Learn about the Disney Very Merriest After Hours event at Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Read our review, plus get all the information you will need to have the best night to celebrate Christmas at Disney World!
Disney Very Merriest After Hours Review and Guide
We just attended the 2021 Disney Very Merriest After Hours party and had a total blast! We always love Disney and aside from it being very cold, the night was amazing!
We were not expecting temperatures to dip so low in Florida. I don’t think anyone was, as most of the sweat shirts and long sleeved Disney holiday apparel on Main Street were gone! We stocked up on new holiday gear to keep us warm then were ready for the night.
There are plenty of dates still available if you want to book your trip today. I’ve got our review and all the details below if you decide to celebrate Christmas at Disney World.
When is the Disney Very Merriest After Hours?
The Disney Very Merriest After Hours happens on select nights November through December 21, 2021. This is a private event from 9 pm to 1 am at Magic Kingdom with a limited amount of people allowed to attend.
Enjoy rides, complimentary snacks, drinks and special entertainment. Ticket holders are admitted to the park as early as 7:00 pm, giving them a few extra hours to enjoy Magic Kingdom before the event begins.
How Much Does Disney Very Merriest After Hours Cost?
Disney Very Merriest After Hours tickets range from $169 to $249 plus tax for select November-December nights. You do not have to purchase an additional park ticket to enter. You’ll only need the after hours ticket for this special event.
Very Merriest After Hours available dateS
Below are the 2021 Very Merriest After Hours available dates and pricing as of now.
When should you arrive to the Very Merriest After Hours?
The private event begins at 9pm, but you can enter the park at 7pm. Wrist bands will be provided at the gate.
Important Note: The lines will be long at the gate to enter the park at 7 pm. Be sure to arrive by at least 6:30-6:45 pm if you want to be in the park by 7 pm. Have your ticket bar code pulled up on your phone and ready to be scanned. I recommend opening your email with the ticket and barcode on your phone and taking a screen shot of each one. Save the screen shots in a photo album to make them easy to find.
What Food and Drinks are Included in the Very Merriest After Hours?
Your ticket will include several complimentary snacks. Look for snack carts around the park where you can grab and go bottled water, soft drinks, popcorn and Mickey ice cream treats. You’ll also get hot cocoa and cookies!
Where to Get Hot Cocoa & Cookies
Our favorite part of the night was walking to the counter of specific restaurants to get Hot Cocoa and THE BEST ever Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Look for the giant light-up candy cane sticks to find them. You won’t wan to miss these treats!
Here are the four locations to enjoy cookies and cocoa*:
- Frontierland – Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
- Liberty Square – Columbia Harbour House
- Fantasy Land – Pinocchio Village Haus
- Tomorrowland – Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
* Allergy-friendly treats are available upon request.
What Attractions will be Holiday Themed?
You won’t want to miss the special holiday themed attractions.
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor – This is so cute and a must see! Roz will greet you with extra cheer in her ugly Christmas sweater and there will be holiday jokes to make it extra festive!
- Jungle Cruise – This ride is decked out for the Holidays! The names of the boats are especially creative along with Christmas lights and other cute surprises along your cruise.
What is the Disney Very Merriest Holiday Entertainment?
There is a lot of fun holiday themed entertainment throughout Magic Kingdom for this special event. Here is a list of entertainment and times.
Minnies Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show
This fireworks show was AMAZING! Set your phone alarm so you won’t miss it! Show starts at 11:15 pm. You’ll want to be in front of the castle or on Main Street for the best view!
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
The parade begins in Frontierland and ends on Main Street at 9:45 pm and 12:05 pm.
Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories
There are four shows with Mickey and his pals in front of the castle throughout the evening. Catch a show at 9:25 pm, 10:35 pm, 11:45 pm, 12:50 am.
Reindeer Wranglers
Enjoy western music over at Frontierland by this trio of reindeers at 9:25 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:40 pm, 12:35 am.
The Wranglers perform on the balcony over the walkway connecting Adventureland and Frontierland next to Country Bear Jamboree.
