There are two large vacation season exhausting price tag occasions at Walt Disney Global: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration in Magic Kingdom and Jollywood Nights in Hollywood Studios. This compares and contrasts MVMCP and DJN to peer which is healthier for characters, fireworks, leisure, crowds, and extra.
Now that tickets to each Christmas events at Walt Disney Global are on sale for 2024, we idea it will be a great time to make this comparability so you’ll decide which may well be best for you. With that stated, it does include a few asterisks. First, Jollywood Nights advanced and advanced closing yr over the process the season. We’re thus judging it in line with the top of its run closing yr somewhat than the start.
2nd, Jollywood Nights is making much more adjustments and additions for Christmas 2024. We’re assuming it’ll be higher in consequence, however that actually doesn’t issue into the kinds that every social gathering “wins” and even without equal verdict. Nonetheless, it’s an incomplete or imperfect comparability, which is as just right as you’re going to get if you wish to have one thing sensible to lend a hand you make a decision which tickets to buy. Should you watch for our precise critiques of the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration and Jollywood Nights, there’s a possibility your dates will already be bought out.
One last item we need to warn towards is baked in biases of Walt Disney Global diehards. This cuts each tactics. At the one hand, numerous fanatics grasp super nostalgia for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, having skilled it over the process a long time. This comprises us–it’s been annual custom since 2007. We’ve made such a lot of nice reminiscences on the match and grasp such a lot sentimentality against it that I will not consider now not doing MVMCP…whilst price tag costs explode and now not a lot adjustments.
Alternatively, there are those that are, necessarily, the complete opposite. They’ve been across the block with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, and are able for one thing new. Disney Jollywood Nights is new. It is vitally, very other from MVMCP. Because of this, numerous longtime fanatics who really feel that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration is drained or stale may well be predisposed to who prefer Jollywood Nights at the foundation of it being recent and new-to-them.
However that’s the perspective of a blogger, vlogger, or Walt Disney Global diehard fan. It’s now not consultant of the typical attendee and even the extra informal fan who visits sometimes. Whilst everybody clearly has biases, that’s our standpoint when making this strive at an function comparability between Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration and Disney Jollywood Nights: which will have to an rare or first-time Walt Disney Global visitor attend?
Time: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration – Walt Disney Global is transferring in the proper course with Disney Jollywood Nights, making it a 5-hour vacation social gathering from 7:30 pm to twelve:30 am in 2024, with the mix-in permitting match price tag holders to go into Disney’s Hollywood Studios as early as 6:00 pm.
That’s nonetheless not so good as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. The development length is similar at 5 hours, albeit from 7:00 pm to nighttime. The adaptation is the mix-in, which permits MVMCP price tag holders to go into Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00 pm. That further 90 mins offers visitors time to knock out favourite points of interest with brief waits, seize a meal, or differently discover the park at Walt Disney Global with essentially the most issues to do.
Meals: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration – No refreshments are integrated with the cost of your match price tag to Disney Jollywood Nights. That is in sharp distinction to After Hours, a big promoting level of which is the limitless bottled drinks, ice cream novelties, and popcorn from outside merchandising carts.
It’s additionally a departure from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, which provides “unfastened” limitless Christmas cookies, sizzling chocolate, and different vacation refreshments. MVMCP additionally provides particular menus at more than a few counter carrier eating places and snack stands, even supposing that is rarely probably the most primary options of the development.
Oddly sufficient, probably the most primary promoting issues of Disney Jollywood Nights is “shimmering sips and sensational candies.” The issue is that it is a promoting level, reasonably actually, for Disney. They need to promote you extra meals when you’re on the match. We discovered a few of that meals to be tremendous, however in truth, we’re now not paying over $100 or the use of our restricted social gathering time to spend much more cash on meals. We doubt many visitors are. The unfastened cookies and sizzling cocoa at MVMCP are how one can cross–and what Disney Jollywood Nights will have to be doing, too.
Parade: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration – This is a simple one since best Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration has a parade within the first position, so it wins via default. Should you love parades, MVMCP is the Christmas social gathering you will have to make a selection.
However let’s fake, for no matter explanation why, that you just’re at the fence concerning the ‘significance’ of this class. Perhaps you’re now not essentially a parade particular person, however are open to staring at one if it’s actually just right.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade (MOUACP) is actually just right. It has marching toy squaddies, dancing reindeer and gingerbread males, and ever the massive guy himself, Ole Saint Nick! Calling MOUACP actually just right is an irony. It has iconic floats, characters, moments and track.
