Welcome, Elisabet! I'm so excited for your upcoming holiday visit to the resort. It's such a magical time of year, and there's just something about
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party that really puts you in the holiday mood! Even Scrooge McDuck from
Mickey’s Christmas Carol would have a hard time saying "Bah, humbug!" here.
While Disney hasn't released an exhaustive list of
attractions open during the party yet, in recent years,
Mickey's PhilharMagic,
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room,
The Hall of Presidents, and
Enchanted Tales with Belle have not been open. When you arrive, pick up a guide to the party, which typically lists the attractions and entertainment available. And remember, you can usually enter
Magic Kingdom Park as early as 4 p.m. with a party ticket, so you can check to see if any of these attractions are available for you to enjoy before the party starts! The Ghost of Christmas Present would surely approve of making the most of every minute.
The party really is wonderful, and over the years, I've given a lot of advice about it. But the most important piece now that I'm a bit, ahem, seasoned (definitely not old) is to relax during the day. There was a time I could go to a park in the morning and then go straight to the party until midnight. Nowadays, I use the morning and afternoon as a time to enjoy the
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel at which I'm staying. I sleep late, relax, enjoy a lounge or restaurant (or both), have a light early dinner, and then head straight to the park. Otherwise, by midnight, I'll be shuffling down Main Street, U.S.A. like Goofy as Jacob Marley, chains and all.
And don't skip over the light early dinner part. There's so much to do at the party, and so many snacks and treats to try, that I don't usually schedule a dinner at Magic Kingdom Park. This way, progressively snacking throughout the night becomes my dinner. With all those treats, I start to feel a little like Willie the Giant as the Ghost of Christmas Present, surrounded by his feast. That said, if you have your heart set on a
table-service restaurant dinner in the park and you only have a ticket to the party, I'd highly recommend
making your reservation during that 4 p.m.-7 p.m. window before the party starts. This way, you're all set and ready to go when the party officially takes off.
Elisabet, enjoy every moment of that party and, as Mickey shows us so beautifully as Bob Cratchit, keep that Christmas spirit with you long after the night is over. If you have any other questions,
I'm always full of Christmas spirit and here for you."Merry Christmas, everyone!"
Matt