Cindy Travis, 12/4/05: I would like to say that it was well worth the money. We arrived early at 5:54pm and was given a special wristband for the event. At 6pm the shops starting closing down but they all reopened promptly at 7. This was our first time attending this event and it was wonderful! The Christmas Country Bear Show was open before the 7pm party so we attended that first. We hit Frontierland for Cookies and Cocoa and was surprised to find Woody and Bullseye meeting and greeting everyone. We watched the first parade from Frontierland and got a prime spot right before the parade started. The lines were long to get our free family photo so we waited until around 10pm with no lines at all. We got to get photos with lots of characters that are normally hard to find...Genie, Zabu, Cpt. Hook, Smee, Sleepy, Beauty and the Prince, Cinderella's Mice, and Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald all in holiday attire. The snow down Main Street was great, the park was not overly crowded and the fireworks show was awesome. The Annual Passholder pins, and regular event night pins were purchased while the fireworks show was going on with no wait at all! This was a wonderful memory for my 3 and 5 year old kids...I would highly recommend this event to anyone who loves Disney Christmas!

Eric Z., 12/4/05: We had been touring since 8 AM and couldn't believe that there were more people in the park for the party than had been there during regular operating hours. Definitely eat before the party begins. We ate at Pecos Bill's at 6 PM and had no wait. When we walked by at 8 PM, lines were out the door. Also, try to avoid being trampled by the mass of people waiting for the Emporium to re-open so that they could stampede to the souvenirs. Luckily, we somehow were able to sneak around the castle on the left and found a store in Fantasy Land with merchandise displayed early. Only a few souls were here and made for easy shopping. However, it was ridiculous to see people with 10 shirts. Look on eBay for the stuff you want. Also, pins are located in another store, so if you want the pin, avoid the Emporium. Get your picture early. We got ours done in Tomorrowland early and only waited 15 minutes, probably because they neglected to put the pictures on the guidemap (wanted to save money?). Six photographers on duty there. Cookies and hot chocolate were both very good, but they need more stations. Patience is a virtue however as if you wait until after the fireworks, you will be treated with the ability to fall on to every ride as the park will magically empty. Yes, some rides were closed, but the most important ones were open. We would probably do it again as those last 2 hours after the fireworks, were sheer heaven.

Dylan Weidner, 12/4/05: We got into the park at around 6:00pm, got our wristbands, and proceeded to ride the Haunted Mansion with no wait. We then went to Tomorrowland where we got our complimentary photo. We had to wait a very long time to get the photo, but there wasn't much going on then anyway, so we were ok. After getting our photo, we rode Buzz Lightyear with hardly a wait saw the first showing of Mickey's Twas a Night Before Christmas. We sat near the back of the middle section and had a pretty good view. The show was great! Lots of music, dancing, and chracter appearances. After this we went to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and ate dinner there, then got free hot cocoa and snickerdoodles at Cosmic Ray's. We then went to the bridge between the castle plaza and Fantasyland to watch the fireworks. Unfortunatey, this was a bad choice. The fireworks were behind the trees, so we ran to the back of the castle and watched the rest of the fireworks. The part we did see was amazing, especially the finale. I believe every single child under the age of 5 cried after the last loud boom. It was so loud that the ground shook. After the fireworks we rode Magic Carpets and then walked to Frontierland and parked ourselves next to the Country Bear Jamboree until the parade. Up until the parade, two or three of the Country Bears were strolling outside and acting goofy and playing with the guests. We saw the 10:45 parade and it was amazing, even though I was tired by then. So many characters and lights! Afterwards we shopped around. I managed to get a MVMCP pin and a Santa Mickey Plush. All in all, it was not terribly crowded and the waits were very small for the rides. There were a lot of people eating at Cosmic Ray's though.

Larry Barretto, 12/4/05: The Disney "magic" still continues at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Unfortunately, the "magic" appears to be a disappearing act. I attended the Party on Sunday, December 4. For those of you who make this an annual event, you know that last year the yearly MVMCP pin disappeared and was replaced by a souvenir postcard. Foolish me -- I no longer have the postcard (must have thrown it away) but, for some reason, have kept the pins I received over the past several years. Marshmallows in the hot chocolate are also part of the disappearing act. There were cast members who were actually counting out 4 mini-marshmallows per cup, so you might want to bring a supply. While waiting in line for the annual photo, we were given a preview of one of next year's disappearances when a friend jokingly asked a cast member if we would be getting a pin or a postcard this year. The cast member told us that there was neither. In fact, she told us that this was to be the last year for the free photo and that beginning next year guests will have to pay for the photo. Fortunately, the Disney magic is still there during the party in things such as the fireworks display (that was great), as well as the parade that (it seems) has gone through some revamping. Given what you get for the $40+ dollars for the 5 hour event, I've decided that beginning next year I'll begin making the Candlelight Processional and dinner package my main Disney Christmas season tradition.

