57. Planning Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - Fantasyland Draft

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[00:00:59] Coming up, the holidays have hit Walt Disney World and we are here to cover one of the after-hours parties. You have to buy a ticket, but Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a must-do and we are going to go head-to-head and draft seven different categories to teach you everything you need to know and try to rob each other of our own joys while we steal things from categories and highlight everything this party has to offer.

[00:01:23] Hey there, everyone. Welcome in to another episode of The Moms Behind the Magic. I am your host, Allie, and I am here today with Carla and with Becki Smedley, and we are so excited to bring the holidays into the feed. It's time to talk about Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I swear, y'all, it goes from October 31st to November 1st, and I'm like, Alexa, play Christmas music. It's immediate all through the house. Yes, it's my favorite time of year, and I love it.

[00:01:50] Yeah, I agree. Christmas is just like, I'm so glad I won. I had headphones on because you totally would have turned on music in my room. But I'm in my mom feels right now. Are you all, how are you all doing? With what? Why? Why are we in our mom feels? I'm good. I realized yesterday I have 18 months left with Laker at home. Why do you think about things like that? I know. Because we're teaching him how to drive, and he's very resistant to wanting to, he's like, I just want a self-driving car. I don't, I want to use public transportation.

[00:02:17] Like, he doesn't, that's fair. He's learning how to be a good driver, and in Florida, you have to have your learner's permit for a full year. Yeah. But I'm not kidding when I say, like, he's going to be halfway through his senior year before he gets to his one-year mark, and he just. And that's okay. It is completely okay. And I'm team, like, don't make them drive before they're ready to drive because that's, that's a dangerous thing to be giving them this. But in the same sense, he needs freedom. He needs to be able to get himself places when he goes to college. Like, he's just nervous.

[00:02:48] He'll figure it out. You know what? We're going through the same thing with Liam. So Liam got his permit over the summer, and he's driving in the neighborhood but is very hesitant still to drive on main roads. And I think it's just practice over time and building that confidence because there's nobody more confident in all things other than Liam. I don't really know where he gets that from, but it is, like, he is his own hype man. And for some reason, something's holding him back from driving, and I think it's just experience. That's all.

[00:03:17] Like, I'm of the opinion where they're going to figure it out. Like, they're not going to go there. It's kind of like when, when the kids were young and you're like, are they ever going to start talking? Are they ever going to start walking? Using the bathroom? Once they do, like, you know what I mean? They're going to figure it out. And they will figure it out, but it's also, I think this next generation sees things differently than us. That's, I think that's an understatement. One, I think that they have very different views on life in general.

[00:03:43] But he came out of the bathroom after he and Sean got into a pretty heated argument because Laker almost ran into the garage door. And clearly, we don't want that to happen. So Sean yelled at him, like, stop! And he came out, and Sean's like, if you don't like the way that I'm talking to you while I'm teaching you to drive, then you can do different with your own kid. And then he took a shower. He came out, and he's like, I was thinking about it, and I don't think my kids are even going to need to drive. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

[00:04:08] My kids are not even close to driving age, and so these are not things I've had to think about. Zan will teach them to drive. I don't think that's going to be on my task list. Additionally, follow their lead because I got my license probably before I should have. My dad kept me in a parking lot. I was furious about it. I was like, I am ready to be on the main road. This is ridiculous. How am I ever going to know how to drive if you make me just stay in the parking lot? And I was just so, so frustrated.

[00:04:36] And one day he was like, okay, drive us home. And I said, okay, all right. And so we start our journey home, and we're heading toward our neighborhood. And it was going to be a right turn into the neighborhood. And I had begged to be driving on the main roads for a very long time. And he had finally given me this opportunity. So I didn't want to ask any dumb questions. And you get him the idea that he misplaced his trust. And so we're driving down this road, and I realized I have to make this right turn into our neighborhood.

[00:05:06] But there is no stop sign, and there is no stop light before the neighborhood. So are you supposed to stop? Are you allowed to put your brakes on when there's no stop light or stop sign? How do you, what do you do? And this was my thought process. And I didn't want to voice that because I think I realized how dumb it was, but I was also starting to panic. And so I went, and I did not. I was like, there's no stop light. So I'm just going to keep on the gas.

[00:05:36] And I was going to say, did you like speed through it? You're going to roll your car. So we just into the neighborhood, and I went up into the grass bank. I almost hit the brick sign that said the neighborhood. And he just looked at me, and I was like, there wasn't a stop sign. Oh my gosh. That's a true story. So just appreciate the fact that your boys are wiser, and they don't want to put themselves in these idiotic circumstances. I haven't gotten in the car with Liam yet. Have you gotten in the car with Laker?

