10 Facts & Secrets About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

This is one of our favorite events that you can experience at Walt Disney World. We are big time Christmas fanatics, so anytime you can combine that with Disney magic we are ALL in! The “snow” falls on Main Street during the party and the entire park changes over to winter wonderland right in the middle of Orlando. The entertainment is awesome, the cookies are amazing and holiday cheer is in the air. Here are some really great facts and secrets about the event to help you prepare for what you need to know about the event:

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10. It’s a long running event.

The very first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party event was held on December 16, 1983. The offerings, prices and number of party dates have changed over the years, but the popularity and joy from the event definitely ensures that this will remain and annual tradition for a while!

9. There is more than just cookies and cocoa.

As you likely already know, all party guests do get unlimited cookies and hot cocoa at the various serving locations that are set up around the Magic Kingdom. That isn’t all though. If you have special dietary needs or would like healthy options, they do have other options you can request. There are sugar free cookie and cocoa options as well as an “allergy friendly” cookie option that will hopefully meet your needs. They also offer bags of apple slices and apple juice as a totally different alternative as well. You don’t HAVE to have an allergy to request these items. We didn’t want our kids to keep eating cookie after cookie, and the cast members had no issues giving them apple slices instead so that they were doing a little bit of healthy snacking, too.

8. Tickets go on sale early.

If you are interested in attending the event, then you should know that tickets typically go on sale around April-May each year. There are nights, usually in December, which will likely sell out before the date. So if you have a certain date in mind and you know for sure you will be there, it is a good idea to go ahead and snatch up your tickets. If you are an Annual Passholder, Florida Resident or DVC Member, look for discounts on the tickets, particularly for the November dates.

7. The party starts at 7PM, but a party ticket gets you in starting at 4PM.

That’s right! If you have a party ticket, you can get into the Magic Kingdom beginning at 4PM without the need for separate admission to the park. If you plan your days, you could do a resort day for the early part of the day so that you can make it from 4PM – 12AM at the Magic Kingdom, and save yourself the cost of any park admission for that day. This can help to justify the cost of the party ticket at least a little bit for many families.

6. Plan dining early!

If you are planning on getting dinner in the park, plan your dining early and dine before the party actually begins. Once the festivities begin at 7PM it isn’t a good use of your party time to have to stop for dinner. We typically try to get our dining reservation between 4PM – 6PM, and book it way in advance so that we get to dine in the park and then get to enjoying the party! Remember that you don’t need dessert and may not want to fill up too much so you can enjoy treats at the party!

5. There is special event merchandise.

If you are a Disney collector, or like to get browse the exclusive merchandise, then you are going to love this! There is typically at least a t-shirt, Christmas tree ornament, pin and magic band that are exclusive to the party guest and only available at the party at select locations. The event merchandise varies from year to year, so be sure to check your party guide and make your purchases while you are at the party and have the chance! You won’t be able to find it later!

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4. Skip the first parade.

Unless you plan to try to see the parade twice (it is a pretty awesome parade, so I could totally understand why you might do that), then you should skip the first parade and plan to see the second one. The first parade will be the most crowded and you aren’t as likely to get one of the best spots. You will likely be less crowed and be able to see more if you wait for the second one. Plus, you can take advantage of shorter lines for attractions and character encounters while other guests are watching the parade.

3. Special character experiences.

There will be lots of characters out and some of them will be exclusive to the party event. You will be able to meet your favorite classic characters in holiday attire and festive for the event. The seven dwarfs are usually out in their scarfs and holiday flair, which is an extremely popular meet and greet. Another popular meet and greet is Jack Skellington in his Santa costume. If you are interested in some of the rare, popular meet and greets then you will want to try to get in line right before the party begins so that you are among the first in line and will lessen the amount of time that you have to wait. You can also try to get in line closer to the end of the party, but you may still be waiting in a long line and they may cut off the line and some point. We find that trying to be among the first in line is the most efficient use of precious party time!

2. Dress in your holiday best!

You may be wondering what guests typically wear to the event. Well there will be all levels of Christmas crazy displayed at the event. Many guests will wear Santa or holiday inspired hats along with holiday shirts, pajamas, etc. Many will also come decked out with Christmas light necklaces and even decorate their strollers with Christmas lights. It is a lot of fun, so dress festive and enjoy it. We love to wear Christmas pajamas (and they are comfortable, too) to the event since it is a great excuse to get to wear pajamas to the park!

1. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures!

It is an amazing event with the beautiful “snow” falling on Main Street, the Castle decorated for the season, characters and cast members in special costumes and holiday cheer all around. You pay a lot to get to enjoy the event so be sure to take a lot of pictures. If you purchased Memory Maker for your vacation then you will also get those pictures. Sometimes there is an event Memory Maker that can be purchased, so look for that option as well. Don’t be shy about using your own camera to save some money and capture lots of memories from this awesome event!