What’s so special about a Disney Christmas vacation??? Everything!! There are so many seasonal activities there is truly something for everyone during the holiday season at Walt Disney World Resort. Here is a preview of the festivities that await guests.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Guests will experience a Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Nov. 8-Jan.6, with festive entertainment and exciting holiday touches around the park.

• Toy Story Land will feature special seasonal fun, such as holiday songs on Alien Swirling Saucers.
• Sunset Seasons Greetings returns this year with impressive new laser effects and “snow.” Guests will witness spectacular projections of beloved Disney Characters – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Olaf and others – sharing their favorite seasonal stories as holiday magic transforms the famous Hollywood Tower Hotel into scenes of the season.
• The nighttime spectacular Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! will combine state-of-the-art projections, fireworks, special effects and music to create a one-of-a-kind holiday experience.
• Guests will meet Santa at the Once Upon a Time shop Nov.10-Dec. 24, and Santa Goofy after he steps in Dec. 25.

If you want to read about our Christmastime visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios last year, click here.

Magic Kingdom Park

Charming decorations, holiday treats, a sparkling icy castle and more will await guests at Magic Kingdom Park, transforming it into an enchanting holiday wonderland.

The holiday festivities at the park will also include Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a specially ticketed, limited-attendance celebration that will take place on select nights starting Nov. 8. Each night of the event will feature an exclusive showing of Holiday Wishes fireworks and performances of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show. Guests will also experience the beauty of a scintillating Cinderella Castle, meet characters in their festive finery and even enjoy complimentary cookies and cocoa.

Epcot

Guests will discover joyous holiday traditions from 11 World Showcase nations during Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. Beginning Nov. 18, this year’s festival will deliver a yuletide extravaganza.

• Seasonal tastes from around the globe are served at special Holiday Kitchens.
• World Showcase pavilions come alive with the sights and sounds of special entertainment celebrating each country’s holiday heritage.
• Chip and Dale will be collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree. In Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree scavenger hunt, guests will purchase a map and stickers from select merchandise locations and travel around World Showcase looking for the famous chipmunks with their ornaments. Guests will then return their completed maps for a festive surprise, courtesy of Chip and Dale. Maps are available for $6.99 (plus tax).
• The nightly fireworks display, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, will feature an additional holiday finale.
• One of the most popular Epcot traditions, the Candlelight Processional, returns. This retelling of the Christmas story will feature a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a choir. Performances will run three times each night from Nov. 22-Dec. 30.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

New this year, the magic of nature will receive a holiday touch with the inclusion of Diwali, the holiday Festival of Lights in India, as part of the new live show UP! A Great Bird Adventure. Starting Nov. 8, guests will join fun-loving pals Russell and Dug from Disney•Pixar’s “Up” in discovering some of the world’s most exotic birds.

Disney Springs

Disney Springs will be the perfect destination for holiday shopping, dining and entertainment, with the chance to experience holiday magic along the way. Festivities run Nov. 8-Jan. 5:

• Guests will stroll through the Christmas Tree Trail and view custom-decorated holiday trees, each dedicated to a popular Disney theme featuring characters like Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, among others.
• At Santa’s Chalet, Santa Claus will accept Christmas wish lists and welcome guests. From Dec. 25-Dec. 31, Santa Goofy will take over after Old Saint Nick heads back to the North Pole.
• Guests will take part in Stitch’s Holiday Gift Hunt and discover where the mischievous Experiment 626 is hiding.

Holiday Fun at the Resort Hotels

Life-size edible creations will take shape at select resorts. A holiday gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will be home to The Bake Shop, where guests will pick up holiday treats, including the namesake gingerbread. A life-size, edible spinning carousel is a holiday tradition at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, while a holiday village with a miniature train takes center stage at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
In the lobbies of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, guests will take in the grandeur of massive Christmas trees.
No holiday is complete without a special dining experience. Holiday menus that celebrate the season will be found at restaurants throughout Walt Disney World.

Ring in the New Year at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel

To celebrate the New Year, guests will be able to choose between two New Year’s Eve celebrations at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Pixar Party: A New Year’s Eve Celebration and Disney Countdown to Midnight, including an option to purchase VIP access to the Ink and Paint Club. Both celebrations will feature entertainment, music, food and refreshments, plus a viewing of the Magic Kingdom New Year’s Eve fireworks to cap off the night.

Now is the time to plan your Walt Disney World Christmas season vacation. I am so excited to help you plan this magical and memorable trip. Just Email Me and we will get started planning.

