Disney Announces Very Merriest Event
The Walt Disney Company just finalized its plans for the holiday season, and we’ve got the details!
Mickey Mouse and friends will return to Magic Kingdom in a Very Merry celebration, just not the one you know.
Let’s talk about Disney Very Merriest After Hours, the latest ticketed event.
What is Very Merriest?
Think of this event like the Disney After Hours Boo Bash that just debuted at Magic Kingdom.
Once again, park officials don’t feel comfortable operating a full-fledged version of a holiday event that you’ve grown to love.
So, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) won’t return. Since this event dates back to the 1980s (!), Disney Vacation Club members will miss it dearly.
In place of MVMCP, Magic Kingdom will host a modified version called Disney Very Merriest After Hours.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
Yes, that should sound familiar, as it’s eerily similar to Boo Bash. Disney hopes that fans will accept these subtle compromised events in place of the full-fledged ones.
Judging from the crowds on night one of Boo Bash, the company’s right. During the first 90 minutes of that event, some rides required waits of 60+ minutes!
People don’t seem to mind these plussed versions of regular Disney After Hours events. You still get to visit Magic Kingdom at a time when it’s closed to standard ticket holders.
With Very Merriest, you’ll also receive most of the amenities you’ve grown to expect from MVMCP, just not all of them.
Some stuff remains impossible to the uptick in COVID-19 cases. Ergo, we get something better than a regular Disney After Hours event, but it’s not quite as good as MVMCP.
We can all live with that, right?
The Dates and Pricing for Very Merriest
I always marvel at how easily Disney transitions its parks from Halloween to Christmas. This year, you’ll only get a week of rest before the next thing starts.
After the final Boo Bash occurs on Halloween, Disney will prep for the yuletide season. Then, on November 8th, Very Merriest events will begin.
Pricing for these events runs from $169 to $229 plus tax on most nights. However, on December 19th and December 21st, tickets will cost $249 plus tax.
Disney indicates that annual passholders and DVC members may save $10 on select November dates.
Here’s the current list of dates:
- November: 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30
- December: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21
As usual, during Christmas week, many of the Very Merriest events will switch to free amenities for all guests. Everyone gets to experience the holidays this way!
Also, you may recall that Disney added extra dates for Boo Bash after the initial announcement.
Now, that may factor into how park officials set this schedule, as it could already be something accounted for.
However, if you’d like more dates, keep hope alive for the next few weeks! It really could happen.
Even if these 24 nights represent all we get, that’s still most nights in November and December that will offer Very Merriest events.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on August 20th. However, Disney will open its booking window on August 17th to some fortunate guests.
So, if you’re a DVC member who has booked a room at an official Disney resort – any of them, including Shades of Green! – you can buy tickets this Tuesday.
You should take advantage of this opportunity, as Boo Bash sold out rather quickly on most October nights. I expect the same behavior for December.
The Amenities for Very Merriest
This event will last for four hours after Magic Kingdom closes to the general public.
Remember that the first hour usually includes those who are slow to leave. So, attraction wait times will be higher then.
The Very Merriest version of the Christmas party will start at 7 and combine with some features from the 50th-anniversary celebration. There will be photo ops aplenty.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
Jingle Cruise will return for 2021, and Disney has promised that the recently reopened Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor will provide holiday jokes, too.
The Parks Blog indicates that more than 20 attractions will operate. Here’s the list as published:
“Enjoy less time waiting in line for more than 20 attractions including favorites like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, The Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain and more.”
Disney also promises socially distanced character interactions/performances and the return of Club Tinsel.
As usual, PhotoPass opportunities will be plentiful, and you’ll receive “free” snacks and beverages for the price of your event ticket.
Plus, Disney will sell novelty sweets and drinks that embrace the spirit of the season.
Overall, this one looks even closer in spirit to MVMCP than Boo Bash does to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Christmas Party.
Best of all, you get to spend the holidays at Walt Disney World!
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