Complete guide to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in 2020

The biggest event held during the holidays is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) which takes place on select evenings at Magic Kingdom in November and December.

It features exclusive holiday entertainment, snow falling on Main St., and complimentary treats.

Let's dive into the details...

Note: details for parties in 2020 have not yet been released. However, the 2019 information below is a great place to start planning as we await 2020 info from Disney.

Quick review

Dates, cost, and times for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

This is a special event with its own ticket.

Party dates for 2019 will be:

• November 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24
• December 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22

People often ask about the least crowded parties and which days they should attend.

Aside from the first couple parties of the year, November party dates will almost always be less busy than December dates, and Tuesdays are usually less crowded than parties offered on other days of the week.

Tickets for 2019 went on sale on April 8th and are currently available by calling 407-WDISNEY or online at DisneyWorld.com.

Click for larger image.

Tickets are non-refundable, even if there's bad weather.

For this reason, we used to advise people to wait to get their party tickets until they got to Disney World so they see how the weather was going to be.

However, many party dates sold out in the last couple of years, so now we suggest buying them ahead of time if you're pretty certain you want to attend.

Party dates that sold out

In 2019 the dates that have sold out are:

• November 8, 2019 (sold out on Oct. 12)
• November 24, 2019 (sold out on Nov. 3)
• December 1, 2019 (sold out on Nov. 29)
• December 3, 2019 (sold out on Nov. 29)
• December 5, 2019 (sold out on Dec. 3)
• December 6, 2019 (sold out on Dec. 6)
• December 8, 2019 (sold out on Dec. 8)
• December 10, 2019 (sold out on Dec. 10)
• December 13, 2019 (sold out on Dec. 12)
• December 15, 2019 (sold out on Dec. 3)
• December 22, 2019 (sold out on Nov. 8)

In 2018 the dates that sold out were:

• November 8, 2018 (sold out on Nov. 8)
• November 9, 2018 (sold out on Nov. 9)
• November 25, 2018 (sold out on Nov. 24)
• December 16, 2018 (sold out on Dec. 9)
• December 21, 2018 (sold out on Dec. 19)

The party events begin at 7 p.m. and end at midnight.

People with event tickets can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 p.m.* to enjoy the park in its "regular" state before the party officially kicks off at 7.

You do not need a regular park ticket to visit Magic Kingdom on this day if you have a party ticket and arrive at 4 or later.

*If you do not go to another park this day and enter Magic Kingdom at 4 p.m. with your party ticket, you may be able to make FastPass+ reservations ahead of time for 4-7 p.m. However, some guests have reported receiving emails from Disney notifying them that they were over their FastPass+ allowance and that their selections for their last park day would be deleted.

FastPass+ isn't available once the party officially begins at 7.

Here's the map for the 2019 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Click to view the full-sized PDF.

Visiting after December 22?

The Once Upon A Christmastime parade,  Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, The Edge Effect, The Reindeer Wranglers, and Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks held during this party are shown daily after the last party of the year.

In 2019 the final party is on December 22 and everybody with regular theme park admission will be able to enjoy the entertainment offerings (and the busy crowds) without a special ticket.

In addition, the attractions with special overlays (Tomorrowland Speedway, Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, and Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor) will be available.

DVC members enter as early as 2:00

DVC members and their guests are able to enter Magic Kingdom park with just a MVMCP ticket starting at 2:00 p.m., which is 2 hours earlier than everybody else.

Simply present your valid Disney Vacation Club Membership Card and your event ticket at the main entrance to take advantage of this benefit.

The benefit is valid for the Member and up to 7 guests with tickets to this event (a total of 8 people).

In addition, DVC members get a discount of about $5 per ticket on select party nights.

What takes place during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Wristbands

Since the park is open only for party guests, those attending will need to get special wristbands.

Wristbands can be picked up at:

• the front of the park (as you enter)
• inside the Chamber of Commerce building on Main Street
• near Buzz Lightyear
• outside of Mickey's Philharmagic
• Guest Relations window in Liberty Square
• near Tortuga Tavern

Here are the events that you can expect to take place during the party:

Castle Dream Lights and A Frozen Holiday Wish

Not only does the castle look different during the holidays, but there's a little ceremony that precedes the lighting of the castle.

From early November to early January, Queen Elsa from Frozen appears twice each evening to get the Castle Dream Lights lit up for the night in a 7 minute show called "A Frozen Holiday Wish."

This takes place at 6:15 and 8:15 p.m.

