Disney Very Merriest After Hours | 5 Things You NEED To Know
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and that means it’s time for the celebrating to begin!
Like in years past, guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort have a lot of fun ways to make the season merry and bright. One of those ways is with a new After Hours event called Disney Very Merriest After Hours. Disney Very Merriest After Hours is a hard ticketed event at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. There are lots of fun holiday festivities to enjoy during the event, but in order to make the most of it there are a few things you should know. Today, we’re talking about 5 of the things you need to know about Disney Very Merriest After Hours in order to ensure you have the jolliest time possible.
#1 - You Can’t Do EVERYTHING
I don’t know about you, but every time I walk through the gates of a Walt Disney World theme park I find myself trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible. Of course, it’s not always [or ever] possible to accomplish absolutely everything in one day or at one event. Disney Very Merriest After Hours is no exception. While it can be tempting to think that with a little bit of motivation, a good pair of shoes and maybe a midday nap you can make the impossible possible, that’s not necessarily the case. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a lot of fun or do a little bit of everything though!
How do you make that possible?
The way we see it, the best way to get the most out of your time at the Disney Very Merriest After Hours event is to have an idea of what you want to accomplish and prioritize those things when you get to the park or, more specifically, when the event actually starts. Keep in mind, if you’re entering the park at 7:00PM [which you can do with your Disney Very Merriest After Hours ticket] you’ll be sharing the park with day guests until around 9:00PM when the event officially starts. This means you will experience crowds, but don’t get discouraged. . . . the park will clear out quite a bit before the After Hours starts.
[TIP: If you’re wanting to grab some food or shop, 7:00PM to 8:00PM is a good time to do just that. With most people preparing to watch Enchantment at 8:00PM, the shops along Main Street USA weren’t as crowded as they’d likely be after the fireworks. Something similar can be said for food options. Be sure to check the MyDisneyExperience App to find out what options are available.]
What worked rather well for us, when attending this year’s Disney Very Merriest After Hours, was starting with a bit of shopping on Main Street USA before heading straight towards the rear of the park. From there, we knocked a few attractions off our list and tried some of the foods that we had our eye on. The rest of the night was spent strolling around the park, doing those things we’d wanted to priorities, while stopping for selfies with characters, cookies and cocoa along the way. By the end of the night, we’d accomplished a little bit of everything and had a good time.
#2 - Holiday Fun Starts At 9:00PM
While guests who purchase a ticket to Disney Very Merriest After Hours can get into the Magic Kingdom as early as 7:00PM, it’s important to keep in mind that the event doesn’t officially kick off until 9:00PM. That means that while you might see Cast Members in their holiday best or fun projections start to appear around the park, you won’t have the ability to enjoy any holiday fun until the After Hours event officially starts.
As you might imagine, this means that you won’t see those entertainment options or characters until the event officially kicks off. However, it also means that you won’t have access to complimentary snacks or dining locations that will be open during the event. In some cases, such as that of the Golden Oak Outpost, the dining locations will close and then reopen at 9:00PM for Disney Very Merriest After Hours. This is an important detail to keep in mind, especially if you’re planning to arrive at Magic Kingdom with the intention of grabbing some dinner before the After Hours event kicks off.
Aside from fueling yourself up for a fun filled night at Magic Kingdom, it’s important to keep in mind that these holiday offerings will be available starting at 9:00PM so that you don’t find yourself wasting time waiting for something that won’t be open until later in the night. One thing we noticed while at Disney Very Merriest After Hours is that lines for things like character interactions, cookies and food carts were quite long right at 9:00PM, but simmered down quite a bit thereafter.
[TIP: Standing in line prior to 9:00PM for a holiday offering isn’t the best use of time. As most lines start to dissipate shortly thereafter, we recommend enjoying attractions or other offerings until around 9:30PM.]
#3 - Later Shows Are Less Crowded
One of the best offerings that Disney Very Merriest After Hours has is entertainment. Over the course of the event, guests can enjoy a stage show, fireworks and even a parade! [Something that we are seeing for the first time since the parks reopened in 2020.] While seeing entertainment like this usually means finding and holding onto a good spot for hours in advance, that isn’t the case at Disney Very Merriest After Hours. In fact, it doesn’t take much effort to get a good view at all.
