the disney food blog

food IS a theme park

Read the Latest Posts

Looking for something?

STAY CONNECTED

epcot festival of the arts

PHOTOS & VIDEOS: Everything You NEED to Know About Disney World’s New After Hours Holiday Event!

By 6 Comments

What a wonderful day to celebrate the start of the holiday season at Disney World!

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

We’ve been enjoying the holiday decorations at the parks AND the holiday foods, and we are SO ready for the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays later this month. But tonight, we’re LIVE at the very first Disney Very Merriest After Hours Party!

Disney Very Merriest After Hours and Pricing

This special Magic Kingdom event requires a separate ticket for entry and will be happening on select nights TONIGHT (November 8th) through December 21st. The party runs for four hours after the park closes (from 9PM to 1AM), but guests with tickets can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 7PM. 

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

Tickets range from $169 to $249 depending on the date, and include access to Magic Kingdom AFTER HOURS, special eats, holiday entertainment, and more! So, let’s see EVERYTHING there is to see. We’ll be updating this post throughout the event, so keep checking back to follow along!

Getting Started

We arrived in Disney’s Magic Kingdom around 7PM to check out some of the decorations and more ahead of the event’s official start at 9PM.

 

 

The train station looked extra merry!

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

There are some neat projections on the ground to welcome guests as well.

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

We snagged a guide to Disney Very Merriest After Hours and headed inside.

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

Let’s goooooo!

 

 

Once we were in the park, we spotted some Cast Members looking positively AMAZING in their Very Merriest outfits. It looks like these Christmas-y folks are getting ready to guide the crowds.

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

Remember, tonight’s event is SOLD OUT. There was some signage to note this as well.

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

Arriving early means you get a chance to watch Disney Enchantment before the park closes.

 

 

Crowds

There was a solid crowd heading to the entrance around 7PM!

Crowds

Keep in mind that crowds do tend to disperse once you’re past the front gates.

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

The party was certainly a happenin’ event and crowds were heavier in some places.

Crowds

But the pinch points, especially around entertainment, could be very crowded!

Crowds

Still, with around 20 attractions open, the longest wait was 25 minutes as of 10:30PM (for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight).

Click here to see more about crowds at the event!

Entertainment

Prior to the event, we noticed some entertainment getting set like the Club Tinsel Dance Party in Tomorrowland.

 

 

Then, when 9 o’clock hit, the party STARTED!

 

 

Add the edition of SNOW (Ok, it’s “snoap” but we love it regardless.), and Tomorrowland is a blast!

 

 

And that’s not all. Stitch showed up to groove in a Santa hat and jacket too! What a cutie!

 

 

Of course, the Tomorrowland dance party is only one part of the entertainment! Next up, we got to watch the BRAND NEW show at Cinderella Castle — Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories!

 

 

We were particularly wowed by Clarabelle’s show-stopping performance.

 

 

What an awesome new show!

Want to see more of the stage show? Click here!

Later, we were overjoyed to spot the return of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade!

 

 

Parades haven’t been happening in Disney World since the parks closed in 2020, so this was an exciting occasion!

 

 

It was pretty great to see the nutcracker soldiers marching through!

Click here to see more of the return of parades!

Looking for some more tunes? Look no further than a performance by the talented Reindeer Wranglers!

 

 

But the main entertainment event of the night has got to be the return of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks! An announcement played ahead of the show.

 

 

Then the fireworks began!

 

 

The show was as AMAZING as we remember and the finale left us cheering!

 

 

Oh, and not scheduled entertainment but just as good: Cast Members sang us some carols!

 

Overall, the entertainment was pretty exciting.

Want to see all the entertainment at the event? Click here!

Characters

The first familiar face that we spotted at the party was perhaps the most iconic of them all. It’s Santa Claus!

 

 

He even told about his Christmas wish for gingerbread cookies.

 

 

We love seeing Father Christmas!

Click here to see more of Santa in Magic Kingdom!

Outside of Crystal Palace, we spotted Winnie the Pooh and Tigger all bundled up!

 

 

Later, Eeyore and Piglet stopped by to spread some holiday cheer.

 

 

The Country Bears also love to say hi during special holiday events. You can spot them in Frontierland!

 

 

Surprise! Two pirates popped up in Adventureland. It’s Captain Hook and Mr. Smee!

 

 

Tweedledee and Tweedledum looked like they were having a blast!

 

Food

Let’s talk exclusive party eats! Our first snack of the night was the Orange Bird Churro at one of the hub Churro Carts!

 

 

We love a treat inspired by the Orange Bird.

Want to see our review of this churro? Click here!

Our next stop, Sleepy Hollow Refreshments brought us the Ginger Apple Funnel Cake!

 

 

This funnel cake might be a star of the event! It was pretty tasty.

To see our full review of this funnel cake, click here!

We also tried out some pretty stellar options at Golden Oak Outpost.

Gingerbread Almond Cake Pop

Let’s just say that gingerbread was a theme in the treats at this event!

Want to see our review of the Golden Oak treats? Click here!

Your ticket to the event also nets you some free snacks and drinks.

Get all the Mickey’s Premium Bars your heart desires!

We hope you’re in the mood for ice cream and popcorn!

