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Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is back in 2023! Considering this is one of my favorite upcharges at Disney World, this is great news.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) is a hard ticket event held at Magic Kingdom each year during the Christmas season. Of course, at Disney World, Christmas starts immediately following Halloween, but I’m OK with that!
The party takes place 3-4 times a week, every week, from the second week in November until just before Christmas Eve.
There are a lot of details to know about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and this post will try to cover them all (updated June 15, 2023).
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Dates 2023
Disney goes out of their way to extend the Christmas season as long as humanly possible. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) begins in early November and extends until just before Christmas.
The Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2023 dates are:
- November 9, 2023
- November 10, 2023
- November 13, 2023
- November 14, 2023
- November 16, 2023
- November 17, 2023
- November 19, 2023
- November 21, 2023
- November 22, 2023
- November 26, 2023
- November 28, 2023
- November 30, 2023
- December 1, 2023
- December 3, 2023
- December 5, 2023
- December 7, 2023
- December 8, 2023
- December 10, 2023
- December 12, 2023
- December 14, 2023
- December 15, 2023
- December 17, 2023
- December 19, 2023
- December 21, 2023
- December 22, 2023
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Sold Out Dates 2023
Each year MVMCP sells out on certain dates. Some of these are predictable, but some are not. The first party of the year always sells out. That’s when all the bloggers and vloggers go to document it.
If you are going to be there around Thanksgiving, those dates are also at risk. And the last few parties of the year also always sell out.
If you want to go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party I recommend that you buy your tickets sooner rather than later.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Hours
Just like at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, MVMCP technically runs from 7:00p until 12:00a. However, party guests are permitted entrance to Magic Kingdom at 4:00p.
If you have a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ticket, you do not need a park pass reservation or a theme park ticket for Magic Kingdom that day.
Regular day guests are permitted to get on rides until 6:00p. From that point on, they are subtly herded towards Main Street and the exits.
Day guests are still allowed in the shops along Main Street during this time.
MVMCP 2023 Entrance Procedure
All guests with a MVMCP event ticket are provided with a color coded wrist band upon entrance to the park. Each day has a different color, preventing people from trying to reuse old wrist bands to simply stay in the park.
This wrist band is how Cast Members determine who is allowed in the park and on the rides after 7:00p and who needs to be asked (politely!) to leave.
If you are already inside of Magic Kingdom using a regular park ticket, you need to go to one of the wristband stations set up around the park. They scan your MagicBand/ticket and provide you with a wrist band.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets
Like most things at Disney World, attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party is not cheap. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party prices for 2023 range from $159-$199 for adults and $149-$189 for children ages 3-9.
The price depends on the day of the week and the time of the year. Anything during Thanksgiving week is more expensive, as are the dates closer to Christmas.
The cheapest parties of the year are mid-week parties in early to mid-November.
Either way, you need to anticipate spending a pretty penny to go to MVMCP.
Tickets cost you $10 more if you buy them same day, so make sure you buy your tickets ahead of time.
Discounted MVMCP Tickets
If you are an Annual Passholder or a Disney Vacation Club member, you are eligible for a discount on MVMCP tickets. The discount brings the price down $10. Woohoo! Bask in those savings!
However, the discount is only good on select dates, and never includes the last two parties of the year.
Another way to get a discount on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets is to buy them from Undercover Tourist.
This discount has gotten smaller and smaller over the past couple of years, but at least it’s some sort of savings.
Keep in mind, until Disney officially starts selling Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets, you won’t be able to see how much the discount is on Undercover Tourist.
Military Discount for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
In addition to those, The Disney Journey reader PegP gave me the scoop on getting a military discount on the tickets. The discount is only available on certain dates, and the amount of the actual discount varies for each date, but savings is savings!
If you want to take advantage of the military discount you can either buy your tickets directly from a ticket booth at Disney World or get them through Shades of Green.
If you don’t want to wait until you arrive at Disney World you can contact Shades of Green to purchase your tickets ahead of time.
They will guide you through the process of purchasing them. If you know you want to attend MVMCP, I highly recommend you buy the tickets ahead of time. Many of the party dates sell out in advance.
For more information on the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party military discount visit the Shades of Green tour page.
When do Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets Go On Sale?
Guests of Disney resorts, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green are eligible to purchase their party tickets starting on June 29, 2023.
All other guests can purchase tickets starting on July 6, 2023.
What Should I Wear to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party?
This question always seems to come up when talking about a Disney trip. Of course, you can wear anything you want. However, I highly recommend you pay attention to the weather during your party time.
December nights in Florida can see temperatures in the 40s and 50s. That’s a very chilly evening in shorts and a t-shirt.
Review my Disney packing list to make sure you are prepared for the weather. I have a whole section focused on winter packing for Disney.
