Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

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Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a Walt Disney World event hosted at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida on select evenings from 7:00 pm to midnight in November and December leading up to Christmas. It features several activities such as a parade, dance parties, character meet-and-greets, and complimentary treat stations.^[2]

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party debuted in 1983.^[3]

In 2014, the show A Frozen Holiday Wish replaced an earlier show that featured Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother.^[4][5]

The show on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle was Celebrate the Season until 2016, when it was replaced by Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration Stage Show.

From 2003 until November 8, 2019, a holiday edition of the Wishes fireworks show, Holiday Wishes, occurred during the party.^[6] It included a medley of the original Wishes soundtrack with some Christmas season songs mixed in. The show started with Tinker Bell flying over the castle with narration by Jiminy Cricket. In addition, a lighting display was projected onto the castle, illuminating it in green so that it resembled a Christmas tree, and featuring Santa Claus.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party did not take place in 2020 or 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, a Very Merry After Hours Event was held in its place.^[7] Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party returned in 2022, as part of Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration,^[3][8][9] and held in 2023, as part of The Walt Disney Company's 100th Anniversary celebration.^[10]

The event requires the purchasing of a separate ticket from the general admission ticket counter.^[11]

The parade proceeds down Main Street, USA twice each night.^[3][5] It features Disney characters including Mickey and Minnie Mouse along with numerous others such as Mirabel Madrigal and Bruno Madrigal from Walt Disney Animation Studios' Encanto, Marching Toy Soldiers, Dancing Reindeer, Gingerbread Men, and Ole Saint Nick.^[12]

Minnie Mouse hosts a firework display featuring Christmas carols such as "Deck the Halls" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".^[9]

Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration show appears four times a night on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle. It stars classic Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Clarabelle Cow, Woody, Jessie, José Carioca, Pachito Pistoles and Chip 'n' Dale dressed up in their Christmas outfits. In addition, live performers sing and dance to vintage holiday carols.

From 2007 through 2019, Cinderella Castle was covered during November in roughly 200,000 LED lights to look as if it was covered in ice and snow, an effect called Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle. At dusk, a short show featuring the characters from Frozen took place in which Elsa used her ice powers to frost over the castle. The show was viewable by all guests every night during the holiday season and was repeated during the limited-admission Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.^[13][14]

The Dream Lights effect and show did not return in 2022, and in June 2023, Magic Kingdom announced new lighting and a replacement by a new show, Frozen Holiday Surprise, which will debut on November 7, 2023. as part of The Walt Disney Company's 100th Anniversary celebration.^[15]

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show is a 20-minute performance that takes place several times a night on the Tomorrowland stage. It features Buzz Lightyear and Mike Wazowski teaching Stitch the meaning of Christmas before Buzz Lightyear laser blasts Santa out of the sky.^[16]

Some popular attractions are open throughout the party. In the past, this has included The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Unlike Haunted Mansion Holiday and It's a Small World Holiday at Disneyland, as well as seasonal celebrations at non-US Disney parks (Holiday Nightmare and Very Merry Holidays at Tokyo Disneyland, Celebration at Disneyland Paris, Christmas at Hong Kong Disneyland), the open rides do not have a holiday overlay.^[17]

While not exclusive to the party, Jingle Cruise, which debuted in 2013, is limited to the Christmas season. The original Jungle Cruise ride is modified to include a Christmas theme throughout the queue, the boats' names are changed, and the skippers make holiday jokes.^[18]

Numerous characters appear throughout the Magic Kingdom to meet guests and pose for pictures. The characters are dressed in holiday themes exclusive to the Christmas season. Along with the regular characters who appear in the park, some rare characters, such as the seven dwarfs, make appearances for special events.^[19]

There are also generally two character dance parties each night, where guests have an opportunity to dance with Disney characters like Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye. In the past, dance parties have been held in the Diamond Horseshoe and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café.^[20][21]

• Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade

• Official website