A Magical Weekend at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
- paigelandrum
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
There’s something extra special about kicking off the holiday season at Walt Disney World, and this year we decided to do just that. Right after Thanksgiving lunch with our family, my mom, sister and I hopped in the car for the “quick” drive down to Walt Disney World, ready for a festive weekend centered around Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
While I was a little hesitant about holiday traffic, traveling ON Thanksgiving was actually incredible. Traffic was very minimal, and didn't add any additional time to what it normally takes to get there! We even fit in a stop at the Busy Bee (IYKYK).
Arrival: Port Orleans Riverside and Dinner at Beach Club
For this trip, we stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside in the Royal Guest Rooms. If you’ve never stayed here, these rooms are fit for royalty, where you are a special guest of Princess Tiana. The rooms are decorated with gold accents and elaborate decor, complete with firework displays on the headboards. The Royal Guest Rooms are also preferred rooms, which are closer to the lobby, dining, pool, and boat transportation. The resort itself is peaceful and charming, with walking paths along the Sassagoula River with a classic Southern feel. You can read my full review of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside here.
Once we dropped off our bags, we drove over to Disney’s Beach Club Resort for dinner at Beaches & Cream. This place is famous for over-the-top sundaes, and the theming is bright, retro, and beachy. As for the food… I’d give it a 6/10. We got hamburgers, chili cheese tater tots and milk shakes for dessert. Perfectly fine for “park food,” just not amazing. I don’t think I’d rush back except for the Kitchen Sink (huge sundae that feeds 4), which is still on my must-do list for our kids to experience!
Our original plan was to stroll the Boardwalk after dinner, but it was a little colder than we planned, so we opted for checking out the awesome resort holiday decorations and browsing the gift shop before heading back to our room.
Friday Morning: Brunch at ‘Ohana
Friday morning started strong with a visit to Disney’s Polynesian Resort and brunch at ‘Ohana, which is easily a 10/10 for both food and experience. When you book a breakfast meal here, you get to meet Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. The food was delicious (I’m still thinking about that pineapple bread), and I cannot wait to bring the girls here to meet Lilo and Stitch. It’s such a fun experience with views of Seven Seas Lagoon and that tropical Hawaiian vibe.
After brunch, we did a little shopping, then headed back to our room to get ready for the main event: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! This is the part in my day where I took a little 20 minute power nap!
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
We left our resort at 3 o'clock and used a Minnie Van to get to Magic Kingdom. If you haven’t tried a Minnie Van before, it’s a Lyft-powered service driven by Disney Cast Members, they are super comfy, convenient, and a fun little splurge that gets you dropped off right at the entrance. I don’t always splurge at Disney, but this is one thing I will buy more times than not. We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 3:15pm. We did not have day tickets, just party tickets, which get you into the park at 4pm, even though the party technically starts at 7pm. Right as you arrive you go through security/ bag check and then you are corralled in a holding area until it is time to enter the park. They actually started a little early and we were inside Magic Kingdom with our party bands on by 3:50 pm.
Since we wanted to do a mix of rides and party activities, we opted to buy Lightning Lanes for the few hours we were there before the park officially “closed” at 6pm. We were able to knock out most of our “must do” rides from 4 pm - 6 pm which was such a productive start to the evening.
I typically recommend eating a big meal before the party so you don’t have to waste party time eating. While we had a big meal at 'Ohana, we ate at 11 am, so we started to get hungry again around 5:45 pm. We did mobile ordering from Pinocchio Village Haus and enjoyed flatbread pizzas and chicken tenders, which definitely hit the spot with an ice-cold coke. If you haven’t eaten here, it overlooks “It’s a Small World,” which is a fun bonus!
Pro Tip: Many restaurants close during the party, and only a handful of quick service options are available. Just reiterating to eat well before 7pm if you want more than cookies!
Let the Festivities Begin!
