Review: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party first event of the year

After meeting Sandy Claws, I wanted to verify character locations and times to make sure Character Locator is correct.  Bert and Mary Poppins were hanging out in Fantasyland, but no penguins this year :(  The line for them is rarely too long, but arrive a few minutes before a set to wait the least.

I had figured I would meet the Princes in their NEW COSTUMES later in the party, so I just flew by to snap a couple of photos.  The Prince (Ferdinand according to Shirley Temple) didn’t show up for the last meet and greet.  Perhaps he got a bit of one of those apples?

At a little after 7pm the posted wait for Rapunzel side was 40 minutes.  It’s punzie and Eugene along with Tiana and Naveen on the LEFT side.

Cindy with Charming along with mystery crown was meeting on the right side.  Okay, the other person is Princess Elena of Avalor.  The posted wait at that time was 35 minutes.  These 30 to 45 minutes were pretty typical all night long, but I’ll tell you later how I met them with NO WAIT.

I thought I’d try the various free snacks that are offered during Mickeys’ Christmas Party.  Here we have the blue “Snow Cones” at the Friars nook.  They offer different things in different locations this year.  The Egg Nog at Heritage House had a line most of the night.

Shortly before 7:40pm I made my way to an empty space in front of Cinderella Castle to watch the new Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration.  Who comes up with these names???  The show is a combination of an ugly sweater contest, learning to properly use cell phones, a parade of characters you cannot meet and Santa Mickey.  Anyone buying me this sweater for Christmas?  Anyone?  Scrooge.

The show incorporates some of the projection technology.  Speaking of that, they just introduced the new Once Upon a Time show.  They showed if for 3 days, then gave it a 6 day hiatus.  What’s the deal?  First, it was shown really late at night, then they don’t offer it all and there’s no pre-fireworks show now at the parties?  (Steps off soapbox)

You thought I was kidding about the cell phone?  Best I could tell Mickey is trying to figure out how to get the Olaf you failed screen to go away on the Fastpass+ system.  Either that or the spotty WIFI signal wasn’t connecting well while standing in one space.

The star of the show is the new “talking” Clarabelle Cow.  She is now the rage of social media and should have her own Instagram account soon.  I knew how much you guys needed a starlet Clarabelle Cow Facebook Header, so click the pic and save and boom you’ve got all her bovine badness all over the top of your account.

NO ONE rocks a cowbell necklace like Clarabelle.  Don’t even try or you’ll look like a Mississippi State football fan.  Who else uses cowbells these days?  Just watch the fashion world rage after seeing the photo below!  It will be all over Paris, Monaco and Claremont.

The next section of the show allows us to see characters that we’ll never get to meet in the park any more unless they Unleash the Magic or create a new paid event.  You can see Jessie, White Rabbit, Wendy (got cut from party), Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Jose and Panchito.  Poor Woody got sent back to the toy box in Hollywood Studios only for meets too.  I wonder if they will now throw Dug on stage too?

Goofy isnt’ terribly impressed with my attempt at sarcasm.

The Caballeros aren’t too worried about that rumor of building a wall around the Mexico pavilon.  They fill confident that the newer animatronics at the end of their ride should keep the bulldozers away.

In order to cheer up the crowds after watching all the unmeetable characters dance around on stage, Santa Mickey and Minnie Claus appear to greet the crowds.

Okay, the show was pretty cute, but the cell phone texting and calling part with Daisy and Donald is just odd.  When Disney characters try to do pop culture, it often goes over with a thud.

I stayed in the area and watched the Frozen Castle Takeover show where Elsa freezes all the guests into Mickey Premium Bars.  

Fine, she makes all the pretty lights come on the Castle.  Geez, I’m trying for humor here peeps.

Okay, so some useful information.  IF you were to find a spot right along the parade route where the pavers connect to the street, you could watch both shows, then just turn around and sit down to watch the parade pass.  If you try to get close to the stage for the Frozen Takeover, you’ll likely be standing behind 9 guys at least 6’2″ or taller.  Some poor guy tried to push a double stroller through this crowd before the CM made him go around to the walk way.

Carry on to page 3 below!