Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is a particular occasion held after Magic Kingdom closes for the day on choose nights in November and December. This submit covers what’s new and lacking from the 2024 MVMCP, with our evaluation as to the nice & unhealthy of assorted additions and subtractions.
The very first thing it’s essential to know is that not a lot adjustments from yr to yr. In case you’re planning on attending the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion (MVMCP) and final did it 5 years in the past, it’s nonetheless about 90% the identical. In reality, you could not discover any adjustments in any respect, as a bunch of the variations are pretty minor and simple to overlook.
Suffice to say, in the event you’re a first-timer attending the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, this isn’t your finest or singular useful resource because it’s solely overlaying the ten% that’s totally different. For all the pieces it’s essential to learn about this occasion–past what’s new–see our Final Information to the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion!
Mainly, this submit is for MVMCP veterans who need to prioritize the issues which can be totally different for the 2024 occasion. Since you can not meet each character and see all the leisure on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion in a single evening, this sort of prioritizing is paramount. You’re going to have to choose and select, since you merely can’t do all of it.
It’s additionally for Walt Disney World regulars, longtime followers, and locals who’ve accomplished MVMCP earlier than and need to know if it’s price it to do once more in 2024. Whether or not there’s sufficient that’s new to you to justify doing it once more, or in the event you ought to sit out one other yr and do one thing totally different.
Spoiler: it most likely isn’t. Not solely as a result of not a lot has modified with the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion versus final yr and even 2019, but in addition as a result of Walt Disney World has added one other occasion as counterprogramming: Disney Jollywood Nights. Whether or not you probably did that Christmas celebration in its inaugural yr or haven’t in any respect, it’s worthy of consideration. Take a look at our Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Occasion 2024 Evaluation: Wow, What a Distinction a 12 months Makes! (The subtitle actually says all of it.)
Anyway, right here’s a have a look at what’s new and nonetheless lacking from the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion…
What’s New for 2024 at MVMCP
Frozen Characters & Costumes – The primary semi-notable change for 2024 is the Frozen characters switching over to up to date costumes that they already put on within the Frozen Vacation Shock stage present. These contemporary seems to be may also been seen within the Anna and Elsa meet & greet in Princess Fairytale Corridor and through Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade.
The Frozen unit in that has truly modified a good quantity. The bottom-level performers are now not axe-wielding ice cutters, however are as a substitute Arendelle villagers with (I assume?) conventional Nordic vacation gadgets. The costuming is properly accomplished and the equipment look genuine to me, somebody who is aware of nothing about Arendelle customs.
Sadly, that is the one unit within the parade that’s seen any materials adjustments. There are different delicate particulars the knowledgeable eye (or somebody who spends means an excessive amount of time enhancing parade photographs) might spot, however nothing price mentioning. That is disappointing, in my opinion, as parts of the parade have turn out to be drained and Boo to You has seen quite a lot of optimistic refreshes within the final couple years.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Music – The far more vital change to Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is the music, which has an nearly fully new association. Fortunately, the enduring theme track continues to be woven all through the parade–so no want to fret about that.
What’s modified is the accompanying music, with the opposite songs swapped out from most models. The parade now makes use of a number of songs from The Nutcracker, together with traditional vacation favorites. The tip result’s a soundtrack that’s concurrently extra uptempo, elegant, and conventional.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade “purists” is likely to be apprehensive, however the folks I do know who’ve been attending for a decade-plus all liked the brand new music–me included. It didn’t even take time to develop on me. It clicked immediately, to the purpose that even after solely 2 viewings (versus 50+ of the earlier parade, plus most likely a whole lot of listens to the soundtrack at residence), the brand new model is already my favourite.
This is likely to be embarrassing to confess, however I don’t assume I had ever heard “The Holly and the Ivy” with lyrics. I didn’t even notice that’s the track title, and apparently, it’s one among my prime 5 most-played Mannheim Steamroller tracks! Anyway, that’s my private favourite addition, and I believe all the new music matches the spirit of each the parade and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion as a complete. Excellent track decisions.
Freebies – Friends are as soon as once more given a memento decoration when getting into Magic Kingdom’s bypass hall as a welcome to the occasion. No fancy poster print on the way in which out of the occasion, however regardless, that is nonetheless a internet addition as in comparison with 2019. It’s additionally higher than the field of treats given to visitors at Disney Jollywood Nights.
