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Review of Disney Very Merriest After Hours

Credit: PaulaK

I am a big fan of Disney After Hours, and I am also a holiday person. When Walt Disney World announced that Disney Very Merriest After Hours would run instead of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year, I knew that I wanted to go. I bought tickets for my daughter and myself the day that they became available.

Credit: PaulaK

We arrived right at 7:00 p.m., which is when you can enter with your ticket. The event itself runs from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.

Credit: PaulaK

If you go, look for the turnstiles that are marked “Event Entrance”. There was a crowd waiting to enter the sold-out event, but things moved quickly.

Credit: PaulaK

Once inside we picked up a map and took a few pictures. A little while later we grabbed a spot for Disney Enchantment, which took place at 8:00. That’s one of the nice things about Very Merriest, you can see two different fireworks shows while you’re there.

Credit: PaulaK

Disney Very Merriest After Hours felt a lot like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, with a few elements missing. The lines for the rides were mostly short, although we did see a few Wait Times of 30 minutes or longer for some of the more popular rides.

Credit: PaulaK

It was much more crowded than the past Disney After Hours events, and it felt like more people than when we attended Disney Boo Bash After Hours. I don’t know if they sold more tickets or not. Even though there were more Guests there, the crowd was much smaller than a normal day in the Magic Kingdom.

Credit: PaulaK

We watched the trio Reindeer Wranglers and then found a spot for Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. The parade was wonderful to see, but I will admit that I think that the Character Cavalcades are much more convenient.

Credit: PaulaK

Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories is the stage show. It’s high energy, with great music. The show will not take place if the weather is bad. One of the shows during our event was canceled partway into it because it started to drizzle.

Credit: PaulaK

Ice cream novelties, popcorn, and bottled beverages are included in the price. There were plenty of kiosks set up to get treats.

Credit: PaulaK

There were also several spots where Guests could pick up Snickerdoodle Cookies and Hot Cocoa. There is an allergy-friendly version of the cookie available so that more people can enjoy an extra treat. There was no allergy-friendly cocoa.

Credit: PaulaK

My favorite part of Disney Very Merriest After Hours was the return of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show. This debuted in 2019. I had only seen it once before, and it was even better than I remembered.

Credit: PaulaK

There are character sightings throughout the Magic Kingdom. It’s always fun to see characters, but the lighting left something to be desired. There are also extra MagicShots throughout the Park.

Credit: PaulaK

My daughter and I always try to end special events such as this with a ride on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and we continued our tradition. The posted time at 12:53 was 20 minutes, but we were off in ten. It was the perfect way to end a magical evening.

Credit: PaulaK

Disney Very Merriest After Hours is expensive, which is probably why there are still tickets available for several dates. Still, it’s four hours that are packed full of holiday cheer. We had a fantastic time, but only you can decide if it will be worth the price for your family.

About PaulaK

I grew up in Western Massachusetts. When I was nine my family went to Disneyland and I was hooked. I grew up, attended New England College in Henniker, NH and eventually moved to Virginia. I worked as a disc jockey, married and became a full time mom when our daughter was born. Fast forward several years. In 2010 we moved to Central Florida and my Disney obsession grew. I now work as a freelance writer and spend my spare time in the parks. Under the name Paula Brown I penned the novels Dream Wanderers and The Coffee Cruiser. I also am a co-author of Dining at Walt Disney World: The Definitive Guide. I'm obsessed with Star Wars, so this is a good time to live in Central Florida. I've been a vegetarian for well over a decade, a choice that my daughter eventually made as well. While my husband still hasn't joined us fully he has given up most meats except for seafood. I was relieved to find that vegetarian dining is not difficult at Walt Disney World.