It’s long and pleasing, and not using a filler–each and every unit is very good, making for a parade that by no means overstays its welcome and in reality leaves you in need of extra. About the one “weak spot” of Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade is that 90% of it existed a decade or two in the past. So for some Walt Disney Global fanatics, it feels drained and past due for a alternative. To that, I say don’t repair what isn’t damaged. What number of Walt Disney Global fanatics imagine the alternative for Vacation Needs is a real improve? Briefly, watch out what you want for.
Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade is without doubt one of the best possible items of leisure at Walt Disney Global, and is an absolute must-see. From the toy squaddies marching in formation to the pleasant persona costumes to reindeer dancing in entrance of Santa–and so a lot more. Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade is comfy and fascinating, a a laugh and noteworthy parade that’s bursting with vacation spirit.
Fireworks: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration – This can be a nearer name than it will have to be. 9 instances out of 10, fireworks at Magic Kingdom will win over the ones at Hollywood Studios since the easy fact is that explosions over Cinderella Citadel have baseline attraction.
Fireworks above Cinderella Citadel is without doubt one of the definitive reports at Walt Disney Global, and as long as the track is just right sufficient, the vast majority of visitors will experience it. That’s how Disney Attraction controlled first rate visitor pride ratings general in spite of being very low relative to previous Magic Kingdom fireworks displays.
Equivalent tale right here. Minnie’s Glorious Christmastime Fireworks are a contemporary addition, and exhibit pyro plus projections. Whilst longtime fanatics would possibly argue that this display is not so good as Vacation Needs in many ways, it’s just right sufficient. Just like the music “Glorious Christmastime,” it’s schmaltzy and foolish. (My unpopular opinion about each the fireworks and the music is they’re just right, in reality. However I do know there are many haters available in the market.)
It’s a equivalent tale with the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! fireworks at Disney Jollywood Nights. This middle of the night impressive in line with “Prep & Touchdown” has its moments and is polarizing amongst fanatics. Individually, I love Minnie’s Glorious Christmastime Fireworks much more–however by no means say no to both of those displays.
It additionally is helping that Minnie’s Glorious Christmastime Fireworks has much more pyro–together with perimeter bursts that encompass Cinderella Citadel. On stability, now not best is Minnie’s Glorious Christmastime Fireworks the awesome display, however in a competition between two middle of the night spectaculars that garner blended critiques, the Magic Kingdom fireworks will all the time beat the Disney’s Hollywood Studios fireworks.
Degree Displays: Disney Jollywood Nights – Now we flip to the simple win for Disney Jollywood Nights, which has 3 level displays to the only at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. In the case of DJN, the 3rd of those level displays is described via Walt Disney Global as a blinding new skating impressive set to vacation tunes, that includes grace and ability of global champion skaters in an awe-inspiring twist at the conventional ice display.
This can be a wild card, with its high quality, scale and scope all being unknowns. Nevertheless it doesn’t subject. Disney Jollywood Nights wins even though we fake the ice skating display doesn’t exist, as its different two level displays are each superb to nice.
The spotlight of the level displays all the way through DJN is Vacations in Hollywood, a vignette selection appearing that includes appearances from particular visitor stars, together with Kermit the Frog, Pass over Piggy, Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse—accompanied via a skilled forged of singers, dancers and jazz musicians. Vacations in Hollywood is unbelievable. Nice choreography, track, staging–the whole lot. It’s probably the most most sensible 3 seasonal level displays in all of Walt Disney Global.
The opposite level display at Disney Jollywood Nights is “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Ahead of Christmas Sing-Alongside.” That is admittedly a peculiar one, because it’s what quantities to a prime thought sing-along plus puppetry. An extraordinary blend, if I’ve ever observed one. Regardless of that, What’s This? is far higher than you could be expecting. The silent performers are very good, seeing the Jack Skellington puppet in a theater environment is superior, and Oogie Boogie steals the display. As any individual who hates sing-alongs and is detached to all issues Tim Burton (so I’m rarely function), I used to be stunned to experience this such a lot.
Over at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, the lone level display is now Mickey’s Maximum Merriest Birthday celebration. That is the attempted and true Cinderella Citadel musical medley level display, the idea of which doesn’t a lot subject. Mickey’s Maximum Merriest Birthday celebration is the most efficient level display in this checklist (and #2 general after Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular) and it rises to that spot due to an excellent mix of sentimentality and custom plus popular culture and very good music choices. It’s directly precisely what you’d be expecting and delightfully surprising with one thing for everybody, from children to adults.
Although Mickey’s Maximum Merriest Birthday celebration is #1 general, the truth that Disney Jollywood Nights has (a minimum of) two superb to nice level displays to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration’s lone display cements it with the win right here.