[00:06:05] I have, and I actually think that I need to be the one to teach him. We have three kids. McKenna is, other than McKenna looks just like me, she is a copy-paste of Sean. Macy is a hybrid. Laker is me, but in Sean's body. And so when Sean elevates his voice, it causes panic in Laker. And he's just, I call him my manatee. Like, he's just, he's sensitive. And so I think that our personalities will work better when we're putting him behind the will of a car.

[00:06:34] So I think I'm going to be taking this one. It'll be your will. It'll be your will of a car. Yeah. As he takes the will. Jesus takes the will. Good gracious. I don't know what's going to happen on this. Well, I don't think it's going to be me. So I'm not too worried about this. This is not something that crosses my mind. But I'm here for all of you. And all I know are my own idiotic stories. I did not have a great driving record my first year with a license. Let's just say that. Well, we're also, we're also a one-car family.

[00:07:02] And so this idea of Laker potentially, like, wrecking our car, because it's our only car that we have at this point. Like, I work from home. There's no reason that we need to be paying for another car. Like, everything just costs a gazillion dollars these days. So we're a one-car family. And it's working for us. But here we are. I was just here to say that he could wreck that car. So he could run into the sign at the front of our neighborhood. It might happen. Yeah. It could all happen. But, you know, good luck with that.

[00:07:31] And I'm sure a lot of people, a lot of M&Ms can relate. And I think teaching your kids to drive is one of those scary milestones. You know, potty training is more annoying than anything. Teaching them to drive is scary and overwhelming. And I'm glad I'm not there yet. It's coming. It'll be here before you know it. All right. Well, I'm excited to dive in today to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This is one of the most special and unique things that Disney does all year round.

[00:07:58] It happens inside Magic Kingdom Park. It is only on select nights, the party dates this year, 2026, ranging from November 8th through December 22nd. It is a ticketed event. I just want to say that anyone traveling to Disney World between November 8th and December 22nd needs to really, really, really check park hours because Magic Kingdom will close

[00:08:25] early on nights when there is a party and then tell them what has to happen to you if you don't have a ticket. You got to get out. You got to get out of the park. So hopefully you either planned ahead and have a plan for the night or you have a park hopper so you can go to another park. Yeah. So you will be kicked out if you don't have a ticket. And if you do have a ticket, you actually don't need a ticket to Magic Kingdom that day. You can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 p.m. ahead of the actual start of the party. So you get a little bit of park time prior to everything transforming into Mickey's

[00:08:55] Very Merry Christmas Party. So it's sort of a best of both worlds thing. And it's really worth it. It's expensive. It's worth it. It's magical. It's fun. There are no lightning lanes during the party. So keep that in mind. I think it's really important to know that arriving to the park early and sort of checking off maybe a few things that aren't party specific. So maybe you ride that attraction you really wanted or something like that because you don't

[00:09:20] want to waste precious park time during the party waiting an hour for Tron, in my opinion. Correct. Correct. I think you choose one or two rides that you want to get, but you're paying to be there for the things that are unique, right? So make sure you prioritize what that plan's going to be. Yeah. All right. We're going to talk about what that plan should look like and more on today's episode. We're going to be drafting. I can't wait to do it. But before we do, before we prepare you for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, it's

[00:09:46] important that, of course, we remind you to be prepared for all things travel with your little ones when you head to Disney World or any destination for that matter. And this is why we love BabyQuip. If you've ever traveled with kids, you know that the hardest part is not always the flight. It's bringing everything that makes your kids feel at home. And that's exactly why we love BabyQuip. It's the number one baby gear rental service across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Every trip, I tell myself, we're going to pack lighter.

[00:10:14] And every single time, we end up with a mountain of things that we just couldn't leave behind. And what's even worse is when our kids were babies and we had the pack and plays and we had the special mats or toys or things that I would add to the car seats and it all just stacked up. Between the crib, strollers, toys, and all the extra gear, it felt like we were packing our entire house every single time we traveled. And if we decided to leave something behind, of course, it was the one thing that our kids suddenly could not live without. Nobody slept. Everybody was off their normal routine.

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[00:11:09] One of our favorite things about BabyQuip is that if you're renting from BabyQuip, you're renting from local quality providers. Often this is moms, dads, grandparents, adults who truly understand what traveling families need. Every item follows strict cleanliness and safety standards and is ensured so that you can spend less time worrying about forgotten gear and more time making memories. They're available in over 2,000 cities. So whether you're heading to Disney, the beach, or visiting family, visit BabyQuip.com and use

[00:11:38] code MAGIC10 to get $10 off of every $50 you spend. That is the best promo that BabyQuip offers. It is a monstrous savings. So do not forget to use the link in today's show notes. And then code MAGIC10 for $10 off of every $50 you spend. Okay. Are y'all ready to draft? Should we refresh our M&Ms on exactly what Moms Behind the Magic drafting looks like? Yes.