But why wear any old clothes when you can wear a Disney themed ugly Christmas sweater?!?! If the weather is cooler this is so much better than a regular old sweater.
Amazon is full of all sorts of Disney ugly Christmas sweaters for good prices. They even have t-shirt versions in case you go in early November when it’s still warmer.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Events
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is chock full of fun seasonal events included in the ticket price. It might not be possible to do all of them over the course of one party, but it sure is fun to try.
The times of the events tend to be the same each year, but information will be updated as information is released.
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration (7:40p, 9:25p, 10:30p, 11:55p)
This adorable show takes place on the castle stage several times each night of the party. Mickey and Minnie invite all of their friends over for a holiday celebration. The show includes singing, dancing, and overall frivolity by our favorite Disney characters.
If you’ve never been to MVMCP before, then seeing Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is an absolute must.
Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (8:30p, 11:00p)
I don’t care how old you are, a good parade is fun for everyone. A Christmas themed parade at Magic Kingdom is just icing on the cake.
The Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is filled to the brim with Mickey and his friends, the princesses, toy soldiers, reindeer, and of course, Santa!
The parade runs twice during each party and is a huge draw for the crowd, with the 8:30p parade the most popular.
If you watch the parade from Main Street, you will even see it snow!
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks (10:00p)
Minnie Mouse is the host of this holiday themed nighttime spectacular.
Guests will enjoy familiar Christmas favorites such as “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Deck the Halls” while the fireworks explode around them.
There are projections and fireworks galore to go along with a host of favorite holiday songs.
This whos can be enojoyed from most locations throughout Magic Kingdom, including Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.
Pro Tip: Fantasyland is an amazing spot to watch the fireworks. You don’t get the full on effect, but you do get amazing fireworks with a much smaller crowd.
A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas (7:45p, 8:35p, 9:25p, 10:45p, 11:35p)
This party includes your favorite Tomorrowland friends like Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and Stitch. It’s a truly out of this world party. It takes place on the Rockettower Plaza Stage.
The show involves modern twists on holiday favorites accompanied by lively dance numbers.
Club Tinsel
If you’re looking for a holiday themed dance party, this is the place to be. Found in Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, you can dance all with holiday friends night long if you so choose.
Disney Junior Jingle Jam
Located in Storybook Circus, this is a great opportunities for the younger set. This is a dance party featuring favorite Disney Junior characters.
This includes characters from Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and The Lion Guard.
Complimentary Sweets and Treats
There are treat stations scattered throughout the park, each identified with a giant candy cane. These treat stations typically offer cookies, snowman shaped pretzels, chocolates, and sno-cones.
You can wash all those treats down with hot chocolate, egg nog, and cider.
And the best news is, there is no limit to the number of times you can go back for more.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Ride Overlays
Disney just announced that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party will get some holiday themed ride overlays. This follows that trend that began with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Disney Villains After Hours.
Space Mountain – Holiday Run!!
The usual Space Mountain theme and decor will be replaced with dazzling lighting and high energy holiday tunes.
Jingle Cruise
This one isn’t actually just for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, this is for the entire holiday season for everyone. Jungle Cruise has a holiday overlay which includes Christmas decorations and holiday themed schtick.
Open Attractions During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Most of the rides and attractions are open during the party. There are some which are not offered, like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, but all of the most important ones are available.
Because of the lower crowds during the party, this is a great time to get on rides with lower waits than normal.
Main Street USA
- Town Square Theater
- Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Swiss Family Treehouse
JungleJingle Cruise – Jungle Cruise is given a special holiday overlay!
Frontierland
- Big Thurnder Mountain Railroad
- Country Bear Jamboree
Liberty Square
- Haunted Mansion
Fantasyland
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Princess Fairytale Hall
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- “it’s a small world”
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- The Barnstormer
- Mad Tea Party
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Tomorrowland
- Tron Lightcycle Run (will use a virtual queue)
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Space Mountain
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Spaceranger Spin
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
(Last show at 10:00)
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Character Meet and Greets
The special characters that are available during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party are hugely popular. Some of the rare characters will have very long lines throughout the duration of the party, with many people lining up well before the party officially starts.
Disney does not release the official character list. Most of the information comes in as people report which characters are where. However, the list is very similar from year to year.
The following list is based off of the characters who did meet and greets at previous parties. It will be updated once information is confirmed.
Main Street U.S.A.
