Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

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Disney World,Fl

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party (MVMCP) is a hard ticket event that happens from the first week in November through Christmas at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Hard ticket means this event is separate from a regular park ticket and must be ordered specifically for this event. If you’re lucky enough to visit WDW during this time of year this is an event that’s not to be missed!

 

MVMCP starts at 7pm and ends at 12am. WDW closes Magic Kingdom at 6pm on party dates to regular guests. If you have a MVMCP ticket then you are able to get into the park starting at 4pm. This is a great way to save money on purchasing a full day ticket. Simply purchase a MVMCP ticket and come into the park at 4pm. The day of the party spend your day at Disney Springs or at your resort (it’s a great pool day!).

 

Once you enter Magic Kingdom simply scan you magic band or ticket on your smartphone. It holds your MVMCP ticket. You can also have a hard copy sent to your home (I always do this for myself and clients). You will then receive a special event party bracelet. This is how cast members keep track of who has MVMCP tickets and who are just regular day ticket holders. After 7pm you will not be able to get on rides, shop, get treats, etc without your MVMCP bracelet on. Make sure you pick up a map/events flyer as you enter the park! You will then be directed to the side of main street where you will get a sugar cookie, have photo pass opportunities and also be able to buy merchandise for the event. If you happen to already be in the park before the 4 pm bracelet distributions you will find several other spots-such as Fantasyland where you can grab your bracelet and cookie as well! Just ask any Cast Member where to go.

 

The MVMCP event will have rides open, snacks to grab, special character meet and greets and shows. YOU MUST PLAN! You won’t be able to get to everything but make a plan. The holiday parades are some of the most amazing parades and are not to be missed. Here’s a list of all the events.

  • A Frozen Holiday Wish – 6:15 p.m., 8:15 p.m.
  • Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration – 7:40 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 11:55 p.m.
  • Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade – 8:30 p.m., 11 p.m.
  • Holiday Wishes—Celebrate the Spirit of the Season – 10 p.m.
  • A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas – 7:45 p.m., 8:35 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:45 p.m., 11:35 p.m.
  • The Edge Effect – 8:10 p.m., 9 p.m., 10:20 p.m., 11:10 p.m.
  • Club Tinsel – 7 p.m.-12 a.m.
  • Snowfall on Main Street – intermittently

It’s a good idea to make a family plan as to which events, rides, snacks and meet and greets each person is hoping to do. Our family has each person pick their top thing and plan on hitting those events. Everything else is icing on the cake! People will start sitting down in front if the castle immediately for good seats. Don’t be alarmed by this-there will be plenty of good spots later. Make sure you line up for parades a minimum if 40 minutes before. We ended up getting a spot right in front of the castle an hour before and were able to stay for the castle show, parade and fireworks!

 

Rare character meet and greets are available at this special event. People will start lining up at 6pm to get pictures with their favorite pals. Characters special to the event will not make their appearance until 7pm. Plan on a wait time of at least an hour per character. Characters often do not sign autographs at this time but will hand out a special pre signed card. Lines for characters will always be shorter during parade and fireworks times.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade is a popular event. It is by far one of our families favorite things. There are plenty of spots throughout the park to check the parade route. If you sit early enough you can grab a spot on Main Street where “snow” will fall! Take a seat and grab a snack! The marching toy soldiers are amazing. Make sure you wave to Santa as he rounds out the end of the parade. There are always spots in front of the train station by the front entrance. This is also great if you intend on leaving right after the parade.

 

A Frozen Holiday Wish is where Elsa performs her stage show in front of the castle culminating in “freezing” the castle. Breathtaking! Make sure you stop at a photpass location to get a picture in front of the lighted castle.

 

Holiday Wishes is the final fireworks show of the night. Tinkerbell will fly weather permitting in Christmas attire from the castle into Tomorrowland. Fireworks will literally be all over the park!

Cookies and hot chocolate will be available throughout the park at special snack stations designated by lighted candy cane poles and found on your event map. This is included in your price ticket. This year they also had a snowman soft pretzel and a snow cone. Make sure you stop by Pinocchio House to grab a handful of cookies-this location hands out multiple cookies at once! Families dress up for the event in a variety of ways from matching shirts, costumes for children and even matching pajamas!