Disney often doesn't communicate the details of this show clearly, perhaps because they want people to think this is only part of the Christmas party, but guests are allowed to stick around to watch the 6:15 p.m. showing of A Frozen Holiday Wish even though the park closes at 6 p.m. and the party doesn't begin until 7 p.m.

Tip: The best place to watch the stage show is close to the stage.

If you want to be able to view the whole castle better, it's best to stand back a little bit further.

Show up about 30 minutes beforehand to make sure you get a good spot to watch.

Mickey's Once upon a Christmastime Parade

This magical parade takes place twice nightly at 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

Marching toy soldiers, reindeer, gingerbread men, classic characters dressed in their holiday best, and Santa Claus himself appear in this super fun parade.

Parade tip: See the second showing of the parade for lighter crowds (plus you can spend time doing other things during the first parade).

Secure a spot on Main St. toward the front of the park.

Viewing from there provides the best ambiance: the brightly-lit castle as a backdrop, the storefronts decorated for the holidays, and snow falling overhead.

Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks (new for 2019!)

This show is brand new for 2019 and takes place at 10 p.m.

This show features a combination of projections and fireworks. The best views are near Casey's Corner to be able to see both the projections and fireworks.

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show

Shown nightly at 7:45 p.m., 8:35 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:45 p.m., and 11:35 p.m. on the stage between Space Mountain and The Carousel of Progress, this funny show lasts for about 20 minutes and includes Stitch, characters from Monsters, Inc., Buzz, and others.

In between showings of A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show, the Edge Effect a cappella group sings holiday favorites in Tomorrowland (showtimes are 8:10 p.m., 9 p.m., 10:20 p.m., and 11:10 p.m.).

Character Dance Party at Club Tinsel

Throughout the whole evening, the Club Tinsel dance party takes place continuously at Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland .

For people who like characters, this is a fun way to interact with the polar bears and reindeer.

They won't be signing autographs, but it's a chance to enjoy them in a different way than you normally would.

Disney Junior Jingle Jam

This dance party in the Storybook Circus section features favorite characters and usually includes Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins and Timon.

They won't be able to sign autographs, but it's an opportunity to have fun with them.

Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration

Shown 4 times per night (7:40 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:30 p.m., and 11:55 p.m.), this fun stage show includes lots of classic Disney characters.

Like all stage shows, the best views are up close.

The Reindeer Wranglers

This fun and festive musical act that performs at 7:15 p.m., 8:05 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 11:45 p.m..

Catch them when you're in Frontierland.

Meet and greet opportunities with Disney characters

Throughout the entire party, there are opportunities to meet with lots of different characters.

Most (but not all) of the characters are unique in that they are only available during the party, and oftentimes you'll find that they are paired up in fun combinations (like the princesses with their princes) and/or they are in super cute holiday attire.

You probably won't be able to meet all the characters in 1 evening, so you'll definitely want to prioritize who you'll meet by what is most important for you.

• ¹ in holiday attire
• ² available to meet outside of the party
• ³ exclusive characters, character combos, or character outfits that are very popular, plan to line up before the party or for shortest lines after the party starts go during the fireworks and parades or in the final hour.
• ⁴ at a dance party (doesn't sign autographs)

Adventureland

• Moana³ - at the Enchanted Tiki Room
• Captain Jack Sparrow² - at the stage outside of Pirates of the Caribbean (you can meet during the day)
• Aladdin with Abu¹ - at the Agrabah Bazaar, this pair swaps sets with Jasmine and Genie
• Jasmine with Genie¹ - at the Agrabah Bazaar, this pair swaps sets with Aladdin and Abu
• Peter Pan¹ - roaming throughout Adventureland

Fantasyland

• Donald & Scrooge McDuck¹ - inside Dumbo
• Daisy & Minnie¹ - inside Dumbo
• Vampirina, Doc Mcstuffins, & Fancy Nancy⁴ - Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jingle Jam in Storybook Circus next to Pete's Silly Sideshow
• Santa Goofy¹ - between Barnstormer and Dumbo
• Seven Dwarfs³ - Storybook Circus inside Pete's Silly Side Show
• Belle - Fantasyland near Bonjour! Village Gifts (which is across from Gaston's)
• Ariel and Prince Eric³ - across from the Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Cinderella and Prince Charming³ - inside Princess Fairytale Hall (meets with Elena of Avalor)
• Elena of Avalor² - inside Princess Fairytale Hall (meets with Cinderella and Prince Charming)
• Tiana and Naveen³ - inside Princess Fairytale Hall (Meets with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider)
• Rapunzel and Flynn Rider³ - inside Princess Fairytale Hall (meets with Tiana and Prince Naveen)
• Snow White and her prince³ - along the New Fantasyland wall near the Pinocchio Village Haus restrooms
• Aurora and Prince Phillip³ - along the New Fantasyland wall near the Pinocchio Village Haus restrooms
• Tigger and Friends¹ - near Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Liberty Square

• Mary Poppins & Bert³ - in the Gazebo behind Ye Olde Christmas Shop (no PhotoPass photographer here)

Main Street U.S.A. and Town Square

• Santa Claus³ - near City Hall. Doesn't meet during the parades. Consider watching parade from front of Magic Kingdom and heading over to meet Santa right after.
• Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws and Sally¹ - inside Town Square Theater. People start lining up as early as 2:00. Jack and Sally start meeting at 4:30. Last hour of the party will usually give you the shortest waits.
• Mickey Mouse¹ - inside Town Square Theater

Tomorrowland

• Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps³ - near Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
• Reindeer and Polar Bears⁴ - inside Cosmic Ray's

Frontierland

• Big Al, Liverlips, Shaker and Wendell (Country Bears)¹ - near Country Bear Jamoboree

My Disney Experience

Nearly all the character locations will be available in the My Disney Experience app, and in general, Disney does a good job indicating the correct locations.

There are a few, however, where the locations are a bit off so if you go to where the app says and don't find a character there, ask a nearby Cast Member for assistance.

Many Magic Kingdom attractions will be open

Not all of the rides and shows will be open during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, but many will and with very little wait times.

Please note that FastPass+ is not available during the party (and for most attractions, it's not needed anyway).

Note: the Jingle Cruise is often popular during the party because it's Christmas-themed, but it will be the same ride outside of the party. If there's a long line, consider catching it on a regular Magic Kingdom day.

• Adventureland - Pirates of the Caribbean, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Swiss Family Treehouse, and Jingle Cruise
• Frontierland - Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Country Bear Jamboree
• Liberty Square - The Haunted Mansion
• Fantasyland - Princess Fairytale Hall, Peter Pan's Flight, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey's Philharmagic, it's a small world, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Barnstormer, Mad Tea Party, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Tomorrowland - Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Tomorrowland Speedway
• Main Street U.S.A - Characters at the Town Square Theater

SPECIAL RIDE EXPERIENCES (NEW FOR 2019!)

In addition to generally shorter lines, a few of the attractions will have special experiences on select rides.

Here are the ones that are available:

• Mad Tea Party - Disney says this attraction "becomes a wild and wacky Christmas party, as you spin your teacups to one of four new holiday combos of lights and music."

• Tomorrowland Speedway - where "you’ll find yourself cruising a festive freeway filled with thousands of lights and stylized décor.”

• Space Mountain - be launched "on a trippy jaunt through the cosmos, filled with dazzling lighting and high-energy holiday tunes."

• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor - the monsters will be "putting some 'Ha Ha Ha' in their 'Ho Ho Ho,' with a new show for everyone visiting the Monster World during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party."

Photo opportunities

Like with Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, you'll find exclusive PhotoPass opportunities at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, too.

PhotoPass photographers will take special photos during the party and when you see some of the pics afterward, you'll find something magically inserted into the photo.

These are called Magic Shots.

Both Memory Maker One Day and regular Memory Maker include all of the photos and Magic Shots taken at the party.

Here are your best bets for PhotoPass pics during the party:

• Take a pic in front of the park, right after entering the turnstiles
• Take a picture on Market Street (Main Street bypass)
• Pose in front of the Christmas tree at the front of the park
• Find a photographer on Main Street and tell them you'd like to do all of the Magic Shots. They'll pose you in various ways to make sure you get several of the special options.
• Find the Tink lantern in Fantasyland. Head toward Enchanted Tales with Belle, but just before you get there, you should see the Tink lantern photo op on the left.
• Find other random photographers throughout the night as you come across them.

You can get this video when you meet Santa.

And you can also find props to pose with during the party, like this ...

Shopping for event merchandise

During the party, there's exclusive merchandise available to purchase.

• Emporium (Main Street) - event t-shirts, pins, ornament, and MagicBand
• Big Top Souvenirs (Storybook Circus in Fantasyland) - event t-shirts, pins, ornament, and MagicBand

• Mickey's Star Traders (Tomorrowland) - event t-shirts, logo pin, ornaments
• Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe (Liberty Square) - select merchandise and trading pins

• Frontier trading Post (Frontierland) - trading pins

Food options

Restaurants

Though you should probably be careful about spending too much of your party time eating, there are some Quick Service and Table Service restaurants available during the party.

