** Disneyland Merriest Nights - Official Thread **

[theluckyrabbit]

...
- Get in the mobile waitlist for merch ASAP (someone told me the merch area opened at 6:30pm -- you do need to go there to get the QR code to join)...

Where/How do you join the mobile waitlist for merchandise?

ETA: More specifically, do you need to be inside Launch Bay or are there signs with the QR code outside the building?

 

[BlueSeashell]

For after hours events like Merriest Nites, can we enter through the Monorail entrance? Or do we have to go to the main entrance?

Has anybody tried this? Thanks for any insights!

 

[sophy1996]

For after hours events like Merriest Nites, can we enter through the Monorail entrance? Or do we have to go to the main entrance?

Has anybody tried this? Thanks for any insights!

You can enter through the Monorail entrance (before it closes, which was at 7 last week) but then you have to use the in-park check-in for the party. Which conveniently is near the Monorail at Launch Bay. We did this last week—though our timing was bad and we ended up in a 50-minute line at LB.

 

[BlueSeashell]

You can enter through the Monorail entrance (before it closes, which was at 7 last week) but then you have to use the in-park check-in for the party. Which conveniently is near the Monorail at Launch Bay. We did this last week—though our timing was bad and we ended up in a 50-minute line at LB.

Thank you! That's incredibly helpful, especially the warning about the line.

 

[sophy1996]

Thank you! That's incredibly helpful, especially the warning about the line.

Other people had better experiences, just based on timing. Hopefully Disney will have a better gameplan for future parties.

 

[lisaradz]

Learn from our mistakes…. We attended Merriest Nights on 11/16.
We got into the merch cue right away. We were called at the beginning of the party. 2nd night of the event and they had already run out of ornaments and magnets. They were running low on sizes for the long sleeve shirt. They line you up at launch bay and the merchandise shopping experience is like going to a clearance outlet....organized, but nothing holiday or magic about it. Look at the items online first, so you can spend your time enjoying the party if you are not interested in the merch. Honestly for $165, they should have included an ornament or a pin.
Food options are fun, plan ahead on what you want and order early in the evening. Again for the ticket price a complimentary hot cocoa or cookie would have been a nice touch.
Parade was at 9:30, all of the photo areas on the parade route closed up early for the parade and then opened up after. The parade is the regular holiday parade that they have had for years.
Muppets were a new addition and cute. They zip on by quickly so if you want to see their show stay in the hub area.
If you get there early, enjoy Main Street so that you have more "party" time to enjoy the other areas.
Put on your lights and have a good time. If nothing else you will love the short ride lines.

 

[lily_belle]

Learn from our mistakes…. We attended Merriest Nights on 11/16.
We got into the merch cue right away. We were called at the beginning of the party. 2nd night of the event and they had already run out of ornaments and magnets. They were running low on sizes for the long sleeve shirt. They line you up at launch bay and the merchandise shopping experience is like going to a clearance outlet....organized, but nothing holiday or magic about it. Look at the items online first, so you can spend your time enjoying the party if you are not interested in the merch. Honestly for $165, they should have included an ornament or a pin.
Food options are fun, plan ahead on what you want and order early in the evening. Again for the ticket price a complimentary hot cocoa or cookie would have been a nice touch.
Parade was at 9:30, all of the photo areas on the parade route closed up early for the parade and then opened up after. The parade is the regular holiday parade that they have had for years.
Muppets were a new addition and cute. They zip on by quickly so if you want to see their show stay in the hub area.
If you get there early, enjoy Main Street so that you have more "party" time to enjoy the other areas.
Put on your lights and have a good time. If nothing else you will love the short ride lines.

That is so frustrating that they are already out of a lot of the merch. Thanks for the warning. I‘m not going to waste time on that then. I am still excited though, especially for the low crowds.

Question for those that have gone - are restaurants open during the party even if they don’t have party specific food. Like Bengal BBQ?