Let me help you add this event to your Magical Walt Disney World Vacation! You can find me on Facebook at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel or feel free to email me at callie@wanderkeep.com. My services are complimentary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Picking

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Wrentham,Ma

There are so many New Englandy things to do in the Fall. We have been so lucky to have the chance to move our family to Massachusetts and settle into a calmer way of life. I have dreamed of Fall and having a chance to share all of those crisp sweater weather activities with our daughter and this was the year! Our first Fall activity back in Massachusetts was apple picking.

The Big Apple Farm in Wrentham,Ma has an amazing collection of apple trees where you can drive up or take a hayride and pick a bushel for yourself. The apple varieties are plentiful and the type of variety available for picking changes from week to week so make sure you check their website to find out which varieties are available during your visit.

You are able to drive straight up to the orchard and purchase bags for picking before entering into the fields. I cannot begin to tell you how breathtaking it is to be in an apple orchard looking out onto a mountain.

 

You can mix and match which apple varieties you pick as you fill your bushel.

 

Once done make sure you drive back down the hill to their farm stand store.

 

Everything available in the store is grown locally on the farm. This includes cider, baked goods and fruits and veggies. I highly recommend the apple cider donuts.

 

You can also sneak a peek at the apple sorter!

 

Apple picking is a not to be missed bucket list item on your New England Fall Family Trip! Need help planning a New England trip? Visit me at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel  or you can email me at callie@wanderkeep.com so I can help you make all your New England adventures come true.

 

Why Would I Book My Trip with a Travel Agent????

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I’m a traveler-I wasn’t always one. I use to spend my vacations at home “resting”. It was so much effort and so much money and then something happened….I had a child. It seems almost backwards. I was young and carefree with no obligations and time and I never went anywhere. Fast forward and now I’m looking into the eyes of my child and it’s like it awakened me. Suddenly I wanted her to see and experience everything. I took the plunge and at 5 months old I took her on her first trip. On a plane no less. Yes I was crazy. I realized that I, we could do this.

She’s almost 6 now and we have a map on our wall with push pins of all the places we have been. Our most favorite yearly destination is Disney World. We go lots of places but always find our place back “home” once a year. I began really enjoying family travel. I loved researching and planning and going. I loved the quirky places and the historic hotels. I loved checking things off my list. The birth of our daughter also woke me up and made me realize for the first time that this life was precious and fleeting. What did I want to do and see while I still had the opportunity to do so.

(Rowan and Daddy at Animal Kingdom Lodge-WDW)

So we traveled and travel.

I would come home from these amazing family vacations and my friends would say I want to do that but I have no idea how to do that or where to start or what to do. It’s overwhelming. I get it-I so get it! And that my friends is why I became a travel agent.

(The Great Smoky Mountains)

I can plan those trips and find those places and help make those smiles and magical memories. The great part about being a travel agent is that my commission is paid by almost all of the companies and not tacked onto my clients trip price. I liked that and they liked that.

I can book places I have first hand knowledge about because we are travelers.

(Historic Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel)

And then there’s Disney! Disney is a world unto itself full of wonder and magic and fastpasses! A travel agent can help you seamlessly navigate those worlds. I can make your car, your stroller, your scooter show up. I can find that amazing snack that no one knows about.

(Waiting on that Disney bus)

Travel agents also get information before the general public about deals and promos and are able to offer or change reservations on the spot to reflect those great deals. No waiting on the phone for you. No getting up at the crazy of dawn to reserve something before it’s gone. I handle that.

A travel agent takes care of your before, during and after your trip. You don’t need to wait at guest services for something to clear up. You message your travel agent and have them do it while you’re off on your adventure.

(Downtown Breckenridge)

Let me help you make magical family memories! Just like mine!

Find me at callie@wanderkeep.com or on facebook at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel.

While Disney is my jam-I don’t just book Disney……I book everything!

Let’s go somewhere!