PLEASE NOTE, THIS POST MAY INCLUDE AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING THAT IF YOU CLICK ON A LINK AND MAKE A PURCHASE, I'LL RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISION. THIS WILL COME AT NO COST TO YOU.
Being our first visit to Disney World during the holidays, we were so excited to experience Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
As the calendar barrels full throttle towards Christmas Day, the party becomes more popular and crowded/sold out. Now I know everyone has different expectations and priorities. What might be a good time and work for some, could be a nightmare for others. Here are the things that we did to make our Very Merry Christmas Party night a success.
Check in early
As we were walking around the park during the day, our friend noticed a check in station for the party. We stopped and checked in well before the actual party’s start (which is 7pm). Checking in consisted of presenting our pre-purchased party tickets (which come in card form), receiving a Very Merry Christmas guide,
and getting our party wristbands.
Extra Obligatory Traveler note: The wristbands are very sturdy. You are not going to accidentally or even intentionally tear it off. Since we travel carry-on only, we don’t bring scissors or any other cutting instruments with us, so we faced a bit of a conundrum when we got back to our room and realized we couldn’t just rip our party bands off. Eventually we figured out how to cut them off using a disposable razor, but if you also don’t bring cutting instruments with you on trips, you might want to stop by the hotel’s front desk before heading back to your room so they can cut the band off for you.
Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize, then Plan
There are a lot of exciting, extra activities, going on during The Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s important to prioritize ahead of time and form a plan of attack.
Our plan for the night
One of the most popular character meet and greets at the Very Merry Christmas Party is Jack Skellington/Sandy Claws from The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is mostly due to the fact that the only times you can meet Jack are at the Halloween and/or Christmas parties. We definitely wanted to meet Jack, especially since our friend Brenda is a huge Jack Skellington fan.
Thanks to cast member Joy (I used to babysit Joy. If you see her in the parks make sure to say hello) for letting us know exactly where Jack could be found.
The Very Merry Christmas Party guide only shows the areas where character greetings are, but does not specify which characters are where, so don’t be afraid to ask.
I’ve heard that the line for Jack can get crazy, so we made sure to line up as early as possible. It ended up not being bad at all. I think the longer wait is due to the fact that Jack spends a decent amount of time with each visitor.
Jack was amazing, completely in character, and absolutely hilarious.
He made fun of the jingle bell on my headband, fearing I could never sneak up on someone to scare them. He demonstrated by having me sneak up on him.
Then he had me turn around so he could sneak up on me.
If you are any kind of Nightmare Before Christmas fan, make time to meet Jack.
The thing that I wanted to do the most was see the fireworks, so we headed to Main Street.
The parade runs twice during the Very Merry Christmas Party, once at 8:30pm and once at 11:00pm. By the time we made our way to Main Street, the first parade was over and the street was relatively clear. We were able to secure a duel spot that was good for watching the fireworks and the 11:00pm parade.
I have to say that the fireworks for the Very Merry Christmas Party are pretty spectacular.
When you layer the magic of Christmas time on top of the magic of Disney it’s well…magic.
I get this zoned out, tunnel vision, where everything around me blurs out but the glittery sparks in the sky during fireworks shows, so I think they tend to always be extra special for me.
Of course the “snow” falling from the sky is the enchanting icing on the cake.
I’ll take Disney snow any day over the real thing, just be sure not to get it in your eye. It stings. I speak from experience. And if you think it just “snows” for a few minutes, you’d be wrong. It snows, and snows,
and snows,
and snows…well, you get the picture.
After the fireworks, we watched the “pre-parade,” which basically consisted of everyone leaving the park after the fireworks. It was some great people watching.
As long as you can hang at the Very Merry Christmas Party, I highly recommend skipping the more crowded 8:30pm parade, and staying for the 11:00pm parade. The park really clears out after the fireworks, and I think the diminished amount of park guests makes the parade all the more enjoyable. We had front row seats right on the curb, so we got to sit, which was welcomed after already being at the park for fourteen hours.
Being in front is tons of fun, because the characters walk right up to you to say hello.
It really gets you into the Christmas spirit, and makes you feel like a kid again.
The parade is short, so having some time to spare before the park closed at midnight, we b-lined it to Seven Dwarves’ Mine Train. We couldn’t get fast passes, and the line was insanely long during the day. With even more people heading to the park exit after the parade, it seemed like our best bet to get the chance to ride it. It was the right decision.
That was our night. It was wonderful.
The one thing that we didn’t do at the Very Merry Christmas Party that is a must for most people, is getting free hot chocolate/egg nog/cider and cookies. Having consumed substantial dinners that included desserts, so we weren’t all that hungry, and the weather was warm, so there wasn’t much of a craving for a hot beverage. Also, the lines were sizable, so it didn’t seem worth prioritizing just to say that we did it if we really weren’t in the mood.
It may seem like five hours is a long time, but it flies by. You honestly won’t have time to do everything, especially if it’s a crowded/sold out evening. So, get the Very Merry Christmas Party guide early. Take a look at it, prioritize the things that you want to do most, execute your plan, and the party will be a success.
Obligatory Traveler Extra Note: Since I’m the Studio Ghibli Girl in my other writing life, I decided to forgo the usual Mickey Ears and donned a Christmas themed pair of Totoro ears at the Very Merry Christmas party instead.
Comments are closed.
Ali May
atSounds like a very busy and fun evening, Sarah. I’ve never heard about this Very Merry Christmas party night before, so I was a bit confused about what it is at first. But after reading the post, I understand better – the 11pm fireworks would be great after everyone cleared out.