Although combining the anticipation of Christmas with a party at Disney World seems like an over-excitement explosion waiting to happen, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was the opposite. The party was a great mix of Disney fun with low-key Christmas fun.
The party offered special photo opportunities (special effects lighting, special Magic Shots, and castle photos with a holiday projection), meet-and-greets with characters in holiday attire, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, dance parties, cookies and beverages, rides, specialty-themed rides (holiday-themed Jingle Cruise and Space Mountain with holiday tunes), and snow on Main Street.
One of my favorite things was the overlay on Space Mountain. Holiday tunes were playing, decorative lights were projected as I rounded corners at a fast pace, and the track and support system for the ride were lit up for a rare glimpse of the infrastructure. Riding the PeopleMover and seeing Space Mountain’s usually secret roller coaster support system revealed was also fun.
Although there were many activities, the party felt manageable. It was fun and, for Disney, actually serene. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is similar to an after-hours party but with Christmas festivities. It is more active than an after-hours party but less so than Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The excitement level seems slightly less than the Halloween event, but it is more relaxing and requires less planning. It is less active but less stressful, whereas the Halloween party is more stressful due to attempting to accomplish a few more “must-do” events. I think the Christmas party would be appealing to many people for this reason. If you are a “more is less” person, you might enjoy this party more than Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. It is still fun and festive and offers various activities, but the stress factor is much less than the Halloween party.
We did encounter some issues at the party. We were very excited to take a photo with Scrooge next to Donald Duck, but when we joined the line, a cast member informed us that Scrooge was unavailable. This was irritating as we planned our events and walked across the park to make this photo opportunity. It was further annoying because it was our second attempt; earlier in the evening, that park area was closed during the fireworks show. It could have been better planning (and unfair to guests) to have them pay for a ticket with those activities advertised as part of the party and then shut down those activities during the event. Another issue I had as a special diets guest was the need for allergy-friendly snacks at the party. While I appreciate that Disney provided an allergy-friendly option for the cookies I could not eat, I will say that the chocolate chip cookies I was given did not satisfy any snack cravings. That is my polite way of saying I did not like the cookies very much. I also could not wrap my head around the fact that cookie stations handed out a different variety of cookies to guests, but the allergy-friendly option was the same flavor of cookie when that brand offered multiple flavors of cookies. If you have special dietary needs, plan before attending this party. I did not care for the cookies, so I attended the entire party without eating but a few bite-sized allergy cookies. This did not end well for me as I became sick late at night from not eating enough throughout the party. Even though the cookies are not great, keep a package in your backpack for an emergency snack when needed.
As long as I am reviewing the provided snacks, my husband did not care for the quality of the packaged cookies he was given as a typical diet guest. He described them as mediocre at best; he preferred the allergy-friendly cookies I was given. Getting snacks and beverages could have been more organized at all the stations. It was confusing. My husband felt the hot chocolate was very thick and had the obvious taste of a mix, but it had a satisfactory flavor. He stated the cider was adequate as well. Do not get excited about those snacks, folks.
On a better note, the Magic Kingdom looked beautiful. I wish I had more time to stand and stare at the lights and decorations at the party. I enjoyed watching the snow fall from the top of the buildings on Main Street while I waited in line for a photo.
Overall, the party offered many activities in an entertaining atmosphere and was nicely decorated for Christmas. It was an opportunity to have some Christmas fun in an environment that was not stressful; a very merry time we had indeed.
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