Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Tickets for this year's Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World Resort were made available for online purchase this week. This post will focus on Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and I will cover the Halloween party in a different post.
If you are deciding whether or not to purchase a ticket to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, there are a few things to consider.
Ticket prices for this event have sky rocketed over the last 4 years. I can remember within the last 5 years tickets costing around $75 on some nights. I just purchased a ticket on 4/17 that cost $101 and some change. Keep in mind that for the night in November that I purchased a party ticket for, a regular ticket for that same day is $116. By deciding to attend the Christmas party only for that day, I saved $15 - not too bad. The ticket I purchased was as cheap as it got, but the price of both the party tickets and regular daytime tickets increase significantly the closer you get to Christmas, which is peak season.
The party entertainment officially starts at 7 PM and ends at 12 AM. Main Street will stay open for shopping until 1 AM. Guests who only purchase a party ticket will be allowed to enter the park at 4 PM and will received a party wristband at the front gate. This will give you 8 hours, 9 if you include the additional Main Street hour, in the park. Due to the lighter crowds during the earlier parties in November, you could get a lot accomplished during this time. If you are a guest who has purchased a day ticket in addition to a party ticket, you should go to one of the stations to retrieve your wristband as early as possible because once 7 PM hits, cast members will start driving anyone without a wristband to the entrance. They are pretty efficient at this, and the park is usually free of stragglers by 7:30ish PM. Promptly at 7 PM, they begin checking wristbands at the front entrances to rides, restaurants, and stores, and they stop allowing any guest without a wristband that weren't in line by 6:59 PM.
There are many offerings such as merch, snacks, and entertainment that are only available during the party, so keep this in mind when deciding what to do. Chances are that you won't be able to ride everything and participate in all the Christmas party offerings, so it's important to have a plan. Personally, I believe that if you spend money on a Christmas party ticket, then you should probably participate in the Christmas party events! I would recommend using the 3 additional hours before the party starts to tackle as many rides as you can. This way you can dedicate majority of the party to special offerings. As a party only guest, you can still take advantage of FastPass+ during the 3 hours before the party starts. You can book FastPasses in advance for this time block or you can get FastPasses at a kiosk in the park. FastPass+ will not be available once the party starts, so keep in mind that you will be waiting in the standby line for any attractions. Although the crowds are lighter on some party nights, lines for the most popular attractions could still be long.
Overall, I do enjoy the Christmas party, and for those who love Christmas or are traveling around that time of year, I do recommend experiencing the Christmas party at least once. I love going to Disney during the holidays because the decorations are stunning and there are many offering available that don't require special admission. However, for me the Christmas party is not always a must do when traveling this time of year. My opinion is completely different when it comes to the Halloween party! I couldn't imagine traveling during the fall and not attending Not So Scary. If you have attended the Halloween party and are wondering if the Christmas party will offer a similar experience, the Christmas party is fun for sure, but it may disappoint. Keep in mind this is all my opinion 😉, and yours may differ! I still feel like you should give the party a chance. There's nothing like a little Christmas cheer!
Party dates 2018:
November
8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29, 30
December
2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21
Here are a few offerings that are only available at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
Snow on Main Street, U.S.A
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade
Holiday Wishes - Fireworks
A Frozen Holiday Wish - Castle lighting
Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration - Castle stage show
Club Tinsel - Dance party
A Totally Tomorowland Christmas - Celebrate with characters in Tomorrowland
Holiday Snacks
Special edition merchandise
Special character experiences