[00:12:06] Probably not because Becki Smedley and I aren't going to say anything nice. Allie gets to draft first and then she wins. I don't think I've drafted first the last couple of times. So your joke is losing legs. And I definitely didn't win. At least the last, I don't think, couple of drafts. Well, regardless, it's going to be a great draft that lets us explore all of the different categories. We have seven different categories we're going to be talking about. We're going to do it snake style, right?

[00:12:34] Where Allie starts and then it's either Carla and I. You are confusing. You're confusing the M&Ms. Nobody knows what's happening now. Okay. You explain the snake style. We are going to draft in the whole purpose of these drafts is a fun way to talk about really specific categories that you want to plan for. For any of the topics that we are drafting about today, of course, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. We are going to talk about the best this party has to offer in each of our seven categories,

[00:13:03] highlighting them, talking about them, and then you get to vote who wins each category and ultimately who wins the draft. Snake style means that we have our names in a random wheel spinner, which by the way, I always offer one of you to do. And everybody always says, no, no, Allie, you can do it. So I'm going to do it. I might even try sharing my screen today since I think we fixed my internet problem. And then snake style means it kind of coils around, right? So it goes draft position one, two, three, then goes back the other way. Three, two, one, one, two, three.

[00:13:33] So the person sitting in spot one and spot three sort of on that turn will get two picks as it makes its turn. So it's really fun and it's very difficult and it can be very frustrating because once something is drafted in any category, it cannot be drafted again. So it becomes very competitive. And you all get to participate because while we do the drafting, you do the voting to determine who wins this draft. So join us in Facebook and on Instagram to be a part of the conversation, the banter,

[00:14:02] the joking, all of the things that happen in social. Unless you're one of Allie's friends, then you can't play. There are a couple of things in this draft that I really want. So I'm a little nervous. I kind of have butterflies. Okay, let's see if I can share. Let's just see what happens. I bet you can. Feel good about it. Do you see this? Yeah, we've had zero tech issues today. It definitely doesn't seem like anything would go wrong with this. All right. You see this, don't you? All right.

[00:14:28] So I'm going to click it and whichever name it lands on, that is the person drafting in seat number one. Yes. Oh, that's crazy. We're shocked. Allie. Allie's in first. We are shocked about this situation. Allie's in first. Weird. Again, why was I confusing in how I was explaining this draft? So, okay. Well, that happened. I don't know why I didn't. Bex. Bex. Bex is going to go, I hope not, third.

[00:14:58] Carla, I really want to go second. I hope I go second. Can you send me all your second energy? I kind of want to go third. You want to go third? She wants a two pick. She wants that the turn. I get to go, too. I get to go third. Oh, well, I should have said I wanted to go first. I manifested that. Mm-hmm. All right. Becki Smedley's number two. Our official draft order, I will go first. Becky sits in seat two and Carla then will draft in seat three. So anybody have any questions about the categories or roles?

[00:15:27] I'm going to go over the categories before we start drafting here for our M&Ms. But are you two feeling okay? Yeah. Let's do it. I wanted number one, but two will be fine. It will be fine. Second is the best. All right.

[00:15:38] The seven draft categories that we are talking about today are, as they relate to Mickey's

[00:16:08] But by the time you all get two picks and it gets back to me, a lot of things are going to be gone. So I just, for M&Ms listening, I will pick one thing right now. And by the time it gets back to me, four more things will be gone. So I have to take one and pretty much sacrifice a lot of others, which makes it really difficult. Nobody feels bad for you. Nobody feels bad. Everyone usually wins out of the voting. Yeah. So I did not win last time I was in first, just so you all know. I don't know what to do here. I'm looking at three categories that I really want to take something in.

[00:16:37] There's one category that I feel like there's something obvious I should take, but I actually like multiple things in that category. This is not as obvious as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on what the number one should be. I think this party brings a lot. I agree. This party has a lot of highlights, and so it's hard to decide what the number one thing is. But I think I'm going to, because it is the first overall draft pick, and by nature, first overall should be like the best thing that the party has to offer.

[00:17:06] And so I think the very first thing I'm going to take off the board, it's going to be... Manifesting. This is me manifesting what you need to take. I don't think I'm going to take what you don't want me to take. I mean, now I'm trying to think of what you want me to take. I wish you would just take something. This is the Jeopardy music, I think. We are 51 minutes into this endeavor. It's going to be Christmas by the time this comes out. All right. I am going to take... Help me with the name of it, Bec.

[00:17:35] I'm going to take the parade in show and entertainment. So Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas time parade, which is what I did not want you to take. That is definitely what I was hoping you were not going to take. So the Once Upon a Christmas parade is the longest parade at Disney World. And it is literal joy. It is the most exciting, like just light up your face holiday music. There are spectacular floats. Workshop. Santa's workshop.

