Last month, a friend and I were in Orlando to experience Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) at Magic Kingdom.  This trip was supposed to happen in September for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) but was moved to December.  I eventually wanted to do both so was indifferent about which one was first.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party started in 1983 as a 1 night at Magic Kingdom and has since evolved into a major event on select nights in November and December.  There is exclusive entertainment like parades, shows, character meets and ride overlays.  There is also exclusive food and merchandise that is only available during this party.

For 2025, the party runs from November 7 to December 21 from 7 PM to midnight, with guests being able to enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 PM.  Ticket prices ranges from $159 to $229 per person with the more expensive tickets being closer to Christmas.  There are cookies and sample size hot chocolates included with the ticket.  It is a limited event so there should be less crowds and shorter wait times for the rides.  We went on December 14 which costs $219 plus tax.

Getting There

We stayed at Disney’s All Star Music Resort which provided free buses to any place within Disney World.  We actually started our afternoon by meeting friends for lunch at Disney Springs for noon.  By the time we finished that and looking around Disney Springs, we didn’t get to the bus stop to leave until 3:30 PM.

We waited for the next bus and didn’t get to Magic Kingdom until 4:30 PM.  Lines weren’t too bad and it was easy to get in with my MagicBand+.  We got a collectible brochure map and a green party wristband.  We then got a free marshmallow candy treat and a special party exclusive Christmas ornament.

It was almost 5 PM and the party doesn’t start until 7, we decided to do some rides and used my Disability Access Service (DAS) pass for some rides and character meets.  Here is how our night went:

The Hub

(Mainstreet, USA)

We started at Mainstreet, USA because this is where the entrance leads us.  We were checking out some of the stores and Christmas decorations.  We of course took pictures in front of the iconic Cinderella castle despite the crowds.

We also took pictures in front of the Partners statue which consists of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.  We then looked around a bit in Tomorrowland before heading to Adventureland for our first DAS ride selection.

Jingle Cruise

(Adventureland)

Jingle Cruise is just the Jungle Cruise ride with a holiday overlay.  This classic boat ride opened with the park in 1971 and between early November to early January, the holiday overlay adds decorations to the queue area and boat dock area.  There is also Christmas gifts and props along the ride while skippers tell us holiday themed jokes.

This overlay was not exclusive during party hours like some other rides.  I just went on this ride a few months ago at Disneyland but wanted to see if the overlay made a difference.  Getting on the boat is easy as always since there is a ramp and a spot for wheelchairs.  It was cool to see some of the holiday decor and hear some of the holiday jokes but it is still the equally fun experience.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

(Adventureland)

Being in Adventureland already and not having a DAS selection available due to using it for a character encounter, we saw that a ride had almost no lines.  The Magic Carpets of Aladdin allows riders aboard a carpet and to control how high it flies.  I have never been on this ride before which is similar to the Dumbo ride which I never rode either.

The carpet ride vehicle is wheelchair accessible so I could remain in my wheelchair.  A cast member would tie my chair down and put a seatbelt on me.  My friend sat in the front seat and controlled the height of the carpet.  It was an easy ride that spun around for less than 2 minutes.  It was a bit dizzying but we got to ride this twice in a row.

Cookie & Drinks Stations

We only managed to get free cookies and drinks at 5 of the 6 stations.  At each spot we got double the amount of cookies to save for later.  Here is the order of the cookies and drinks that we went and where they can be found:

Red Velvet Cake Cookie & Apple Cider – The Lunching Pad (Tomorrowland)

Buttercream Frosted Gingerbread Cookie & Apple Cider – Sunshine Tree Terrace (Adventureland)

Hot Cocoa Cookie (with Dove Chocolate) & Hot Chocolate – Tortuga Tavern (Adventureland)

Snowman-Shaped Pretzel & Punch – Fantasyland Railroad Station

Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie & Eggnog – Gaston’s Tavern (Fantasyland) – my friend went to grab this while waiting to watch the parade

Buttercream Frosted Chocolate Chip Cookie (with M&M’s) & Hot Cocoa – Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (Tomorrowland) – was sad to miss this

Character Encounters

(Various Locations)

There are various character encounters that are exclusive to MVMCP, with Jack and Sally being the most popular.  Wait times could be 2 hours or more.  Luckily, we had the DAS pass and after we got our first cookie and drink, we went back to Mainstreet to meet Jack and Sally.  They were in the Town Square Theater and were really cool to meet.  We went right in and even got a signed autograph card.

After that, we saw right by Guest Relations that Mary Poppins was about to have a meet and greet within a few minutes.  We just rested and waited nearby until it was time to take pictures with her.

Afterwards, we went to look at some of the shops and then got our second, third and fourth cookie.  My friend then went to the Haunted Mansion ride.  I just went on this ride twice a few months ago so didn’t want to be transferred again.  I wanted to make sure we got a good spot to watch the fireworks.

Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks

It was almost 10 PM, so we didn’t have time to get to the accessible viewing area.  We just found a spot in the crowd of Mainstreet, USA.  Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks is a 12 minute fireworks show that debut in November 2019 exclusively at MVMCP and during Christmas week and holidays during regular park days at 8:30 PM.

Even though it was crowded viewing it with everyone, I was still able to see.  The show combines a musical score of classic Christmas songs with castle projections, low-level pyrotechnics, and a large-scale fireworks display above Cinderella Castle.  It is hosted by Minnie Mouse, inviting everyone to come together to celebrate Christmas.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

The next thing to do was to see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.  There was a showing at 8:30 PM and at 11 PM.  The earlier parade is the busier one so we planned for the later show.  Right after the fireworks we went directly to find one of the accessible viewing areas.  We were quite early so I held our spot while my friend got our 5th cookie of the night to eat while waiting for the parade to start.

The viewing area is great.  The parade is about 18 minutes and starts at Frontierland and travels through Liberty Square, goes around the hub in front of Cinderella, and then down Mainstreet, USA.  The parade starts off with a few characters like Pluto, Daisy, Tigger and more followed by Mickey and Minnie on a float in their Christmas sweaters.

With Christmas songs playing, we then see characters from Frozen, Vanellope in her race car, Chip and Dale with Clarice all in their baker outfits.  Clarabelle cow comes out on her float led by some Gingerbread men.  Goofy’s candy float comes out followed Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and Cinderella with Prince Charming.  Lastly we see Toy Soldiers along with Santa and his reindeer.

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration

(Fantasyland)

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration had 4 showings: 7:40, 9:25, 10:35 and 11:55 PM, so we saw the last and final 11:55 PM show to maximize our party hours.  It is a 20 minute show that debut at MVMCP in 2019 and for 2025 it is exclusively only for MVMVP.  Mickey, Minnie and friends are on the Cinderella stage singing and dancing with castle projections as the show’s backdrop.

Besides the usual characters like Donald and Goofy, we get to see Woody, Jessie, Peter Pan, Alice, and even Clarabelle Cow singing “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” There wasn’t any accessible viewing area but with it being midnight it was still quite busy and crowded.  I was still able to see and enjoyed the show.

After the show we did check out some of the shops before heading to the bus stop to get back to our hotel.

Final Thoughts

My friend and I ended up staying about 7.5 hours at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  Everything went by so fast and we hardly did any of the rides.  I think if we were inside Magic Kingdom right at 4 PM, we could have done 1 or 2 more rides.  There was some good Christmas entertainment and the included cookies and drinks were good, but not sure if it was worth over $230 a ticket.  I’d go again but would probably go the earlier party dates to save some money.  That goes for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party too.