One other change is with the cookie and drink distribution areas and selection. These have been progressively scaled again over the previous few years, presumably to nudge folks in direction of the paid meals & beverage. Preferences clearly range, however I discover the choice to be an enormous downgrade as in comparison with 2019. (Objectively talking, that’s true–there’s much less selection now.)
Crowds – This one depends upon your body of reference. Since we’re making some comparisons to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion during the last 5 years, it’s price noting that the 2024 occasion feels noticeably much less crowded than 2019. This isn’t a brand new growth as of this yr, although.
We mentioned this at size final yr in Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is Much less Crowded! The general expertise is far more nice than it was again in 2018-2019 when it was routinely oversold. The one vital crowds we encountered had been on and round Important Road earlier than, throughout, and after leisure. As soon as once more, I used to be in a position to meet Jack and Sally with a wait time of lower than 10 minutes!
With that mentioned, in case your body of reference is Disney Jollywood Nights, the ‘looks like’ crowds are worse on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. Going from one occasion to the opposite on consecutive nights was fairly the distinction, as all the pieces at Jollywood Nights felt extra relaxed and laid again.
All Standby Traces – Tiana’s Bayou Journey is the most recent attraction in Magic Kingdom, and it makes use of a digital queue (for now) throughout common operations. This digital queue could be extremely aggressive, and refill inside seconds, particularly throughout peak season dates–and there are a number of these in November and December.
Throughout MVMCP, Tiana’s Bayou Journey makes use of a standby line. Not-so-coincidentally, it’s additionally one of many longest traces all through the celebration, with a wait time hovering round half-hour all through the complete occasion. Nevertheless, I’d count on precise wait occasions to be a lot decrease, assuming no breakdowns (massive assumption).
I didn’t do Tiana’s in the course of the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion as a result of I’ve accomplished it a dozen-plus occasions, and celebration time is proscribed, so its distinctive leisure is my emphasis. However, I view this as a optimistic change–not each celebration visitor has the identical priorities as me (a very good factor!), and if others need to trip Tiana’s Bayou Journey on loop, they need to have that choice.
Santa’s Christmas Carnival – The most important addition for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, which see Storybook Circus as it’s reworked right into a must-visit vacation vacation spot stuffed with joyful Christmas cheer, associates from the North Pole—and, after all, Santa Claus.
Previous to the celebration, I used to be below the misguided impression that this can be a Santa Claus dance celebration, which gave the impression of a enjoyable idea. It’s not that, although. It’s basically a brand new snowfall, lighting and decor package deal for Storybook Circus, with stilt walkers across the entrance of the world and a Santa Claus meet & greet within the lined rest space. There’s additionally my private favourite, the bootleg Coca-Cola polar bears who’re doing a devoted meet & greet close to the doorway of Storybook Circus.
The environment again in Storybook Circus is a marked enchancment, and there’s a a lot better power because of the Christmas lights, snowfall, and uplighting on the buildings. All of that’s properly accomplished. Identical goes for the Santa Claus meet & greet.
The issue is that all the different characters again right here have been consolidated inside Pete’s Foolish Sideshow, that means that Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Scrooge all meet collectively at this one venue. I’m not a fan of this method, and didn’t do that meet & greet as a result of the road was prohibitively lengthy.
What’s Lacking from 2024 MVMCP
Seven Zero Dwarfs – As you would possibly’ve gathered because it’s the place they beforehand met, we’re unhappy to report that the Seven Dwarfs should not have a meet & greet on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion.
For what it’s price, that is just about the playbook from the MNSSHP–consolidating the opposite meet and greets and changing the Seven Dwarfs. The distinction right here is that Santa’s Christmas Carnival did add different characters and atmospheric leisure. It’s nonetheless a internet loss, but it surely’s not as unhealthy. Not solely that, however Santa Goofy relocated to the Membership Tinsel dance celebration. (Personally, I believe Santa Goofy must be a marquee character with a devoted meet & greet and distinctive backdrop, however what do I do know.)
We’re on the report saying that Walt Disney World ought to substitute the Seven Dwarfs with separate meet & greets. That, cool because it was, having all the dwarves collectively wouldn’t be pretty much as good as a half-dozen or so separate meet & greets of their place. The issue is that this isn’t the commerce Disney has made.
