Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Event Guide

The most wonderful time of the year is here and if you’re planning on visiting Walt Disney World during the holiday season, you better not miss Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, aka MVMCP!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an after-hours party held at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on select nights in November and December.

The park is transformed into a winter wonderland with thousands of Christmas lights, faux snow (affectionately called “snoap”), a giant Christmas tree, and other holiday decorations.

This after-hours event includes special character meet-and-greets, several stage shows, a Christmas parade, party-exclusive fireworks, free cookies and cocoa, a free Christmas tree ornament, and more.

It’s a magical and festive event that’ll put you in the holiday spirit faster than you can say Jingle Bells.

In this post, I’m going to cover everything you need to know about Mickey’s Christmas Party, from dates and ticket prices to exclusive offerings and more.

Dates, prices & tickets for 2023

In 2023, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will run on select dates between November 9 – December 22.

The party starts at 7 PM and lasts until midnight, but you can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 PM with your event ticket. A theme park reservation is not needed.

This is a separately ticketed event, so regular day tickets and annual passes cannot be used to attend the party.

Given the limited number of tickets available, if you want to attend the party, buy your tickets way ahead of time because many nights sell out well before Halloween even rolls around.

Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party range from $159 to $199 per adult ticket, and $149 to $189 per child ticket, depending on the night you choose.

Disney Vacation Club members and annual passholders get $10 off the ticket price on select nights.

If you’re planning on attending this year, you can purchase tickets directly from the Disney World website. I recommend doing this if you have an annual pass.

However, if you aren’t an AP holder, you can save up to $9 by purchasing through Undercover Tourist, which is an authorized ticket seller.

Lastly, here are dates and base prices for Mickey’s Christmas Party in 2023.

Rides and attractions at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Most of the popular attractions and rides at Magic Kingdom will be available during the party and a few even have a holiday twist!

Character meet-and-greets at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Special character meet-and-greets are available throughout the park during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

You’ll get to meet and take photos with some of your favorite Disney characters dressed in their festive holiday outfits, as well as rare characters that aren’t usually available in the parks.

Find out which characters will be greeting guests at the party in 2023, sorted by land, below.

Parades and shows at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

There are a variety of shows running throughout the party. Let’s go through each one so you can decide which ones to add to your plans.

Use the My Disney Experience app or party map from the parks to confirm location and times, in case they change on the date you attend!

This fun holiday themed stage show includes dancing and holiday tunes. You’ll even get to see some of your favorite characters in their favorite holiday outfits, like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto.

What I love about this show is that it runs multiple times throughout the night, so you should be able to catch it at least once pretty easily!

Elsa, Olaf, and other Frozen friends kick off the evening with a little holiday decorating of Cinderella’s Castle.

The first show takes place at 6:15 PM, before party hours, so it’s available to all guests.

However, it runs again at 8:15 PM for party guests only.

Listen to the countrified holiday sounds of the Reindeer Wranglers, who play around the Frontierland area. You might catch the Country Bears roaming around and dancing, too!

TIP: I like to catch the 8:05 PM show while settling into a good spot for the parade!

One of the highlights of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks show, where the sky above Cinderella’s Castle ignites in a colorful fireworks display set to festive holiday music.

If fireworks are your thing, definitely plan ahead because this only shows once during the party at TIME.

You can also catch Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, where Disney characters join in the holiday cheer with whimsical floats and songs.

My favorite part of the parade are the toy soldiers, although seeing the “big dude,” aka Santa Claus, is cool too!

The parade runs from Frontierland, through Liberty Square, and down Main Street twice during the event.

Dance parties at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

If you love to dance or just can’t help but bop to your favorite holiday music, there are two dance parties available during Mickey’s Christmas Party.

For those who love to dance, head to Club Tinsel, where you can join in the celebrations and dance to your favorite holiday tunes and pop hits.

Santa’s elves, reindeer, and even a few polar bears join in on the fun, too!

This all-ages dance party takes place at the stage just outside Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.

For the little ones, don’t miss Disney Junior Jingle Jam, a dance party featuring Disney Junior characters, such as Doc McStuffins, Fancy Nancy, The Lion Guard, and Vampirina.

This is a great way to help young kiddos get their energy out before you head back for the evening – that is, if they still have some after running from ride to ride and character to character all night!

Food & drink at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

What’s a Disney World after hours event without some delicious snacks? In this section, let’s go over all things food & drink for MVMCP!

Special food and drink for purchase

There is a variety of festive snacks and drinks available during the holiday season, some of which are only available during official hours for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

Sometimes if there is expected to be a surplus of a certain item, Disney will allow the party-exclusive treats to be sold before the party starts, so there’s a small chance you can try some of these food and drink without attending the party.

This is not at all guaranteed, though, so if you have your heart set on trying some of these items, grab your ticket!

Here’s a quick list of what’s exclusive to Mickey’s Christmas Party in 2023, sorted by land.

Adventureland

At Sunshine Tree Terrace, you can get Santa’s Belt Buckle, a pistachio mousse with dark chocolate center and a milk chocolate buckle.

Fantasyland

At Storybook Treats, you can get a Sugar Plum soft serve sundae with sugar cookie crumbs, whipped cream, crisp pearls, and cotton candy.

Frontierland

Liberty Square

Main Street USA

At Casey’s Corner, you can get the Candy Cane Chocolate Tart with peppermint ganache and meringue.

