There are two vacation exhausting ticket occasions at Walt Disney World for 2025: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion in Magic Kingdom and Jollywood Nights in Hollywood Studios. This compares and contrasts MVMCP and DJN to see which is best for characters, fireworks, leisure, crowds, and extra. (Up to date August 12, 2025.)

Now that tickets to each Christmas events at Walt Disney World are on sale for 2025, we thought it could be an excellent time to make this comparability so you may decide which may be best for you. With that mentioned, it does include a few asterisks. First, Jollywood Nights developed and improved final yr by leaps and bounds as in comparison with the inaugural occasion. Up to now, solely minor tweaks have been introduced for Christmas 2025, so we’re assuming there aren’t main surprises and are evaluating each events as they existed final yr.

It’s unlikely the 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion will change a lot in any respect. It’s bought out each single night time for the final a number of years, so there’s no incentive to alter. On high of that, the similarly-situated Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion isn’t altering a lot. Jollywood Nights has the potential for extra surprises on the upside because it didn’t promote out most dates final yr, nevertheless it looks like any materials enhancements would’ve been introduced by now.

Nonetheless, that is an incomplete or imperfect comparability, which is pretty much as good as you’re going to get in order for you one thing sensible that will help you determine which tickets to buy. In case you look ahead to our precise evaluations of the 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion and Jollywood Nights, there’s an opportunity your dates will already be bought out. We’ll be attending the primary occasions on November 7-8, 2025, however by that time final yr, a number of MVMCP nights had been already bought out.

One ultimate factor we wish to warn in opposition to is baked in biases of Walt Disney World diehards. This cuts each methods. On the one hand, plenty of followers maintain great nostalgia for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, having skilled it over the course of many years. This consists of us–it’s been annual custom since 2007. We’ve made so many nice recollections on the occasion and maintain a lot sentimentality in the direction of it that I can not think about not doing MVMCP…at the same time as ticket costs explode and never a lot adjustments.

Alternatively, there are those that are, basically, the precise reverse. They’ve been across the block with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, and are prepared for one thing new. Disney Jollywood Nights is new. It is rather, very totally different from MVMCP. In consequence, plenty of longtime followers who really feel that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is drained or stale may be predisposed to preferring Jollywood Nights on the idea of it being contemporary and new-to-them.

However that’s the standpoint of a blogger, vlogger, or Walt Disney World diehard fan. It’s not consultant of the typical attendee and even the extra informal fan who visits occasionally. Whereas everybody clearly has biases, that’s our viewpoint when making this try at an goal comparability between Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion and Disney Jollywood Nights: which ought to an rare or first-time Walt Disney World visitor attend?

Time: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion

Walt Disney World is transferring in the correct path with Disney Jollywood Nights, making it a 5-hour vacation get together from 7:30 pm to 12:30 am, with the mix-in permitting occasion ticket holders to enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios as early as 5:30 pm in 2025 (that’s half-hour sooner than final yr).

That’s nonetheless inferior to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. The occasion length is an identical at 5 hours, albeit from 7:00 pm to midnight. The distinction is the mix-in, which permits MVMCP ticket holders to enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00 pm. That additional 90 minutes offers friends time to knock out favourite sights with brief waits, seize a meal, or in any other case discover the park at Walt Disney World with probably the most issues to do.

Meals: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion (However Debatable)

No refreshments are included with the value of your occasion ticket to Disney Jollywood Nights. That is in sharp distinction to After Hours, a serious promoting level of which is the limitless bottled drinks, ice cream novelties, and popcorn from outside merchandising carts.

It’s additionally a departure from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, which gives “free” limitless Christmas cookies, sizzling chocolate, and different vacation refreshments. MVMCP additionally gives particular menus at numerous counter service eating places and snack stands, though that is hardly one of many foremost options of the occasion. We’ve discovered that there’s normally ‘simply sufficient’ on the particular menu entrance to take pleasure in a novel dinner and snack throughout mix-in.

One of many foremost promoting factors of Disney Jollywood Nights is “shimmering sips and sensational sweets.” The issue is that it is a promoting level, fairly actually, for Disney. They wish to promote you extra meals when you’re on the occasion. We’ve discovered a few of that meals to be superb, however truthfully, we’re not paying over $100 or utilizing our restricted get together time to spend much more cash on meals. We doubt many friends are.

The free cookies and sizzling cocoa at MVMCP are the way in which to go–and what Disney Jollywood Nights must be doing, too. Accordingly, we’d award this win to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, however we all know different followers who strongly favor DJN on this entrance. That’s very true of these eager to imbibe, which isn’t an choice (for probably the most half) at MVMCP.

Parade: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion

That is a straightforward one since solely Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion has a parade within the first place, so it wins by default. In case you love parades, MVMCP is the Christmas get together it is best to select.

