We Were NOT Expecting the CROWDS at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party This Year!

Welcome to the 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom! We’ll be taking you along with us at the very first party of the season, and trust us, you won’t want to miss this.

This year, the first party is SOLD OUT, meaning there will be LOTS of people here. But Disney limits the total number of tickets sold for these parties, so even though it’s sold out, the number of guests at the party will be far less than during regular park hours. So what exactly are the crowds like at a sold-out Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Let’s check it out!

The party officially starts at 7 PM, but those with a party ticket can enter the park at 4 PM. When we got to the park for our party right around 3:45 PM, the crowds were already WILD.

Here’s the deal: If you want to be one of the FIRST to get into the park for the party at 4 PM, you’ll want to get to the park no later than 3:15 PM or so, and waiting in that hot sun with little to no access to water leaves many people feeling stressed before the party even begins.

If you’re worried about the crowds, we recommend forgoing them altogether and either booking a Magic Kingdom ticket for the day (especially if you’re an Annual Passholder and you just need to make a reservation) or getting to the park around 4:15 PM. Yes, this does mean you’ll be a few minutes behind the others, but if you’re concerned about claustrophobia, the heat, or just being around that many people, it’s likely going to be worth it to be a little later getting into the park if it’ll save some sanity!

As for Main Street, U.S.A., it was pretty packed as well, especially right when party guests began to get let in.

Main Street was pretty busy right at 4 PM!

We typically expect the crowds at the park to be much larger from 4 PM to 7 PM, because both party guests and regular ticket guests can be here at the same time. As the night goes on, we usually see the park get a little less busy.

This also means that wait times for the rides are generally higher from 4 PM to 7 PM, too. Around 5 PM, the wait times were pretty moderate — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was at a 45-minute wait, TRON Lightcycle / Run sat at 60 minutes, Jingle Cruise (the holiday overlay of Jungle Cruise) was sitting at 45 minutes, and all other waits were mostly below 40 minutes.

Now, when it comes to special meet and greets around the park during this special party event, meeting Jack and Sally will be at the top of lots of people’s lists. When we stepped into the park at 4:10 PM, it was already at a 60-minute wait! While that seems like a lot, this actually may be the best time to meet them if it’s at the top of your list — that way, you’re not missing valuable party time waiting in line!

One of the other lines you may not be expecting this year, but we’re here to warn you about so you plan, is the line to grab the adorable Holiday Christmas Tree Truck Popcorn Bucket at the various popcorn stands around the park!

We hopped in line about 4:30 PM, and it took a hot second to get through. They also can sell out during the night, so we recommend grabbing sooner rather than later!

We’ll be here at the party celebrating the merriest time of the year until the party ends at midnight, so stick around for more crowd and wait time updates! In the meantime, check back to AllEars for even MORE Christmas party news.