Going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or as the experts say “MVMCP”? If not this year, maybe you’re thinking about getting tickets in 2023? One of my OG Laid-back Magic members (for real, I love her) just got back from Walt Disney World and had lots of tips for this party in Magic Kingdom.

Jen is a fellow New Jerseyan, mom, and Disney expert. I picked her brain (and she let me) about tips for families headed to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in 2022. To see more info on Disney’s website, head here, but here’s a quick rundown:

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event on certain nights from Nov 8th to Dec 22nd. Magic Kingdom closes early at 6pm on party nights, which means you’ll need a party ticket to attend. Guests of Walt Disney World Resorts were allowed to start booking back in June of this year — so keep an eye out for that next summer! As of now, 2022 tickets are sold out. 

Some standout highlights are the special character greetings, holiday overlays (like on Space Mountain), “snow” on Main Street, plus a special Christmastime parade and fireworks.

Ok, now on to Jen!

1. So…who are you? Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Jen, I’m from New Jersey  and I’ve been traveling to Disney my whole life. My husband and I have a 5 year old daughter who we’ve been taking since her first birthday (she just went on her 8th trip!). I love Disney so much that besides being a Laid-back Magic member, I recently started working for a Disney travel agency helping other families plan their Disney vacations!

I loved following along on your last trip and was curious about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party since we’ve never been. Can you give a brief rundown of what you can expect?

This was our first time attending a party and it was honestly the coolest experience (besides the tropical storm that came through the night before!).

You can expect lighter crowds, shorter attraction wait times, nothing was more than 30 mins but average was 15 mins, and rare character meets! We met Moana, who is only around during parties or special events, and the princes accompanied their princesses, which is also something you don’t usually get to experience. There is a parade that is full of characters and a special Christmas fireworks show.

There are free snack stations (hot chocolate and cookies) throughout the park but I was personally underwhelmed by that. 

Because I’m a researcher (obv), I know that even though the party starts at 7pm, you can get in starting at 4pm. Is that when you got there? What was your plan for arrival?

Exactly! I wanted to make the most of our time so we got there at 4pm. You’re given a wristband and a commemorative ornament for the party when you arrive.

Since the park is still open to everyone else during this time we used this pre party time to eat dinner. We had a 5pm reservation at Jungle Navigation Co. (yummy steak and margs!). If you are going to a party, I highly suggest you figure out your dinner plan before the party starts as restaurant availability will be limited.

They supply party maps but I found Theme Park Frog’s character guide more helpful in locating which characters we wanted to see and where they were located. 

Ok. MVMCP time. What were your favorite things you did? And your daughter’s?

My favorite part of the party was probably the parade and characters. My daughter really loved the characters (a week later she is still telling everyone she got to meet Moana and the princesses!), and she especially loved the Disney Jr Jingle Jam!

The Disney Jr Jingle Jam is where your kids can literally dance with the characters in Storybook Circus. I honestly think that was the most fun she had the whole trip getting to dance with Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, and Santa Goofy. The best part was there were only a handful of kids there so she got some special attention.

What should people expect…and not expect? 

You can expect lighter crowds but not an empty park. We only rode a couple rides because we wanted to utilize our time on the special features that couldn’t be done in a regular park day.

We focused on the characters, the dance party, the parade, fireworks, and the stage show. Lines for characters varied. We jumped on the line for Moana as soon as it opened and waited over 40 mins. Jack and Sally showed a 2 hour wait in the beginning but it was a half hour wait towards party end time. Then in Fairytale Hall we literally didn’t wait at all to see some of the princesses and their princes. 

What tips would you give families going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year and next?

My tip is to make a game plan! Decide what is important to you and your family! Is it rides you want to do or is it characters and shows? Even though crowds are lighter you still won’t do everything. We got there at 4pm and stayed ’til closing, I felt like the time flew by.

Make sure you eat dinner before the party officially starts — just like Dana — we love Jungle Navigation Co. in Magic Kingdom (and you get a discount if you have the Disney Visa!)

Connect more with Jen

I learned so much about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party from chatting with Jen, and even more from her trip recap inside Laid-back Magic. If you want more from her you can check out her Instagram and follow @find.me.at.disney. Ooooor get a free vacation quote here (be sure to mention her name in the referral box: Jen Morgan!)

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