Jennifer Hoshowski, 12/2/05: We attended MVMCP on December 2nd, and it was the highlight of our trip! We arrived at the Magic Kingdom and received our wristbands with no problem. We then proceeded to Liberty Tree Tavern for our 5:20 dining reservation. We were assured when we made the dining reservation that we would be allowed into the park early with no problem, and this proved to be the case. We were not questioned when we arrived at the gate at 4:45, party tickets in hand. After our meal, at around 6:20, we noticed that the shops were closed between 6 PM and 7 PM, so we strolled over to Fantasyland. All of the rides were operational and we managed to ride everything in Fantasyland by shortly after 7 PM! There were no lines at all. We got our hot cocoa and cookies in Liberty Square. The line was minimal, the cookies were big and tasty, and the cocoa was hot. We were allowed to take as much as we wanted. We rode more rides (managing to squeeze in as many or more as we normally would in a 10 hour day), saw the fireworks, and caught the second showing of the parade, which was spectacular - not to be missed. The snow on Main Street fascinated my sons, aged 7 and 2 1/2. This was our first experience with MVMCP, although we have been to WDW at least a dozen times, and everyone in our group of 13 agreed that it has been elevated to "not to be missed" status. It is worth the money for the ability to ride so many rides in such a short time, alone. Add the shows, fireworks, parade, snacks, etc., and this is an unbelievable experience in our eyes. We highly recommnd this to anyone considering it. Please, do not let the few negative comments you may read steer you away!

Melinda W., 12/2/05: On December 2nd, my niece, mom, and myself went to MVMCP. We did not go last year, but have attended this event about 5 times before. I have to say, if this is your first time, you will love it. The decorations, the Christmas spirit, the goodies, and the "magical" snow on main street. If you have attended in years past, you will feel slightly disappointed. The pin was a major item to disappear, the amount of cocoa stations that have disappeared, and the feeling that something is missing, made this event not seem as special as it has in the past. I was glad the parade had a revision and the fireworks were great, but I think we will stick to the Halloween party from now on. We did have a magical moment on our trip though. It was about 15 minutes to midnight and we went in the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon to get a cup of cocoa, and Jessie from Toy Story was in there. She took my niece's hand and they danced all over the nearly deserted area. We never laughed so hard, and we got great photos of the moment. I guess that is the best part about Disney, it always creates memories that will last a lifetime!

Cynthia, 12/2/05: We attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party December 2. It was awesome! This was our first time for the Christmas party. It was crowded as we arrived right at 7:00pm. People were already getting their spots for the Christmas parade, we had six in our party so two of us saved us a good spot for watching the parade while two other adults took our 9 yr old and 23 month old to get autographs and pictures. We had a blast, it was very chilly which made it even more special. The parade was fantastic we loved the snow on Main Street! The hot cocoa and cookies hit the spot! The fireworks were beautiful, more beautiful than I could ever imagine! I guess my favorite thing was "Twas the Night Before Christmas"! It was soooooo good. I really didn't expect the show that we saw, I just thought Mickey would come out and read the Christmas story and that would be it, which would have been fine with me, what ever Mickey does is the greatest anyway, but, the show was outstanding, we saw the 11:00pm show, I would urge anyone who has a chance to go to the party to be sure and make this a priority! It is well worth the effort to go, I can assure you it is well worth it! I am so glad we made the extra effort to go! It was so awesome, but everything about the Christmas party was! We loved it and hopefully will be able to go back again! Merry Christmas everyone!

Jenny, 12/2/05: What an incredibly magical experience! I am a Disney fanatic but had never made it to MVMCP, so my friend and I went to the December 2nd party. They let us in early and as we were going in, they were already starting to herd non-party guests down Main Street. The park was all decorated and looked beautiful, with garland, ornaments and Christmas trees (small ones) everywhere, and snowflakes projected onto the castle. Most of the cast members also wore some sort of special "Christmas-ey" clothes item. I din't even notice that some rides were closed (I think, looking back, that Jungle Cruise & Tomorrowland Transit Authority weren't working) but unless you're going specifically for those rides it definitely won't ruin the experience. We rode all the major attractions at least a couple times each. The longest line we waited in was for Dumbo, and even that was less than 10 minutes! We even got to stay in the log on Splash Mountain and ride again immediately. We didn't have any kids with us, but really enjoyed watching the kids (and some adults) having a blast at the dance party - the dance floor was almost empty, so the characters spent tons of time with the kids! There were cookies and hot chocolate in locations that weren't even on the map - so it was a fun surprise to come across an unmarked location. My only beef was that there didn't seem to be a lot of MVMCP merchandise besides Santa hats (which seems unbelievable considering the amount of stuff Disney sells). We were looking for postcards, T-shirts, etc... but had a hard time finding things - and believe me we looked! Disney at any time of the year is magical, but there's something extra-special about going to something as spectacular as MVMCP! Highly recommend attending. Can't wait to go back next year!