- Santa Claus (Town Square Theater)
- Mickey Mouse in Christmas Outfit (Town Square Theater)
- Jack Skellington (as Sandy Claws) and Sally (Town Square Theater) – these very popular characters begin meeting at 4:30p, you can get your party wrist band while in line for them
Adventureland
- Aladdin (dressed as Prince Ali) with Abu
- Jasmine with Genie
- Captain Jack Sparrow (across from Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Moana (inside Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room) – starts meeting at 5:45p
- Peter Pan with scarf (roaming)
Frontierland
- Country Bears (roaming)
Fantasyland
- Ariel and Prince Eric (across from Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid)
- Cinderella with Prince Charming and Elena of Avalor (Princess Fairy Tale Hall)
- Tiana with Naveen and Rapunzel with Flynn Rider (Princess Fairytale Hall)
- Aurora with Prince Phillip and Snow White with Prince (near Princess Fairytale Hall) – Line up at 6:30p
- Snow White and her Prince (near Princess Fairytale Hall)
- Belle (near Bonjour! Village Gifts)
- Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (next to Mad Hatter’s Tea Party)
- Tigger and Friends with scarves (next to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh) – Starts meeting at 6:20p
- The Seven Dwarfs with holiday scarves (inside Pete’s Silly Slideshow in Storybook Circus) – Very popular, line up by 5:00p; Begin meeting at 6:15p
- Minnie Mouse and Daisy in holiday dresses (Storybook Circus)
- Scrooge McDuck and Donald in holiday outfits (Storybook Circus)
- Santa Goofy (near Barnstormer exit)
- Timon, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, and Fancy Nancy (Disney Junior Jingle Jam)
Liberty Square
- Mary Poppins and Bert
Tomorrowland
- Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps – Starts meeting at 6:15p
- Reindeer
- Polar Bears
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Add Ons
While Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party is in and of itself one of the best Disney add ons, there are usually add-ons within the party as well.
There will likely be a dessert party add-on, but no information has been announced yet.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Merchandise
Every year, Disney releases exclusive merchandise which is only available to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party guests. It is available on a first come, first serve basis, and items are known to sell out.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Special Treats
Each year Disney’s chefs release a barrage of special holiday themed treats of both the sweet and savory variety. While some of them are available in the park all day long, there are many treats which are exclusive to MVMCP.
As the party dates get closer, expect Disney to release a list of the special holiday treats to be found at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Worth It?
This is probably the most asked question in regards to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Considering the high cost of the tickets, this question is perfectly natural. You want to be assured that it is an experience to be enjoyed by the whole family.
However, like everything else related to a Disney World vacation, advanced planning is your friend. The more prepared you are for the experience, the better off you are (more on that below).
In the end, I clearly think that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is worth it for my family. It’s an extra expense to budget for during a trip at Christmastime.
If you are a Christmas nut and love being inundated with Disney’s special brand of Christmas magic, then MVMCP just might be right for you too.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tips
Below you will find some very important tips for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. If you follow these, and do your homework, your odds of loving the party as much as I do greatly increase.
- Prioritize events and attractions
- Plan a rough idea of where you want to be, and when
- Enter the park at 4:00p and stay until the end
- Be realistic in your expectations
1. Prioritize Events and Attractions
At some point leading up to the party, Disney releases the schedule of events for MVMCP. However, this could be released mere days before the parties begin, or not until the opening party.
If you are going to parties later on in the schedule, this is no big deal.
However, if you are going to some of the first parties, this is more of a problem. You can circumvent this by looking at the schedule of events for the previous year, as they tend to follow a similar pattern for the parties year after year.
Once you’ve seen a list of the typical party offerings, now is when you start to decide which aspects of the party your family will enjoy the most.
Even if you are there for all 8 hours of park time you can have on a party ticket, it is impossible to do everything offered at the parties.
Does your family prefer rides? Do they like characters? Do you prefer party exclusive offerings over things you can do on a regular MK day? These are the questions to start with and then build your strategy from there.
Rides are a big priority for my family. In addition to rides, we enjoy party specific offerings such as the castle shows, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Holiday Fireworks, and the snacks.
Once I had this narrowed down, I had my foundation on which to build out the specifics of our plan. I took this a step further and prioritized the top rides we absolutely wanted to ride, then had a mental list of secondary rides that would be an added bonus if we got on them.
Strategies for Character Meet and Greets
- Get in the character’s line before the party starts (think 5:00p)
- Hop in line at the end of the night (after the fireworks and on)
- Create your priority list of characters
If you plan to be more focused on character meet and greets you need to plan very specific strategies for the characters you want to meet the most. Some of the party exclusive characters can very quickly build absolutely massive lines.
I’m sure there are others, but some of the most popular characters include Sandy Claws, The Seven Dwarfs, and Moana.
2. Plan a Rough Idea of Where You Want to be, and When
This is perhaps where I was just a touch obsessive in my planning strategy, but as it served me well, it could do the same for you. Get on out there and search for maps of Magic Kingdom, because now is when you want to put them to use.