At Main Street Bakery, you can get the Letter To Santa Cake, which features a flourless chocolate cake, hot cocoa mousse, and marshmallows topped with chocolate pieces.

Tomorrowland

At Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies, you can get the Lump of Coal in your Stocking Milkshake, a cookies & cream milkshake with whipped cream, cookie crumbles, and a chocolate donut hole.

At Cool Ship, you can get the Magic Holiday Tree tart, a graham cracker crust topped with green frosting, coconut, pecans, and M&Ms chocolate candies.

Fireworks Dessert Party

The Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace includes a dessert buffet, candy, and cheese, as well as wine and beer for those 21 and up.

In addition, guests get access to one of two viewing areas, Tomorrowland Terrace or the Plaza Garden, for Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.

Tickets for the party with fireworks viewing from Tomorrowland Terrace are $119 for ages 10 and up and $75 for ages 3-9.

Tickets for the party with fireworks viewing from the Plaza Garden are $10 for ages 10 and up and $59 for ages 3-9.

Prices listed above do not include tax.

Magic shots & photo ops at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

During the event you’ll find special backdrops, props, and Magic Shots available that make perfect holiday card photos!

Magic Shots are special photographs that Disney PhotoPass photographers can take that automagically include graphics and overlays in the final shot, like Tinkerbell sitting in your hands or Santa Claus and his reindeer flying over your head with Cinderella’s Castle in the background.

Be sure to stop and get a few photos taken by Disney PhotoPass photographers to help commemorate your time at the party.

These photos always turn out super cute and are worth the wait in line for a fun and unique souvenir.

Final tips for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Now that you know about all of the amazing fun to be had at MVMCP, here are a few general tips to help make your experience one to remember for many years to come.

Buy your tickets ASAP

Just like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, this special event sells out quickly. As you get closer to the event start date in November, more and more dates will sell out.

So if you want to go, buy your tickets right away. Chances are slim-to-none that you’ll be able to buy the week of or even a few weeks before!

Make a plan

There is so much to do at the party and unfortunately, you likely won’t be able to do it all.

Using this guide, decide what’s most important to you, whether it be meeting characters, getting Magic Shots, watching the shows and parades, etc.

Then put together a rough plan of action to help you maximize your time at the party and help you accomplish all the fun things you want to do.

It really is all about making your own magic, not doing every single thing available!

Plan a rest day

Unless you have an annual pass for Disney World, don’t waste a ticket on visiting some of the other parks before the party. Instead, schedule a rest day!

Sleep in and enjoy some time at the resort pool and admiring the Christmas decorations around the resort.

Maybe hit up Disney Springs for some souvenir shopping or a new outfit or accessories for the party.

Before you know it, it’ll be time to get ready and head to Magic Kingdom. Which brings me to my next tip…

Download the My Disney Experience app

Before you arrive, make sure you have the My Disney Experience app downloaded and ready to go on your phone.

This is the official Disney World app, so it’ll have everything you need for the evening, like show times, mobile order, and ability to join the TRON virtual queue at 6 PM.

For more tips on apps to use, check out my post about the best apps for Disney World.

Dress in layers

The weather in Orlando this time of year can never seem to make up its mind. Most days are mild and warm, but sometimes at night it can get quite chilly.

I recommend dressing in layers so you can easily add or take off as needed. Typically I’ll wear jeans and a t-shirt, then bring a flannel or cardigan.

But if it’s warm enough out, you may want to wear shorts for the earlier hours of the party and then change into pants later in the evening.

I recommend using The Weather Channel or Accuweather app or website to look at the hourly weather before you decide what to wear.

Both of these tend to be more accurate and reliable than the built-in weather apps on iPhones and Android smartphones.

Arrive early

Although the party doesn’t start until 7 PM officially, you can enter Magic Kingdom starting at 4 PM.

You’ll enter through a specific queue for party guests and then get a special wristband that identifies you as a party guest.

Use your time to shop for party-specific souvenirs, eat at a restaurant, hit up some rides – it’s really up to you!

For me? I like to go on a few rides so that I can use the official party time to watch the shows, parade, and do a few character meet-and-greets. And let’s be honest, taking a million photos for this blog!

Keep your wristband on at all times

Magic Kingdom closes to non-party guests at 6 PM, so you’ll need to keep your wristband on and visible at all times.

Cast members will frequently check for wristbands, most frequently between 4-7 PM, to ensure people without tickets to the event leave on time. They’ll even check as you get on rides!

Grab a map

Even if you have the MDE app on your phone, grab a party map at the park entrance.

Sometimes it’s easier to check something on the map rather than the app. Plus it’ll point out party-specific treats and merchandise that are available.

Wear festive gear

Last but not least, you gotta wear some festive gear.

I’m talking Christmas t-shirts, spirit jerseys, ugly holiday sweaters, Christmas light necklaces, Santa hats, and Christmas ear headbands.

The tackier, the better, in my opinion. I’ve even seen groups wearing Christmas pajamas!

If you’re not sure what to wear, you can always purchase something Christmasy at the party or even any of the gift shops across the resort before you go.

But at the very least, wear red or green so you at least look like you want to be there, haha.

Will you be attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party?

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a must-do for anyone planning a trip to Disney World during the Christmas season.

From the festive decorations to the exclusive character meet-and-greets and shows, this party is guaranteed to boost your holiday spirit and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Just remember to purchase your tickets ahead of time, plan out your night, and most of all, have a ton of fun!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

This post was originally published November 8, 2023. It was last updated December 10, 2023.