Atmospheric Leisure: Disney Jollywood Nights – Disney Jollywood Nights options a lot of dance events, swinging soirees, and intimate lounges–with the highlights being Vacation Fiesta en los angeles Calle, Twilight Soirée on the Tip Best Membership, and Jazzy Vacations at The Hollywood Brown Derby. Those 3 issues, in particular, are numerous what offers DJN its extra subtle and subtle vacation vibe. I may consider spending a complete night dressed up, dancing the evening away and taking part in those grownup reports. There’s completely not anything like all of that at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration.
Against this, MVMCP does have persona dance events like Membership Tinsel and Disney Junior Jingle Jam. Then there are different atmospheric acts, such because the Reindeer Wranglers in Frontierland. Individually, I don’t assume any of those choices are as just right as Twilight Soirée on the Tip Best Membership, however the audiences are completely other. I’d give the brink, objectively, to Disney Jollywood Nights, however I may see a lot of households who prefer the atmospheric leisure at MVMCP.
Characters: It Is dependent – This can be a difficult one. At the same time as an established Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration attendee with numerous fond reminiscences of the development, I believe the nature lineup is stale–and has been for the decade. It’s downright unhappy that Walt Disney Global hasn’t refreshed–or absolutely overhauled–it. However, once more, I’m looking to be function.
Even this is tricky, despite the fact that. Objectively talking, there are far more characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. There are kind of two-dozen distinct meet & greets, with about three-dozen characters overall. Against this, Disney Jollywood Nights is promoting a dozen distinct meet & greets for a complete of “greater than 20 persona reports.” So it sort of feels lovely open and closed, proper?
I’m now not so certain. A large number of the characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration also are to be had all the way through a standard day at Magic Kingdom (every so often they’re merely “enhanced” with the addition of scarves). MVMCP has a couple of dozen uncommon characters–that means characters who seldom seem all the way through the day or have distinct costumes (as an example, we’d depend Belle in her wintry weather get dressed) for the social gathering.
That’s kind of the similar quantity as at Disney Jollywood Nights. And whilst it’s nearly unattainable for me to be function about this, I’m individually extra serious about the uncommon persona lineup at DJN. There’s Santa Duffy, Phineas and Ferb, 3 Caballeros, Toy Tale friends who don’t in most cases seem, Disney Afternoon characters, Mickey & Buddies in distinctive outfits, and extra. Maximum first-timers would possibly now not care about this eclectic lineup of deep cuts, despite the fact that, and thus would possibly prefer Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. It’s a actually difficult name.
Setting: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration – Just by distinctive feature of being within the citadel park as an alternative of the studios park, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration has the fast edge to win this. There’s simply one thing about seeing Major Boulevard remodeled for the vacations, with an additional layer of lighting fixtures and track on most sensible of the tree, lighting fixtures, and day-to-day decor.
One of the vital issues we robotically communicate up about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration is the phenomenal environment–our favourite factor concerning the match is solely being there. Seeing the snowfall on Major Boulevard, listening to Jolly Outdated Saint Nicholas in Fantasyland, taking part in the moody lighting fixtures and particular projections, free-roaming characters having a laugh–all of it simply places a grin on my face.
None of this is nostalgia speaking. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration has mastered its temper, and that’s a large reason such a lot of other people love that social gathering. Even the lands that aren’t very Christmassy–like Adventureland and Tomorrowland–get into the temper by means of projections, track and extra.
The largest misfire of Disney Jollywood Nights for me closing yr used to be the vibe. A number of spaces of Disney’s Hollywood Studios felt like entire ghost cities. Famous person Wars: Galaxy’s Edge felt like a barren planet. Toy Tale Land had just about not anything happening for Disney Jollywood Nights. The 2 hottest portions of the park presented not anything.
Even lands that ostensibly had been collaborating in Disney Jollywood Nights had been lovely unhappy. We don’t in most cases spend a lot time in Animation Courtyard–as a result of why would we?!–and this match used to be a just right reminder of that. It felt like a useless mall looking to reinvent itself via including a Spirit Halloween Christmas.
Echo Lake used to be a vibrant spot, however now not as a result of Disney Jollywood Nights–it’s all the time a sleeper all the way through the vacation season. Identical is going for Sundown Side road, however that’s as a result of just about the entire substantive choices had been on this space of the park. Hollywood Side road used to be additionally completely delightful, however not anything like Major Boulevard.
