In this special edition of Family Fridays, we set off for Disney’s Magic Kingdom to celebrate the holidays at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This event offers plenty to do for young and old, from parades and fireworks to a huge variety of holiday treats and drinks. There is no denying that no one does the holiday season like Walt Disney World. Disney has always provided the highest caliber of holiday entertainment, activities, foods and beverages, and, of course, holiday cheer. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was no exception to Disney’s knack for top-notch flair and style. Every moment of the event transports you to a winter wonderland of holiday spirit and timeless joy.
Entering the park, guests are given special wristbands that allow them access to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – this is an exclusive event that cannot be accessed with a regular park admission ticket. The moment you first walk into the kingdom, you are bombarded with holiday lights, Christmas wreaths, and a whole host of decorations and holiday sights. Most spectacular of all, perhaps, is Cinderella Castle, which for the winter season is draped in lights of blue and white, making it look encased in ice and snow. I got major goosebumps seeing it for the first time, and as a girl who’s spent 17 years of her life in Central Florida, that doesn’t happen at the theme parks very often anymore.
After recovering from taking in all the beauty of the castle, my boyfriend, Andrew, and I made our way to the entrance of the party, where our wristbands were checked and we were allowed into the event. The holiday cheer continues down the path, and it is here that you are given your first TASTE of the holiday – quite literally – with a massive Santa Claus sugar cookie. Little did I know, but this was just the first in a whole collection of holiday treats I would be receiving throughout the night. After consulting our map, we realized that each candy cane marking on it represented another sweet snack stop, where we could receive even more holiday goodies.
Andrew and I, being two of the most competitive people we know, both raced off to find the next vendor and were pleasantly greeted with another cookie and a vibrant, icy blue snow cone. After this experience, we swung by Club Tinsel, where we both demonstrated that neither of us has any dancing ability and instead decided to enjoy our hot chocolate and snickerdoodle cookie outside and away from the general public.
Fueled by sugar and the motivation to try as many of these tasty treats that we could, we continued on through the park and into the Storybook Circus section of Magic Kingdom to look for the next treat. On our way, we ran into Donald and Daisy, and I made sure to give a wave to them while walking (though they seemed to be in a rush, so sadly, they did not wave back). Before getting on The Barnstormer ride, a childhood fear and love of mine, we found another of the candy cane stations, this time complete with two peppermint chocolate chip cookies and a bottle of Nesquik chocolate milk.
While racing through the park trying to sample all the holiday goodies, we also made time to stop and take in the sights and sounds and also to ride a few rides, including the Tomorrowland Speedway, The Barnstormer, It’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain. Obviously, Andrew and I are kids at heart.
After drinking our third and fourth drinks, including sparkling apple cider and sweet hot chocolate, we started to fall into a sugar coma, so we skipped the eggnog station and additional cookie stations. Nonetheless, we continued our walk through the park at a much more leisurely pace, and rather than focusing on where the next treat station was, decided to enjoy the holiday spirit without the sugar rush.
By this point, it was already time for the Holiday Wishes Fireworks show by Cinderella Castle, so Andrew and I raced back toward Main Street to find a spot where we could get a perfect view of the sky above. We were most certainly not disappointed. The fireworks show was full of upbeat Christmas songs and spirit, combined with bright flashing fireworks and a kaleidoscope of lights across Cinderella Castle. Disney certainly knows how to enchant an audience with just the right amount of spectacle and pizazz, because no matter whether you’re young or old, Disney fireworks will always take your breath away.
With both of us being exhausted and crashing from our sugar highs, after the final boom of the fireworks, we decided to head out of Magic Kingdom and back on the monorail to find our car. As we made our way to the exit, the classic Floridian version of snow, Snoap, came fluttering down in bubbly flurries, catching the red and green lights in a prism of color and holiday joy.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has proven once again to be an exceptional event for those of all ages. It is absolutely impossible not to be completely entranced in the holiday season when you’re transported into the fantasy world of Disney and surrounded by helpful cast members, delicious treats, and festive lights.
“The hot cocoa was tasty,” Andrew said, offering his single review on the night. “I’d say it was worth it.”
Though he’s a man of few words, he summed up the event nicely. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party makes an exceptional Friday night adventure not only for families but also couples of all ages. Goodness knows, Disney is hard to beat when it comes to the amount of holiday cheer and effort they put into each and every event.
Would I go back next year?
Absolutely.