However let’s faux, for no matter motive, that you simply’re on the fence in regards to the ‘significance’ of this class. Possibly you’re not essentially a parade particular person, however are open to watching one if it’s actually good.

Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade (MOUACP) is basically good. It has marching toy troopers, dancing reindeer and gingerbread males, and ever the massive man himself, Ole Saint Nick! Calling MOUACP actually good is an understatement. It has iconic floats, characters, moments and music.

It’s prolonged and satisfying, with no filler–each unit is superb, making for a parade that by no means overstays its welcome and really leaves you wanting extra. About the one “weak spot” of Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade is that 90% of it existed a decade or two in the past. So for some Walt Disney World followers, it feels drained and overdue for a alternative. To that, I say don’t repair what isn’t damaged. What number of Walt Disney World followers consider the alternative for Vacation Needs is an precise improve? In brief, watch out what you want for.

Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade is without doubt one of the greatest items of leisure at Walt Disney World, and is an absolute must-see. From the toy troopers marching in formation to the pleasant character costumes to reindeer dancing in entrance of Santa–and a lot extra. Mickey’s As soon as Upon A Christmastime Parade is cozy and charming, a enjoyable and memorable parade that’s bursting with vacation spirit.

Fireworks: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion (However Debatable)

9 occasions out of 10, fireworks at Magic Kingdom will win over these at Hollywood Studios as a result of the easy actuality is that explosions over Cinderella Fort have baseline enchantment. It’s one among the definitive experiences at Walt Disney World, and as long as the music is sweet sufficient, the vast majority of friends will love fireworks from Primary Avenue.

Minnie’s Great Christmastime Fireworks are a current addition, and showcase pyro plus projections. Whereas longtime followers would possibly argue that this present is inferior to Vacation Needs in some methods, it’s ok. Just like the track “Great Christmastime,” it’s schmaltzy and foolish. (My unpopular opinion about each the fireworks and the track is that they’re good, really. However I do know there are many haters on the market.)

It’s an analogous story with the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! fireworks at Disney Jollywood Nights. This nighttime spectacular primarily based on “Prep & Touchdown” has its moments and is polarizing amongst followers. Personally, I like Minnie’s Great Christmastime Fireworks much more–however by no means say no to both of those reveals.

It additionally helps that Minnie’s Great Christmastime Fireworks has much more pyro–together with perimeter bursts that encompass Cinderella Fort. On stability, not solely is Minnie’s Great Christmastime Fireworks the superior present, however in a contest between two nighttime spectaculars that garner combined evaluations, the Magic Kingdom fireworks will all the time beat the Disney’s Hollywood Studios fireworks.

It’s maybe value noting that Disney Jollywood Nights attendees are additionally in a position to take pleasure in Fantasmic throughout mix-in, whereas MVMCP friends aren’t in a position to see Starlight Night time Parade or Fortunately Ever After. If the comparability is expanded to Fantasmic plus Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM vs. Minnie’s Great Christmastime Fireworks, this win goes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That’s not apples to apples, although.

Stage Reveals: Disney Jollywood Nights

Now we flip to the straightforward win for Disney Jollywood Nights, which has three stage reveals to the one at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. The latest present at DJN is Glisten, which is a determine skating presentation on the entrance of the park that’s a pleasant value-add you may take pleasure in at your leisure. It’s above an atmospheric act however beneath a marquee manufacturing.

The spotlight of the stage reveals throughout DJN is Holidays in Hollywood, a vignette selection exhibiting that includes appearances from particular visitor stars, together with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse—accompanied by a gifted forged of singers, dancers and jazz musicians. Holidays in Hollywood is improbable. Nice choreography, music, staging–every part. It’s one of many high 3 seasonal stage reveals in all of Walt Disney World.

The opposite stage present at Disney Jollywood Nights is “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas Sing-Alongside.” That is admittedly a bizarre one, because it’s what quantities to a excessive idea sing-along plus puppetry. An odd combine, if I’ve ever seen one. Regardless of that, What’s This? is method higher than you would possibly count on. The silent performers are very good, seeing the Jack Skellington puppet in a theater setting is superior, and Oogie Boogie steals the present. As somebody who hates sing-alongs and is detached to all issues Tim Burton (so I’m hardly goal), I used to be stunned to take pleasure in this a lot.

Over at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, the lone stage present is now Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration. That is the tried and true Cinderella Fort musical medley stage present, the premise of which doesn’t a lot matter. Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is one of the best stage present on this checklist (and #2 total after Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular) and it rises to that spot because of an excellent combination of sentimentality and custom plus popular culture and glorious track alternatives. It’s directly precisely what you’d count on and delightfully sudden with one thing for everybody, from children to adults.