Want to see everything you can get for free at the event? Click here!

Decorations

Disney Very Merriest After Hours features all of the beautiful Magic Kingdom decorations you can see all day long — but lit up to glow in the nighttime!

Magic Kingdom

Later, it even started SNOWING on Main Street! Florida snow is made with soap so we affectionally call it, “snoap.”

 

 

The snow looked amazing with the massive Christmas tree.

 

 

Basically, the holiday vibes were ✨immaculate✨.

 

Don’t forget to keep checking back as we update RIGHT HERE with MORE news from Disney Very Merriest After Hours! And, if you’re looking for more event coverage, follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Click here to learn more about Disney Very Merriest After Hours!

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.

Will you be attending one of the Very Merriest After Hours parties? Let us know in the comments!

TRENDING NOW

I’ve Tried Every Lightning Lane Hack in Disney World and I’m Sharing the 2 That Work Every Time

Understand the basics of Lightning Lane Multi Pass but want to be sure you're mastering...

read more
7 Disney Loungefly Bags Are ON SALE Up to 50% Off on Amazon Right Now

Great deals are available on Disney Loungeflys RIGHT now!

read more
5 LEGO Sets on Sale on Amazon For 40% Off

If someone in your life deserves LEGOs as a gift soon (even if it's you,...

read more
4 Disney Loungefly Bags You Can Get at Target NOW!

We found some brand-new Disney Loungefly items at Target! Come with us to see what's...

read more
Every Ride That Will Use a Virtual Queue in Disney World in 2025

Don't forget! These rides will be using a Virtual Queue in Disney World this year!

read more
No LIE. You Need to Skip These 4 Disney World Restaurants in 2025.

Heading to Disney World this year and don't want to dine at a restaurant you'll...

read more
We Just Spotted an Exciting CHANGE in the Disney World App (And You’re Gonna LOVE It!)

There has been a small but might update to the My Disney Experience App in...

read more
13 Amazon-Exclusive Disney Loungefly Bags You Can Buy Right Now

We're rounding up over a dozen Amazon-exclusive Disney Loungefly bags!

read more
NEWS: A Popular Airline Is Adding 2 NEW Nonstop Flights to Orlando

Two new nonstop flights are available at Orlando International Airport!

read more
10 Weeks When Disney World Will Be EMPTY in 2025

Let's talk about the weeks when Disney World will be empty in 2025!

read more
2 Exclusive NEW MagicBands Drop on January 20th. Disney Fans Can See Them HERE!

Love Alice in Wonderland and/or Peter Pan? Then these two MagicBands are PERFECT for you,...

read more
3 Hints That a MAJOR Magic Kingdom Announcement Is Coming

There are three clues that point to the potential of a huge Magic Kingdom announcement...

read more
64% of Disney Fans are Demanding this Disney World Hotel Change

We asked our readers what they'd like Disney World hotels to change and this was...

read more
A MYSTERIOUS New Disney Parks Show Is Coming in 2025

There is a brand new Disney casting call for Disney California Adventure! Is this a...

read more
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Has a NEW Park Map and It Features a Controversial CHANGE

A new park map has debuted at Disney's Animal Kingdom following the first closures of...

read more
FULL LIST of Table-Service Disney Dining Plan Restaurants Announced for Disney World

Watch out -- not ALL restaurants on Disney World property accept the Dining Plan credits!...

read more
It’s Really Happening. Construction Walls Are UP As Disney World Starts Permanent CLOSURES in DinoLand

The first construction walls are up in Animal Kingdom and we have some big feelings...

read more
REVIEW: We Tried the Controversial $23 Cake Slices at Disney World’s Brand New Restaurant

A BIG day for a brand new, highly anticipated Disney World restaurant has finally arrived...

read more
The 1 Drink You Should Get From Each EPCOT Pavilion

If you're going to drink one drink from each EPCOT pavilion, these are the drinks...

read more
The Most Expensive Restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios You Should SKIP (and the One You’ve Gotta Try)

Has this expensive restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios become an easy skip?

read more

Comments

  1. The parades look like festive Covid super-spreader events. Shame on Disney for being part of the problem.

  2. We’re the country bears in the Holiday setting.? The holiday show was so much better than the summer show.
    Overall, was it worth the price for 4 hours of MK at double the day price…?

  3. AJ and the rest of the DFG gang are to be congratulated for this wonderful peek into the Christmas Event. I watched every video clip and “feel like I was there”. You guys are so great.

  5. I have to agree with Lee! I’m a travel agent and I watch all of your videos and read lots of your valuable information! I can’t tell you how helpful it is to keep me totally abreast of all things Disney! You all are beyond AWESOME and your hard work is deeply appreciated! It has helped me multiple times while sending clients off on their Disney trips! Kudos for all you do! It makes my job a piece of cake!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER EBOOKS

Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.

View our ebooks now

POLICIES & CREDITS

Staff & Regular Contributors
Disclosure Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Partner With Disney Food Blog

Logo by J Kennedy

Disney Food Blog does not claim to represent the Walt Disney Company in any way and is not employed by or affiliated with The Walt Disney Company. For official Disney information, visit Disney directly.

Subscribe to our Feed via RSS
Subscribe to our Feed via email