Shannon, 12/2/05: We attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on December 2nd, and it was wonderful! It was our first trip to the World at Christmas, and I was a little nervous after reading some of last year's reviews. I didn't have to worry at all. We stayed in the park all day, getting our wristbands early in the afternoon. Just before 6, we had dinner at Cosmic Ray's while we waited for the rest of the park to clear. It wasn't crowded at all, and service was very quick. We took in the first showing of Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas and got great seats. It was a fabulous show! After that, we walked right on Space Mountain before heading over to see the first parade. We got there about 45 minutes before the parade and nabbed curbside spots on Main Street. The parade is unreal!! We saw Wishes from our favorite spot near the Plaza Restaurant. Here's a tip: the seating area that's usually reserved for VIPs during regular Wishes is open during the MVMCP. We got a table and had a great view of the fireworks and an even better view of Tink! We took full advantage of the free hot chocolate and cookies. After the fireworks, we walked on Space Mountain again, got our picture taken with about a 10 minute ride, and caught the show at the Castle stage. It was truly a wonderful experience!

Samantha, Andrea, Omari, 12/2/05: We attended MVMCP on December 2nd and what a MAGICAL night it was! My partner and I took our 7 year-old son and he LOVED every minute of the party... from the cookies and cocoa to the parade and HOLIDAY WISHES fireworks show. I have never seen Disney Holiday Magic so alive and beautiful. The snow on Main Street made us forget that we were in Florida. We caught the stage show 12 Days of Christmas and LOVED it. If you're reading this report you should be planning your visit to MVMCP... There's nothing on Earth more heavenly.

Carrie, 12/2/05: My best friend and I attended the December 2 MVMCP. Let me say it was well worth the money! We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 6 pm and went straight to Splash Mountain and walked right up. There was no line! While walking to Fantasyland, we were excited to meet Prince Charming. After seeing how the park filled up, we opted for the second parade, and were able to get a prime spot on Main Street. I especially ejoyed watching the snow fall, it made the evening even more magical. The Twas The Night Before Christmas show was cute and a nice break from walking around. New this year is the Christmas edition of Wishes, which is fantastic! It's a special treat for those attending the party. There were more than enough places for cookies and hot chocolate, though I wish there had been more options for counter service. The one downside to the evening was that we were never able to find Mickey. I wanted to get a picture with him all decked out for the holidays. But, that by no means ruined the evening. Our longest wait was 5 minutes at Dumbo. Overall it was a very special evening having the park to ourselves and well worth it. And a tip for those who want to see the parade on Main Street. If you stand behind one of the little trees, you can see the parade perfectly and not have any dads with children on their shoulders standing in front of you.

Justin 12/05: I went to the MVCP.I thought it was really neat. you must have your pic. taken 1st. then see the show and parade see the 2nd parade infront of the castle. ride big thunder mountain a few times!!! take in the snow on main street and leave 5-20 min. before the event ends so you don't have to wait on the long lines when everyone leaves. It was a great event and i would do in again.

Kelly Williams, 12/05: We just returned from the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Here are my tips:

-Don't get your hot cocoa and cookies from Tomorrowland... Too busy. Instead head over to Liberty Square. You can grab more than one cup
and cookie at a time. NOTE: Woody was inside the cocoa spot in Frontierland... So, stop by there also.

-Don't see the first show of Twas the Night before Christmas. Filled up really fast and was standing only.

-Visit the second parade.

-Princesses are ALWAYS near Peter Pan's ride. They change out every 20 minutes. Ask the cast member there for the schedule. They will only
be there for 20 minutes each, so plan right. We saw Snow White/Prince Charming and Beauty and the Beast.

Ronnie, December 2005: We just returned from our holiday trip to WDW and we attended the MVMCP. I have to say that the party was a real disappointment this year. The Magic Kingdom was not as decorated as in years past and the park was very overcrowded. When we went two years ago, the entire park was decorated. Not the case this year; once you got past Main Street, there were no additional decorations. WDW advertises the party as having a limited number of tickets per night, I guess they meant to say that it is limited to park capacity. Since the park was so crowded, you could not get close enough to enjoy any of the nighttime entertainment (ex. parade, live show on stage, dancing with the characters). And since this is a special event, most of the rides are closed. So the rides that are open, had very long wait times. To us it seemed like just another night at the park, not worth the additional price to get in. We will not be attending the party again.

Angela Price, December 2005: I was just at Disney for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. What an awesome event!! It really puts you in the holiday spirit. My sugeestion if you are going is to arrive early... at about 6pm. They will allow you in and give you a wrist band. Disney as you will notice will be making sure to have everyone leave that does not have the ticket. For the parade, do go to the second one, the crowd is much less smaller and you will find it easier to get a seat. Be prepared, the fireworks are not to be missed. They were the best Disney has ever had. One more tip, at the "party" Disney takes a photograph for free and sends it home. Make your picture fun and have on holiday clothes, t-shirts etc... don't get stuck wearing something you wouldn't want in the picture! I wore my Minnie Mouse Santa hat and the picture was soooo cute!

Reader Comments from 2004