Our Tips to Enjoy Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014

Hi everyone!

We attended the first two Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights for 2014! I posted an article yesterday with 200 photos from the two nights, and I wanted to share some tips to help you make the most of the event. There are photos and videos here to give you an idea of what you’ll find at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014!

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Guests Enter Early Into the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Buy Tickets in Advance – The first two Party nights of the season were completely sold out. It is often less expensive to purchase ahead of time, and buying early secures your spot at the Party!

Sold Out Party

Arrive Early  – While the Party doesn’t start until 7:00 p.m., your Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ticket will allow you admission in at 4:00 p.m. That gives you 8 hours in the Magic Kingdom if you stay until midnight. Ride the Jingle Cruise to get into the Christmas spirit before your Party starts!

Pick Up Your Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Elsa Card – This is a nice souvenir of the Party. Stop at the Main Street Fire Station on your way into the park, even at 4:00 p.m.!

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Souvenir Card with Elsa

Prioritize Your Evening – Do you want to see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, meet characters, hit the rides, see shows? You will not be able to do it all in one evening, so prioritize what is most important.

Don’t Miss “A Frozen Holiday Wish” – Cinderella Castle is lit up in ice when Elsa transforms it. Up until this year, it was Cinderella’s Holiday Wish, but Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff share the honors this year.  The lighting is shown at 6:15 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights (check the Magic Kingdom schedule for other days, this lighting is not a Party exclusive). The first show is open to all Magic Kingdom guests, the second is exclusive to the Party. Read more about it in our article here.

Holiday Wishes is a Must-See – This beautiful fireworks show ends in 180 degree splendor, and hits all the right notes for the holiday season.

Watch the Second Showing of “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” – The second parade will always be much less crowded than the first, as many guests stream out of the Magic Kingdom after the Holiday Wishes fireworks show. The first parade begins at 8:15 p.m. and the second at 10:30 p.m. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade begins in Frontierland, and ends in Town Square. If you are looking to see the parade quickly and get back to the rest of your Party, watch it in Frontierland. If you don’t mind waiting an extra 15-20 minutes, the parade looks best with Cinderella Castle in ice behind it! Use the time during the first parade to enjoy the park with fewer crowds. Once we got away from Main Street during the first parade last night, it didn’t feel like a busy evening at all.

Meet Your Favorite Characters – We waited 2 hours on the first night for Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws, starting at 5:00 p.m. and then meeting him a few minutes after 7:00 p.m. It was worth waiting before the Party! There are two dance parties – Club Tinsel at Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland, and the Holiday Hootenanny at the Diamond Horseshoe in Liberty Square. Other characters can be found around the Magic Kingdom. *Note – on the second Party evening, Jack began meeting at 6:15 p.m. – only to Party guests. We were told this time is expected to continue. After meeting Jack Skellington, you can find Santa Goofy, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck with Scrooge McDuck and Daisy Duck in Storybook Circus before venturing into the rest of the park.

Bring Extra Camera Batteries and a Phone Charger – While waiting in line for Jack Skellington, the batteries in the camera of a guest behind us died. I brought one spare and almost didn’t make it to the end of the night. I do take a lot of photos, but it’s always good to have a spare during a special evening like this. And I always carry around an extra iPhone charger or two.

Stop for Holiday Treats – Hot Chocolate, apple juice, cookies and apple slices are included. Unlike last year, the Tomorrowland Terrace stopped serving at midnight, so pick up your final items before that! My favorite location is the Crystal Palace. The hours are shorter there, but it is warm and the decorative Pooh characters are wearing their winter wear.

Holiday Treats Are Included with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Admission

Pooh Inside the Crystal Palace

Shop for Special Merchandise – There is some unique Party merchandise that can only be found on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights. The Main Street Emporium gets pretty crowded after Holiday Wishes, when guests are on their way out of the Magic Kingdom. Other shops carry event merchandise with fewer crowds. We were told that the Emporium will be open until nearly 1:00 a.m. each night of the Party. Usually it closes during Party nights at about midnight, so confirm with Cast Members during your Party that it is staying open that night.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Long Sleeve Shirt

See Shows Later in the Evening – We enjoyed the last Celebrate the Season show (11:20 p.m.) and then A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas (11:45 p.m.) with fairly light crowds.

Stay Until Midnight (or Later) – Enjoy Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party until it ends, or even a little later. We usually are in the Magic Kingdom until nearly 1:00 a.m. taking photos on Main Street (the second Party night we stayed until almost 1:30 a.m). The last two hours of the Party are the least crowded, so enjoy the extra breathing room!

Nearly 1:00 a.m. in the Magic Kingdom

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs on November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, 30; then December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 19. After that, the shows, parade and fireworks are shown through the end of the year as part of regular park admission. Buy tickets at the offical Walt Disney World website.