Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned vet of Walt Disney World’s most magical parties, the excitement is always palpable and there is so much you can do! But let us tell you a little secret … It is impossible to do everything! That’s right, from character meets, holiday attraction overlays (like the Jingle Cruise), parades, fireworks, stage shows, party exclusive merchandise, and themed snacks, it is virtually impossible to check every item off the holiday list. So, what should you do?
1. Arrive early.
As a guest of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you are permitted into the park at 4:00 p.m. This allows you to pick up your party exclusive Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom card, take a few holiday Magic Shots courtesy of Disney’s PhotoPass photographers, snack on a few holiday-exclusive treats available in shops for purchase throughout the park, and enjoy the park’s atmosphere as it is decorated to the nines for Christmas.
Here’s something to note - the party itself does not really start until 7:00 p.m. The reason being the first showing of A Frozen Holiday Wish, the stage and projection show featuring Frozen favorites Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf. The show is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. which allows all park guests (those visiting during the day and those attending the party) a chance to see Elsa transform Cinderella’s Castle with her magnificent frozen fractal powers. We recommend that you stake out your spot for this early showing about an hour before showtime. Not only will you ensure a front row viewing location and knock one item off your party list, but you will also get to see the lighting of Cinderella’s Castle change as the sun sets. There is an additional showing of A Frozen Holiday Wish scheduled for 8:15 p.m. in case you are not able to catch the first castle lighting.
2. Take a look at the party map and prioritize your night.
Even before entering the Magic Kingdom the day of the party, we had already made a list of ‘must-dos’ and ‘it’d be a dream ifs.’
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Map courtesy of the Walt Disney World Resort.
We always love watching the parades and stage shows as no one quite does it like Disney so we knew that the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration were ‘must-dos.’ A new addition to this year’s party is Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show - advertised as a dazzling display of fireworks and light projections to the tunes of time-honored holiday favorites - yet another ‘must-do’ added to the list.
It has always been a dream to meet characters in their holiday attire or those who rarely appear in the parks. Jack as Sandy Claws and Sally were atop the ‘it’d be a dream ifs’ list but realistically, you could expect a number of hours waiting on a line to meet them. We figured that if we could visit any of the characters, it would be incredible however we did not want to sacrifice much of our party time waiting.
3. Check the weather and be realistic!
On our last visit, the skies opened up right after the conclusion of A Frozen Holiday Wish so we had a choice to make - wait it out in the cold, wet, windy weather in the hopes of it stopping before Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show at 7:40 p.m. or explore other party options. As much as we wished that the cold wouldn’t bother us anyway, we scurried off to devise a plan B as the forecast was grim at best.
4. Indulge on FREE holiday sweets.
As we sought respite in Fantasyland from the cold, wet weather, the clocks chimed at 7:00 p.m. marking the official opening of the holiday treat and beverages trail. Throughout the park (at
locations designated on the party map), cast members are delighted to share yuletide treats with guests such as specially wrapped cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, eggnog, hot chocolate, and apple cider.
We picked up a snickerdoodle cookie and a cup of hot chocolate
at Pinocchio’s Village Haus and boy o’ boy did it hit the spot as
we warmed up and constructed a new plan for the night.
5. Take advantage of the indoors and brief breaks in the weather.
With our ponchos in tow, we ventured to Tomorrowland to check out something we have never done before. Inside Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe resides Club Tinsel, a unique opportunity to dance along with holiday friends like the reindeer straight from the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. We LOVE the reindeer so to see them shaking their tails was a wonderful surprise.
After our dancing prancing visit with the lovable reindeer, we headed over to Big Top Souvenirs. Much like Main Street’s Emporium, this Storybook Circus shopping location has many party exclusives and holiday merchandise. As we wandered about the store, we stumbled upon Bethany, a cast member who walked us through how the scrumptious caramel Mickey apples were made. After chatting with her, another cast member approached us with sample cookies from their line of delectable creations. Yet another magical surprise!
We then ventured over to Frontierland to the best pin location in the west (wink wink). It was there where we saw the Reindeer Wranglers singing and playing their festive instruments outside on the porch. As we were peeking out the doors of the Frontier Trading Post, a few of the Country Bears came over unexpectedly to dance with guests watching the performance. Such a special treat!
6. Don’t expect the weather to clear up.
That’s right! Learn from our mistake.