Table Service restaurants available for 2019 include Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, The Plaza, and Crystal Palace.

You can book those on the MVMCP dining page.

Special MVMCP holiday treats & snacks

Free party snacks

One of the best parts about the Christmas party is the included treats that you can pick up throughout the park.

Complimentary treats are available at these locations:

• Market Street (Main Street U.S.A. bypass) - Welcome holiday treat

Adventureland

• Jingle Cruise (Adventureland) - Ginger Molasses Cookie
• Tortuga Tavern (Adventureland) - Snowman Soft Pretzel & Fanta

Tomorrowland

• The Lunching Pad (Tomorrowland) - Ginger Molasses Cookie & Apple Cider
• Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (Tomorrowland) - Peppermint Cookie & Hot Chocolate, and Apple Cider

Frontierland

• Golden Oak Outpost (Frontierland) - Snickerdoodle Cookie
• Miner's Cove (Frontierland) - Peppermint Cookie

Liberty Square

• The Diamond Horsehoe (Liberty Square) - Chocolate Chip Cookie & Eggnog

Fantasyland

• Pinocchio Village Haus (Fantasyland) - Snickerdoodle Cookie & Fanta, and Hot Chocolate
• The Friar's Nook (Fantasyland) - Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Storybook Snack Cart (Fantasyland) - Snowman Pretzel

Traveling with somebody with a food allergy?

Disney notes that "Alternative healthy and gluten-free options are available upon request" and, of course, menu offerings are subject to change or availability.

Seasonal treats available for purchase

Specialty seasonal treats are available to purchase.

Some of these treats are available outside the party as well (we've noted those below):

• • Main Street Bakery (Main Street) -  Olaf's Frozen Hot Chocolate Cake (available all day), Holiday Mickey Cinnamon Roll (available all day)
•  
  • Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (Main Street) - To be Jolly Float (party exclusive)
  • Casey’s Corner (Main Street) - Snowflake Brownie (available all day)
  • Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn (Frontierland) - Sven's Carrot Cake (party exclusive), Jolly Tamale Christmas (party exclusive), Christmas Churros (available all day)
•  
  • Gaston's Tavern (Fantasyland) - Gaston's Cheese Dip (party exclusive)
•  
  • Sunshine Tree Terrace (Adventureland) - An Orange Bird Christmas (party exclusive)
•  
  • Aloha Isle (Adventureland) - Cherry and Pistachio Float (available daily), Kakamora Float (party exclusive)
•  
  • Sleepy Hollow (Liberty Square) - Santa Mickey Waffle Sundae
  • Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (Tomorrowland) - Carved Turkey Sandwich (party exclusive), Deck the Halls (available all day)
•  
  • Cool Ship - Tis the Season (party exclusive)
  • Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies (Tomorrowland) - Christmas Cookie Milkshake (available daily), Christmas Cookie Sundae (available daily)
•  
  • Storybook Treats - Gingerbread Sundae (available all day)

Some dining locations remain open for the party:

• Main Street - Casey's Corner, Main Street Bakery, Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, The Crystal Palace* (until 8 p.m.)
• Adventureland - Aloha Isle
• Frontierland - Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe and Golden Oak Outpost (both until 8 p.m.)
• Liberty Square - Sleepy Hollow, Liberty Square Market (until 9 p.m.), Columbia Harbor House (until 8 p.m.)
• Fantasyland - Storybook Treats, Gaston's Tavern (until 10 p.m.), Cinderella's Royal Table* (until 10 p.m.), Be Our Guest* (until 10 pm)
• Tomorrowland - Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies, The Lunching Pad

* Table Service restaurants. Advanced Dining Reservations recommended, however, we don't recommend you spend party time dining at one of these restaurants.

Special Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card available

A special Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card is available to partygoers.

The card for 2019 is titled "Pluto’s Toppling Popcorn.” According to Imagineer Jonathan Ackley, “while gazing into his crystal ball, Merlin caught sight of the mischievous chipmunks Chip and Dale. The scampering scamps were playing a festive trick on the unwary Pluto the Pup. When he finished laughing at their Holiday Hijinks, Merlin decided to create a magical spell in their honor.”

 

You can pick up yours at the fire station on Main Street. If you have your party wristband, you can get this card before 7:00.

For more info, see this guide to how Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom works.

