Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Offerings Now Available Without Event Tickets
Magic Kingdom Park is about to give daytime guests a rare gift. Walt Disney World Resort has updated its entertainment calendar for the holiday period, revealing that one of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party’s most popular offerings will soon join the regular daytime schedule at the Magic Kingdom. The move arrives during the busiest stretch of the year, when attendance at Central Florida’s Disney parks routinely surges to peak levels.
After-hours events at Walt Disney World Resort usually keep their entertainment strictly gated behind special-ticket access. Guests visiting during standard operating hours never encounter Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade or the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Holidays in Hollywood and “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along” remain reserved for guests attending Disney Jollywood Nights. These offerings are designed to stay exclusive, which heightens demand for the limited-ticket events.
However, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is the one exception. Once the final party of the season concludes, Magic Kingdom Park begins making select Christmas entertainment offerings available to the daytime crowd. This practice has become an annual strategy that helps absorb holiday attendance, especially since the days between Christmas and New Year’s have a strong track record of reaching capacity across Walt Disney World Resort.
Christmas Parade Joins the Daytime Magic Kingdom Schedule
This year, Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade will return to the daytime lineup at Magic Kingdom Park starting December 22. The date follows the final Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of the season, allowing standard ticket holders to enjoy entertainment that was previously limited to event guests.
The parade will step off daily from Frontierland and continue toward Main Street, U.S.A. at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. from December 22 through December 31, 2025. The Festival of Fantasy Parade will temporarily halt performances during this period and resume on January 1, 2026. Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade will still present its two nightly showings throughout the holiday week.
Visitors Should Prepare for Heavy Crowds
Anyone planning to watch Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade should be ready for dense congestion and limited viewing space. Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT often hit capacity during the final week of the year, and similar conditions are expected for 2025.
Have you ever visited Magic Kingdom Park during the week between Christmas and New Year’s? Share your favorite memories with Disney Dining in the comments!