[00:18:03] Characters in their holiday attire. Belle in her Christmas cloak thing that she wears. The elf. Tally the elf was birthed from this parade. And I know that Tally went through sort of a rebirth last year. Not sure what that will look like in 2026. But just I think a lot of M&Ms probably have that reference. Yeah. The elf dancers are adorable. The bears, the boxes, the characters, the music. And of course, the snow.

[00:18:30] The parade brings snow to you in Florida. And I really do think that there are so many wonderful things about this party. But the Once Upon a Christmas parade might be the best parade ever at Disney in any party, park, day, anything you're doing. And it is the number one don't miss thing. I agree. That's why I wanted you to not take it. I am curious what you had after that, though, because that was solid for my life. Yeah. I love this parade.

[00:18:59] I am trying to think of my favorite part. I don't know if it's the dancing soldiers. I don't know if it's the reindeers. I don't know if it's Santa coming down a sleigh as it's snowing on Main Street USA. I mean, what's more iconic and better than that? Nothing. This is a great first choice. I probably would have done the same thing. Carla, you were with me when we went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party and my daughters were dressed as the reindeer. Do you remember that? Yeah. And they wore those glittery boots.

[00:19:28] And I have pictures of it. I really could cry. It was just the soldiers and the reindeer are. Oh, my gosh. And that picture of your family with all your hands in the air and it's snowing. Yeah. It's like one of my all-time favorite photos. And think how little those kids were when you did that. Stop. Like that particular one. They were babies. We're babies. You only have 183 months before they go to college. Or, you know, you should start being sad about it now. All right. That goes to you. All right.

[00:19:58] Number two is an obvious follow for me. It is a meet and greet. I think it is the meet and greet. You have to be strategic because it's going to have a long line. Unlike Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, I feel like this particular space is more about the events than it is about the meet and greets, where the Halloween ones are definitely a lot of meet and greets. This is the meet and greet in this party. And it's Jack Skellington dressed up as Sandy Claus.

[00:20:27] He is amazing. Just the character meet and greet itself is amazing. But even being elevated up to be for Nightmare Before Christmas increases it even better. I'm going with that. Yeah. It's a good one. You don't like this? No, because I'm just not like that's such a fan base that the Nightmare Before Christmas. We just talked about this on Jollywood and it's just not my jam. I get it. And it is for the people. This line is insane. So if this is what you want to do and you get there at four,

[00:20:57] you should probably go ahead and be in line by six. So a full hour before the party starts so that you can be ready. If you want that, if you desire that exact picture and meeting that character. It's just it's just not for me. I can't believe you chose that as your first pick. Yeah. Well, kind of. I can see why you took this because it is a very unique experience. When you have an iconic character then dressed up in clothes that aren't part of like

[00:21:23] anytime you can meet a character in non in atypical costumes, I think that levels the experience up. So when you have Jack posing as Santa Claus. And it's only available during this party. Yes. So very unique, special to the party. And if you are part of the fandom. Yeah, you have to go. Okay. Good pick. Carla, you get your round one and round two back to back. Okay. I'm going to go wild card.

[00:21:48] For my wild card, I was thinking kind of about I'm taking this on like a little broader scale. And I'm going to do all of Main Street USA because walking into the party and it's fully decorated and the lights are draped across Main Street and you have the wreaths on all the light posts. This is where the parade is going to happen. This is where all the shopping is going to happen. This is where Santa is going to come down. This is where it's going to snow.

[00:22:18] Like this is where to me, this is this is the whole party. Like to be on Main Street USA during Christmas time, during this party and you're matching Christmas pajamas is just so iconic and amazing. And I love it. It's such a vibe. I'm going to write this for you as Main Street decor, right? No, just say Main Street USA. Just Main Street? Yeah. Just put snowing on Main Street. Okay. Well, that's different. But that's what happens. I know. But is that what you're drafting?

[00:22:47] But is that what you're drafting? Because I honestly feel like those are two different things. No, it's Main Street vibes. It's the whole it's smell. It's all the smells, the sights, the sounds of Main Street. She wants to draft Disney World. This is the whole thing. She wants Disney World to be her. I'm confused. That's like saying I'm drafting all the rides. No, I'm drafting all of Main Street USA and everything it has to offer. Listen, none of y'all's wild cards are going to beat this. This is the whole.

[00:23:15] But I have a question because of what I had in mind for my wild card. So I really need this clarified. I really do. I really do. So is it standing on Main Street? No, it's all at Main Street. It's Main Street. So you're just writing it down, Ellie. The sight sounds, smells Main Street. It's Main Street. Yeah. I think I've explained myself. All right. Main Street. I don't think that's what I got you. Okay. Got it. And you get another pick here. Okay. My second pick is going to be resort. And I am going with Wilderness Lodge at Christmas time. We've talked about this so many times.

