Everything You Need to Know Plus Itinerary for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Everything You Need to Know Plus Itinerary for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

I just attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort for the first time! Christmas is my favorite holiday, it had been a dream of mine to attend the after hours Christmas Party, especially because we don’t have one at my home park of Disneyland! My top priorities were to meet characters I can’t meet outside of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and see the shows, while fitting in a couple of E-ticket attractions that normally have longer lines during normal park hours. My family and I accomplished all these goals, so I want to pass along to you what I learned, and walk you through what happens at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party from start to finish, as well as the itinerary we did where we were able to check off everything on our list!

Arriving at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

The party is on select nights until December 22, 2019 from 7pm to midnight. However, if you have a ticket to the party you can enter the park beginning at 5pm. We arrived around 5:30pm, and got our wristbands for the party after showing our tickets and picked up a guide map for the party, where you can find all the show listings, treat stations, and rides that are open. If you arrive early, I recommend trying to make a reservation ahead of your party date for Tony’s Town Square, a table service restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A. They have a special Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party, where you can enjoy a special meal for the event that comes with reserved viewing for the Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. It was full by the time we tried, but this seems like a great option to try to take advantage of so will try this if I go again!

When you arrive, you will be led to the first welcome treat station where you will get a Minnie Mouse sugar cookie. From there, you’re free to roam around! Keep in mind, the party offerings won’t begin until 7pm, so if you arrive early it would be a good idea to grab some dinner (since you’ll be so busy once the party starts you may not want to stop for dinner), or grab some photos with your friends or family in your Christmas outfits before dark!

The Welcome Cookie

Itinerary to See All the Shows and a Character Meet-and-Greet

We were able to see every show! Here is the itinerary we did to see it all at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party:

1. 1. 6:30pm: Pick one top character priority. The characters seem to have the longest lines, so I recommend picking one top priority photo-opp so you have time to do lots of other things too! Do this first, lining up about 30 minutes before the official party start time. We picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, waiting about an hour (which is pretty short considering how high demand they are). However, since we lined up early we really only took up 30 minutes of our party time.
   2. 7:30-7:55pm: Visit some treat stations and/or a couple rides with shorter lines. Now would be a great time to grab a hot chocolate or apple cider (part of the treats included in your ticket) so you have it to sip on while you are waiting for and watching the first show.
   3. 7:55-8:30pm: Bring your hot beverage and get near Cinderella Castle’s stage to watch “A Frozen Holiday Wish”, where you can watch Elsa light up the castle with her ice magic! The show begins at 8:15pm, but to get a perfect spot I would arrive about 20 minutes ahead of time.
   4. 8:30-9:40pm: Go on one or two E-ticket rides, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain (which has a holiday overlay), or Jingle Cruise (Jungle Cruise’s holiday overlay). You can also get some treats in this time too as you’re making your way in between rides!
   5. 9:40-10:10pm: Head over to Cinderella Castle to get a spot to watch Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime FIreworks show will be happening at 10pm! You’ll want to get a spot center close to stage so you can see the castle projections, and so you can get a great view for the show at 10:30pm.
   6. 10:10-10:50pm: Sit tight in your fireworks spot to watch the 10:30pm performance of my favorite show: Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration! There were so many characters in this show, all in special holiday attire performing amazing musical numbers!
   7. 10:50-11:20pm: Stay near Cinderella Castle, but make your way closer to the street so you can get a great view of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. This is my favorite holiday parade between both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and definitely a must-see!
   8. 11:20-11:50: Make your way to Tomorrowland to see the stage show A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
   9. 11:50-Midnight: Make your way over to a nearby attraction for one more ride before the park closes!

With meeting the Seven Dwarfs and seeing all the shows being my family’s priority, this itinerary worked out well for us! Of course you may want to adjust it according to your own top priorities. That time you come early between 5-7pm will come in handy for you to make a game plan, but I also included photos of the schedule if you want to plan ahead:

Guide to entertainment and treat stations for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

What’s Included in Your Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Ticket?

Cookie packaging for complimentary treats!

What’s included:

• Holiday Treats and beverages at the treat stations designated with a candy cane striped pillar listed in the guidemap
• Entertainment
• Attractions
• Character meet-and-greets

Additional Cost:

• Food and beverage offerings not at the candy cane striped pillar treat stations
• Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party (table service dining with reserved parade viewing)
• Minnie’s Most Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party (with reserved fireworks viewing)
• Merchandise
• PhotoPass photos (however you are welcome to take character photos with your own camera)

Is the Cost Worth It?

Ticket costs for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party range from $94-$134, depending on the date. To me, the cost of the ticket is definitely worth the experience, since you get seven hours of park time, five of those hours which is exclusive to ticket holders (7pm-midnight). This means five hours of shorter ride lines (how can you beat 20 minutes for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train?), free treats and beverages (it’s unlimited), rare characters, AND top tier shows that are exclusive to the experience. I am super happy with my photo opp with the dwarfs that I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else, plus the memory of seeing my daughter’s excitement watching characters, both mainstream and rare in the shows (particularly Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration and A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas). You can find tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party here.

If you found this itinerary helpful as well as breakdown of the experience, you might also enjoy my article about everything you need to know about booking and planning a Disney Cruise!