Getting the Most Out of Your Visit to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

We got the opportunity to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party last weekend and oh. my. goodness. It is so fun! The only problem is there’s so much to do and see that you can’t possibly fit it all in to one visit, so I’m sharing my favorite tips and must-do/see activities so you can get the most out of your visit!

Eat first. 

I know, I know. There are SO many awesome options in the park, but trust me when I tell you that you’re not going to want to stop to have dinner (plus, there are complimentary snacks! More on those in a minute…). If you’re going to be in the park before the event officially begins, eat there first. If you’re arriving right at 7:00, grab something from a drive-thru on your way to the park.

Get there early.

If you can, try to be at the park as soon as you are allowed to enter. You’ll have a chance to get wristbands inside the park so you can have proof that you’re there for Very Merry and you’ll beat the crowds of people trying to get there before the official beginning. Plus, you’ll have a few hours that you can book fast passes and go on your favorite rides that might not be open during the event (not everything is open, but lots of good stuff is!).Be on Main Street at 7:00 to see the first snow of the night!

It’s so much fun to see snow falling in Florida and the castle looks beautiful on the other side of it. There are other times throughout the night that it snows, but this is the only time you can really guarantee you’ll be there to see it.

Come up with a strategy to see everything you want to see.

Make sure you know the times of the parade, Castle shows, fireworks, and other stage shows you might want to catch, then plan your path around the park based on the times of those activities. For example, we knew we wanted to see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at 8:30, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration (it’s SO much fun! You have to make this a part of your night!) at 9:25, and the fireworks at 10:00. Oh, and we had to get to the Jingle Cruise (the Jungle Cruise re-themed with spectacularly cheesy Christmas jokes – it’s a must). So we started our night in Tomorrowland, stopped off at Club Tinsel for a little dance party, and made our way to Frontierland by the time we needed to claim a spot for the parade (more on that later). Also, if you’ve never gotten to ride the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train because the line is always insane and getting a fast pass is really hard, this is your shot. The lines for everything during Very Merry are super short in comparison to the regular operating hours, so take advantage of that.

Get your free food!

Y’all, there are complimentary holiday treats throughout the park! Just look for the inflatable candy canes and you’ll see the five locations to pick up your treats (they’re also marked on the map). My favorites were the snowman cookies and apple cider in Fantasyland and the peppermint bark cookies (YUM!) and hot chocolate in Tomorrowland. There are also several places where you can purchase special holiday treats if you want something just a bit fancier.

Camp out for the parade (but not for the fireworks). 

Especially if you have little ones, you’ll want to see the parade and not have to carry them on your shoulders the whole time. The parade route is on the park map and the areas where you can stand/sit are outlined in white tape. Make sure you get to a spot where the kids can sit in front of you and you can stand behind them by about half an hour before the parade starts. It’s worth the wait and you’ll be glad for a little break to sit and chat about your night.

Here’s the thing with the fireworks: they’re AMAZING. And the best part is that you don’t have to fight nearly the same crowds as you normally would to see them. If you’re anywhere in front of Cinderella Castle, you’re going to have a good view, even if you have to hang back by Casey’s Corner. Actually, not being right in front of the castle gives you a better view because of some of the super cool effects they use (I won’t give them away!). So don’t camp out for the fireworks. Get as much fun in as you possibly can and make your way to the area in front of the castle by about 10-15 minutes before they start.

Here are a few more pictures from our awesome night!

Have you ever been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? What was your favorite part? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: Disney graciously provided the tickets for us to attend this event, but the opinions are entirely my own.