[00:23:45] You feel the minute you walk into this lobby, it's, I mean, it feels just very like you've gone to the mountains and gone to this beautiful snowy wherever. And it is just so iconic at Christmas time because of the giant tree. Like even if you're not staying here and you're going this time of year, you have to walk into this lobby and just spend some time in there. Go to, you know, one of the many restaurants in there.

[00:24:11] Go sit by the fireplace, go look at the tree, go to the shop, take the boat to the Christmas party. I love this resort. I always do, but especially this time of year. Completely agree on Wilderness Lodge though. That is, that is a fabulous resort for all of the things you just said. Yes. Yeah, it is the mountains at the holidays. So if that's your vibe, the tree there is spectacular. And I think one of the things that makes it so wonderful is how high up in the lobby you can see.

[00:24:39] And so then the tree is just very, very breathtaking. Not all of the lobbies have that grandeur. And this one truly, truly does. And so for those reasons, it's a great pick. Completely agree. Okay, locked and loaded. That's back to you. The fourth pick off the board before I even get another breath. Oof, this one's harder for me because there are probably three things that are worthy of being picked here. I don't think you and I are going to have the same wild cards. So I think we're okay there.

[00:25:06] Let's go with, I'm going to go with my snack. These are probably the wrong things to be picking first, but I absolutely love this snack and I'm hopeful that it's going to come back. So I'm going to take the peppermint bark funnel cake from Sleepy Hollow. It is delicious. It, give me anything that is peppermint and it just feels like Christmas to me. Feels, not feels. Or maybe it feels. I don't know. Wow. It, it is delicious. It fills your fills with joy. It, it just feels amazing.

[00:25:35] I love, I love a good funnel cake and I love peppermint at this time of year. So of the snacks that we likely will have, I think that that is the most picture worthy, the most delicious, the most unique because you can only get it during the party. We're a big funnel cake family too. We really are. We always go to Sleepy Hollow and get a funnel cake. So I'm not a huge peppermint person, but Zan is. She would love this. I don't think I would navigate toward it. Do you, are you like a peppermint mocha, peppermint latte?

[00:26:02] I will get, I will get a white hot chocolate peppermint drink from Starbucks year round. Even in Florida, that's still what I get. Do not put mocha in it though. I don't want the flavor of coffee. I just want the flavor of warm and peppermint together. Delicious. All right. Good picks. Not where I was going to go. So I do think I know. I spent a long time figuring out my number one. I'm very happy that I went with the parade as I'm sitting here reflecting. Thank goodness I did that. All right.

[00:26:29] So I know what I want to do next and I am going to take my wild card. Carla threw me a bit of a loop because I thought I knew what I was going to do for wild card, but it sounds like she kind of encompassed what I was going to do, which is why I was asking so many clarifying questions. And I think it's okay because I was going to just draft snow on main street. That was what I was. That's what I had. But it sounds like you kind of encompass that. I'm okay with it because my parade snows. And so I have snow. I'm okay.

[00:26:57] So I think what I am going to do is I'm going to draft the next thing that's closest to my heart in the world, and that is fireworks. And I am going to draft Minnie's wonderful Christmas time fireworks show. And I'm going to do it in wild card. I'm thrilled that I got this here. Disney creates fireworks spectaculars for the holidays. So you have holiday theming, holiday imagery, holiday fireworks.

[00:27:23] It is a completely different show than anything you would see normal night in Magic Kingdom. And it is truly wonderful. And it makes me cry. And you see it. It only happens once. You know, some of the other things happen two times. They sort of bookend the fireworks. So obviously, it's not a draft for me if I don't have fireworks in it. I really think that might be true. So I'm thrilled to have this in wild card. Good choice putting that in wild card. Yeah, that's a good one. That obviously would have been secondary to, well, I don't know.

[00:27:53] It would have been tight between those two, I think. Yeah. And I am honestly still excited to talk about the other one that I think you're maybe referencing. But I feel very, very happy to have that in my wild card. And then I get one more. And I think I need to go to a category where no one has drafted yet. I am going to go ahead and take my must ride. And I am going to make it the Jingle Cruise.

[00:28:17] I am going to make it the Jingle Cruise because even though there is another ride layover that maybe is for an attraction that I love a little bit more, Jingle Cruise to me is the most complete layover that any attraction around Walt Disney World does for the holidays or any specific holiday type thing. I know that over at Epcot Guardians of the Galaxy changes up their remix. And there are a couple of rides that do layovers here at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

[00:28:46] But Jingle Cruise to me changes the whole name of the attraction. This is seasonal. It's not maybe just party specific. But the jokes inside the ride change. Some of the imagery along the track changes. The sign out front changes. And you really just do feel like I am at Disney at a very specific time of year. And it just kind of weaves in the immersion that I think everybody around the holidays and experiencing Disney magic is really seeking.