 

[Chickinvic]

That is so frustrating that they are already out of a lot of the merch. Thanks for the warning. I‘m not going to waste time on that then. I am still excited though, especially for the low crowds.

Question for those that have gone - are restaurants open during the party even if they don’t have party specific food. Like Bengal BBQ?
[/Q

The party was not worth it. Everything that made it feel magical was available to day guests. There were no extra decorations added after day guests left except the projection on the storefronts of Mainstreet. And fireworks only on non party nights hah. Save your $$

I wouldn't be expecting extra decorations to be added. I go to the after hours parties for lots of rides with low wait time. Sounds like it would be a good party for me.

 

[Dobermanns]

Question for those that have gone - are restaurants open during the party even if they don’t have party specific food. Like Bengal BBQ?

Yes, restaurants are open, except for the ones in lands that were closed (Hungry Bear was closed, and SWGE was closed). I ate festival food between 4 and 5pm so I was actually a bit hungry after the parade. Bengal BBQ had mobile order windows available immediately and I got my favorite pork belly right away
If I remember correctly, Jolly Holiday was the only place out of mobile order windows.

 

[lily_belle]

Yes, restaurants are open, except for the ones in lands that were closed (Hungry Bear was closed, and SWGE was closed). I ate festival food between 4 and 5pm so I was actually a bit hungry after the parade. Bengal BBQ had mobile order windows available immediately and I got my favorite pork belly right away
If I remember correctly, Jolly Holiday was the only place out of mobile order windows.

Oh NICE! I was hoping Bengal BBQ would be open and more enjoyable with the lower crowds.

 

[jujubiee4]

Food options are fun, plan ahead on what you want and order early in the evening. Again for the ticket price a complimentary hot cocoa or cookie would have been a nice touch.
Parade was at 9:30, all of the photo areas on the parade route closed up early for the parade and then opened up after. The parade is the regular holiday parade that they have had for years.
Muppets were a new addition and cute. They zip on by quickly so if you want to see their show stay in the hub area.
If you get there early, enjoy Main Street so that you have more "party" time to enjoy the other areas.
Put on your lights and have a good time. If nothing else you will love the short ride lines.

What fun options were there?

 

[jujubiee4]

I went solo to last night’s party (11/16) and I agree it wasn’t worth the money. The musicians, especially the mariachi band, were excellent, and the rides were walkons. But there were crazy lines for everything else and much of the park didn’t feel festive. There were long lines to get your picture taken, long lines to get special food, mobile order windows were for hours in advance. I was hungry at 10 PM but most of the snacks I wanted couldn’t be ordered until 11:30. At that point there was nothing to do that didn’t involve standing in line, so I just left.

So how do you handle the 9 or 10 pm munchies? We have a dinner reservation at 4 but I know
everyone will want some snacks by 10. Could you have put a mobile order in earlier for 10 pm?

I still can not believe they did not include more free snacks for 165.

 

[lisaradz]

Yes, if your goal is low wait times for rides then you will love the party. Most people were watching the parades and standing in picture or merch lines. You will get to walk on rides. Enjoy!

 

[sarbah77]

We had a nice time at Tueday night's party. Was it worth it, price-wise? Maybe.

We ended up taking a long afternoon break and when we returned, at 4:30, the special event lines to enter the park were already open. It was less than 10 minutes until we were checked in, wrist-banded, and necklaced. We wandered around, did a few rides - mostly went back to Toon Town which we'd never seen before and wasn't on the party map, then ditto Galaxy's Edge. We ordered food for 7:30 and shared it when our friend turned up.

From there, we hopped on Space Mountain, Astro Blasters, Star Tours, got our merch, then Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, more snacks (it was walk-up!), Pirates, Muppets, Haunted Mansion, and then it was 11:30. We had a nice low-key evening, got to ride whatever we wanted without much waiting, got to see the Muppets up close, got to spend time with a good friend.