Although Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is #1 total, the truth that Disney Jollywood Nights has (no less than) two excellent to nice stage reveals plus one ‘bonus’ efficiency to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion’s lone present cements it with the win right here.

Atmospheric Leisure: Disney Jollywood Nights

Disney Jollywood Nights options a wide range of dance events, swinging soirees, and intimate lounges–with the highlights being Vacation Fiesta en la Calle, Twilight Soirée on the Tip High Membership, and Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby.

These three issues, particularly, are plenty of what offers DJN its extra refined and refined vacation vibe. I may think about spending a whole night dressed up, dancing the night time away and having fun with these grownup experiences. There’s completely nothing like every of that at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion.

In contrast, MVMCP does have character dance events like Membership Tinsel and Disney Junior Jingle Jam. Then there are different atmospheric acts, such because the Reindeer Wranglers in Frontierland. None of those choices are pretty much as good as Twilight Soirée on the Tip High Membership, however the audiences are completely totally different. The target edge goes to Disney Jollywood Nights, however loads of households will want the atmospheric leisure at MVMCP.

Characters: It Relies upon

It is a robust one. At the same time as a longtime Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion attendee with plenty of fond recollections of the occasion, I really feel the character lineup is stale–and has been for the final decade. It’s downright unhappy that Walt Disney World hasn’t refreshed–or absolutely overhauled–it. However, once more, I’m attempting to be goal.

Even that’s troublesome, although. Objectively talking, there are far more characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. There are roughly two-dozen distinct meet & greets, with about three-dozen characters complete. In contrast, Disney Jollywood Nights is promoting a dozen distinct meet & greets for a complete of “greater than 20 character experiences.” So it appears fairly open and closed, proper?

I’m not so positive. Lots of the characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion are additionally out there throughout a daily day at Magic Kingdom (typically they’re merely “enhanced” with the addition of scarves). MVMCP has a couple of dozen uncommon characters–that means characters who seldom seem in the course of the day or have distinct costumes (for instance, we’d rely Belle in her winter costume) for the get together.

That’s roughly the identical quantity as at Disney Jollywood Nights. And whereas it’s virtually unimaginable for me to be goal about this, I’m personally extra excited in regards to the uncommon character lineup at DJN. There’s Santa Duffy, Phineas and Ferb, Three Caballeros, Toy Story friends who don’t usually seem, Disney Afternoon characters, Mickey & Associates in distinctive outfits, and extra. Most first-timers won’t care about this eclectic lineup of deep cuts, although, and thus would possibly favor Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. It’s a very robust name.

Ambiance: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion

Just by advantage of being within the citadel park as an alternative of the studios park, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion has the rapid edge to win this. There’s simply one thing about seeing Primary Avenue remodeled for the vacations, with an additional layer of lighting and music on high of the tree, lights, and day by day decor.

One of many issues we routinely speak up about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is the distinctive ambiance–our favourite factor in regards to the occasion is just being there. Seeing the snowfall on Primary Avenue, listening to Jolly Previous Saint Nicholas in Fantasyland, having fun with the moody lighting and particular projections, free-roaming characters having enjoyable–all of it simply places a smile on my face.

None of that’s nostalgia speaking. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion has mastered its temper, and that’s an enormous motive why so many individuals love that get together. Even the lands that aren’t very Christmassy–like Adventureland and Tomorrowland–get into the temper by way of projections, music and extra.

The most important misfire of Disney Jollywood Nights for me is the vibe. Even with the enhancements final yr, a number of areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios felt like full ghost cities. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was a barren planet. Toy Story Land had nearly nothing occurring for Disney Jollywood Nights. The 2 hottest components of the park supplied nothing.

Echo Lake was a vibrant spot, however not due to Disney Jollywood Nights–it’s all the time a sleeper in the course of the vacation season. Identical goes for Sundown Boulevard, however that’s as a result of nearly the entire substantive choices had been on this space of the park. Hollywood Boulevard was additionally completely nice, however nothing like Primary Avenue.

Solely small pockets of Disney’s Hollywood Studios felt like they had been open for enterprise, a lot much less actively celebrating Christmas. Once more, it is a common ole DHS drawback, nevertheless it’s amplified once you scale back the park capability and faux there’s a celebration taking place. It simply didn’t have the vitality. A few of this seems it’ll be fastened for the 2025 Disney Jollywood Nights, nevertheless it’s exhausting to fathom it’ll be sufficient to tip the scales.

Crowds: Disney Jollywood Nights

It’s exceeding troublesome for the typical attendee of both of those events to do every part in a single night time. Likelihood is, you gained’t have the ability to meet each single character, see the stage reveals, fireworks, different leisure–by no means thoughts doing rides along with the party-specific stuff. However which is extra difficult? The place are crowds worse?