The post What’s So Special About a Disney Christmas Vacation appeared first on The Mom Maven.

photo courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

We know that the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show featuring the Sanderson sisters from the hit Disney film “Hocus Pocus,” as well as Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade and “Happy HalloWishes” will all be returning in 2017 to the party. Here are my Top 10 Must-Dos at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

2017 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Dates

August 25, 29
September 1, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31
November 1
That’s 32 nights of spooktacular fun!

photo courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

It has been announced that Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, “Holiday Wishes,” “A Frozen Holiday Wish” and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show will all be returning to the party. If you are thinking about attending this year’s party, here are my Must-Dos at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

2017 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Dates

There are 21 nights of holly jolly fun this year.
November 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 26, 28
December 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22
Of course all entertainment is subject to change.

Currently Disney is offering three different travel deals which include travel through August 31, all of which are available until July 14, 2017 (or until the packages sell out). These deals would all allow you to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on August 25 or 29. The Summer Room Offer is a 25% off room deal. The Family Summer Magic Package is a 4 night All-Star standard view room package with a 4 day Magic Your Way Base Ticket. The Kid Sized Summer Package is a 3 night All-Star standard view room package with a 2 day Magic Your Way Base Ticket. To book any of these packages Email Me to get started planning.

The post 2017 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Dates Announced appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Your ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party allows you to enter the park from 4:00pm on, the actual party runs from 7:00pm-midnight. We actually entered the park at about 4:40pm. First we headed to Fantasyland where we met up with some friends from Texas who are on vacation. We did Mickey’s Philharmagic with them before heading to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe for dinner. We always eat before the party starts, this allows for more time during the party to see the shows and enjoy the festivities. After dinner we visited New Fantasyland and rode Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid and Enchanted Tales with Belle. As we were exiting Enchanted Tales with Belle, the area music changed to Christmas songs and the announcement was made that the park was now closed to day guests, anyone without a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party wristband needed to head out of the park.

We headed to Tomorrowland so Denis and Juliana could ride Space Mountain while Ron and I took a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. We grabbed hot chocolate and snickerdoodles at Auntie Gravity’s before heading to RocketTower Plaza Stage for the 7:40pm A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas show. After the show we went To Infinity and Beyond on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Next it was back to RocketTower Plaza Stage for the 8:05pm VoicePlay show. We love this a cappella group and enjoy listening to their harmonious Christmas songs. as we headed out of Tomorrowland, we grabbed some hot cocoa and peppermint cookies from the Launching Pad to enjoy while we walked to Club Tinsel for a dance break on our way to Fantasyland.

Since the line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was too long, we got in line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. After Pooh we stopped at The Friar’s Nook for sno-cones and sugar cookies. Next stop was the Haunted Mansion before heading to the Castle Forecourt Stage to see the 9:25pm Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration. We all enjoyed this new show. I love that there are some classic characters that are rarely seen in the parks as part of this show. Thanks to parents with kids on their shoulders blocking our view, my pictures are horrible. I don’t want you to miss out on the show, so I am sharing my friend John’s video of the show. I hope you like it!

After the parade we walked on to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was now after 11:40pm and we hadn’t done the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train yet. We hiked it across the park and got in line at 11:50pm, the wait time sign says 20 minutes, even though the park closes in 10 minutes they let us get in line. We exited the ride at 12:20am. Fantasyland was deserted. We headed to Man Street USA and sadly, it was no longer snowing but we did get a few great pictures of Cinderella Castle and the Christmas tree before we headed home.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs selects nights from November 7-December 22, 2016 with adult tickets ranging from $86-$99 per person. December 22nd is already sold out, as was November 18th. If you love all things Disney and all things Christmas, this is the event for you. I highly recommend it to all of my travel clients who travel during the party season. If you would like me to help you plan your next magical Disney vacation, Email Me so we can get started.

The post Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

photo courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returns for 29 nights of spook-tastic fun, starting September 2 and featuring encore performances of last year’s new hit show “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular.”

