Hello there, Trisha. I'm so glad you've stopped by
planDisney to chat a little bit about your itinerary.
It's exciting to see that you have tickets to
Disney's Very Merriest After Hours party. This is an all-new after-hours party that people are absolutely loving. I think everyone has missed these after-hours events so much and having them back again makes it even that much more magical. Plus, who doesn't love a free Mickey premium ice cream bar!
Disney's Very Merriest After Hours Event doesn't actually begin until 9:00 p.m. Your party ticket will give you access to Magic Kingdom park starting at 7:00 p.m. If you'd like to schedule a dinner reservation using your party ticket only, it would need to be after that 7:00 p.m. timeframe. You won't be allowed in any earlier, even for a dinner reservation. If you'd like to keep your dining reservation you'll need to have a standard theme park ticket and a park pass reservation for Magic Kingdom Park or a Park hopper ticket with a park pass reservation for the first theme park you'd like to visit that day and then can hop over to Magic Kingdom Park later in the day.
If it were me, I'd probably reserve a dining reservation for before 7:00 p.m. at one of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels that is located close to Magic Kingdom Park. There are several great restaurants in the area that are connected to Magic Kingdom Park by the monorail. Right now, one of my favorites is a new restaurant at Disney's Contemporary Resort called
Steakhouse 71. It's delicious. Believe it or not, I've had every single dinner menu item and it is all amazing! I've been recommending this restaurant to all of my friends. Another fan favorite in the area is
'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. This is an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal with a Polynesian flair. It's a restaurant I've been to many, many times and I never leave disappointed or hungry - that's for sure!
Once you are able to enter Magic Kingdom Park at 7:00 p.m. I suggest doing a few of your favorite attractions first to get those crossed off of your must-do list. That way when the party officially starts at 9:00 p.m. you are able to enjoy all of the festivities that are only offered during the party without having to worry about riding your favorite attraction. That's why I love the early entry, it's like the best of both worlds.
I hope this helps, Trisha. If you have any other questions, please feel free to stop back by and
ask me. I'm happy to help. Have fun and Merry Christmas!