[00:29:13] And so because of how complete of an experience this feels, it doesn't just feel thrown together or just this one element is different. This truly feels like a new experience. And so I'm going with Jingle Cruise. Good choice. I love this overlay. I think it actually is really sad to me, having been a Disneyland girl, that that is the representation of like the all the time overlay for Christmas. Because they should give us a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay on Haunted Mansion, in my opinion.

[00:29:41] That would be the number one draft pick if we had that. It would. It's so, so good. Jingle Cruise is fantastic. But I actually really love the glistening lights on Living with the Land. And I know that I'm just a Living with the Land fangirl. But gosh, give me Christmas lights on a boat ride. Jingle Cruise is a good option. Just to be clear, she likes Living with the Land more than she likes Guardians of the Galaxy. No. Just forget to set the base light. No. I'm pretty sure you've said that before.

[00:30:10] If I was choosing between the two of them, I would choose Guardians. But what am I going to write every time I go to Epcot? Probably Living with the Land. Guardians. I'm like, there's one answer there. I'm not in my roller coaster era anymore. Becky, let me ask you this. She's in her horticulturist era. I am. I am a plant mom right now. Like, that is literally where I'm at in life. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. I love Living with the Land so much. But how many times have you and I been to Epcot together? Probably ten, at least.

[00:30:40] At least. Minimum. And how many times have we ridden Living with the Land together? Apparently none. Maybe once. I don't think ever. But that's not because, that's because I love Living with the Land. I don't make everybody go on it with me. You all love Guardians. Really like a backwards comment about me. No. You all love Guardians. I didn't do Guardians with you. I just wish you would admit it.

[00:31:05] You like Living with the Land and probably even Soarin' more than you like Guardians of the Galaxy. Just say it. It may be true. See? Just own it. And maybe even the Remarkable Boat Ride, too. That one she does. No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. That one she does. No, no. Okay. Well, back to my pick here in Magic Kingdom. Yes. Jingle Cruise. I think it's great. It's more than just a layover. It's a full immersion. It is. It is not. My gosh. You guys are hyping this up. I'm going to keep it real with you guys.

[00:31:34] It's a change in a letter. No, it's not. No, it's not. They changed the jokes. They changed the decor. The jokes are different. The decor is different. Yes. It is completely different. You're wrong. It's minimal. You're cynical. You're in your cynical era. It's minimal. It's the most we get. As are all of the overlays in Walt Disney World. They are minimal compared to Disneyland. You're right on that. All of the overlays in Disney World are minimal, but this is a full overlay.

[00:32:01] It's across the entire ride, the queue, the ride, the jokes, the sign. It's all. This is complete. I would say they put hee hee hee in your ho ho ho or something. I looked at it. Wait, I'm going to look. Wait, give me a second. It was kind of funny. But it's not unique to the party. And so it doesn't matter. Some people are only going to the party. And if you're going to prioritize rides, this is what you're going to. I mean, most of the rides aren't unique to the party. But the overlays can be. You're just trying to save your category here.

[00:32:27] The Monsters, Inc. put some ha ha ha in their ho ho ho with the seasonal show. That overlay. Yeah. Have we ever drafted this party before? No, we've never actually even had a fully dedicated episode to this party. Yes, we have had plenty of episodes on this party. What are you even talking about? I think we've had holiday episodes, but I don't think we've had a dedicated... By itself? ...just this party episode. Why do I feel like I've drafted some of these things before? Okay. You're having deja vu? Is that what you're telling us? I am. I am.

[00:32:55] Either you're forgetful or I am having intense deja vu. We definitely have never drafted this party. I'm assuming that you won. Did you win? I don't know. I just feel like I'm doing better this time than I did last time. You're having a great draft. I will admit that. I don't even know whose turn it is. It's my turn. Wait, so you draft... Wait. I drafted the fireworks in the card and Jingle Cruise in the ride. Yes. Okay. The next one I'm going to choose is going to be... There's two I really, really, really want here. And I think Carla's going to take two.

[00:33:25] So I'm going to take Space Mountain. Space Mountain is the only real ride that has a... I mean, I guess there's other rides that have overlays, but Space Mountain, you get to ride with the Christmas lighting and theming happening on the ride. And it only comes on during the party. And so for that purpose, Space Mountain is my pick. Even though Jingle Cruise is fantastic, I think the uniqueness of Space Mountain being only available for this overlay during the party will elevate it slightly higher. Yeah.

[00:33:55] I love this ride. In my head, they play music too, no? Do they play music? No, they absolutely do. It's like rock. Okay, that's what I thought. It's jingle rock. Jingle rock. Sing it for us, Allie. Sing it. The rock version. Oh, yes. I know what you're talking about. She's so right. Yeah. Yes. She came around there. It took her a second. But the hand motions were what we're in. The hand motions brought it together.