2016 Halloween Party Dates

September 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30
October 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31

Halloween Party Ticket Prices

The Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2016 ticket prices range from to $72-$105 for adults and $67-$100 for children (ages 3-9) plus tax. These prices are a $4-18 increase depending on the night you chose. Of course, the closer you get to Halloween the more it costs. October 31st always sells out first so be prepared.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Advance Ticket Dates By Price

$72 adult/$67 child- September 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 25

$79 adult/$74 child- September 29, 30

$85 adult/$80 child- September 23

$86 adult/$81 child- October 2, 6

$91 adult/$86 child- October 4, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27

$95 adult/$90 child- October 7, 14, 21, 28, 30

$105 adult/$100 child- October 31

photos courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

The team that brought the Sanderson Sisters back for Halloween is hard at work on another new show for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration” will make its debut for the 2016 holiday season. In this all-new show, Mickey and his pals invite some of their friends over for an unforgettable Christmas party filled with music, dancing, color and fun. Look for Woody and Jessie from “Toy Story,” Fantasyland friends such as Peter Pan and Snow White, and many more!

Featuring medleys of delightful holiday songs both classic and contemporary, along with special effects, magical projections and beloved Disney characters, “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration” will be presented on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage on nights when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is offered, November 7 to December 22, 2016.

2016 Christmas Party Dates

November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29
December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22

Christmas Party Ticket Prices

The Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016 ticket prices range from to $86-$99 for adults and $81-$94 for children (ages 3-9) plus tax. The prices are a $12-17 increase depending on the night you chose.

photo courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Party 2016 Advance Ticket Prices By Date

$86 adult/$99 child- November 10, 13

$91 adult/$86 child- November 7, 8, 11, 15 December 1

$92 adult/$87 child- November 18, 27, 29 December 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13

$96 adult/$91 child- December 9, 15

$99 adult/$94 child- December 16, 18, 22

The easiest way to get your tickets and plan your Walt Disney World vacation is to Email Me, your Walt Disney World Travel Agent. My services are free to you so let’s start planning!

The post Tickets on Sale for Magic Kingdom’s Two Biggest Parties of the Year appeared first on The Mom Maven.

When you are attending the party, you can get into the park at 4:00pm even though the party doesn’t start until 7pm. I recommend arriving early if you can because it allows time to catch some rides before the festivities get started. We arrived at about 5:30pm due to work schedules and traffic. We headed straight to Frontierland to meet up with a friend from Texas who is in town with his family on vacation. The 3 guys went and rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while I hung out with Kevin, Jessica and their girls. Next we headed to Adventureland to ride Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jingle Cruise. As we excited Pirates we heard the announcement that the party was beginning. Instead of taking you through our evening in order, we thought we would share our Must-Do list for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

Mom Maven’s Must-Dos at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2015

1. Holiday Wishes-Celebrate the Spirit of the Season/Celebrate the Magic

At 9:15pm you can see Cinderella Castle transform into a spectacular canvas of color and awe-inspiring magic. Viewing for this show is great from the hub on back down Main Street USA. We like to watch from near the Plaza Restaurant. This year we were on the new grassy area and had a great view of the show, except for the 1 light pole that is in a lot of our pictures!

Immediately after Celebrate the Magic, at 9:30pm is Holiday Wishes-Celebrate the Spirit of the Season holiday fireworks spectacular. This is our favorite fireworks show of the year!

2. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade

This parade is at 8:15pm and 10:30pm, we recommend attending the second parade if you don’t have young children. The crowd for the second parade is usually lighter making it easier to get a good spot to watch from. We are parade people and we love Disney parades! We had planned to catch the second parade but we arrived in the hub area to stake out our spots for Holiday Wishes at about 8:45pm and the early parade was still going on. We were delighted to catch about half of the parade. As you can see from the pictures, the early parade is very crowded!

3. A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas!/VoicePlay

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas! Is a fun show including Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and a cast of singers and dancers. We catch this show every year, it is so much fun! This year the show is at 7:45pm, 8:40pm, 9:45pm, 10:40pm and 11:35pm. This year sharing the Rockettower Plaza Stage was the awesome a cappella vocal group, VoicePlay. Their sets were short, only about 15 minutes each and take place right after the first four performances of A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas! Just stay where you are, or move closer as the crowd leaves, and enjoy these talented vocalists.

