Credit: DisneyThe holiday season may still be a couple of months away, but Walt Disney World guests staying on property can officially start locking in another major part of their Christmas plans.
Dining reservations for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are now open for guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. That includes several restaurants operating during the separately ticketed Magic Kingdom event, along with reservations for Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party.
For guests who already have their Christmas vacation booked, this gives them an early opportunity to secure some of the more limited experiences offered during the party.
Everyone else will get their chance soon, but Disney hotel guests currently have the first opportunity to make those plans.
Disney World Hotel Guests Can Start Booking Now
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can now make dining reservations connected to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
The booking window follows Disney’s advance dining reservation benefit for hotel guests. Eligible visitors can make reservations up to 60 days before their arrival date and book dining for the length of their stay, up to 10 nights.
That can make a meaningful difference for people building an entire Disney World vacation around Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Instead of waiting until each individual day reaches the 60-day mark, eligible hotel guests can potentially make reservations across multiple days of their trip when their booking window opens.
During the Christmas season, having that head start could prove useful.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party only takes place on select nights, and the event brings guests to Magic Kingdom for an evening filled with holiday entertainment, attractions, seasonal food, fireworks, and other special offerings.
Adding a table-service meal or dessert party to that night requires even more planning.
Hotel guests can start taking care of that now.
Everyone Else Can Begin Booking September 9
Guests who aren’t staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel aren’t being left out permanently.
They’ll simply have to wait a little longer.
Dining reservations for all other guests will open on September 9.
That creates a short period in which Disney hotel guests have earlier access to the available reservations.
For anyone attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party who has a particular restaurant or dessert party in mind, it could be worth paying close attention to availability once their booking window arrives.
The number of reservations available during a party night isn’t unlimited.
These events also operate differently from an ordinary evening at Magic Kingdom. Because Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party requires separate admission, guests need to make sure their dining plans work with their party plans rather than treating the evening like a standard park day.
Fortunately, there are several options available.
Four Magic Kingdom Restaurants Are Available During the Party
Guests looking for something more substantial than holiday snacks will have four restaurants to choose from during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Disney is offering party-night dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant, Cinderella’s Royal Table, The Plaza Restaurant, and The Beak and Barrel.
That gives guests several very different possibilities.
Be Our Guest Restaurant offers visitors the chance to step inside the Beast’s castle in Fantasyland, while Cinderella’s Royal Table puts guests inside Cinderella Castle.
The Plaza Restaurant provides another table-service option near the front of Magic Kingdom.
The Beak and Barrel, meanwhile, gives guests an Adventureland option and is one of the newer additions to Magic Kingdom’s dining lineup.
For families planning a full evening at the Christmas party, however, choosing to make a dining reservation comes with a tradeoff.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party only lasts for a limited number of hours. Sitting down for a meal means spending part of that valuable event time inside a restaurant rather than watching entertainment, riding attractions, or simply enjoying Magic Kingdom’s holiday atmosphere.
For some guests, that’s exactly what they want.
A restaurant reservation can become part of the holiday experience rather than simply serving as a break for food. Others may decide they’d rather eat before the party gets underway and spend as much of the event as possible exploring the park.
Either way, guests now have the option to start making those decisions.
Fireworks Dessert Party Reservations Are Also Open
Dining isn’t the only Christmas party experience that Disney hotel guests can begin reserving.
Reservations have also opened for Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party.
Disney is offering two different versions of the dessert party. Both include seasonal snacks at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant along with reserved viewing for the nighttime fireworks.
The biggest difference comes down to where guests actually watch the show.
The more expensive option allows guests to remain seated at Tomorrowland Terrace while watching the fireworks.
The lower-priced option includes the dessert party but moves guests to the Plaza Garden viewing area for the fireworks.
That gives visitors a choice between two different experiences.
Some families may prefer having a seat while watching the show, especially after spending a long day walking around Walt Disney World.
Others may care more about getting a reserved viewing location without paying for the higher-priced option.
Either way, the dessert parties offer something particularly valuable during a limited holiday event: a predetermined place to watch one of the night’s biggest shows.
Fireworks Can Be a Major Part of the Night
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show is one of the major entertainment offerings during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
That naturally makes fireworks viewing an important part of the night for many guests.
Without a reserved viewing package, visitors may decide to find a location well before the show begins. Depending on crowd levels and personal preferences, that can mean sacrificing time that could otherwise go toward attractions or other holiday entertainment.
The dessert parties provide another option.
Guests can combine seasonal treats with reserved fireworks viewing, removing some of the uncertainty surrounding where they’ll watch the show.
Of course, that convenience comes at an additional cost beyond admission to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
That’s something families will have to weigh when planning their evening.
The Christmas party already requires a separate ticket, and adding dining reservations and premium experiences can increase the total price of the night.
For visitors who place a high priority on fireworks, though, the ability to reserve their viewing experience in advance could make the additional expense worthwhile.
Planning Ahead Could Make a Difference
The opening of dining reservations is another sign that Walt Disney World is quickly moving toward its holiday season.
And Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party isn’t necessarily the kind of event where guests want to arrive without some kind of plan.
There is a lot competing for attention during a relatively limited amount of time.
Visitors may want to experience attractions, watch holiday entertainment, see the fireworks, grab seasonal food, shop for merchandise, and simply enjoy Magic Kingdom’s Christmas atmosphere.
Trying to fit a lengthy restaurant meal into that schedule can make the night even more complicated.
That’s why anyone considering one of these dining experiences should think about what matters most to their group.
If Be Our Guest Restaurant or Cinderella’s Royal Table is a major priority, securing a reservation could be worth giving up some party time.
If the fireworks are the centerpiece of the evening, one of the dessert parties could remove the need to spend as much time finding a viewing location.
And if maximizing attractions and entertainment is the goal, skipping a table-service meal altogether may leave more time to explore the park.
There isn’t one approach that works for everyone.
But guests staying at Disney World hotels can now start putting those plans together.
Disney World’s Christmas Season Is Getting Closer
It might only be early September, but Walt Disney World’s holiday season will be here before long.
For guests who already know they’re attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, dining reservations are one of the next major planning pieces to consider.
Disney World hotel guests have the first opportunity, with reservations now available up to 60 days before their arrival and across eligible stays of up to 10 nights. Other guests will be able to begin booking on September 9.
The available party-night restaurants include Be Our Guest Restaurant, Cinderella’s Royal Table, The Plaza Restaurant, and The Beak and Barrel.
Guests can also choose between two versions of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party, depending on whether they’d rather watch the fireworks while seated at Tomorrowland Terrace or from the Plaza Garden viewing area.
For some visitors, those reservations will simply add another experience to an already packed Christmas party.
For others, they could become one of the most important parts of the entire night.
Either way, the booking process has officially begun, and Disney World hotel guests now have the first chance to lock in their holiday dining plans before reservations open to everyone else.