There’s a model of this the place the reply is “it relies upon.” Somebody on the market might need very particular priorities that make Disney Jollywood Nights the more severe of the 2 occasions for crowds. This can possible be the case if ingesting or particular meals are your high precedence, because the worst strains final yr throughout DJN had been for the bars. I don’t suppose that’s the typical first-timer, although. (Particularly the typical first-timer debating between the 2, since MVMCP doesn’t actually have a ingesting element.)

For the overwhelming majority of attendees, Disney Jollywood Nights goes to be the much less crowded and laid again expertise. On common, there’s much less congestion, it’s simpler to see the leisure, journey wait occasions are minimal, and there aren’t any areas of the park which have wherever close to the extent of congestion as Primary Avenue at Magic Kingdom between the primary and final parade.

Even MVMCP isn’t as unhealthy as its notion, which is predicated on 2018-2019 when events had been arguably oversold (see Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion Much less Crowded?!). Regardless, Disney Jollywood Nights is mostly decrease stress and decrease stakes, extra like an After Hours occasion with a Christmas twist.

Total: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion

Finally, our ‘verdict’ can be that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is the superior occasion for first-timers or Disney followers who get to the parks on an rare foundation. It’s truthfully not even a remotely shut name. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is the quintessential vacation time expertise at Walt Disney World.

A lot in regards to the occasion is iconic, and the idea for advertising and marketing supplies for Christmas at WDW. There’s a motive the get together hasn’t modified all that a lot within the final decade–since you don’t mess with perfection. Certain, this has resulted in some WDW diehards who’ve gone repeatedly to turn into burnt out and need one thing contemporary–however should you’re studying this and are on the fence about which to attend, that most likely doesn’t describe you!

To make sure, Disney Jollywood Nights has its promoting factors. It’s a extra refined and complicated get together, in some methods, which will enchantment to sure segments of parkgoers, even rare ones. In case you’re searching for an Previous Hollywood occasion with the glitz and glamor of Tinseltown in the course of the holidays–full with extra grownup choices and ingesting, then a robust case might be made for Disney Jollywood Nights.

There’s additionally one thing to be mentioned for its upstart nature, and the chance that it’ll be markedly improved for Christmas 2025 as Disney appears to be like to enhance perceptions. There’s no resting on its laurels in terms of Disney Jollywood Nights, that’s for positive! Walt Disney World’s occasion workforce is clearly “hungrier” and extra dynamic in terms of DJN, that’s for positive.

In its sophomore season, Jollywood Nights made main enhancements, rising by leaps and bounds. With out exaggeration, I might say that the enhancements made to DJN from 2023 to 2024 had been extra important than adjustments made to MVMCP from 2014 to 2024. As Jollywood Nights nonetheless struggled to promote tickets final yr, it’s solely attainable–if not possible–that the occasion will get even higher for 2025.

It’s vital to level out that there’s additionally extra draw back danger to Disney Jollywood Nights. There’s loads about it that’s taste-specific which will sound nice on paper, however could not resonate with you in particular person. Not solely that, however in solely its sophomore season, there are additionally a ton of unknowns. Amongst these are precise attendance, potential good & unhealthy adjustments, strains for the characters and stage reveals, and possibly extra I haven’t even thought-about.

Possibly Disney Jollywood Nights is value it to you from a risk-reward perspective. It definitely is to us, and we’re actually trying ahead to attempting this Christmas get together once more in its second yr. Actually, we’re each extra enthusiastic about Disney Jollywood Nights than we’re MVMCP.

However I additionally know that I had been a Walt Disney World first-timer and had thus by no means attended both occasion, the one that might be proper for us would, certainly, be Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. It’s a crowd-pleaser with extremely excessive visitor satisfaction scores, and a splurge that only a few friends remorse.

In the long run, this isn’t even a remotely shut name for the typical Walt Disney World vacationer and rare guests. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is so clearly the protected and proper alternative for first-timers that this whole submit appears superfluous. It’s the quintessential Christmas providing in all of Walt Disney World.

Then once more, not everybody has our preferences and priorities, so the point-by-point breakdown will hopefully be useful in serving to others make their determination about which to attend. In case you’d prefer to assess the lineups of every occasion for your self, see our complete: Information to 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion and Information to 2025 Disney Jollywood Nights.

Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about lodges on our Walt Disney World Inns Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part you have to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Have you ever attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion or Disney Jollywood Nights? Which did you suppose had the higher ambiance, characters, fireworks, meals, leisure, and many others? Would you moderately spend the night doing an occasion in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios in the course of the vacation season at Walt Disney World? Do you disagree with any of our recommendation and assessments? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!