[00:34:22] But really, the hand motions were more like Guardians because, you know, Space Mountain is more like... Oh, my gosh. Okay, well, I'm going to pause for just a second. Can we just talk about, for like 10 seconds, that we're getting Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Guardians of the Galaxy. That might make it worth me waiting in that line to go on Guardians of the Galaxy. Becky, I need to tell you something. I went to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I've been five times to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. You've told me this. You did it wrong or something because it is the best.

[00:34:52] I told you about my experience? Yeah. I took my wife as a surprise for her birthday when they were in town. And before the show started, I started crying because I thought to myself, this is bucket list. I cannot wait to see this massive orchestra playing this music. This is going to become... She was pregnant. And I was thinking, this is about to become a family tradition. We're going to do this every year. We're going to be coming back to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We're going to bring that baby. I'm just so happy. It's weird. It is not weird.

[00:35:22] There's no way it's real. There were five instrumentalists, musicians on the stage making all... Like, I didn't understand what was happening. I don't know whether they play live or not, but it does not change the fact. They cannot. We were front row. It doesn't... The bow was not touching the instrument. The bow was not touching the instrument. And I believe you. I 100% believe you. But that does not change the fact that I'm still going to turn Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the top of my volume list while I'm decorating my Christmas tree because it is... Me too.

[00:35:51] Amazing. Amazing music. Me too. But I just... I was there... I was left extremely confused by my experience at the orchestra. Yes, that's fair. An orchestra that doesn't actually play the instruments. Or have a full orchestra. They do have a full orchestra. They bring in a whole orchestra that is local to the community that you're going to. I don't remember mine being there. They have a... I promise you. I've seen them five times. They are amazing. And the local orchestra...

[00:36:20] Maybe I need to give it a go again because I am an orchestra supporter. Yes. I am an orchestra fan. I want to love this. Yes. Give it another try. Don't sit front row. You don't want to sit front row anyway because of the lasers. You want to see the whole entire theme. Okay. We're way down a rabbit hole. Let's go this way. I think I need to try... I think I need to try again is what I think. I think I have a bad experience. I think I need to try again. I also think my holiday recommendation for all of you to listen to and for Eminem's,

[00:36:49] my favorite holiday album is Socks by J.D. McPherson. I listen to it top to bottom multiple times a day this time of year. We have gone to see him live in little bar venues and it's my favorite holiday album. Brings me so much Christmas joy. If we were drafting holiday album, that's what I would draft. That's a good question. Maybe we'll do that in social media. Let's take that conversation there. All right. So Becky took Space Mountain. A good pick. And Carla, that gives you two selections here. Okay. Two selections.

[00:37:18] Let me do... Gosh, do I really have to go here? Okay. Okay. My meet and greet is going to be Santa. The real Santa, not Santee Claus. The real Santa back in Storybook Circus. Circus. What's more amazing and magical than meeting Santa in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World? I mean, I don't know what else to say about it. You know where I wish he was? I don't like that he's in the circus, although it is transformed. Well, he used to be in the gazebo next to... He used to be. I know. And that's what I was going to say.

[00:37:47] I don't think it was big enough. It is too crowded. And the things that they put around also is a better fit. They make the circus more than just a circus back there. So I think it's a good fit. Yeah. It's, I think, the option. I don't think there's another... I mean, that's kind of a dead area of the park, if we're being real. So when it's Santa and you need to clear space, I mean, it's what makes sense. But obviously, this is a great pick. Okay. That is my pick. And then, gosh, show and entertainment. Do I want to do that?

[00:38:16] Or do I want to do the must-ride? I'm not going to win either one of these things. I guess I'm going to do the opening show. What is it called? I have to even look at it because it's just so... Is it the Mickey's Most Merriest Surprise show? Yes. Like right at 7 that you walk down Main Street, you know, Main Street again. And it's on the castle. It's on the castle. It's on the castle. And everybody comes out. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Has the characters, has the storytelling. It's just a great opening. It's more like your early version. If you're not going to make it to fireworks kind of thing.

[00:38:46] Like you get all the characters. You get them in costumes. It's cute. I like it. I love this show. Talk it up. Talk it up. I like this show because of the dancing. One of my dear, dear best friends in the world got to dance in this show last year. And I think that makes it a little elevated for me. I loved it maybe more than I should have. I don't know if it's as good as I remember. But he was very good. And he got to share the stage with all those characters.

[00:39:14] And I just thought the choreography was adorable. It's a very, very high energy show for those performers. I like the little bell dance that I was doing here. They do a hoedown with Jesse. I mean, I just I think it's a really sweet show. It is. I think it might be a little difficult to hold the focus of it's a kind of longer show ish. So I think, you know, you may only be able to see a little bit of it and then your kids make it bored. But if they're into entertainment, dancing and fun like I am, they're going to love it. Yeah.

