“When will Walt Disney World release 2024 dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party?” and “why haven’t tickets for MVMCP gone on sale yet?” are reader questions we’ve been receiving more. We’ll try to answer based on what we know based on historical release dates, current trends, past demand, and more.
As with all of these speculative posts, we’ll start with the simple fact that Madame Leota is not employed by this blog–meaning that we don’t have a crystal ball. No one can give you a definitive answer about when Walt Disney World will announce 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates or tickets. The same holds true for pretty much anything that hasn’t been officially announced, released internally, or leaked.
So if you’re the kind of person who, in the past, has complained that this type of prognostication post is a “waste of time,” now is your chance to opt out. Consider instead subscribing to our free email newsletter for instant alerts, which will provide you an immediate update when 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates are officially announced by Walt Disney World. This post is most certainly not that, but rather, our long-winded attempt to offer insight in response the above reader questions…
We’ll start this section with last year, when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was announced during “Halfway to the Holidays” on June 15, 2023. Tickets for last year’s MVMCP went on sale on June 29 for guests of select on-site hotels, and July 6 for the general public. Obviously, June 15, 2024 is in the rearview mirror and even the on-sale dates are right around the corner.
Given that, the logical expectation is for Halfway to the Holidays to occur literally any day now. However, we’re slightly skeptical of that. Looking ahead to next week, Walt Disney World has the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on June 28, 2024. That alone isn’t sufficient reason not to do Halfway to the Holidays, as the two things in tandem could boost bookings for the last two months of the year.
It’s not just Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, though. Walt Disney World is also a week behind on releasing discounts relative to last year, and we’d expect those to drop this coming week. Especially since special offers have typically been coming early in 2024, rather than late. It’s also our understanding that more news is coming next week. All of that plus Christmas news just strikes us as unlikely, unless Walt Disney World wants to “flood the zone” and really create buzz. And perhaps they do!
If Halfway to the Holidays doesn’t happen this week, the next logical timeframe would simply be next week, starting July 1. Disney could even rebrand and call it their “Christmas in July Celebration.” That seems doubtful, though, for a very obvious reason: Independence Day on Thursday, making it a partial workweek–and one during which a lot of people will undoubtedly be out of office for the duration.
Another distinct possibility is that Halfway to the Holidays won’t be nearly as big of an event this year. Last year, it was spread out over the course of an entire week, with daily announcements to generate excitement. Same story for Halfway to Halloween last year. This year, Halfway to Halloween was a single day of news–it was almost as if Disney wanted to get it done and over with.
If Halfway to the Holidays is scaled back to a single day, it becomes much more plausible in the nearer term. It could happen June 24, July 1, or other weekdays in between that don’t have other news scheduled. Or, if Disney doesn’t care or mind having ‘shared’ news days, it could occur on those, too. I just wouldn’t expect a full-on week of Halfway to the Holidays to begin until July 8, 2024 at the earliest.
One final possibility is that Halfway to the Holidays hasn’t been scheduled yet because the major details haven’t fully firmed up. When it comes to this, there are two big wildcards that immediately come to mind: Cinderella Castle Dream Lights and Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios.
It’s our understanding that there was internal debate about the former for the last couple years, and we suspect the same is probably true of the latter in 2024. (For whatever it’s worth, we think Jollywood Nights is almost a sure thing to return, whereas the odds are against Dream Lights.)
Announcements could be held up as Disney determines the final fate of both–or something else entirely. With pent-up demand fully exhausted and a summer slowdown in progress, Walt Disney World might be considering ways to boost attendance and hotel occupancy in the last couple calendar months (or first fiscal quarter).
As should be clear from the above, the bottom line is that we don’t know when 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates will be announced or when tickets will go on sale. I’d expect an announcement before mid-July as well as ticket presales and regular sales all by the end of next month. But beyond that, who knows.
Personally, I don’t think Disney has much sense of urgency with MVMCP since every single date sold out last year (and the year before), and the same will almost certainly be true in 2024. As a result, it’s not as if they “need” to make the announcement by a certain date in order to have enough runway to sell tickets. These holiday parties are becoming more like their counterparts at Disneyland, which never rushes to reveal details or start selling tickets because they know all dates will sell out annually.
No matter how or when the 2024 MVMCP announcement is made, I’d further predict that tickets will go on sale a week or two after the announcement and once again be staggered for on-site and off-site guests to create a sense of urgency and perhaps demand for on-site accommodations.
With that in mind, here are the historical announcement and sales dates of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party going back to 2017, just in case you want to further try to read the tea leaves. I think that’s a fool’s errand, but perhaps this info is somehow useful to you…
In 2017, dates and details for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party were announced on April 6; ticket sales started on May 10. That year, prices started at $89 for adults and $84 for children (3-9).
The 2017 MVMCP was held for a 21 nights, with events on the following dates:
- November 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 26, 28
- December 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22
That sprung forward significantly the following year, with March 19, 2018 being the date that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets went on sale. MVMCP ticket prices started at $95 in advance or $105 at the gate.
The 2018 Christmas Party was held for a then-record 22 nights:
- November 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29, 30
- December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21
Both of those years, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets also went on sale the same day that MNSSHP tickets were released. This was a pretty common practice at the time, but didn’t always occur.
It also wasn’t always the case that the announcement and sales date coincided. For a few years, it was normal for dates to be released in late March or April and tickets going on sale in early May.
In 2019, tickets for MNSSHP were released in mid-January, which was too early for the release of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates and tickets. The MVMCP announcement came on April 8; tickets started at $99 in 2019, and that was after a pre-purchase discount of $10.
The number of event nights increased once again, hitting a then-record 23 dates:
- November: 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24
- December: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22
It’s worth adding a “footnote” here that 2019 was not a normal year for Walt Disney World. That late summer and early fall was the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and many people steered clear of the parks (both in Florida and California) during that land’s opening months out of fears that it would be chaotic.