If you’ve been to MK more often and are pretty familiar with the general layout, this might not be as necessary, but if you’ve never been or have only been there once, I highly recommend this part.
Prior to our first party, we’d only been to MK a couple of times before. I quickly realized as I was planning out the events that we wanted, that I needed to know where on earth everything was in order to minimize the amount of time we spent staring at the map figuring things out on the day of the party.
Decide: View Events from Main Street or Elsewhere in the Park
Here is where another very specific part of our strategy comes into play. With the exception of entering and leaving, we
Now, this definitely will not work for everyone. Most people insist that if you don’t watch things like the shows, parade, and fireworks from directly in front of the castle you miss out on some of the magic.
And I definitely agree with this sentiment. There is much to be said for watching the parade come down Main Street with the castle all lit up in the background. And did I mention that snow that falls on Main Street during the parade? Talk about Disney magic!
However, there are downsides to being present for the full on magic of Main Street. The main drawback is that the crowds are at their heaviest in those areas and if you want a good spot, you need to stake it out well in advance to the start of the event.
Some people will even stay put in their parade spot and wait for the fireworks to begin.
For us, that is just way too much time spent sitting around instead of having experiences. While I would love to experience the magic from Main Street, we made the conscious decision to view things from less desirable locations.
This lessens the impact of the event (i.e. not being able to see all the characters on stage unobstructed) but gives an easy escape route when the event is over.
If your priority is to fully experience all of the magic, that is wonderful! Just make sure you understand how that will impact the number of things you will be able to accomplish overall.
How I Created Our Successful MVMCP Touring Plan
I sat down with a map of Magic Kingdom and a list of the events and times and went to work. I pieced together which times would work best to minimize the number of times we had to crisscross the park.
There were a few different variations before I hit upon the plan that ultimately worked very well for us.
Included in this was identifying where we wanted to sit for the parade and fireworks, as well as where to watch the castle shows from.
Again, our priority for all of these viewing spots was easy in, easy out. We rolled up to watch the castle lighting show a mere 5 minutes before it started, left as soon as it was done, and were on our next ride within minutes.
We watched the parade from Frontierland and the fireworks from Fantasyland. This doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for us. You need to decide what works best for your crew.
3. Enter the Park at 4:00p and Stay Until the End
Party goers have always been allowed to enter the park at 4:00p, and this stands to continue. These party tickets are expensive so squeeze every last second out of them as you can.
If you plan to do a sit down meal, make sure you book it for an early dinner. Do not waste precious party time sitting down to eat a meal.
Close out the Party!
The other key part of this advice is to stay at the party as long as you can. Clearly, if you have small children, this is easier said than done. You don’t want to push them to the point of exhaustion and meltdown, but you want to get close to that.
My kids were 8 and 5 when we went the first time, and were typically in bed, sound asleep by 8:00p every night. They are not late night kids by any stretch of the imagination.
But we decided to push them as late as possible because we knew that the crowds would dwindle in the later hours.
Tip: Make sure the day after you attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a rest day. Trust me, you will all need it.
If you have younger kids, I highly recommend having a stroller for this day (if not your whole trip) so kids can rest in the stroller if necessary. I have a list of recommendations for the best strollers for Disney which all fit Disney’s new stroller guidelines.
My kids were able to make it until midnight, and we had some of our favorite parts of the night between 10p-12a. We hopped in line for 7DMT around 11:40p and waited only 20 minutes to ride it! It was awesome.
We felt that by spending the full 8 hours at the party and getting so much accomplished, we got our money’s worth out of those tickets.
4. Be Realistic in Your Expectations
This particular piece of planning advice is worth
As with any part of planning an awesome trip to Disney, there are many unpredictable factors. No matter how much you plan, you can’t control the weather,
While the parties are touted as having significantly lower crowds than the average park day, an assertion I completely agree with, no one has the official data on how many tickets Disney will sell before they consider a party to be sold out.
On top of that, in recent years, Disney began pushing the limit for selling more and more tickets, reducing the benefit of low crowds somewhat.
Will it be less crowded than a typical park day? Absolutely. Will it be a crowd-free bonanza in which you can run around and do everything you want? No. There will be crowds, especially on Main Street and The Hub.
I read so many accounts of people being at the same exact party, one person asserting it was miserably crowded and they had a terrible time, and another saying the crowds were low and they had a great time. This was the same exact party!
When planning, just assume that there will be a lot of people and plan your strategy around that. This helps you to keep the proper perspective and keep your expectations in check.
If there are lower crowds than you expected, great! You can get more done than you
Your Thoughts
What do you think? Do you plan to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party during it’s triumphant return? I’d love to read your comments about the strategies that you’ve used at the parties.
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