Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party is a different tournament 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 review as to the nice & unhealthy of more than a few additions and subtractions.
The very first thing you wish to have to understand is that now not a lot adjustments from yr to yr. Should you’re making plans on attending the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party (MVMCP) and closing did it 5 years in the past, it’s nonetheless about 90% the similar. Actually, you would possibly not understand any adjustments in any respect, as a number of the variations are reasonably minor and simple to pass over.
Suffice to mention, if you happen to’re a first-timer attending the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party, this isn’t your easiest or singular useful resource because it’s most effective overlaying the ten% that’s other. For the whole lot you wish to have to find out about this tournament–past what’s new–see our Final Information to the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party!
Principally, this submit is for MVMCP veterans who wish to prioritize the issues which are other for the 2024 tournament. Since you can not meet each and every personality and spot all the leisure on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party in one evening, this sort of prioritizing is paramount. You’re going to have to pick out and make a choice, since you merely can not do all of it.
It’s additionally for Walt Disney International regulars, longtime fanatics, and locals who’ve performed MVMCP sooner 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 if you happen to must take a seat out every other yr and do one thing other.
Spoiler: it more than likely isn’t. No longer most effective as a result of now not a lot has modified with the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party as opposed to closing yr and even 2019, but additionally as a result of Walt Disney International has added every other tournament as counterprogramming: Disney Jollywood Nights. Whether or not you probably did that Christmas birthday celebration in its inaugural yr or haven’t in any respect, it’s worthy of attention. Take a look at our Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Birthday party 2024 Evaluate: Wow, What a Distinction a 12 months 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 Birthday party…
What’s New for 2024 at MVMCP
Frozen Characters & Costumes – The primary semi-notable alternate for 2024 is the Frozen characters switching over to up to date costumes that they already put on within the Frozen Vacation Marvel degree display. Those contemporary seems to be too can been observed within the Anna and Elsa meet & greet in Princess Fairytale Corridor and all over Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade.
The Frozen unit in that has in reality modified a tight quantity. The bottom-level performers are now not axe-wielding ice cutters, however are as a substitute Arendelle villagers with (I suppose?) conventional Nordic vacation pieces. The costuming is properly performed and the equipment glance original to me, somebody who is aware of not anything about Arendelle customs.
Sadly, that is the one unit within the parade that’s observed any subject material adjustments. There are different delicate main points the skilled eye (or somebody who spends manner an excessive amount of time modifying parade footage) may just spot, however not anything price citing. That is disappointing, for my part, as parts of the parade have turn out to be drained and Boo to You has observed numerous sure refreshes within the closing couple years.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Song – The a lot more important alternate to Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade is the tune, which has a virtually solely new association. Fortunately, the long-lasting theme music remains to be woven all through the parade–so no wish to fear about that.
What’s modified is the accompanying tune, with the opposite songs swapped out from maximum devices. The parade now makes use of a number of songs from The Nutcracker, at the side of basic vacation favorites. The result is a soundtrack that’s concurrently extra uptempo, sublime, and standard.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade “purists” could be fearful, however the other people I do know who’ve been attending for a decade-plus all liked the brand new tune–me incorporated. It didn’t even take time to develop on me. It clicked right away, to the purpose that even after most effective 2 viewings (as opposed to 50+ of the former parade, plus more than likely masses of listens to the soundtrack at house), the brand new model is already my favourite.
This could be embarrassing to confess, however I don’t suppose I had ever heard “The Holly and the Ivy” with lyrics. I didn’t even notice that’s the music name, and it appears, it’s certainly one of my most sensible 5 most-played Mannheim Steamroller tracks! Anyway, that’s my non-public favourite addition, and I believe all the new tune suits the spirit of each the parade and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party as an entire. Highest music possible choices.
Freebies – Visitors are as soon as once more given a souvenir decoration when coming into Magic Kingdom’s bypass hall as a welcome to the development. No fancy poster print at the manner out of the development, however regardless, that is nonetheless a internet addition as in comparison to 2019. It’s additionally higher than the field of treats given to visitors at Disney Jollywood Nights.
