Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a hugely popular event, well, actually a series of events, at the Magic Kingdom that happens in the two months leading up to Christmas. These parties are after-hours, separately ticketed happenings scheduled several times per week in November and December. They usually start the first week in November and run 2-3 times per week through the week before Christmas.

See our 2023 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Dates and Ticket Info blog post!

2023 Prices

The Christmas Party is an after-hours event, meaning that the Magic Kingdom closes at 6 pm to all except those who have party tickets. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party ticket prices will range from $159-199, depending on the date.

Annual Pass and Disney Vacation Club discounts are available on select dates. It should be noted that any guest with a Christmas Party ticket can enter the Magic Kingdom starting at 4 pm and stay until the party ends at midnight. (Some guests opt not to visit a park earlier in the day, thereby "saving" a day of normal park admission.) The 4 pm entry with only a party ticket is not officially advertised by Disney, but it has been in existence for many years, and Cast Members will readily confirm this information

What a Ticket Gets You

The price of your ticket does not simply gain you admission to the Magic Kingdom, there are several fun aspects that are unique to the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party as well.

Character Meets

If you really want to meet rarely seen characters such as the Seven Dwarfs, the Christmas Parties are one of the few opportunities to do so. Unfortunately, this septuplet and other rarely seen characters get the longest lines at the holiday event.

It is not uncommon for people to line up for the Dwarfs around 5:30 pm…and they start meeting guests at 7! There are a lot of other characters around as well with more agreeable waits such as the Jasmine and Abu, Winnie the Pooh, and Princess Tiana with Prince Naveen, so you’ll want to decide ahead of time just how important meeting some of these Disney celebrities are and how long you are willing to wait.

Another reasonably popular meet and greet opportunity is to stop in and see the princesses, who have dragged their princes out to meet the adoring public for this special event. These meets are popular, but don't always get the long lines because people aren't always aware of them. Make sure you ask the Cast Member outside of Princess Fairytale Hall who is inside as the princes can come and go.

If you want to visit some characters without wasting valuable party time, many of the regular characters are out in their Christmasey best including Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. There is no shortage of available meets, but there is a shortage of time so prioritizing is of utmost importance.

Holiday Versions of Rides

A couple Magic Kingdom attractions will receive festive holiday overlays during the 2023 season:

• Space Mountain - Holiday Run!!
• Jingle Cruise

Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration

This grammatically challenged stage show replaced the long-standing Celebrate the Season. The show has many of the regular characters including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Peter Pan, Alice, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Woody. It also has many of the same highlights including singing, dancing, and fun festivities to get guests into the holiday spirit. The Most Merriest Celebration takes place on Cinderella Castle forecourt stage.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

The special Christmas themed Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is a fun, festive experience that is one of the highlights of the Very Merry Christmas Party. While it can be similar to a normal Magic Kingdom parade, there are a few joyful differences that remind you of the season.

For one, Mickey and Minnie do not end this parade, they start it. That is because only one family can end a Christmas parade (hint: surname Claus). In addition, there are some extra marchers that you wouldn’t normally see, such as reindeer or toy soldiers. If you decide to stake out a spot on Main Street U.S.A. you will also be rewarded with magical Disney snow! Okay, it’s not real snow but who cares? It’s Christmas magic!

There is usually two parades each party and they are very popular. The second parade will be far less crowded than the first, so see that one if you can. If you intend on seeing the first one, line up for your spot plenty early. An hour should do it, especially if you go to a slightly less popular viewing location such as Frontierland (although the added ambiance of Main Street U.S.A. makes that location our recommendation). You should be aware that this parade starts in Frontierland rather than on Main St., so make sure not to arrive late!

Disney Junior Jingle Jam

Head over to Storybook Circus to dance with the stars of Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins and The Lion Guard.

Club Tinsel

Here's your chance to be part of a dance party with polar bears, reindeer, Santa's elves, and other holiday friends.

Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks

Hosted by the lovely Minnie herself, this fireworks spectacular combines projections, soaring holiday songs, and lots and lots of fireworks. The projections are best viewed from the hub or the northern end of Main Street, U.S.A., but most of the show can be seen from all over.

There is only one performance of Minnie's Fireworks, usually at 9:30 pm, and it is a must see. A sizeable portion of the crowds depart following the fireworks which make the final two hours of the party even more manageable.

Free Food

Free. Food. Yeah, now we’ve got your attention. Okay, okay, free is a stretch considering the amount you pay to enter the party, but still, complimentary cocoa and cookies is a good thing. At stations throughout the Magic Kingdom, Cast Members hand out snicker doodles, chocolate chip cookies, snowman pretzels, snow cones, hot chocolate, and apple juice to any guest who wants them. Different treat stations offer different things so check a few, and check back later in the night when they're usually less busy.

If anyone has a particular food allergy, Guest Services at City Hall has allergy-free options.

Lower Ride Wait Times

As if you didn’t have enough to keep you busy at the Christmas party, many of the popular attractions remain open during the event. Since the party is a limited-ticket event, lines for the rides are at a minimum. Although it is hard to recommend using valuable party time to ride an attraction that is open every day, if there is something you have been itching to get on the party may be a good time. Note that TRON Lightcycle / Run is expected to use a virtual queue during this event in 2023.

Crowd Information

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an event with a limited amount of tickets. That means that the Magic Kingdom will never be as busy during a party as it will on the crowded day. That said, the nature of the party means that crowds will be concentrated around the events, especially the parade and fireworks. This may make it seem more crowded than it is.

If you have a choice of parties to attend, they are busier the closer Christmas gets. If you can attend one in early to mid-November you will find it less crowded than one in late December. Day of the week tends to matter as well, with Monday through Thursday evenings being less busy than the weekend events.