Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a special ticketed event that happens seasonally in the Magic Kingdom. I have been to Disney World many times, I have even lived there, but on this trip I experienced this holiday celebration for the very first time. We did lots of research for the party; what to do, what not to do, blah blah blah. But nothing prepares you like actual experience. And so, after attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, here is my list of MUST-DO’s:
1. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
First things first: If you’re traveling to Disney World anytime between Halloween and New Years, you absolutely MUST go to a Christmas Party. The parties happen on select nights during the months of November and December. The cost of tickets may look a little pricey, but it is not an experience you will be okay with missing. I suggest not using a park ticket on the day you go to the party (that way your party ticket really doesn’t cost you anymore than a regular park day would). Spend your morning and early afternoon lounging by the pool or doing some light shopping in Disney Springs. Don’t overexert yourself during the day; you’ll want to be well rested and ready to take on the late night hours of the party.
2. Arrive Early, Stay Late
The Party officially starts at 7:00 pm. But if you hold a Party ticket, you can get into the park as early as 4:00 pm. I suggest arriving at the main entrance gate around 3:50, allowing you time to wait in line before the touch points. WARNING: the park is going to be BUSY. Use these few hours before the party officially starts to get in a few rides, because you’ll probably want to be doing other things during the actual party time. I suggest riding the Jungle Cruise while it is still light out. The ride magically transforms into the JINGLE Cruise during the holiday season. It’s festive puns will be the perfect start to your evening.
The party rages on until midnight. You’re going to get tired and be tempted to head back to that comfy bed in your resort, but DON’T! As it gets later, the wimps and the weak disappear and the park begins to feel much roomier. This means: shorter cookie lines, front row parade viewing, unobstructed viewing of the stage shows, easy photopass opportunities, and more enjoyment of the wandering entertainment. We did notice that the character lines and ride queues stayed consistently long through the end of the evening, which is kinda a bummer.
3. Eat Dinner in the Park
We arrived in the park right at four, picked up our first free cookie (more on that later) and went right to dinner reservations. If you’re hoping to eat dinner in the park, I highly recommend taking an early dinner at a sit-down restaurant during the pre-party hours. We had a 4:20 reservation for the Plaza. It was perfect timing, and a delicious meal that sustained us all the way through the late party hours.
LOOK 
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DELICIOUSNESS!
4. Enjoy the Decor
During this season, the Magic Kingdom is fashionably decked out in a layer of festive decorations. Don’t get so caught up in the party that you forget to take in the lights, projections, garland, and other assorted decorations.
5. Watch Elsa Light the Castle
During the party, there is only one showtime for Elsa’s castle lighting. BUT here’s a little secret, she lights the castle every night during the holiday season before regular park hours end. Even if you’re not a Frozen fan, this is a can’t miss show. The lights and projection combination of the castle lighting is truly magical and brought tear to my eyes more than once!
6. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
I love parades and I love Christmas, so why wouldn’t I love a CHRISTMAS PARADE? There is something extra magical about watching a parade by the soft glow of Magic Kingdom’s street lamps. This parade is chock full of dancers, characters, toy soldiers, and magnificent floats. And it’s all set to a festively fun music score that will make you want to dance along with the performers. This parade is so nice, you’ll want to see it twice. But if you’re not into spending the first two hours of the party holding your seats on the curb of Main Street, just wait for the second parade of the night. It’s way less crowded. We watched the second parade from Frontierland, and there was barely anyone around! Also just a general Disney World tip: for the best show, watch the parade from Frontierland. It’s the beginning of the route and the performers are always fresh and full of energy.
7. the COOKIES
Truly, the most important part of the party. The biggest perk of the Christmas Party is the array of free treats. FREE. That’s not something you hear often at Disney World.
You will get your first free cookie immediately after entering the park. This year it was a super cute Mickey Santa sprinkle cookie that tasted just as good as it looked. Once you’re in the park, keep your eye out for peppermint striped blow-up columns. These magical light beams signify the entrance to a COOKIE LINE. You can go through a cookie line as many times as your legs will allow. Each trip through the line will get you one cookie and one beverage. As you can see below, the five of us collected over 100 cookies during the night, plus a fistful of Dove chocolates. Hint: many blogs will tell you the peppermint cookies are the best, they are just plain wrong because I happen to know from experience that the molasses cookies are the best by far.
8. Take Advantage of the Photopass Opportunities
Enough said. There are Photographers galore during the party. Adorable props pop up all over the place, Photopass are stocked with festive frames, and there are a few party-exclusive magic shots. Photopass shots are one of my favorite parts of a Disney vacation, so I was super excited when there were so many Photopass opportunities during the party.
9. The Fireworks
You may get so excited about everything that you will think you can just watch the fireworks from a cookie or character line. DO NOT DO THIS. Holiday Wishes is an can’t miss, must have great seats in the hub, experience. This nighttime spectacular is the classic Wishes show set to a perfectly curated Christmas soundtrack.
And the show is SUPER special because it includes 360 degree fireworks. This means that everyone standing in in the hub from the castle down main street will be SURROUNDED by fire in the sky. It’s yet another magical experience that puts tears in my eyes.
And there you have my definitive list of Must Do’s at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Have you been to a Christmas Party? What are your must do’s? Planning on going to a Party? What are you most looking forward to? Tell me in the comments below!
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