Prior to the day of the party, we had purchased tickets to Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party. This additional $99 experience takes place on select nights and has many an advertised benefit such as all-you-can-eat hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and tempting sweets, an appearance by Tony himself, and reserved viewing for Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade at 11:00 p.m. on Main Street, U.S.A. Because of this, we chose to skip the 8:30 p.m. parade so we did not have to waste time hunkering down in one particular location to have a great view of the parade. Instead, we went through the Main Street shops, caught glimpses through the windows and doorways as the parade passed, and went straight to Tony’s.
Since we had already checked in at the desk and received our Tony’s wristbands, we were able to walk into the restaurant right at 9:30 p.m. (The restaurant is open to Tony’s guests from 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.). Having a similar setup to Cruella’s Hideaway at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, we could easily navigate the festive rooms, choosing to select a table in the outer room where the desserts and drinks are located.
As we picked out our hot food and dessert selections, we saw Tony mingling with his guests in the innermost room. Our cast member hosts informed us that Tony would be visiting every table throughout the night so there was no need to approach the Italian chef and thus we could go straight to our seats.
As we dabbled with the party offerings, we took a look outside and it appeared as if the weather was intensifying. With the 10:00 p.m. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show swiftly approaching, I decided to run outside the restaurant solo with my camera and tripod to shoot the fireworks (yes, in the rain) with the comfort of knowing I could re-enter Tony’s upon conclusion of the fireworks.
Here is the heart-breaker - if it is pouring, you will not be able to see the fireworks from Main Street U.S.A. As the fireworks lift off bursting into the air, the smoke does not fade away. In fact, it lingers. As I stood shivering in the rain, clinging to any hope of seeing this new show, I mingled with fellow guests who sarcastically cheered throughout the show as we practically could not see a single thing. We were however able to hear the Christmas carols that the show was planned to be in-tune with. From my understanding, those who were closest to the footprint of Cinderella’s Castle were able to have a better viewing experience although theirs was impaired as well.
At the conclusion of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show, I scurried back to Tony’s to join my mother who stayed inside. I was drenched and could not think of a single thing other than a cup of hot chocolate to warm me up however, I was asked to wait as the restaurant brewed another canister. While I was gone, Tony had yet to visit the table so I was comforted that I did not miss the opportunity. We remained at our table until about 10:50 p.m. We still had yet to see Tony at our table but wanted to make sure we had our preferred spot for the parade in the reserved location.
As the clock struck 11:00 p.m., we saw cast members scurrying and shivering, trying to figure out if the parade would be cancelled or replaced. We learned from a group of cast members that the 6:15 p.m. A Frozen Holiday Wish and the 8:30 p.m. Once Upon a Christmastime Parade were the only two entertainment options that ran in their entirety that night so things were not looking too great for the last showing of the parade.
Yes, the parade was indeed replaced by the Rainy Day Christmas Cavalcade, a brief selection of the parade’s characters in an array of vehicles in addition to the toy soldiers marching as per the norm. We were bummed but glad that Disney had another option in place to maintain the magic and the safety of their performers.
The two things I personally was looking forward to the most were the parade and the fireworks. Not being able to see them as they were intended put a damper on an already damp night.
7. If the weather is poor, take advantage of the fact that guests will leave early from the park.
After once again being soaked and seeing a somewhat bare Main Street U.S.A., we went to the Town Square Theater to see what the wait time would be for the characters meeting inside. We were in complete shock - Jack and Sally were still there with only a 40-minute wait! This meet usually averages 4 hours on a clear day. The weather really can scare off guests, sending them packing at an early hour and opening up rare opportunities like this.
Meeting Jack and Sally has always been a bucket-list Disney item and we finally did it! Without a doubt, this was one of my favorite character meets EVER! It was totally immersive from the queue to the conversations with the Nightmare Before Christmas favorites. For me, this was the highlight of the night and the experience that turned it all around.
After meeting Jack and Sally, we once again tried to see Tony but were told that although the restaurant was open, the cast members did not know as to where Tony had gone. We were overall disappointed in this experience, especially since it was an additional cost. However, at that point it really didn’t matter.
We were soaked and cold but happily singing to *NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” as we exited the park. Why you may ask … well, we made the most of a very wet situation, learned for next year, and enjoyed every minute because we were together in the most magical place on earth (even when it’s raining).
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