Christmas

While Magic Kingdom is magical any time of year, it’s especially so during the holidays when the Christmas decorations come out and everyone gets into the spirit! Of course, one of the very biggest Disney World holiday events is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and this year it is back for 21 very merry evenings! Tickets have just gone on sale, and Disney is introducing more pricing tiers and a bigger jump in cost for the most popular dates for 2016. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the parties have gotten more crowded in recent years.

The party is similar to Mickey’s Not So Very Scary Halloween Party and is also a separately ticketed event, which means you must purchase a party ticket to attend. We’ve got the lowdown on what to expect at this year’s party, so keep reading.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016 Dates

• November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29
• December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22

The Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016 ticket prices range from to $86-$99 for adults and $81-$94 for children (ages 3-9) without tax. For comparison, last year’s tickets ranged from $74-$82 without tax for adults and from $69-77 for children (ages 3-9). Children under 3 are free.

Details for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016

The party doesn’t officially start until 7 p.m. (and runs through 12 a.m.), but you can get into the park starting at 4 p.m. with your Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ticket. We highly recommend doing this, as this will you give you more time to ride a few rides and have an early dinner. You’ll need a little extra time to get through bag check and ticketing, so have all of your bags open and your tickets handy.

Expected Schedule of Events:

• A Frozen Holiday Wish, 6:15 p.m., 8 p.m.
• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade 8:15 p.m., 10:30 p.m.
• Celebrate the Magic 9:15 p.m.
• Holiday Wishes—Celebrate the Spirit of the Season 9:30 p.m.
• A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas 7:45 p.m., 8:45 p.m., 9:55 p.m., 10:50 p.m., 11:45 p.m.

List of attractions expected to be open during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016: 

• Astro Orbiter
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Enchanted Tales With Belle
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jingle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Princess Fairytale Hall
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Stitch’s Great Escape
• The Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid

Expected Character Greetings at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016

The most in-demand characters include the Seven Dwarfs, who are expected to take up camp at entrance to New Fantasyland near Pinocchio Village Haus, Jack Skellington near Pete’s Silly Circus, and the princesses with their princes. Do note that most of the characters don’t come out to their special locations until the party officially starts, but you can (and should) get in line early for the most in-demand characters. At least for the first night at last year’s party, Jack Skellington started greeting guests well ahead of the party’s start at 5 p.m. Over in Storybook Circus, you’ll want to make time to visit, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Scrooge McDuck and Santa Goofy. But Pumpkin King Jack Skellington will also be there, dressed in his Sandy Claws suit, and we expect he will be very popular. Arrive at least 10 minutes before 7 p.m. to be in place when they arrive.

Since you cannot use Fastpass+ during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, it’s most crucial to make a plan if you want to meet the most in-demand characters.

A note about the princesses: Near 7 p.m., cast members at Princess Fairytale Hall will create a second line just for party guests (yes, you will have to show your party wristband) so they can line up early to meet the princes with the princesses. Verify with the cast member that you are in the correct line. The princesses will be joining Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall (with Anna and Elsa also in attendance in the other queue) and Snow White and Aurora in Fantasyland.

By: undercovertourist.