4. Rides!

You are at the Magic Kingdom after all. During the party crowds are lighter than a normal park day and if you plan to catch some rides during the parade, lines are even shorter! We did the Jingle Cruise right at the start of the party-we had a 15 minute wait! I love the Jingle Cruise-it is a Christmas themed ride on the Jungle Cruise. I love the new jokes and the Christmas decorations scattered throughout the ride. Normally Peter Pan’s Flight has a 60+ minute wait so we often Fastpass+ this ride. We wanted Jordan and Chase to see the new, interactive queue so we got in line with a listed wait time of 30 minutes. Our actual wait time was 12 minutes and the boys loved the new queue! The other must-do ride is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Again, this ride usually has a wait time of over an hour and because we don’t plan our trips months or even weeks in advance, there are seldom Fastpasses available. We hopped in this line with a posted 30 minute wait and our actual wait was 27 minutes! At the end of the night as we walked from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland the boys decided to catch a ride on the Tomorrowland Speedway, which had a less than 15 minute wait! We also walked on to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin earlier in the evening so, we were content with the amount of rides we were able to do during the party.

5. Treats

Who can say “No” to free hot chocolate and cookies? Not us. I think Chase maxed out at 6 stops for cocoa and cookies. Why spend money on snacks when you can get free ones? Just look for the large inflatable candy canes, or check your park map for locations.

6. Characters

During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party there are tons of characters available for meet and greets. Some of these are characters you seldom see out and about so I will give you a quick rundown of where to find the rare characters:

• Seven Dwarfs-Near the castle wall by Pinocchio’s Village Haus in Fantasyland
• Snow White and her Prince-Castle Archway in Fantasyland
• Reindeer and Elf-Across from Sunshine Terrace in Adventureland
• Sandy Claws-in Storybook Circus
• Mary Poppins & Bert-Near the Confectionery-on Main Street, USA
• Santa Claus-Next to City Hall-on Main Street, USA
• Phineas & Ferb-At Club Tinsel at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland

Last year I wrote a post about avoiding A Frozen Holiday Wish so if you are interested in finding out more about that, go ahead and click over. There are still several Mickey’s Very merry Christmas Parties left this season so contact your travel planner for tickets.

November 15, 17, 19; December 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15 – Advance: US $74 (plus tax) for adults; US $69 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9);
Day of the Event: US $79 (plus tax) for adults; US $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
November 20, 29; December 4, 11, 17 – US $79 (plus tax) for adults; US $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
December 18 – US $82 (plus tax) for adults; US $77 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)

Merry Christmas,

The post Mom Maven’s Must-Dos at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration

Rumor has it that the 2015 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is being renamed the Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration. In years past parade taping has taken place at the Magic Kingdom in early December but sources tell The Mom Maven that this year taping will take place November 10-13! So, if you want to be in the audience for the parade which is televised on Christmas Day, plan accordingly. We have attended many of the parade tapings over the years and we have seen many famous acts including Mariah Carey, Kelly Ripa, Jon Secada, The Jonas Brothers, Dancing with the Stars, Patti LaBelle, the cast of “Newsies” and many more.

photo courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom

We have attended this after hours event many times over the years. It is a lot of fun, especially for the kids! Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party features:

• The enchanted Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle
• Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, complete with a special appearance by Santa Claus himself
• An exclusive holiday fireworks extravaganza – Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season
• Live entertainment featuring Disney Characters
• Meet and greet opportunities throughout Magic Kingdom Park with some of your favorite Disney Characters
• Complimentary cookies and hot cocoa
• A magical snow fall on Main Street, U.S.A.
• Special access to many of the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions

Tickets are on sale now, call your travel planner for tickets.

• November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19; December 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15 – Advance: US $74 (plus tax) for adults; US $69 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9); Day of the Event: US $79 (plus tax) for adults; US $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• November 20, 29; December 4, 11, 17 – US $79 (plus tax) for adults; US $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• December 18 – US $82 (plus tax) for adults; US $77 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)

photo courtesy of Disney

Jingle Cruise

The iconic Jungle Cruise will temporarily transform into “Jingle Cruise” for Magic Kingdom guests. Festive decor in the attraction queue and boathouse gives guests a bit of Christmas cheer. The Jingle Cruise boats each are given a unique holiday name, and the Skippers share a slew of seasonal holiday jokes throughout the tour. We LOVE the Jingle Cruise and ride it several times during the holiday season!

If you would like to plan your holiday season trip to Walt Disney World, I am here to help and my services are FREE! Just fill out my vacation quote form and we will get started planning your magical vacation.

The post Christmas Festivities at the Magic Kingdom appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Night of Joy

We have been attending Night of Joy since the 80’s! I love this event every year. This year Night of oy will be held at the Magic kingdom on September 11 & 12. Single-day ticket prices for Disney’s Night of Joy are $65 (plus tax) in advance and $80 (plus tax) on the day of the event (if available). A two night ticket also is available for $115 (plus tax) in advance of the event. Group tickets are also available by calling 877-NITE-JOY (1-877-648-3569).