Most effective small wallet of Disney’s Hollywood Studios felt like they had been open for trade, a lot much less actively celebrating Christmas. Once more, it is a common ole DHS drawback, but it surely’s amplified whilst you scale back the park capability and fake there’s a social gathering going down. It simply didn’t have the power. A few of this seems it’ll be fastened for the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights, but it surely’s exhausting to fathom it’ll be sufficient to tip the scales.
Crowds: Disney Jollywood Nights – It’s exceeding tricky for the typical attendee of both of those events to do the whole lot in one evening. Chances are high that, you received’t have the ability to meet each and every unmarried persona, see the level displays, fireworks, different leisure–by no means thoughts doing rides along with the party-specific stuff. However which is extra difficult? The place are crowds worse?
There’s a model of this the place the solution is “it relies.” Any person available in the market would possibly have very particular priorities that make Disney Jollywood Nights the more severe of the 2 occasions for crowds. This will be the case if consuming or particular meals are your most sensible precedence, because the worst traces closing yr all the way through DJN had been for the bars. I don’t assume that’s the typical first-timer, despite the fact that. (Particularly the typical first-timer debating between the 2, since MVMCP doesn’t actually have a consuming element.)
For nearly all of attendees, Disney Jollywood Nights goes to be the fewer crowded and laid again enjoy. On reasonable, there’s much less congestion, it’s more uncomplicated to peer the leisure, experience wait instances are minimum, and there are not any spaces of the park that experience any place close to the extent of congestion as Major Boulevard at Magic Kingdom between the primary and closing parade.
Even MVMCP isn’t as unhealthy as its belief, which is in line with 2018-2019 when events had been arguably oversold (see closing yr’s submit, Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration Much less Crowded?!). Regardless, Disney Jollywood Nights is most often decrease rigidity and decrease stakes, extra like an After Hours match with a Christmas twist.
General: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration – In the end, our ‘verdict’ could be that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration is the awesome match for first-timers or Disney fanatics who get to the parks on an rare foundation. It’s in truth now not even a remotely shut name. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration is the quintessential vacation time enjoy at Walt Disney Global.
Such a lot concerning the match is iconic, and the root for advertising fabrics for Christmas at WDW. There’s a explanation why the social gathering hasn’t modified all that a lot within the closing decade–since you don’t mess with perfection. Certain, this has ended in some WDW diehards who’ve long gone many times to turn out to be burnt out and wish one thing recent–however if you happen to’re studying this and are at the fence about which to wait, that most probably doesn’t describe you!
To make certain, Disney Jollywood Nights has its promoting issues. It’s a extra subtle and complex social gathering, in many ways, that can attraction to sure segments of parkgoers, even rare ones. Should you’re on the lookout for an Outdated Hollywood match with the glitz and glamor of Tinseltown all the way through the vacations–entire with extra grownup choices and consuming, then a robust case may well be made for Disney Jollywood Nights. There’s additionally one thing to be stated for its upstart nature, and the likelihood that it’ll be markedly advanced in 2024 as Disney appears to support perceptions (and price tag gross sales). There’s no resting on its laurels on the subject of Disney Jollywood Nights, that’s needless to say!
It’s now not simply doubtlessly upper upside, despite the fact that. As we discovered closing yr, there’s additionally extra drawback threat to Disney Jollywood Nights. There’s so much about it that’s taste-specific that can sound nice on paper, however would possibly not resonate with you in particular person. Now not best that, however in best its sophomore season, there also are a ton of unknowns. Amongst the ones are precise attendance, doable just right & unhealthy adjustments, traces for the characters and level displays, and most probably extra I haven’t even thought to be.
Perhaps Disney Jollywood Nights is worthwhile to you from a risk-reward standpoint. It indubitably is to us, and we’re actually having a look ahead to making an attempt this Christmas social gathering once more in its 2nd yr. Actually, we’re each extra serious about Disney Jollywood Nights than we’re MVMCP. However I additionally know that I had been a Walt Disney Global first-timer and had thus by no means attended both match, the one who could be proper for us would, indubitably, be Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. It’s now not even a remotely shut name. MVMCP is so clearly the protected and right kind selection for first-timers that this complete submit turns out superfluous. However, now not everybody has our personal tastes and priorities, so the point-by-point breakdown will expectantly be useful in serving to others make their resolution about which to wait.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration or Disney Jollywood Nights? Which did you assume had the easier surroundings, characters, fireworks, meals, leisure, and so on? Would you somewhat spend the night doing an match in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios all the way through the vacation season at Walt Disney Global? Do you disagree with any of our recommendation and tests? Any questions? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas beneath within the feedback!