People pushed trips back to November or December for Christmas, and/or the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The end result was an atypically slow end of summer, and surprisingly strong holiday season. This really has more pertinence for the Halloween season, but it’s still noteworthy when discussing the second half of the year. Like the 2-3 years that followed, 2019 was not normal–in terms of attendance and demand dynamics–at Walt Disney World.
Fast-forward to 2021, when Disney Very Merriest After Hours was announced as a replacement for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party following a hiatus in 2020. That new event was unveiled on August 13, after the Disney After Hours Boo Bash had already started. Tickets went on sale beginning August 17 for on-site resort guests and August 20 for the general public.
Disney Very Merriest After Hours was held on 24 select nights:
- November: 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30
- December: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21
Ticket prices ranged from $169 to $229 plus tax for select November-December nights and $249, plus tax for late December dates in 2019. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members could take advantage of a $10 discount on select event dates in November.
The timing of this release was almost certainly an anomaly, as Walt Disney World was scrambling to bring back its normal offerings amidst staffing shortages and while trying to navigate an anticipated influx of crowds for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. As with 2019 and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, this didn’t materialize. This time, it was more about the Delta variant and reinstated face mask rules rather than “crowdpocalypse” fears, but the latter likely contributed slightly to lower attendance between October and December.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party made its triumphant return in 2022. This was announced during Walt Disney World’s “Halfway to Holidays” on June 23. Tickets went on sale beginning June 30 for on-site resort guests and July 7 for the general public.
Taking place on 24 select nights, the 2022 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party set a new record for earliest start date and most event nights. It also returned to its standard schedule of hours from 7 p.m. to midnight, and was no longer capacity-constrained in the same was as Very Merriest After Hours.
As a result, ticket prices decreased as compared to After Hours the year before, but were still a record high (by a wide margin) relative to MVMCP in previous years, ranging from $149 to $199 per person.
Event dates for the 2022 MVMCP were:
- November: 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27, 29
- December: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22
As you can see from the range of release dates above, when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets go on sale each year varies. It has happened in both early March and late August–but the latter was an obvious anomaly. Walt Disney World planners may bemoan this, as it makes planning difficult.
The good news is that a trend has emerged in the post-reopening era with the “Halfway to Halloween” week to build anticipation and excitement for spook season. As for precisely when “Halfway to the Holidays” is likely to happen, that’s largely dictated by anticipated demand and sales projections. Last year, pent-up demand was still running hot; as a result, every single date of both MNSSHP and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party sold out in advance.
That’s not normal. While Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party does usually sell better than its Halloween counterpart, the norm is for the first 2-3 parties to sell out, the first one after Thanksgiving to sell out (because parties aren’t held during the week of Thanksgiving), and then mid-December dates. In an average year, about half of the MVMCP event nights would sell out, with the parties least likely to sell out being mid-November and early to mid-December.
Usually, the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party would sell out in October or early November, with subsequent dates selling out between late November and early December. Last year, the first couple of Christmas Parties sold out in September, and every single date sold out before Thanksgiving. Most dates were gone by November 4. Again, this was not normal.
Point being, if you’re anxiously awaiting Walt Disney World to release 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates and tickets because you’re worried about it selling out, don’t. Even with last year setting the record for sold out dates, nothing was gone until September, and only the first two nights sold out that month.
Late October and early November is when most dates of last year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party sold out. And again, that all happened earlier than normal. Keep in mind that Americans were fully embracing in “revenge travel,” which resulted in freer spending as consumers sought to make up for lost time and were less price sensitive as a result.
Suffice to say, the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is not going to sell out within days of tickets going on sale. That applies to both the presale window and the general public window. We know many of you are planners who get anxious about not having every detail set in stone, but you really don’t have anything to worry about here.
With that said, the popularity of last year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party should not be minimized. Don’t look at the looming summer slowdown and assume the same will be true for November and December. Those months will probably be slower than their counterparts last year, but they won’t be as bad as right now or August and September. The holiday season is always busy; it’s a fan favorite, and Americans find money in their budget for Christmas even when cutting back at other times of the year.
In other words, it would be foolish to forecast significantly lower sales for 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets even as crowds and hotel bookings are lower for summer. There were many factors driving the popularity of MVMCP last year, and far more demand for tickets than supply. Even 25% less demand for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party could still mean many or most dates still selling out over the course of the event.
Finally, few quick predictions. The first is that I don’t think there will be price increases to the ticket price range for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Even though the parties are popular and sold out all dates last year, Disney has largely hit a wall with prices. Maybe that doesn’t apply to hard ticket events, but maybe it does. At most, I’d expect a $5-10 increase.
My next prediction is that, if prices do increase, tickets for the event will sell slower. To offset this, it could mean the return of discount tickets for Cast Members or the last-minute introduction of a new rare character meet & greet–anything to entice additional demand. One way or another, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is probably going to sell out every single date again in 2024.
The bottom line is that we wouldn’t worry about buying tickets on day or week one, but we also wouldn’t take a super laid back approach, either. Even as Walt Disney World has seen an exhaustion of pent-up demand with pretty much everything else, special events are the one thing that’s still going strong. That could change, but for now, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Christmas party is considerably less popular this year than it was last.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
YOUR THOUGHTS
When do you think 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates will be announced? Expect ticket sales to start the same day, or with a delay? Did you attend MVMCP at Walt Disney World last year? Planning on attending again this year, or were you part of the ‘pent-up demand’ crowd? What did you think of the ‘sold out’ crowds? Think it was worth the high ticket price? Any entertainment additions you’re hoping to see for the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Any other tips, likes or dislikes? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