Every other alternate is with the cookie and drink distribution places and diversity. Those were regularly scaled again over the previous couple of years, possibly to nudge other people in opposition to the paid meals & beverage. Preferences clearly range, however I to find the choice to be an enormous downgrade as in comparison to 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 Birthday party over the past 5 years, it’s price noting that the 2024 tournament feels noticeably much less crowded than 2019. This isn’t a brand new construction as of this yr, although.
We mentioned this at period closing yr in Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party is Much less Crowded! The whole revel in is a lot more delightful than it was once again in 2018-2019 when it was once automatically oversold. The one important crowds we encountered have been on and round Major Side road sooner than, all over, and after leisure. As soon as once more, I used to be in a position to fulfill Jack and Sally with a wait time of lower than 10 mins!
With that mentioned, in case your body of reference is Disney Jollywood Nights, the ‘seems like’ crowds are worse on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party. Going from one tournament to the opposite on consecutive nights was once somewhat the distinction, as the whole lot at Jollywood Nights felt extra comfy and laid again.
All Standby Traces – Tiana’s Bayou Journey is the latest appeal in Magic Kingdom, and it makes use of a digital queue (for now) all over common operations. This digital queue can also be extremely aggressive, and replenish inside seconds, particularly all over top season dates–and there are a large number of the ones in November and December.
Throughout MVMCP, Tiana’s Bayou Journey makes use of a standby line. No longer-so-coincidentally, it’s additionally one of the most longest strains all through the birthday celebration, with a wait time soaring round half-hour all through all of the tournament. On the other hand, I’d be expecting exact wait instances to be a lot decrease, assuming no breakdowns (giant assumption).
I didn’t do Tiana’s all over the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party as a result of I’ve performed it a dozen-plus instances, and birthday celebration time is restricted, so its distinctive leisure is my emphasis. However, I view this as a good alternate–now not each and every birthday celebration visitor has the similar priorities as me (a excellent factor!), and if others wish to journey Tiana’s Bayou Journey on loop, they must have that possibility.
Santa’s Christmas Carnival – The largest addition for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party, which see Storybook Circus as it’s reworked right into a must-visit vacation vacation spot full of completely satisfied Christmas cheer, pals from the North Pole—and, after all, Santa Claus.
Previous to the birthday celebration, I used to be underneath the misguided affect that it is a Santa Claus dance birthday celebration, which gave the impression of a amusing thought. It’s now not that, although. It’s necessarily a brand new blizzard, lighting fixtures and decor bundle for Storybook Circus, with stilt walkers across the front of the realm and a Santa Claus meet & greet within the lined rest house. There’s additionally my non-public favourite, the bootleg Coca-Cola polar bears who’re doing a devoted meet & greet close to the doorway of Storybook Circus.
The ambience again in Storybook Circus is a marked growth, and there’s a significantly better power due to the Christmas lighting fixtures, blizzard, and uplighting at the structures. All of this is properly performed. Identical is going for the Santa Claus meet & greet.
The issue is that all the different characters again right here were consolidated inside of Pete’s Foolish Sideshow, that means that Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Scrooge all meet in combination at this one venue. I’m now not partial to this way, and didn’t do that meet & greet since the line was once prohibitively lengthy.
What’s Lacking from 2024 MVMCP
Seven 0 Dwarfs – As you could’ve collected because it’s the place they in the past met, we’re unhappy to file that the Seven Dwarfs would not have a meet & greet on the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party.
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 variation here’s that Santa’s Christmas Carnival did upload different characters and atmospheric leisure. It’s nonetheless a internet loss, but it surely’s now not as unhealthy. No longer most effective that, however Santa Goofy relocated to the Membership Tinsel dance birthday celebration. (For my part, I believe Santa Goofy must be a marquee personality with a devoted meet & greet and distinctive backdrop, however what do I do know.)
We’re at the document pronouncing that Walt Disney International must change the Seven Dwarfs with separate meet & greets. That, cool because it was once, having all the dwarves in combination wouldn’t be as excellent as a half-dozen or so separate meet & greets of their position. The issue is that this isn’t the industry Disney has made.
Cinderella Citadel Dream Lighting fixtures – That’s proper, I gained’t close up about this anytime quickly. The bigger-than-life Cinderella Citadel Dream Lighting fixtures are as soon as once more a conspicuous omission from Magic Kingdom all through this vacation season. This is still a large blow to the ambience of the development, and if Walt Disney International isn’t going to carry again the Dream Lighting fixtures, they must no less than get other, extra Christmas-y projections for Cinderella Citadel all over MVMCP.