Club Tinsel Dance Party
Dance the night away in Tomorrowland from 9 pm – 1 am! There’s a complimentary snack stand, restrooms and Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company next to the stage. This makes a great pit stop!
Where is the Best Holiday Disney Merchandise?
After shopping at various parks, Disney Springs and several resorts, the best Holiday items were at theEmporium on Main Street in Magic Kingdom.
Hard to find Christmas Mickey Ears
If you’re looking for the new Holiday Wreath Mickey Ears that I’m wearing in the photo above, get them early in the night at Emporium.
These cute Mickey ears were almost gone by the time we got to the park at 7 pm. I looked all over Hollywood Studios the day before and couldn’t find them there. All Holiday merchandise, minus those particular Mickey ears, can also be found at World of Disney in Disney Springs.
Other places to get holiday themed Disney items:
- Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square is full of great holiday themed merchandise too.
- Star Traders in Tomorrowland has Star Wars Holiday themed merchandise.
- Main Street Confectionery will have holiday themed treats.
Holiday Character Sightings
We enjoyed seeing Disney characters around the park dressed in their holiday best! Grab a map and look for the black Mickey head map icon which shows you where to find the characters.
Some of the characters we saw while at the after hours event:
- Look for Captain Hook and Mr. Smee near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
- We loved seeing Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum by the Mad Tea Party ride.
- Meet Cinderella, Elena, Rapunzel and Tiana at the Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasy Land.
What are the After Hours Event Ride Wait Times?
The best part of going to a Disney after hours event is there are practically NO WAIT TIMES on any ride. We walked right onto many rides. Expect at least a 5-15 minute wait on most attractions.
Which Rides Will Have the Longest Wait Times?
The longest wait times will be for the Jungle Cruise (because it’s a special holiday themed ride) and of course Peter Pan which is always a long line no matter what.
While we were there, the Jungle Cruise was a 25 minute wait and the Peter Pan ride was a consistent 40 minute wait the entire night.
What Attractions are Open at the Very Merriest After Hours Event?
If you’re wondering which attractions are open at the Very Merriest After Hours Event, get excited because it’s most of them! With no wait times, we had plenty of time to ride ALL of the rides we wanted. We even rode a few of our favorites more than once!
Adventureland
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Jungle Cruise (Holiday-themed!)
- Pirates of the Caribbean
Frontierland
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Fantasyland
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- “It’s a small world”
- The Barnstormer
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Tomorrowland
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Space Mountain
- Astro Orbiter
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor (Holiday-themed!)
Will the Disney Resort Transportation be Available for After Hours party guests?
If you’re wondering if the buses, monorail and boats will still be available late after party, yes they will. We had plenty of time to take photos outside after the event closed and still catch a bus back to our resort.
Is Disney Very Merriest After Hours Worth The Price?
With a price over $200 per ticket, I’ve been asked if the event was worth it. As a frequent visitor of Disney parks and someone who has been to Disney World multiple times during the holidays, I was shocked at how crowded the parks were this year.
For me, I would say YES! The $200+ price was totally worth it to be able skip the crowds and long wait lines (read below about this). I personally would not go to a Disney World park during the holiday season unless I had after hours event tickets.
If you have never been to Magic Kingdom, going to an after hours event will not be enough time to see everything.
Would I go to an after hours event if I had young children?
The late night event times would be tough with small children. It really depends on your kids. I took teenagers and we made sure to nap before going to the park. I’m so glad we relaxed that day and napped, because we didn’t get back to our resort until after 2 am.
We loved this special event and would definitely go again. Anytime we can celebrate the holidays at Disney by going to a private party, we’ll be there!
More Disney Tips You Might Like:
- 10 Best Snacks at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- DIY Minnie Mouse Ears Hair Clips
- 6 Easy Baby Yoda Crafts and Recipes
- Tips for New Year’s Eve at Magic Kingdom
- Disney Oogie Boogie Bash Tips
- 20 Darling Disney Themed Desserts
Originally published on November 27, 2021. Last Updated on November 27, 2021 by Amy Locurto
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