Tips and a sample touring plan

You will not be able to do everything, so you'll have to prioritize what's most important to you.

You'll have 5 hours, so be sure to use your time wisely.

Things you should do:

• Watch the parade, but wait until the second one since it's less busy and you can do other things during the first one.
• See the fireworks.
• Attend the shows - they are exclusive to this party and can't be seen any other time of year.
• Meet characters that are important to you

Things you should not spend time doing:

• Eating - you can get treats at many locations and there are some restaurants open, but don't spend too much time on that. Be sure to eat before the events begin so you can spend your time doing other things.
• Doing things that are not exclusive to this party which includes meeting some characters and riding rides. If you're attending on a busy night, focus on the exclusive things as opposed to things you could ride during the day. If you're attending on a less busy night, the short lines for rides are a lot of fun to take advantage of.

Here's a sample touring plan for the party:

Before 6:00 pm

• Some of the most popular characters begin meeting before the official party start time:
  • Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws and Sally - you can line up as early as 2 pm and the pair typically starts meeting guests at 4:30 pm. If your goal is to save party time, try to get in line as close to 2 as possible. If your goal is the shortest wait, get into line during the last hour of the evening when waits drop down to around 60 minutes.
  • Seven Dwarfs - lines typically start forming around 5:00 and they start meeting guests at 6:15
  • Moana - usually starts meeting at 5:45. Get in line around 5:00. Or wait until after fireworks when waits are much shorter.

6:00 - 7:00 pm

• Want to meet the princesses w/their princes? Get in line by 6:30.
• Watch A Frozen Holiday Wish at 6:15
• Pick up your Sorcerer of the Magic Kingdom card at the Fire Station on Main Street (you'll need a wristband to pick one up)
• Some characters (like Winnie the Pooh and Friends) will start meeting around 6:30

Rest of the evening

• Frozen Holiday Wish at 8:15 p.m. (if you didn't catch the earlier show)
• Go on some rides, pick up some complimentary treats, attend the dance party or watch The Edge Effect
• Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration at 9:25 p.m.
• Fireworks at 10 p.m.
• Parade at 11 p.m.
• Rides, cookies, character dance party
• Character meets (popular characters often have shorter lines at the end of the night)

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Dessert Party Options

Party within a party? Yep!

Disney gives you options to book even more things once you're inside the Christmas party.

These options provide treats and viewing areas for nighttime entertainment.

Fireworks Holiday Dessert Parties

These dessert parties provide a holiday-themed version of the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Parties.

There are 2 versions - 1 with viewing from Tomorrowland Terrace and 1 with viewing from the nearby garden area.

Both provide dining from Tomorrowland Terrace.

This is not something that we generally recommend because it takes so much time out of the party and you should be able to easily find a spot to view the fireworks, but it might be a nice add-on for people looking to do something a little different during their trip.

Option 1: Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing

Cost: $69/adult, $41/child age 3-9 (that is in addition to the price of your Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party ticket)
Time: 8:30 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.
How to book: Book online or by calling 407-939-3463

Option 2: Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace

Cost: $84/adult, $50/child age 3-9 (that is in addition to the price of your Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party ticket)
Time: 8:30 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.
How to book: Book online or by calling 407-939-3463

Tony's Most Merriest Town Square Party

This fun come-and-go holiday experience debuted in 2018 and is returning in 2019.

This is an event that guests can pop in and out of as they wish.

Guests dine on sweet and savory treats, along with both unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (as well as a festive holiday atmosphere that runs until 12:30 a.m., which is after MVMCP has ended).

There's a PhotoPass photographer at the party...

And, the best part is that included with the price to this "party within a party" is access to a special reserved area to watch Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.

Pic taken from reserved parade viewing area...

Cost: $99/person (that is in addition to the price of your Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party ticket)
Time: 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
How to book: Book online or by calling 407-939-3463

Comparing dessert parties

Trying to decide which party to book?

We don't think you need to do any, but definitely think the Tony's Town Square option offers the best bang for the buck.

With unlimited food and alcohol, along with prime viewing for the parade, it's the best choice.

Click to view larger version of graphic.

Is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party worth it?

For about $100, you get up to 8 hours in the park with an exclusive parade and fireworks, special character interactions, low wait times on rides, and complimentary treats.

We happen to love the Christmas party and do think it's worth it for most people, although due to the late hours, we don't suggest it for most families with young children who would struggle to stay up that late.

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This party is just 1 of many things happening at Disney World in November and December. For the full list of events, see our guide to Disney World during the holidays.