Having trouble transitioning from Halloween to the holiday season? Let Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party set you right

Leslie Navarro

13 years ago

Twas the week before Thanksgiving and all through the house,
Would-be Scrooges were starting to grouse.
"What's with these ads that are on my TV
Hyping Christmas crud that I'm s'posed to see?
Am I really the only one here who remembers
That this holiday isn't 'til the 25^th of December?"

Are you someone who has difficulty when it comes to holiday
transitions? Do you get genuinely upset when you see all of the stores pulling
down their Halloween decorations on November 1^st and then immediately
replacing them with Christmas trees?

Admittedly, this time of year can be pretty tough for those who prefer the good
old days. You know? When the holiday season used to be confined to that
three-to-four-week-long period between Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Well, if you're one of those people who just can't bring
yourself to buy candy canes for your Christmas tree yet because you still have
Halloween candy left, it's time to face facts: Like it or not, the 2011 holiday
season is already here. And if you're now looking for a way to quickly kick-start
your Christmas spirit, there's one sure-fire way to do this. And that's to buy
a ticket to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at WDW's Magic Kingdom.

From the very moment that you roll up to the entrance of the
Magic Kingdom's parking and you then spy those giant inflatable Mickey and
Minnie snowmen standing on top of the ticket booths … Well, no matter which
month it is, you'll inexplicably find yourself humming "It's Beginning to Look
a Lot Like Christmas." Not to mention laughing out loud once you see the Cast
Members who'll be handing out the wristbands that you need to enter this after-hours
hard ticket event. Who – because they're dressed from head-to-toe in Christmas-appropriate
clothing (what with their Santa hat, a holiday sweater which is covered with
tiny Christmas trees, not to mention those bright red pants) – are kind of the
personification of the holiday season.

But for those who actively resistant the urge to make merry
this time of year, a night spent in the Magic Kingdom at Mickey's Very Merry
Christmas is certain to set you right. For this after-hours event is Christmas
with a Capital "C." We're talking 6 foot-tall dancing gingerbread men. Carolers
singing and dancing their way through this festively festooned theme park. And
did I mention that – every so often – it actually snows on Main Street, U.S.A.
?

Of course, what with Disney World being Disney World,
they've made some plusses & improvements since last year's Very Merry
Christmas Party. Chief among these is the new holiday segment that's just been
folded into the Magic Kingdom's "The Magic, the Memories and You" show. Which is
why – at one point in this program — Cinderella Castle transforms into a 189
foot-tall Christmas present complete with candy-striped wrapping paper.

And even "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade" has
folded in some fun new elements like Cast Members who use inline skates to
"ski" their way down the parade route. Plus the parade premiere of Duffy the
Disney Bear.

And while you're attending this after-hours party, you can —
of course — visit the Magic Kingdom's world-class assortment of rides, shows
and attractions. But if it's your holiday spirits that you're actively looking
to revive via a visit to Disney World theme
park … Well, my advice is to keep moving about and see all of the seasonal
entertainment that goes along with spending a night experiencing Mickey's
Very Merry Christmas Party.

We're talking about fun holiday-themed shows like "A Totally
Tomorrowland Christmas" (which is presented several times nightly on the
Rockettower Plaza Stage) around and/or the chance to get Christmas Card-worthy
shot of yourself posing with those two Disney Channel favorites, Phineas and
Ferb,

Not to mention all of the amazing shows that will then get
presented of the course of this night in front of and/or directly overhead of
Cinderella Castle. You can watch as the Fairy Godmother grants Cinderella's
Holiday Wish and – with a wave of her wand (and the help of 200,000 twinkling
lights) transforms this WDW icon into an ice-covered wonder. Or watch as red,
green and gold fireworks fill the sky directly above this castle as the "Holiday
Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season" show gets underway.

Of course, if you're
just not into parades, shows and fireworks … Well, you can always enjoy some of
the quieter joys to be found at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Take – for
example — the amazing seasonal lighting effects that you'll see projected on
buildings along Main Street, U.S.A. as well as in Tomorrowland and Liberty
Square. Or getting the chance to hang
out with "Toy Story" stars like Woody, Jessie and Bullseye at the Diamond
Horseshoe's Hootin' Holiday Open House.

And – of course – as you walk through the park that night,
you'll repeatedly get the chance to help yourself to some complimentary cookies
and hot cocoa. Which means that – if all of the lights & the music that you
experience while attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party don't put you in
a proper holiday mood … Well, maybe the resulting sugar rush will.

In short, if you're a would-be Scrooge who's had trouble
making the sudden transition from Halloween to the holiday season, let a visit
to Mickey's
Very Merry Christmas Party set you right.

And save some Snickerdoodles for me, okay?