A Frozen Holiday Wish
At this point even some of the most loyal Disney fans are getting sick of Frozen, but I highly suggest giving this Frozen-themed show a chance. It is a breathtaking sight to see Queen Elsa use her ice powers to turn on the castle’s lights. Furthermore, there is a legitimate story to this performance that left me feeling engaged and interested. I felt like there was a great balance between the characters telling a story, and the Frozen music we have all grown to know so well.
Grade: B+
Celebrate The Season
Located on the forecourt stage in the Magic Kingdom is a musical celebration brought to you by Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Pluto. Singing along to the Christmas carols, many guests seemed to really enjoy this show, especially kids. Personally, I was not a fan of this show. I was completely confused by what was supposed to be a simple children’s story. With so many classic musical tunes I completely lost interest. Apparently the story is of Mickey looking for a Christmas present for Minnie, but that was completely lost on me. Additionally, I will add that the crowds during the first show are extremely heavy in front of the castle. I would suggest waiting for the later shows.
Grade: B-
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
This parade left me speechless. After being disappointed with Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade I was very impressed with this. Particularly on Main Street U.S.A. with the snow falling, and the castle in the background, this parade really gives guests that special Christmas ambiance. While many of the floats are recycled floats from old parades I just thought it came together perfectly. The Festival of Fantasy Parade is still my favorite Disney parade, but in my opinion this is a close second. Seeing all the classic Disney characters, and topping it off with Santa Claus himself really makes the parade a magical experience. Some floats even seemed to have special scents that added to the Christmas atmosphere.
Grade: A-
Holiday Celebrate the Magic
Added to the end of the Celebrate the Magic projection show is a special holiday twist. There isn’t anything incredible about this show, but adding a couple of holiday themed projections does tie the show into the rest of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I think it would be nice if the show was completely new material from beginning to end, but overall it was still a nice addition.
Grade: B
Holiday Wishes – Celebrate the Spirit of the Season
I am a sucker for great fireworks, and the Holiday Wishes were some of the best fireworks I have ever seen in Walt Disney World. The music is a great blend of cheery and sentimental Christmas music that sends guests through a whirlwind of emotions. The fireworks themselves were spectacular as well. The special 180-degree fireworks top off how outstanding this show truly was.
Grade: A
Overall
The event was great. I would even say that I enjoyed myself more than I did at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. While there wasn’t as much going on as there was at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, I thought the quality of the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was much higher. I’d also like to mention that the Cast Members deserve praise and recognition for how excellent they were at the event. These events are not easy for Cast Members because of how much is going on, but the Cast Members on the first night of the event were amazing. Another reason this event was so incredible was how short the lines were for most of the attractions. Space Mountain was a 10 minute wait, which was basically just the amount of time it took to walk to the front of the line, and so many other rides featured short wait times. The party also features complimentary cookies and hot cocoa, which I thought was a nice Christmas-y touch, but I didn’t think they tasted very good.
