The TRICK To Seeing Magic Kingdom's Exclusive Christmas Parade WITHOUT a Party Ticket

It’s the holiday season and there’s no place we rather celebrate it than at Disney World!

Christmas has arrived at Magic Kingdom!

Disney goes all out for the most wonderful time of the year and because of it, you can find a lot of festive surprises going on at the parks. In this case, a special limited-time parade will be taking place on specific days at Magic Kingdom, which is incredibly RARE! Here’s all you need to know.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is filled with festive floats and beloved characters dressed in their holiday best. It even ends with Santa Clause himself riding in his sleigh, making it a true Christmas celebration! This parade is one of the many special offerings available during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a special ticketed event that takes place on select nights from November 8th through December 20th, 2024.

Santa!!

Even though the parade is meant to be a party-exclusive perk, there are a few dates when you can catch Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade outside of a party night, during regular park hours!

©Disney

We spotted that the Disney World calendar lists daytime hours for the parade from December 21st through December 31st, 2024.

©Disney

Taking place at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will be taking over the streets of Magic Kingdom, bringing the ultimate holiday festivities during the day.

©Disney

One thing we did notice that seemed a little odd, however, is that on December 21st, both the Festival of Fantasy Parade and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will be taking place, just an hour from each other.

©Disney

As awesome as three parades in one-day sounds, it’s also a little out of the ordinary, so we chatted with cast members online through the official Disney World website to get some answers. They stated that although it is subject to change, both parades taking place on December 21st are part of the plan as of right now. Keep in mind that this can change at a moment’s notice.

Ariel in the Festival of Fantasy parade

However, you can also see an exclusive fireworks show without a party ticket during that time, too. From December 21st through December 29th, Magic Kingdom’s fireworks show will be Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, the show you generally can only see during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The show is scheduled for 8PM each night.

Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks

Also, note that on December 30th and 31st, you can see the Fantasy in the Sky New Year’s Eve fireworks show at 6:50PM and 11:50PM.

Fantasy in the Sky

We will be keeping an eye on this by checking the Disney World website and seeing if anything changes. As of right now, however, we’re excited at getting to enjoy two amazing parades in one day, as well as some exclusive fireworks shows! Stay tuned as we bring you all the latest Disney World updates here on DFB.

Disney Issues Important Hotel Warning Ahead of the Holiday Season

DON'T MISS A MOMENT
OF HOLIDAY MAGIC

Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World.

It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including:

The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season
How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!)
ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM.
And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat!

Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT.