Disney Very Merriest After Hours has taken the place of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in 2021. Similar to Boo Bash After Hours for Halloween, this is a taste of the old parties but a bit less attended and with some changes. Now, its unclear if Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will ever return in the future but my assumption and insight says it won’t be and this is here to stay. Anyways, Very Merriest is one of the big ways to celebrate the holidays this year at Walt Disney World.
This after hours party runs from November 8th through December 21st on select nights at the Magic Kingdom. Several dates are already sold out so be sure to check ahead of time. Pricing for the event ranges from $169 to $249 making it the most expensive party Disney has done. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can get a $10 discount on select nights in November which I did take advantage of. I attended the November 18th, 2021 Disney Very Merriest After Hours party which ran me $159 before tax.
What can you all get at this party you ask? Well outside of all of your favorite attractions available at much shorter waits than you would experience during a normal day, you can also experience several entertainment offerings and special treats. There is a special castle stage show called “Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories” that is shown four times a night. Guests can also see the only parade currently at Walt Disney World “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” running twice a night. There is even a special exclusive fireworks show “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show.” Then in Frontierland you can find the Reindeer Wranglers and Club Tinsel Dance Party in Tomorrowland. In addition to all of that, special character sightings will be had throughout the park such as Santa himself!
Disney Photopass photographers have special event magic shots. Coca-cola bottled beverages, popcorn, ice cream treats, snickerdoodle cookies, and hot cocoa are also all included in your event ticket. Disney also has four special food and beverage options that are available for additional costs. Then like I said earlier, all the major attraction are open to enjoy as well with shorter waits.
This Christmas party does officially kick off at 9:00pm and runs to 1:00am. Guests with party tickets can start entering at 7:00pm with their party ticket. Doing this gets you viewing of two fireworks shows for the night with Disney Enchantment during regular park hours and then Minnie’s show during the party. So, make sure you take advantage of that if you are going.
Anyways, this was a new experience to me of course and one I was very excited for. I never had the change to do Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and am a huge Christmas fan. The big problem I faced on this night however was weather. Rain hit this party hard. It was not storms but just steady rain. That didn’t mean I wasn’t able to enjoy the party though. My first order of business was meeting Santa Claus. He is located in a gazebo just to the left of the entrance of Liberty Square. You cannot get up close and personal with him but you can talk to Santa and get a photopass photo.
After telling Santa what I wanted for Christmas I headed toward Main Street to find a spot for the parade. It was wet but wasn’t really raining at this point. The first run of the parade went on without much issue. I was really happy to actually see a parade again and one that was new to me. Now, this is not the full normal Christmas parade from before. Some performers and floats had been cut in this version.
This is where the party started to turn a bit. As I made my way towards the castle for the fireworks show. It did start to rain. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmas Fireworks may be my favorite fireworks show at Walt Disney World right now. The show was fantastic even with the rain and smoke covering the castle at times.
Then it was time for Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories. The show began and maybe half way through or so the show was canceled. Disney does have a back up plan for this however. Characters will come out and sing carols while stationary. So you won’t see the dancing and effects and such of the stage show but your favorite characters singing carols instead. I was glad they still did something.
The rain got to be a bit much at this point too. I headed to Tomorrowland and rode Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Space Mountain. Club Tinsel was still somehow happening despite the rain although not many guests were taking part. From my understanding the rest of the stage shows were canceled for the night. I was able to see some other characters around such as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
After wandering and picking up some snacks like a Mickey bar, popcorn, water, hot cocoa and cookies, I noticed the second run of the parade was rained out. They operated a rainy day cavalcade-esque version of the parade but it was not what would’ve happened otherwise.
Despite the rain I felt I had a great time. Reports said guests had been able to get some sort of refund or change in party date because of the weather but I don’t feel that was necessary. Disney can control a lot of things but the weather is not one. On the way out you receive a special marshmallow treat. I did head out a few minutes before official party end but my soaked feet and clothes couldn’t take it anymore. If this is the future of holiday parties I don’t mind it too much. I never felt it was crowded and had a great time despite the rain. The big problem I see is the pricing. This party especially in December is crazy expensive. It may not be worth that $200+ price tag in that instance. For $159 though, I felt I got good value.
I do want to hear your thoughts! Have you been to Very Merriest After Hours? Is this something you would pay for or find value in? Let us know!
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