However, if you’re wanting to get as close to the action as possible, we recommend staying for a later show. It probably goes without saying, but as the evening goes on the crowds at Disney Very Merriest After Hours get even lighter and that means easier access to great viewing spots.
If seeing these festive holiday offerings are high on your priority list and you don’t have to dip out early in the evening, we recommend starting off with Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show at 11:15PM and following that up with Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories at 11:45PM. The shows both take place at Cinderella Castle and, during our visit, there was plenty of space to walk right up to the castle and get great spot. Once the fireworks and show are over, you’re only about 15 minutes from seeing Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade.
[TIP: Following the fireworks, lots of people start to make their way out of the park. This makes it somewhat easy to get a front row ‘seat’ for Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories and see the characters up close. Then, following that show, we recommend making your way down Main Street USA and seeing the parade from under the Christmas tree. Space in this very specific spot is limited, but there still seemed to be plenty of room at the end of the night to get a perfect view of the parade in this hard to beat spot.]
#4 - This Isn’t The BEST Time To Get Magic Shots . . . Maybe
One of the offerings that you’ll find at Disney Very Merriest After Hours is festive Magic Shots around Magic Kingdom. Magic Shots are photos taken by Disney PhotoPass Photographers that includes special touches of magic. This could include appearances from some of your favorite Disney Pals or even putting you in a snowglobe. [NOTE: You can see some of the past PhotoPass Photos and Magic Shots we’ve taken HERE.] These special photos are not only fun, but they’re also a great way to capture memories and share them with the ones you love.
Generally speaking, we really love Disney PhotoPass, Memory Maker and Magic Shots. However, there are some times when they are a better use of time [and overall outcome] than others. Unfortunately, in the case of Disney Very Merriest After Hours, we weren’t impressed. Unlike other experiences I’ve had in the past, where the PhotoPass Photographer snaps a few pictures from different angles and suggests poses, this PhotoPass Photographer snapped one photograph and sent me on my way despite there being no line and plenty of time left in the evening.
The outcome wasn’t very impressive either.
Later that evening, when the photos showed up in the MyDisneyExperience App, we saw that we’d been treated to a snow globe overlay. While the photograph is cute, it’s not something that feels distinctly Disney in any way. In fact, it looks like something you could have accomplished at a kiosk at your local supercenter.
Now, is there a chance that this particular Cast Member who snapped the photo and rushed us through this experience was just ‘off’ on this particular evening? Sure. That said, we still think that this is something worth mentioning; especially when you taken into consideration that they images themselves weren’t anything to write home about.
#5 - The Value Of This Event Is Debatable
Probably the most talked about think when it comes to Disney Very Merriest After Hours is whether or not the event is worth the money you’ll be paying to attend. With tickets ranging from $190 to upwards of $250 per person, depending on the date you’re planning to attend, the question is well worth asking! Trouble is. . . . it’s a complicated answer.
Like with many other Walt Disney World related discussions, whether or not this event is worth the money you’re paying is going to depend on a number of factors. There are those who are going to argue that experiencing Christmas in the park without being in the park on Christmas [which can be an absolute nightmare] is well worth the money. There are also those who have taken the time to crunch the numbers and think that it’s an outrageously overpriced event. That is a very valid argument too.
At the end of the day, what’s important to keep in mind is that Disney Very Merriest After Hours is not an event that you should consider doing willy nilly; especially if you’re trying to stick to a budget. We recommend that you take some time to crunch the numbers and really decide whether or not the price tag on attending this event with your family is right for you.
BONUS: There Is No Event Specific Merchandise
Unlike other holiday parties and after hours events in the past, Disney Very Merriest After Hours does not have event specific holiday merchandise. While you can find holiday merchandise on sale at Magic Kingdom during the event, it’s the same merchandise you can find elsewhere at the Walt Disney World Resort or the shopDisney website.
[TIP: If you’re planning to attend Disney Very Merriest After Hours and want holiday merchandise for the occasion, we recommend buying your gear ahead of time rather than waiting until the day of the event. This can be purchased all over the Walt Disney World Resort including at Disney Springs or even your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel.]
Well, fellow mortals, I think that about does it!
While we’re sure that there are many more tips and tricks we could share about Disney Very Merriest After Hours at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, we hope that this has been a good place to start and helps you on your way to having a magical evening. Thank you so much for materializing here today and we hope to see you in the next one!