Last night at Magic Kingdom, the holidays officially began with the first night of the Disney Very Merriest After Hours Party. As most of you know, Disney has not had a Christmas party since 2019. While this event is not exactly the same as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, it’s pretty similar. Let’s discuss!
The Very Merriest After Hours Party kicks off at 9pm, but party guests can get in at 7:00. You’re given a guide map as you enter so you can see everything that the event has to offer. Special treats, shows and activities are front and center for the evening. Included in your ticket price are snacks like ice cream and popcorn, along with the free cookies and hot cocoa in various locations. It was cold last night so ice cream wasn’t on our wish list for treats, but the hot cocoa came in handy! I saw no special merchandise geared specifically for the party, but there is plenty of festive holiday merchandise in the Emporium.
The first thing we did once the party began, was to grab a spot to watch the stage show at the Castle called Mickey and Minnie’s Very Merry Memories. The show has parts of previous holiday shows blended together to make it into something new. It was super cute and festive. Right after the show was over, we stayed in our spot because it was almost time for the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade! I hadn’t seen the parade since 2019, as there was no Very Merry Christmas Party last year, so I was looking forward to it. The parade was mostly the same as previous years, but with less sections and floats. The Wreck It Ralph section was missing, as was the Buzz Lightyear part. There were seemingly less Toy Soldiers on the route too. It was still magical though! The photo below is from the second showing of the parade, we were standing by the tree on Main Street!
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks were back as well. If you recall, this new fireworks show only ran one season, as it debuted in 2019. The fireworks were beautiful, and because the crowds are less during parties, it was easy to get a good spot to watch them. The show starts at 11:15.
So, you may be wondering if this replacement for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is just as good? Well, yes and no. While the Disney Very Merriest After Hours Party has key parts of its predecessor, it’s simply not long enough in my humble opinion. There were other activities happening in the park, like Club Tinsel for example, but after watching the shows there was no time to go explore. MVMCP was a longer party for less money, to put it bluntly. With ticket prices at almost $200 a person this year, my family of four won’t be attending as $800 for 4 hours isn’t in our budget. However, if you’re vacationing here for the holidays that may be a different story. This after hours event really does put you into the Christmas spirit, there’s a lot of Magic to be had. Just keep in mind that those four hours really do fly by quickly so plan your evening accordingly! I also did love the “snow” on Main Street and the Christmas music playing as you walked!
Below are some videos from opening night for you to check out. This should help you decide if the Disney Very Merriest After Hours event is something for you to put on your must do list this year!
Stay tuned for Holiday updates the whole season through, we’re just getting started!
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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