Holiday highlights featuring Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2011 sights and sounds at Walt Disney World

in Disney, Entertainment, Walt Disney World

There’s one time of year when the Magic Kingdom becomes even more magical: Christmas. Throughout the months of November and December, Walt Disney World hosts Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, an after-hours, hard-ticketed event that provides guests with a night filled with holiday cheer, including a special parade, fireworks, entertainment, and free treats.

Though the party changes very little from year to year, it is still one of my favorite ways to get into the Christmas spirit and the highlights below show you why it’s so easy to get in the mood to deck the halls after a visit there.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
There's no doubt Disney celebrates Christmas here (not just Happy Holidays!), with decorations greeting guests just beyond the entrance turnstiles.
Toy Soldiers
Town Square is lined with giant toy soldiers. We'll see more of them later in the night.
Toy Soldier
And here a first glimpse at the beautiful Cinderella Castle Dream Lights down a wreath-adorned Main Street USA.
Santa
But before even reaching Main Street, Town Square offers a chance to meet and greet with the big man himself, Santa Claus, in a picture-perfect setting. We'll see much more of him later too.
Main Street
Despite the relatively warm Florida temperatures, even in December, it still snows throughout the night on Main Street USA, with thousands of twinkling lights.
Main Street
Yep, it's snowing in Florida! Disney magic at its finest.
Crowded Main Street
Main Street is a popular spot throughout Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, often packed with excited guests. It's one of the best places to watch the night's special parade and fireworks, if you don't mind the company.
Hopscotch
Cast members add extra cheer to the night with impromptu street games, like hopscotch.
Dapper Dans
The always-entertaining Dapper Dans regularly perform up and down Main Street to guests waiting for the parade to begin. They are one of the party's best highlights, singing a variety of Christmas songs, many with a humorous twist. Enjoy a few of their songs in the video below.

Video: Dapper Dans sing Christmas songs during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2011



Main Street
Guests line Main Street early to get a perfect spot to enjoy Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. It's performed twice during the night, with the second less crowded than the first.

Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
Let's take a photo journey through the parade, beginning with its opening title float.
Peter Pan
The Alice in Wonderland group joins Peter Pan's gang along with Pinocchio to kick off the parade.
Tweedles
The Tweedles aren't far behind.
Winnie the Pooh and Mary Poppins
Then Winnie the Pooh and friends are joined by Mary Poppins. I suppose the British characters like to stick together.
Minnie and Mickey
Mickey and Minnie Mouse wave to smiling faces on their own float - accompanied by Duffy the Disney Bear this year.
Minnie and Mickey
If you want to see Mickey, be sure to be on the left side of the parade. Minnie likes to wave her arms around to his right, often blocking the view.
Skaters
Between character floats, a variety of wintery street entertainment fills the gaps, such as these skaters and dancers.
Scrooge McDuck
Not long after, my favorite character arrives: Scrooge McDuck! Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is one of the only times each year he can be found in the parks.
Scrooge McDuck
Here's another view of Scrooge and his house, taken from Liberty Square earlier in the night.
Scrooge McDuck
And since he is my favorite, and a somewhat rare character, here's one more closer look at the richest duck in Duckburg.
Donald and Daisy Duck
Scrooge's nephew Donald Duck rides in a horse-drawn carriage along with Daisy.
Chip and Dale
Chip and Dale are up to a bit of mischief as always, throwing snow around on their float.
Dwarfs
The Seven Dwarfs aren't far behind, walking the street between floats.
Grumpy
Even Grumpy has a bit of Christmas cheer, giving out handshakes and high fives.
Snow White
And where there are dwarfs, there's Snow White!
Cinderella's carriage
Cinderella arrives in style with her fancy pumpkin-turned-carriage, pulled by tiny horses.
Cinderella
She does her best to wave to both sides of the street.
Castle float
The Princess portion of the parade continues with Belle and Sleeping Beauty.
Belle
Belle is wearing her best Christmas outfit.
Aurora and Prince Philip
Aurora dances with Prince Philip.
Fairy Godmother
Also on the Princess float are Beast, Ariel, Eric, Jasmine, Aladdin, Tiana, and Naveen, but it's tough to capture them all in one pass. The Fairy Godmother oversees all at the tail end of the float.
Dancers
Candy dancers with hula hoops precede Goofy in the parade.
Goofy
Goofy's float should be familiar to those who attended Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, though candy handouts aren't happening here.
Gingerbread House
Sticking with the theme, Horace Horsecollar rides in on a giant gingerbread house.
Gingerbread Men
Following Horace is a group of smiling gingerbread men. They must not know that they're destined to be eaten.
Clarabelle Cow
Clarabelle Cow follows behind in her kitchen, baking even more Christmas cookies.
Dancers
Clarabelle's cooking team is certainly excited!
Toys
What's Christmas without toys? This parade has plenty, like this toy car.
Toys
A few more classic dancing toys follow next.
Toy Story
But the ultimate toys have their own float: the gang from Toy Story.
Woody
Woody is everyone's pal.
Bullseye
And Bullseye is Woody's best friend.
Toy Soldiers
Remember those toy soldiers from Town Square? They've come to life, marching in unison down Main Street.
Toy Soliders
With trumpets trumpeting and drums drumming in unison, the soldiers are a parade highlight.
Reindeer
But young eyes are fixed on the reindeer that lead the way to the parade's big finale.
Reindeer
They each have name tags!
Santa
And then it's time for jolly ol' Saint Nick to ride his sleigh.
Santa
With a sack full of presents, Santa Claus wishes all a Merry Christmas.
Santa
It's amazing he has time to be in this parade and get ready for Christmas. I guess that's what his elves are for.
Celebrate the Season show
The parade isn't the only place guests find characters in their Christmas best. Celebrate the Season is performed several times each night on the Cinderella Castle stage.
Celebrate the Season show
The show is filled with Disney favorites, dancing and singing familiar Christmas songs.
Goofy
Goofy has some foot-flying fun.
Pluto
Pluto takes to the air in an exuberant entrance.
Mickey Mouse
Those toy soldiers are back, this time joined by bandleader Mickey Mouse.
Minnie and Mickey
Minnie offers Mickey a Christmas kiss.
Donald
Donald hams it up while learning a few dance steps.
Castle show
And Chip tries to copy this Asian-inspired routine.
Pluto and Mickey
Pluto stands in for Rudolph in this Christmas classic.
Minnie
Minnie sings along with a softer song.
Mickie and Minnie
And in the end, everyone is filled with even more of the Christmas spirit.
Complimentary treats
But all this parade and show watching works up an appetite. Fortunately, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party includes unlimited free treats: hot chocolate, cookies, apple juice, and apple slices.
Free hot chocolate
Hot chocolate is great on party nights when it's actually cold out.
Free cookies
The cookies are different this year from those offered in 2010. Last year's flavor was a standard sugar cookie. This year's tastes like it's dusted with a bit of cinnamon and other spices.
Closed Dole Whip
Unfortunately Aloha Isle was inexplicably closed this year, so no red and green swirled Dole Whips were available. Bummer.
Caroling cast members
Outside the Columbia Harbor House, this group of cast members got together to sing Christmas carols. They're not quite the Dapper Dans (and not quite in tune) but fun to watch nonetheless.
Genie and Jasmine
Character meet-and-greets are common throughout the party, like Jasmine and the Genie, dressed with a winter scarf.
Peter Pan
In Fantasyland, Peter Pan told this girl a secret, which she quickly ran to another girl to share.
Wendy
Meanwhile Wendy was offering autographs nearby.
Donald
Donald Duck signs in Fantasyland, though for the second year in a row Scrooge McDuck is not around for greeting guests. (I am told he's back at the Contemporary Resort again this year though.)
Winnie the Pooh
In front of their attraction, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet gather for group photos with guests.
Cinderella and gang
Cinderella poses with guests along with her step sisters, step mother, and Prince Charming (not visible here).
Hopscotch
And apparently hopscotch is the popular game this year, also set up in Fantasyland.
Jingle Dance & Play
Over in Tomorrowland, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe is turned into a Jingle Dance and Play where young ones can burn off extra energy from drinking too much hot chocolate and eating far too many cookies.
Goofy
Santa Goofy dances along in the very crowded area.
Phineas and Ferb
New to the party for 2011 are Phineas and Ferb, with their own meet-and-greet in Tomorrowland.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
Tomorrowland is also home to another stage show, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, which debuted in 2009.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
Despite it's totally ridiculous name, the music-filled show is not all that bad. Even the host is shocked.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
But the stage show definitely draws a hefty crowd.
Buzz Lightyear
A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas includes characters not seen elsewhere in the park during the party, like Buzz Lightyear.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
Buzz offers a Christmas kiss, no mistletoe required.
Mike Wazowski
Mike Wazowski makes a glorious entrance.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
The Christmas-themed Monsters, Inc. logo displayed is amusing.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
Stitch shows up for the show's finale while the host is over-the-top surprised at everything.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
It all ends with a few fireworks launching overhead, as any good Disney stage show does.
Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
Surprised expressions aside, the host is actually a good entertainer, not only chatting with characters but also singing a few songs of her own. Live singing is always welcome in the parks.
Main Street
Back on Main Street USA, guests get ready for fireworks. But first, Disney offers a Christmas variation of their Cinderella Castle projection show, which you can enjoy in the video below.

Video: Christmas version of “The Magic, the Memories, and You!” on Cinderella Castle


Holiday Wishes fireworks
Then Holiday Wishes erupts over the castle in shades of red and green. And other colors too.
Holiday Wishes fireworks
But mostly red and green.
Holiday Wishes fireworks
Cinderella Castle relights the Dream Lights for the show's big finale.
Wreath over Cinderella Castle
And all is right with the world.
Train Station
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party not only offers Christmastime entertainment but also a chance to enjoy most of the park's rides with little to no wait. Some guests choose to skip all Christmas entertainment completely and just go for the rides, with party tickets granting park entrance as early as 4 p.m. It's an open-ended schedule that allows each guest to enjoy one of the most magical nights around.

Eleven dates remain for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, including tonight, Dec. 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 18. After that, you can still enjoy the Once Upon a Christmastime parade and Holiday Wishes, as Disney includes them daily with regular admission to the Magic Kingdom during the week leading up to Christmas and through December 31.

But the best bet to enjoy the special Christmas additions is to go to the after-hours party, as the two weeks surrounding Christmas are filled with some of the most crowded of the year. Tickets range from $56.95 – $62.95 for adults, depending on the date, and $51.95 – $57.95 for children, and are available on Disney’s web site.

More photos from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2011:

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