2015 Night of Joy Artists

September 11, 2015

• TobyMac
• MercyME
• Jeremy Camp
• Colton Dixon
• Big Daddy Weave
• Francesca Battistelli
• Rend Collective
• I Am They
• Josh Wilson

September 12, 2015

• Skillet
• Lecrae
• For King & Country
• Mandisa
• Matt Maher
• Jamie Grace
• 7eventh Time Down
• Veridia
  Please note: Both evenings of the event run from 7:30 PM to 1:00 AM. Artists and schedule are subject to change.

I will definitely be there Friday night, I just hope the schedules work out in my favor because I have to see Josh Wilson, TobyMac and MercyME!! I’d love to go Saturday night too so I can at least see For King & Country and Mandisa! If you want to know more about Night of Joy here is the link to my 2014 Night of Joy recap post.

It’s time to get your #Disney World special event tickets for 2015!
Click To Tweet

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

• September 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27; October 1 – Advance: $68 (plus tax) for adults; $63 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9); Day of the Event: $74 (plus tax) for adults; $69 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• October 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27;  November 1 – Advance: $74 (plus tax) for adults; $69 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9); Day of the Event: $79 (plus tax) for adults; $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• October 9, 16, 23, 29 – $79 (plus tax) for adults; $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• Halloween – $87 (plus tax) for adults; $82 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)

We have attended the Halloween Party several times and it is a highlight of our Disney year. If you would like to read more about our Halloween party experiences check out these posts.

2010 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

2012 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

2013 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

2014 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

The third and final big event at the Magic Kingdom is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This seasonal favorite is not to be missed if you are vacationing from November 8-December 18, 2015.

• November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19; December 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15 – Advance: $74 (plus tax) for adults; $69 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9); Day of the Event: $79 (plus tax) for adults; $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• November 20, 29; December 4, 11, 17 – $79 (plus tax) for adults; $74 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)
• December 18 – $82 (plus tax) for adults; $77 (plus tax) for children (ages 3-9)

2009 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

2012 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

2013 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

2014 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Will you be attending any of these special Magic Kingdom events this year? Have you attended any in the past? Which is your favorite? Leave me a comment and let me know.

The post Time to Get your Tickets for all Three of the Most Popular Events at the Magic Kingdom appeared first on The Mom Maven.

We started our evening off on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin before we headed across the park for a 7pm media gathering on the second floor of Columbia Harbor House. When we left the media gathering we noticed how light the crowds in Liberty Square and Frontierland had become. We made out way to the Golden Horseshoe to check out the Holiday Hootenanny dance party. The DJ was wonderful and it was fun dancing with Horace Horsecollar, Clarabel the Cow and…a chicken! Next we headed to Adventureland to check out the 2014 Jingle Cruise. Last year Disney introduced the Jingle Cruise to the Magic Kingdom, while the new jokes were refreshing, I wanted more. I’m happy to report that this year I got what I wanted…more! More decorations, more jokes and more Christmas fun throughout the 2014 Jingle Cruise so if you visit between now and the end of the year make sure you ride…at least once.

We walked right on to Pirates of the Caribbean and then we headed to Pecos Bills for dinner. The 8:15pm parade was still going on so the restaurant was pretty empty. After dinner we headed back towards the hub to find a spot to watch the 9:15pm Celebrate the Magic Castle Show with holiday tag and the 9:30pm Holiday Wishes Fireworks show. The hub area was crowded, but we found a great spot as we came off the Adventureland bridge.

We decided to try to get a ride or two in before the 10:30pm Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. We headed back to New Fantasyland and  took Matthew to do Enchanted Tales with Belle for the first time, he was the footstool. There was no one in this area of the park so we opted to skip the parade and ride some more rides. We rode Under the Sea Voyage of the Little Mermaid, met Ariel in her Grotto, the guys rode Barnstormer and met Santa Goofy before riding Dumbo twice in a row. Lastly we headed to Tomorrowland to get read for the 11:45pm Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show. I love this show and I always try yo see it at least once while I am at the party. Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski, Stitch and a cast of singers and entertainers celebrate the Christmas season with a lot of fun and merriment.

After the show, we wandered down Main Street, USA enjoying the lights and the snow! It was a perfect end to a great night that started a bit rough.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas is held select nights throughout the Christmas season. For more information and tickets visit DisneyWorld.com.