For many who are unfamiliar with the Cinderella Citadel Dream Lighting fixtures, they have been completely wonderful and no quantity of phrases, footage or video can do them justice. No projections can fit the greater than 200,000 tiny white lighting fixtures that illuminated Cinderella Citadel and reworked it right into a veritable ice palace. The Dream Lighting fixtures would forestall you to your tracks, with the resplendent bodily show being an absolute jaw-dropper.
The Cinderella Citadel Dream Lighting fixtures have been the spotlight of the vacation season, and it’s an enormous disgrace that Walt Disney International has declined to spend the cash to carry them again within the closing couple of years. Make no mistake, cash is solely what this boils right down to. Each and every different excuse for now not doing Dream Lighting fixtures is solely that–an excuse.
Toy Soldier Marching Band – Toy Squaddies are nonetheless in Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade, and stay one of the most highlights. For the reason that, you could be interested in why this makes the listing. It’s since the band phase remains to be lower from the parade–most effective the marching occurs.
It is a larger loss than it could appear if you happen to’ve by no means observed Mickey’s As soon as Upon a Christmastime Parade. The veritable military of Toy Squaddies was once spectacular, and listening to them carry out tune as they marched was once so downright magical. The Toy Soldier unit remains to be cool, but it surely does now not have the similar wow-factor in its present shape.
A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas – Closing yr’s quiet lack of this campy, cult-classic display was once a large blow for us and different enjoyers of amusing across the world. When ‘A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas’ first of all debuted over a decade in the past, it changed Mickey’s Twas the Night time Prior to Christmas, to the angst of many fanatics (together with us). Mickey’s Twas the Night time Prior to Christmas was once a very good, legitimately excellent display.
I may just cross 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 once quintessential bizarre Disney with center. ‘A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas’ was once so much like Sew: endearing mischief.
Regardless, this degree display nonetheless hasn’t been changed. It is a specifically notable distinction with Disney Jollywood Nights, which added extra leisure this yr. In the meantime, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party gives lower than it did a decade in the past when tickets price a fragment in their present worth.
In the end, now not an entire lot has modified within the substance of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party between 2019 and 2024. There were a couple of minor additions within the closing couple of years, however no main resources of pleasure. The largest improve this yr is more than likely the brand new parade tune, and that’s now not precisely a explanation why to drop ~$199 on tickets.
As repeat guests, our view is that the development feels stale. That’s what we wrote closing yr, 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 improvements to put in writing house about since 2019. The second one is that Disney Jollywood Nights advanced so much this yr, and made huge adjustments from closing yr to 2024. As we wrote in our evaluate, that tournament modified extra in 12 months than MVMCP has over the past decade-plus.
Our hope is that, at minimal, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party will get a shot within the arm on par with what Mickey’s No longer So Frightening Halloween Birthday party has gained over the past couple of years. Frankly, MVMCP wishes a lot more than that–the development may just actually use a brand new piece of main or no less than medium-tier leisure, particularly after shedding a degree display. Wholesale updates to the the parade additionally wish to occur–I’d love to look new floats, as a few of these are historical.
With that mentioned, it’s necessary to underscore that this isn’t a solution to the query: “Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party price doing or well worth the cash?” Should you’re a first-timer, what’s new or unchanged is kind of inappropriate, since the whole lot is new-to-you. A large number of it doesn’t alternate for excellent explanation why–it’s iconic. However if you happen to’re a Walt Disney International common who has but to buy tickets and is at the fence concerning the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday party or Disney Jollywood Nights, I’m extra prone to counsel the latter. It’s made huge sophomore season enhancements, and is now price your money and time. Take a yr off from MVMCP, it’ll nonetheless be there–more than likely just about the similar–in 2025, 2026, 2027, and so forth.
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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 Birthday party? Excited to wait this yr’s tournament? Will your circle of relatives be purchasing or sitting it out? What are your ideas on additions and subtractions relative to worth will increase for MVMCP since 2019? Do you compromise or disagree with our standpoint in this? Any questions we will be able to let you solution? Listening to your comments–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas beneath within the feedback!