After our quick dinner, we jumped on a few more rides while waiting for the party festivities to officially start. At 6:50 pm, we hopped into the first treat line of the night at Gaston’s Tavern, where the cookie station opened a bit early (I think we were through the line by 6:57 pm). Cookies and eggnog acquired, we headed to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train where the posted wait was 25 minutes.
Then we wandered into the Storybook Circus area for another treat stop, this one had pretzels and punch, and soaked up all the Christmas vibes, including Santa's Christmas Carnival. This is also where you can meet Santa Claus!
We made our way toward TRON, but it ended up going down, and I’m pretty sure it stayed down the rest of the night. Totally okay, though; we filled the time with Tomorrowland attractions, dance parties, and more cookie and hot chocolate stops.
Around 9:30 pm, we made our way to Main Street, where we shopped till we dropped. We then grabbed a few parade snacks from the Confectionery, and found the perfect viewing spot for Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, which started promptly at 10 pm.
To our surprise during the fireworks, Main Street wasn’t crowded at all. We actually didn't have anyone within an arms distance of us in any direction! The fireworks were beautiful, classic Christmas music and hosted by yours truly, Minnie Mouse.
Since we weren’t traveling with little ones this time, we opted for the later Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, which started at 11:00 pm. Staying in our fireworks spot ended up working perfectly. The parade is everything you’d hope for during the holidays, with colorful lights, festive floats, toy soldiers marching in formation, reindeer prancing along, and of course, Santa closing it out in his sleigh.
After the parade, we made our way to Cinderella Castle for the final show of the night, Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration, which started at 11:55 PM. I assumed it would be a quick five-minute farewell, but it actually lasted somewhere around 20 minutes, and included dancers, music, and Mickey and the gang, making a really joyful finale to wrap up the night.
By this point, our feet were done (and we were beyond cold), so we booked another Minnie Van instead of waiting for a bus. We did this as we were leaving the Castle, and it arrived within three minutes of us getting to the pickup spot and whisked us back to Riverside in record time.
This party was such a fun and festive night from start to finish, and the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!
A Few Takeaways...
Know your priorities before going into a party. We knew certain rides and the fireworks/parade were a priority for us, which is why we opted to purchase Lightning Lanes for the first two hours of the night. We did rides from 4 - 8:30 pm and then did not do any more rides for the evening. We did not have character meet-and-greets on our priority list, but if this is something you want to do, know ahead of time who specifically you want to meet.
I mentioned this earlier, but eat ahead of time so you don’t have to stop and have a full meal during the party-- with a limited selection.
I was VERY nervous about going the day after Thanksgiving. I really try to avoid visiting Walt Disney World during major holidays because of crowds, but this date was really the only one that worked with our schedule. I was pleasantly surprised! Parties are always limited in capacity, so hind-sight I really didn't need to be worried, but I still was! The crowds were SO manageable, and every line we waited in was fast moving (for treats and entry).
For a true Christmas experience, watch the parade on Main Street and experience the "snow" falling as the parade goes by.
What I would do differently: I would pay more attention to the weather. I wore a sweater and packed a light Columbia fleece, but didn't plan for a thicker jacket or warm socks, gloves or a beanie. Last minute we did a Walmart delivery to our resort for additional gloves and hats, and I’m glad we did! But next time I’ll pack for colder weather.
Does a night at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party sound like something you want to try? All events for this year are sold out, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year! While party tickets typically go on sale in the summer, you can now book your resorts for all of 2026, so I recommend getting your room booked now and adding tickets when they are released!
If you’re thinking about attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (with or without little ones), I’d love to help you plan a night that’s just as magical! And while this particular trip didn't include my kids, you can check a full recap of tips for taking kids to Disney here: Toddler Moms Plan Disney Trips and Cruise Vacations.
-Paige Landrum, Toddler Mom and AMAAB Travel Advisor
***To get started working with an AMAAB Travel Advisor for your next Walt Disney World Vacation, click here. We have a team of advisors ready to help and make your holidays MAGICAL!
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