Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together 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 great & dangerous of varied additions and subtractions.
The very first thing that you must know is that not a lot modifications from 12 months to 12 months. When you’re planning on attending the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together (MVMCP) and final did it 5 years in the past, it’s nonetheless about 90% the identical. Actually, you could not discover any modifications by any means, as a bunch of the variations are pretty minor and simple to overlook.
Suffice to say, when you’re a first-timer attending the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together, this isn’t your finest or singular useful resource because it’s solely protecting the ten% that’s completely different. For every little thing that you must learn about this occasion–past what’s new–see our Final Information to the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together!
Principally, this submit is for MVMCP veterans who wish to prioritize the issues which are completely 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 Get together in a single night time, the sort of prioritizing is paramount. You’re going to have to choose and select, since you merely can not do all of it.
It’s additionally for Walt Disney World regulars, longtime followers, and locals who’ve completed MVMCP earlier than and wish 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 when you ought to sit out one other 12 months and do one thing completely 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 Get together versus final 12 months and even 2019, but additionally 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 get together in its inaugural 12 months or haven’t in any respect, it’s worthy of consideration. Try our Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Get together 2024 Assessment: Wow, What a Distinction a Yr 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 Get together…
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 completed 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 modifications. There are different refined 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, for my part, as parts of the parade have develop into drained and Boo to You has seen a wide range of constructive refreshes within the final couple years.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Music – The way more important change to Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is the music, which has an virtually solely new association. Fortunately, the enduring theme tune 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 basic 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 cherished 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 dwelling), 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 understand that’s the tune title, and apparently, it’s one in every of my high 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 Get together as a complete. Good tune decisions.
Freebies – Friends are as soon as once more given a souvenir decoration when coming into Magic Kingdom’s bypass hall as a welcome to the occasion. No fancy poster print on the best way 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 friends at Disney Jollywood Nights.
One other change is with the cookie and drink distribution places and selection. These have been step by step scaled again over the previous couple of years, presumably to nudge folks in the 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 will depend on your body of reference. Since we’re making some comparisons to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together 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 12 months, although.
We mentioned this at size final 12 months in Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together is Much less Crowded! The general expertise is way more nice than it was again in 2018-2019 when it was routinely oversold. The one important crowds we encountered have been on and round Predominant Road earlier than, throughout, and after leisure. As soon as once more, I used to be capable of meet Jack and Sally with a wait time of lower than 10 minutes!
With that stated, in case your body of reference is Disney Jollywood Nights, the ‘looks like’ crowds are worse on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together. Going from one occasion to the opposite on consecutive nights was fairly the distinction, as every little thing at Jollywood Nights felt extra relaxed and laid again.
All Standby Traces – Tiana’s Bayou Journey is the latest attraction in Magic Kingdom, and it makes use of a digital queue (for now) throughout common operations. This digital queue may be extremely aggressive, and replenish inside seconds, particularly throughout peak season dates–and there are quite a lot 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 strains all through the get together, with a wait time hovering round half-hour all through your entire occasion. Nevertheless, I’d anticipate 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 Get together as a result of I’ve completed it a dozen-plus occasions, and get together time is proscribed, so its distinctive leisure is my emphasis. However, I view this as a constructive change–not each get together visitor has the identical priorities as me ( factor!), and if others wish 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 Get together, which see Storybook Circus as it’s reworked right into a must-visit vacation vacation spot full of joyful Christmas cheer, buddies from the North Pole—and, in fact, Santa Claus.
Previous to the get together, I used to be below the misguided impression that this can be a Santa Claus dance get together, which gave the impression of a enjoyable idea. It’s not that, although. It’s primarily 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 coated leisure 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 significantly better vitality due to the Christmas lights, snowfall, and uplighting on the buildings. All of that’s properly completed. 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, which means that Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Scrooge all meet collectively at this one venue. I’m not a fan of this strategy, 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 may’ve gathered because it’s the place they beforehand met, we’re unhappy to report that the Seven Dwarfs wouldn’t have a meet & greet on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together.
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 dangerous. Not solely that, however Santa Goofy relocated to the Membership Tinsel dance get together. (Personally, I believe Santa Goofy ought to 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 exchange the Seven Dwarfs with separate meet & greets. That, cool because it was, having all the dwarves collectively wouldn’t be nearly 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 Fortress Dream Lights – That’s proper, I received’t shut up about this anytime quickly. The larger-than-life Cinderella Fortress Dream Lights are as soon as once more a conspicuous omission from Magic Kingdom all through this vacation season. This continues to be an enormous 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 least get completely different, extra Christmas-y projections for Cinderella Fortress throughout MVMCP.
For many who are unfamiliar with the Cinderella Fortress Dream Lights, they have been completely superb 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 Fortress 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 Fortress Dream Lights have 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 solely what this boils all the way 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. Provided that, you is likely to be interested in why this makes the listing. 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 when 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 12 months’s quiet lack of this campy, cult-classic present was an enormous 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 Evening Earlier than Christmas, to the angst of many followers (together with us). Mickey’s Twas the Evening Earlier than Christmas was a superb, 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 12 months. In the meantime, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together presents lower than it did a decade in the past when tickets value a fraction of their present value.
Finally, not a complete lot has modified within the substance of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together 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 12 months might be the brand new parade music, and that’s not precisely a cause to drop ~$199 on tickets.
As repeat guests, our view is that the occasion feels stale. That’s what we wrote final 12 months, 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 dwelling about since 2019. The second is that Disney Jollywood Nights improved so much this 12 months, and made large modifications from final 12 months to 2024. As we wrote in our overview, that occasion modified extra in a single 12 months than MVMCP has during the last decade-plus.
Our hope is that, at minimal, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together will get a shot within the arm on par with what Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together has obtained during the last couple of years. Frankly, MVMCP wants way more than that–the occasion might actually use a brand new piece of main or at the least medium-tier leisure, particularly after shedding 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 stated, it’s necessary to underscore that this isn’t a solution to the query: “Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together price doing or definitely worth the cash?” When you’re a first-timer, what’s new or unchanged is kind of irrelevant, since every little thing is new-to-you. Plenty of it doesn’t change for good cause–it’s iconic. However when 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 Get together or Disney Jollywood Nights, I’m extra inclined to advocate the latter. It’s made large sophomore season enhancements, and is now price your money and time. Take a 12 months off from MVMCP, it’ll nonetheless be there–most likely just about the identical–in 2025, 2026, 2027, and so on.
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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 Get together? Excited to attend this 12 months’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 will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