The post Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014 Recap appeared first on The Mom Maven.

This event is a family favorite each year but this one started off horribly. I understand all about Disney crowds and while I usually try to visit when crowds are lighter, I have never in my 42 years of visiting the Magic Kingdom been in a crowd like I was from 6:00-6:45pm on November 7, 2014, and I hope I never am again.

photo courtesy of Disney

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom later than planned. Our traveling party was myself, my husband, Ron and our 8yo friend Matthew. We all love “Frozen” and Matthew especially loves Olaf so we were excited to see the new “A Frozen Holiday Wish” show and lighting of the castle dream lights. The crowd was lining Main Street like there was a parade coming, which there wasn’t. As we approached the hub we found an ok spot with some tree interference right on a rope line. We were late, it would have to do. After standing in this area for about 5 minutes, we were told by the cast member holding the rope that she would be moving the rope and we could move forward towards the next rope, but we had to stay inside the tape line. We moved up, squished in the taped off area and figured we had been blessed by having an open area in front of us so that our sight lines were much improved.

As show time approached guests were getting angry because there was a lot of reserved handicapped space that wan’t being used. There could easily fit a hundred or more people in this area. In all honesty, if I was in a wheelchair I wouldn’t have wanted to be there because of the throngs of people in front of the castle. Someone in a wheelchair had no chance of seeing what was happening on stage.

Anyway, as the show started, many of the lovely people in the back of the castle section lifted their young children onto their shoulders, making it impossible for those of us behind them to see.

We listened to the show, saw the pretty lights and then things got even worse. No one moved. We heard lots of people saying things like, “That’s it?” “I waited in this crowd for that?” and other similar things, some with language I would never type here. The lady next to me got into a shouting match with cast member Ron about all of the empty space for the handicapped area and how she was sure some of the people they let in there weren’t even handicapped. Cast member Ron even offered to bet her they all were-it was not behavior becoming of a Disney Cast Member…at all.

Next the cast members started hollering for everyone to start moving out of the hub. Unfortunately, the people on the perimeter hadn’t started moving yet, more than 5 minutes after the show ended! How could the middle move when the edges were standing strong? Finally, people in my area said, let’s just start walking so we did. We formed a line and tried to weave our way towards Tomorrowland. As we were walking and saying, “excuse me” I heard a lady yell and then I was smacked on the back! This wasn’t getting bumped in a crowd, I was hit. I turned around to see an older lady with her hand raised. I said, “Did you just hit me?” she said she did because I had knocker her over. 1. I hadn’t knocked her over 2. If I had tried she couldn’t have fallen anyway due to the crowd around her. I told her I didn’t think I had done it, I said I was sorry if I had and then I kept walking. The people behind me in line said I should have hit the lady, but I wouldn’t do that. We finally made our way to Tomorrowland and the crowd finally thinned out a bit. It was a horrible way to start off Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that’s for sure.

Later in the evening, while at the media reception, I was chatting with a cast member about the crazy crowd. He agreed it was poorly planned and unsafe and it is only going to get worse the closer we get to Christmas.

How to Avoid the Crowd

1. Unless you have a die-hard “Frozen” fan in your party, just skip the show and the hub area from 5:45-6:45pm every evening from now through the holiday season.
2. IF you are going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party there is an 8:00pm showing of “A Frozen Holiday Wish” go see that one since the day guests will be out of the park the crowd will be lighter.
3. If you want to avoid the crowd altogether, just watch my friend John’s video below.

I truly hope Disney figures out a way to manage the crowd at this show better. I’m sure having many more cast members manning the area would help. I think they may even need to find a way to make some kind of general announcements because what they are currently doing isn’t enough.

The post A Frozen Holiday Wish at Walt Disney World appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place from 7:00 PM to midnight, on November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21 and 30; and December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 19, 2014. Tickets start at $67 per person and can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com.

Photo courtesy of Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Happenings

New for 2014

A FROZEN Holiday Wish Join Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf at 6:15pm at the Castle Stage. Get swept up in the spirit as Elsa uses her powers to create a sparkling, icy holiday Cinderella Castle.

Seasonal Favorites

• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
• Celebrate the Season Show
• Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show
• Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season fireworks spectacular
• Snowfall on Main Street
• Complimentary hot cocoa and cookies
• Meet and Greet with your favorite characters dressed in their holiday finest

Have you ever been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? What is your favorite part of this holiday event?

The post Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014 appeared first on The Mom Maven.