Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is back, and there are quite a few new things for the 2014 season that likely will affect how you plan your party night — especially if anyone in your group likes the animated hit movie “Frozen.” My family and I attended the first party on Friday, and I have some tips to offer so you can see everything — and everyone — from Arendelle. Here is what you need to know about Ana, Elsa, Olaf and Kristoff and the order they appear at the party:
1. Elsa and Ana continue their regular meeting of guests in Princess Fairytale Hall during the day hours and during the official Christmas Party time from 7 p.m. to midnight. This is the same meet-and-greet as guests experience during the day with the pair in the same room but posing for separate photos. However, this could be your opportunity to avoid hours-long waits and the hassle of hard-to-get FastPasses. The queue tends to die down during Holiday Wishes fireworks, which begin at 9:30 p.m.
2. This year’s special Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card is Elsa’s Icy Shield. You don’t have to play the game during the Christmas party, but you can only collect this special themed card at the party, so stop by the Fire House in Town Square or the outpost behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square. You must have your admission ticket (card or MagicBand) and a party wristband to claim your Sorcerers card, and distribution begins at 4 p.m.
3. “Cinderella’s Holiday Wish” — the short show that preceded the lighting of 200,000 “icicles” on the castle — has been replaced with the brand-new “A Frozen Holiday Wish” on the Castle Forecourt Stage. This is the first time Olaf has been seen as a character in the Disney Parks! The show takes place every night at 6:15 p.m. through Dec. 31, which means that non-party guests also have the opportunity to see “A Frozen Holiday Wish.” If you are attending the party and choose not to take advantage of early entry — your party ticket allows you to enter the Magic Kingdom at 4 p.m. even though party events do not begin until 7 p.m. — there is a second showing at 8 p.m. “A Frozen Holiday Wish” lasts less than 10 minutes.
4. Exclusive merchandise for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is brought out at 7 p.m., and guests with party wristbands can purchase T-shirts, ornaments, Limited Edition MagicBands and trading pins. Although these do not feature the “Frozen” characters, a Limited Edition dated Christmas party pin for passholders only shows Olaf’s smiling face in front of Cinderella Castle. It costs $15.95 plus tax.
5. Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade showcases the four “Frozen” characters near the start of the parade. You will see a carriage transporting Ana and Elsa, a cottage with Olaf the character (not just a statue), ice harvesters and Kristoff. With the exception of Olaf’s new appearance, this is the same segment we saw in the Royal Welcome processional during the Frozen Summer Fun LIVE! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Even so, it’s fun to see the characters join the Christmas parade, which steps off in Frontierland at 8:15 and 10:30 p.m.
Speaking of Hollywood Studios, if you are in the mood for more festive “Frozen” celebrations, that theme park is offering a Frozen Holiday Premium Package, similar to the one my family and I experienced over the summer. This collection includes reserved seating in the Premiere Theater for the “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration”; a “Frozen”-themed dessert party (with alcohol) at the end of Streets of America with viewing of The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights; a special holiday lithograph; and a “Frozen” pin. The cost is $89 for adults and $59 for children ages 3 to 9; this does not include admission to the park. Prices have gone up significantly since the summer package, which was $59 for adults and $34 for children. I truly enjoyed that experience and thought it was a good value for the money, but I’m not sure I would feel the same way about the holiday package, which includes one less event and a higher price tag.
If you are interested in booking the Frozen Holiday Premium Package, the bundle is offered from now to November 19, 2014; November 21 to December 9, 2014; and December 11, 2014 to January 4, 2015.
As usual, the “Frozen” sing-along show is open to guests without the premium package. In addition, visitors can make a snowman or purchase Frozen merchandise at Wandering Oaken’s.
It might be Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but it’s clear that the “Frozen” characters aren’t being left out in the cold, so to speak. With a little planning, neither will you, if you want to experience the fun of “frozen” all over again for the holidays at Walt Disney World.
We check in Sunday this week. I need to know which resorts have gingerbread displays. We love to look at these.
Thanks & Merry Christmas,
Lisa
KRISTIN: Quite a few of the WDW resorts have gingerbread displays. My family and I particularly enjoy those at the resorts on the monorail loop: Grand Floridian (life-size gingerbread house with treats for sale); Contemporary (new Frozen display this year); and Polynesian. Some other very special displays can be found at Disney’s Beach Club (a life-size carousel); Boardwalk Inn (old-fashioned amusement park); and Animal Kingdom Lodge (African village). Hope that helps!
Is the second showing of A Frozen Holiday Wish every night at 8 or just the nights with the party? We’re coming up in late December and if it’s at 8 on all nights, we should be able to leave the MK at 3ish, go to an early dinner at Hoop Dee Doo and come back in to see it, if we can navigate the crowds on December 29….
But if it’s only at 8 on Party nights, we’ll forego HDDR on this trip and “enjoy” our dinner reso at Tony’s after the 615 FHW. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated!
KRISTIN: As of now, the 8 p.m. show only occurs during the party. However, the official Walt Disney World calendar lists “A Frozen Holiday Wish” at 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 29.