However, those party tickets may not be much more expensive than a general admission park ticket during peak holiday times, so you could consider NOT buying park tickets and ONLY buying holiday party tickets instead. (You do NOT have to have a normal park day ticket in order to buy a holiday party ticket.)

At least for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, an event ticket gets you in the door as early as 4PM, with the party from 7PM to midnight. 4PM to midnight is a pretty good amount of time to get everything done that you want to do in the park! Disney hasn’t confirmed whether attendees for Jollywood Nights will get in early, but that party is from 8:30PM to 12:30AM.

Which is really the better option? It’s up to you! We’ll be at the first night of Jollywood Nights to cover all the new offerings, so we’ll know better then whether the new party is really worth the cost.

If you want help planning your upcoming holiday vacation, check out our friends over at Small World Vacations. They have years of experience planning Disney World trips, so they can save you time, headaches, and — best of all — money. Their services are completely free!