The holiday season around Disney World is EXTRA festive. It’s a very popular time of year to visit the resort, and many guests love to experience Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

While we love the Christmas party at Magic Kingdom, and we go to it every single year, we’ve realized that there may be a very valid reason for skipping it. If you do decide to not spend the extra $229 for the specially-ticketed event, here are 11 FREE options to do instead so you can still enjoy the Christmas magic at Disney World.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an annual event on select nights in November and December at Magic Kingdom. It’s a fan-favorite holiday celebration where you can enjoy exclusive snacks, drinks, entertainment, and more. There are complimentary drinks and cookies, along with exciting character meet-and-greets.

As much as we love this event, we do realize that it is a little pricey. You have to purchase a separate ticket from your general admission tickets, and tickets are over $200. One of the biggest downfalls of this event, though, is not the price. (7 hours in the park with lower crowds and exclusive offerings is worth every penny to us.) 

Here’s the thing: this party very rarely changes. If you’ve been to it once, you’ve seen it all, and this year, it’s no different than previous years. If you don’t care for change or you’re happy knowing that it’ll be your old faithful fun experience, this might not be a big deal for you. But if you don’t like doing the same things over and over, you might want to skip the party this year and opt for other festive offerings around Disney World!

If you really want to save some money by not going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year, you could check out the MANY free offerings at Disney Springs! There is a fun scavenger hunt-style Christmas tree stroll where you can win a prize for finding all of the Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel decorated trees.

You can meet Santa Claus near Disney’s Pin Traders from November 13th through December 24th. You can also send a letter to the North Pole at Once Upon a Toy!

And don’t miss the snoap “snowfall” at Town Center every night (just like at Magic Kingdom for the Christmas party, without buying a ticket)! Plus, you can find a variety of street performers and entertainment throughout Disney Springs all season long, including stilt walkers, a rollerblade duo, and a Santa Sleigh DJ.

More holiday fun awaits you at EPCOT. If you already have a day in EPCOT planned and paid for anyway, the following Festival of the Holidays experiences are all FREE!

• Meet Santa at Communicore Hall
• Watch the Candlelight Processional
• Listen to Holiday Storytellers at the World Showcase pavilions
• Meet Santa Goofy at The Odyssey
• Experience JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season

We truly love the exclusive Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and it’s a great party for kids. However, if you don’t care to do the same thing over and over at Disney World, you might enjoy some of these other FREE options this year, since the Christmas party rarely changes.

 If you’re planning a holiday vacation to Disney World, keep following DFB for more tips, tricks, and info!

Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World Worth the PRICE?

What’s your favorite holiday thing to do at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!