Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours Party: Enjoy Disney’s Holiday Cheer at its Finest
Tis the season to be jolly – and to celebrate in full Disney style! That’s the appeal of Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours Party, the newest holiday experience at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Combining exciting entertainment, exclusive food and merchandise, and a pinch of holiday magic, this promises to be one of the most anticipated Christmas events of the season!
While we love EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays, it’s not the only event in the parks that celebrates the most wonderful time of the year. Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours Party is a ticketed event that takes over the park at night during the holiday season, offering some brand-new experiences as well as some old classics. Because it’s a new event, expect some changes and tweaks as the season progresses!
The Magic Kingdom’s NEWEST Holiday After Hours Party
The newest seasonal event in Walt Disney World, Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours Party debuts in 2021 with a whole new way to celebrate the winter holidays in the happiest place on earth. While it shares many of the same elements of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there are some key differences we’ll explore as well.
Through the holiday season, the park closes to general admission ticket holders after the sun goes down. Then, this exclusive ticketed event begins. Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours Party joins the two other Disney After Hours events at the Magic Kingdom: The Villains After Hours and Disney After Hours Boo Bash. With limited attendance, these Disney After Hours events feel more like a private party than they do a typical theme park experience. They include many exclusive events and entertainment options you won’t see during the daylight hours.
Event Pricing and Schedule
This holiday event begins in early November. It runs select nights of November and well into December. It ends on December 21st. Given that the week around Christmas is typically the busiest week on Disney property, it’s no surprise that they would forego having a nighttime event for these days.
Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours Party officially starts at 9 PM and goes on until 1 AM each night. However, After Hours ticket holders can enter the Magic Kingdom beginning at 7 PM that evening. So while the event officially lasts 4 hours, you can stretch your time out for 6 hours at no additional cost.
Pricing for the event begins at $169 per person with tiered pricing that increases closer to Christmas Eve. If you want to attend the event on December 21st, it will cost you somewhere around $250 per person for an adult ticket.
Seasonal Snacks
One draw of Disney After Hours events is the “free” snacks included in the price of your ticket. While perhaps not as exciting as anything seen at the Main Street Confectionary or EPCOT’s many seasonal festivals, you will be able to eat your fill of complimentary classic treats like popcorn, ice cream bars (including the iconic Mickey Bars), and bottle drinks like soda and water. Additionally, Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours will also have a complimentary specialty seasonal treat!
For those who want something a little heartier (or exciting), there will also be other event-specific food items available for purchase at the event. Based on other events, we expect there to be lots of sweets (when does Disney turn down the opportunity to make a new cupcake?), themed baked goods, and colorful beverages.
Festive Entertainment
There are few things more magical than Disney entertainment, especially on special event nights. For the Very Merriest After Hours event, The Magic Kingdom brings old and new features together in a delightful celebration of the season.
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks
Debuting in 2019 as part of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks returns as part of this Disney After Hours event! This gorgeous nighttime spectacle combines fireworks, music, and holiday-specific projections overlaying Cinderella’s Castle.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
Parades are a staple of events at the Magic Kingdom and the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade in 2021 heralds the return of parades to the Disney Parks! First debuting in 2007, the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is a yearly tradition at the parks. It features a plethora of characters from classic Mickey and friends, princesses, and lots of fan favorites. Of course, the centerpiece of the parade is Santa himself, arriving in his sleigh-themed float (complete with dancing reindeers!).
Snow on Main Street?!
Did you ever think you’d see snow in Central Florida? Well, since the early 2000s, you can walk down Main Street USA while “snow” falls around you. With the beautiful décor and gorgeous lights strung all around, the snow adds a delightful touch of the holiday spirit in the air.
Dance Party
Another Disney After Hours favorite – the themed dance parties – make an appearance at Very Merriest as well. The Club Tinsel Dance Party is a family-friendly dance floor with a live DJ spinning classic seasonal (and otherwise popular) hits that will bring out your inner Kuzco – let’s groove!
Rides & Attractions
This is the best time to take advantage of rides with historically longer wait times (Peter Pan’s Flight or Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train are both good examples). The wait times will be much shorter. If you plan your night out in advance, you’ll be able to make it through almost as many rides as you would on a normal park day!
Rides that typically stay open during the event include (but are not limited to):
- Space Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Mad Tea Party
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
- “It’s a small world”
- Dumbo
- And more!
Holiday Overlays
The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World doesn’t get the more elaborate holiday overlays you’ll see in Disneyland (maybe we’re just a little envious of the Nightmare Before Christmas version of the Haunted Mansion). However, you will see some festive additions to classic rides in the park.
The Jungle Cruise (renamed The Jingle Cruise for the season) and Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor will definitely see some holiday changes. Other rides, like The Mad Tea Party and Space Mountain, could see some wintery renovations as well.
Seasonal Photo Ops
What’s a Disney event without character meet-and-greets? Rest assured that they’ll be out and about! For Mickey’s Very Merriest event, you’ll find some more obscure characters roaming the park as well! We anticipate that, in addition to seeing Winnie the Pooh and his friends, you’ll also find characters like Jiminy Cricket (awww!) and the Country Bears.
You’ll also see Photo Pass photographers on hand to capture your most magical moments, including those you won’t be able to find any other time. While these exclusive photo ops are all part of the experience, you will need to purchase the Memory Maker add-on for the event to access them afterward.
Tips and Tricks for a Holly Jolly Night
- Take advantage of the complimentary snacks – especially if you have little ones! Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bars (yes, the ones that are shaped like Mickey) sell for around $6.00 per bar. It’s a great opportunity to get that iconic snack without splurging for it on a regular park day.
- When it comes to snacks, check out the snack carts further in the park. The ones at the front are usually the busiest throughout the night.
- Make sure to use that early entry! While the event technically starts at 9 PM, you can enter the park as early as 7 PM.
- Coming early has another benefit as well. You’ll have the opportunity to catch two different fireworks shows that evening! You’ll have the typical Magic Kingdom fireworks as well as the exclusive Disney After Hours spectacular.
- Disney After Hours events are the perfect opportunity to splurge for a Photo Pass! Event photographers are onsite to capture those exclusive photo ops you won’t get any other time of the year.
- While Very Merry is expensive, it’s also likely to sell out FAST. If you want to go, grab your tickets ASAP! You don’t want to miss out if you’ve got your heart set on a Disney Christmas.
- Speaking of the price, the earlier in the season you go, the cheaper the event is. You can save money by choosing a date in November instead of December.
- Try to take it easy before the event. The best way to do a Disney After Hours event is to skip going to the park during the day of the event. Since the event runs so late, you’ll have a better time if you’re not already tired when it starts.
What’s Next?
While it’s not a full party like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas, there’s a lot of overlap between the two events. You’ll likely find the same Disney magic here as you would at the other, older experience. The Disney After Hours event gives you the chance to experience the Magic Kingdom in a whole new way – filled with holiday cheer! If you want a more intimate evening at the Disney parks to kick off your Christmas celebration, Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours is certainly a party worth considering.
What do you think? Is this a party you’d like to attend? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Cover Image
Photo: Antonio Thomás Koenigkam Oliveira via Flickr
Recommended Gear for this Adventure
Disclaimer: We earn a commission if you click any of the links above and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