Cinderella Fort Dream Lights – That’s proper, I gained’t shut up about this anytime quickly. The larger-than-life Cinderella Fort Dream Lights are as soon as once more a conspicuous omission from Magic Kingdom all through this vacation season. This continues to be a giant blow to the environment of the occasion, and if Walt Disney World isn’t going to carry again the Dream Lights, they need to at the very least get totally different, extra Christmas-y projections for Cinderella Fort throughout MVMCP.
For individuals who are unfamiliar with the Cinderella Fort Dream Lights, they had been completely wonderful and no quantity of phrases, photographs or video can do them justice. No projections can match the greater than 200,000 tiny white lights that illuminated Cinderella Fort and reworked it right into a veritable ice palace. The Dream Lights would cease you in your tracks, with the resplendent bodily show being an absolute jaw-dropper.
The Cinderella Fort Dream Lights had been the spotlight of the vacation season, and it’s an enormous disgrace that Walt Disney World has declined to spend the cash to carry them again within the final couple of years. Make no mistake, cash is fully what this boils right down to. Each different excuse for not doing Dream Lights is simply that–an excuse.
Toy Soldier Marching Band – Toy Troopers are nonetheless in Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade, and stay one of many highlights. On condition that, you is likely to be interested in why this makes the checklist. It’s as a result of the band half continues to be reduce from the parade–solely the marching occurs.
This can be a greater loss than it may appear in the event you’ve by no means seen Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade. The veritable military of Toy Troopers was spectacular, and listening to them carry out music as they marched was so downright magical. The Toy Soldier unit continues to be cool, but it surely doesn’t have the identical wow-factor in its present type.
A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas – Final yr’s quiet lack of this campy, cult-classic present was a giant blow for us and different enjoyers of enjoyable the world over. When ‘A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas’ initially debuted over a decade in the past, it changed Mickey’s Twas the Night time Earlier than Christmas, to the angst of many followers (together with us). Mickey’s Twas the Night time Earlier than Christmas was a wonderful, legitimately good present.
I might go on and on about what made ‘A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas’ an underrated, sleeper sensation. I’ll spare you that, and as a substitute say that it was quintessential bizarre Disney with coronary heart. ‘A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas’ was so much like Sew: endearing mischief.
Regardless, this stage present nonetheless hasn’t been changed. This can be a significantly notable distinction with Disney Jollywood Nights, which added extra leisure this yr. In the meantime, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion affords lower than it did a decade in the past when tickets price a fraction of their present value.
Finally, not a complete lot has modified within the substance of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion between 2019 and 2024. There have been a number of minor additions within the final couple of years, however no main sources of pleasure. The most important improve this yr might be the brand new parade music, and that’s not precisely a motive to drop ~$199 on tickets.
As repeat guests, our view is that the occasion feels stale. That’s what we wrote final yr, and it’s much more true in 2024 for 2 causes. The primary is that even much less modified year-to-year, and there haven’t actually been any enhancements to put in writing residence about since 2019. The second is that Disney Jollywood Nights improved so much this yr, and made huge adjustments from final yr to 2024. As we wrote in our evaluation, that occasion modified extra in a single yr than MVMCP has during the last decade-plus.
Our hope is that, at minimal, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion will get a shot within the arm on par with what Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion has obtained during the last couple of years. Frankly, MVMCP wants far more than that–the occasion might actually use a brand new piece of main or at the very least medium-tier leisure, particularly after dropping a stage present. Wholesale updates to the the parade additionally have to occur–I’d like to see new floats, as a few of these are historical.
With that mentioned, it’s necessary to underscore that this isn’t a solution to the query: “Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion price doing or well worth the cash?” In case you’re a first-timer, what’s new or unchanged is kind of irrelevant, since all the pieces is new-to-you. Quite a lot of it doesn’t change for good motive–it’s iconic. However in the event you’re a Walt Disney World common who has but to buy tickets and is on the fence concerning the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion or Disney Jollywood Nights, I’m extra inclined to advocate the latter. It’s made huge sophomore season enhancements, and is now price your money and time. Take a yr off from MVMCP, it’ll nonetheless be there–most likely just about the identical–in 2025, 2026, 2027, and many others.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your ideas on what’s lacking and been added or restored to the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion? Excited to attend this yr’s occasion? Will your loved ones be shopping for or sitting it out? What are your ideas on additions and subtractions relative to cost will increase for MVMCP since 2019? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