We're not parade people, we're not character meet and greet people, and maybe, if we'd planned, we would have waited in line for a photo for Christmas cards, but we're not, so we didn't. We did get to see Jack Skellington, so that was pretty fun, and people were in generally a really good mood.

Overall, it WAS pricey, but for us it was the cost of a day ticket (ish) and we got a whole day's worth of experiences in, after 7pm. We're not locals and we don't go to Disneyland regularly, so it worked for us.

 

[Dobermanns]

So how do you handle the 9 or 10 pm munchies? We have a dinner reservation at 4 but I know
everyone will want some snacks by 10. Could you have put a mobile order in earlier for 10 pm?

I still can not believe they did not include more free snacks for 165.

When I was there on 11/16, with the exception of Jolly Holiday, all the other open restaurants had mobile order windows available through the night. At various times of the night, I had scrolled through to see if there were things I wanted to try and notice windows at Jolly Holiday pop up (as folks cancelled, I am sure). I ate before 5pm so I was hungry after the parade and was able to get an immediate order window at Bengal BBQ (my first choice). So you should be fine for snacks. You can also order early and shift the window as the night progresses.

 

[jujubiee4]

When I was there on 11/16, with the exception of Jolly Holiday, all the other open restaurants had mobile order windows available through the night. At various times of the night, I had scrolled through to see if there were things I wanted to try and notice windows at Jolly Holiday pop up (as folks cancelled, I am sure). I ate before 5pm so I was hungry after the parade and was able to get an immediate order window at Bengal BBQ (my first choice). So you should be fine for snacks. You can also order early and shift the window as the night progresses.

Thank you for these tips. When my family go to the parks we eat a big dinner before and bring our
own snacks. However the party night there will be 16 of us and I just know some people will be
hungry by 9 or 10. I have yet to try mobile ordering there but I wrongly assumed you just ordered
and it was ready. I didn't know there might not be times. I was hoping I could preorder for a pickup
at 10? I guess that is not possible. Thank you for these tips!!

 

[Dobermanns]

Thank you for these tips. When my family go to the parks we eat a big dinner before and bring our
own snacks. However the party night there will be 16 of us and I just know some people will be
hungry by 9 or 10. I have yet to try mobile ordering there but I wrongly assumed you just ordered
and it was ready. I didn't know there might not be times. I was hoping I could preorder for a pickup
at 10? I guess that is not possible. Thank you for these tips!!

When you mobile order, you select a 30-min window from the available windows shown. You can order at say 7pm and select the 10pm -10:30pm window (if available). Then at 9pm if you are hungry and see the 9:15pm window available you can select modify window to change it to 9:15 or later.

 

[Sunclytie]

Thank you for these tips. When my family go to the parks we eat a big dinner before and bring our
own snacks. However the party night there will be 16 of us and I just know some people will be
hungry by 9 or 10. I have yet to try mobile ordering there but I wrongly assumed you just ordered
and it was ready. I didn't know there might not be times. I was hoping I could preorder for a pickup
at 10? I guess that is not possible. Thank you for these tips!!

There were a few mobile ordering windows open around 10-10:30, just nothing that I wanted! Poor me lol! But you would probably be able to order something - you might just have to cross the park for it. And wait in line!

 

[HairyChest]

I wouldn't be expecting extra decorations to be added. I go to the after hours parties for lots of rides with low wait time. Sounds like it would be a good party for me.

The thing about that is you can save money by buying a day ticket, getting 16 hours in the park instead of 7 hours, and riding rides with practically no lines before 11 am or during/after fireworks because the park clears out.

 

[Chickinvic]

Yes, if your goal is low wait times for rides then you will love the party. Most people were watching the parades and standing in picture or merch lines. You will get to walk on rides. Enjoy!

That was always my goal at the Christmas Party at WDW, or any other after hours parties. I want to ride a bunch of rides. Plus I ate a load of the ice cream sandwiches that they include with your admission at the WDW after hours parties (not their Christmas party - although they give you cookies, etc, at that one).