As part of my role as the , my family and I took a whirlwind trip to Walt Disney World over the weekend to experience the first night of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. And I’ll be the first to admit that I did a terrible job at taking pictures – I was soaking in the fun and to be honest, it was crowded!

This special party requires a separate ticket for admission and even though the party officially starts at 7 p.m., guests can enter Magic Kingdom Park at 4 p.m.  Time for more rides and grab a bite to eat before the celebration begins. My girls loved checking out the party map – time to plan a course of action!

I’ll share my tips for navigating Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party soon, but just know that the party features free snickerdoodle cookies and hot cocoa – if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, there are also apple slices and apple juice too. I may have eaten my weight in free cookies.

The highlight of the night for me was watching Queen Elsa turn Cinderella’s Castle into a sparkling castle of lights. (No pictures, as I was really far away.)  The magic of seeing the castle ‘frozen’ in lights just gets me every time – yep, I cried. Just look at it – it’s beautiful!

We watched Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade on Main Street and I loved watching the ‘snow’ fall down all around us. It’s funny, I wasn’t cold the entire night until the parade started – perfect timing to get me in the holiday spirit!

By the end of the parade, Molly was starting to fall asleep, so we decided it was time to go – but we timed the fireworks show just right. As we boarded the ferryboat back to the Ticket & Transportation Center – the ‘Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season’ fireworks show began in the distance. We timed it just right and watched as we sailed away from the park – and we beat the crowds too.

The number one sign of a great, family adventure is how quickly the kids fall asleep at the end of the night. Molly  was asleep before we even got back to the car and Maggie wasn’t too far behind her. It was a great night of fun and the perfect way for us to kick off the holiday season too. (Stay tuned for my tips and tricks coming soon!)

Have you been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? 

 

** We attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party as part of my role as the VISIT FLORIDA Family Insider. Thoughts and opinions here are 100% my own. **