[00:39:43] And the shows that are on the castle stage don't tend to be the focus there. They're going on. And if you're passing by, definitely stop and see. There's multiple really, really fun show, though. Really fun show. I don't know that it compares to the fireworks, but if you aren't going to make it that late in the night, it might be a good way to bring the castle into your experience. Yeah. All right, Beck. That pulls it to you. I think she has one more, doesn't she? No, I did too. What other one did you take? Oh, Santa. That's right. Santa. All right.

[00:40:12] You did not take what I thought you were going to take. So I am going to jump to resort because I think that that is the next important. And I'm going to take the secondary to my number one. Wilderness Lodge is number one. The second is Grand Floridian. So I'm going to take the Grand Floridian. The location being on the monorail is super easy for getting back to your room. The lobby, the tree in the lobby.

[00:40:38] I do wish that we still got the gingerbread house in the lobby of the Grand Floridian. But Allie, never mind. We won't go back to shingles. When we have the... RIP shingles. Yes, indeed. We are right around the monorail bend, right across the way from the Magic Kingdom. And while it's not necessarily the closest option, I think that the elevated holiday experience

[00:41:04] in the lobby does bring this as my favorite choice of the monorail resorts or the Magic Kingdom resorts to choose from. Yeah. Just get back to your room easy. During this time of year, for sure. Yeah. I'm actually interested to see what they do with the lobby this year. I know the tree is going to be up. I bet that they're going to have some cool Christmassy cocktails at the little bar. For sure. Could you imagine sitting in the lobby listening to... Is there still a piano player? There are a piano. Yeah.

[00:41:32] A grand piano playing Christmas music. Yeah, exactly. So good. Drinking a hot toddy or something like... Something good. Warm and yummy. They will have the tree. I... They are... It's a huge miss if they don't do a holiday-themed cocktail at that new bar. And they used to have a champagne cart in the lobby. I don't know if they still do that at the holidays now that they have the... Now that they have the big bar, I don't know that they do that. But during the holidays specifically, they did used to do that. But I don't...

[00:42:00] It probably is a little unnecessary now with the full bar. With the full bar. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I do love that so much. We did that last year before we went to this party. We stayed a night at the Grand Floridian. They did not have a holiday-themed cocktail, but it was very, very new at the time. So now that it's a little older, maybe they will. So to be determined. TBD. Okay. Does that mean it's... It's you. For two. Me for two. You for two. Okay. Hmm. Well, you both have taken resort, so I'm safe in that category.

[00:42:30] You both have taken meet and greet, so I'm safe in that category. So I suppose I need to go to snack is probably the thing I need to do next. And I don't... I mean, you get included snacks at this party. Mm-hmm. And so it's hard for me to buy a snack. It's not, to be honest, something I seek out and do because you get the included cookies. We usually will eat before we go. Do you have to be eating at Cinderella's Royal Table, I guess, to get the hazelnut carriage cake? Yep.

[00:42:59] So you'd have to be giving up time in the park. That's a commitment. That's a commitment. Hmm. Okay. So I'm going to go then instead with the snowflake ornament dessert from... No. Hmm. Yeah. I think you already said it. Yeah. I think you already said two options. Can't put that back in the bottle. No, it's fine. I'm going to go with the snowflake ornament dessert at Pinocchio Village House. I... This is, like I said, a tough category for me because everything is very sweet. We probably already had a meal outside of the park.

[00:43:27] We're not wasting park time to sit down and eat something. You're getting included cookies. Although we do take our cookies, we usually put them in our bag and take them with us, eat them throughout the next week. And so that's just sort of something fun to collect. And then grab something uniquely sweet to the party. And the snowflake ornament is easy to access. Pinocchio Village House is super simple to order from and grab. And so I like the location of this snack. And then it's just a nice little... A little nod to the holidays. Something special only for the party.

[00:43:56] And I'm into it. I feel like this is a hard category because I would venture to say that Allie and I are probably looking for something savory. Because they always have something good over there by Tiana's. The Outpost. The Golden Outpost. I feel like there's always a good snack treat there. Pecos Bill's always has something good. And they're doing... I need to see the menu. Yeah. They are doing something there. I just eat before this party and then just have some sweet treats while you're there is probably my advice. You know?

[00:44:25] And so that's why that category was hard for me. But I wanted to grab something unique to the party. When Carla said that she thought you all were looking for something that is savory, my mind immediately went to maybe you should try the turkey leg at the Christmas party. That's very on brand. Nothing says Yule Tide like a turkey leg. I feel like that kind of does. Yule Tides in my stomach. Okay. Okay. Moving on. All right. Meet and greet. And I'm thrilled to get this meet and greet. I feel very excited about it.

[00:44:53] You can meet Anna and Elsa in their specialty holiday attire inside the Princess Royal Hall. Typically, Anna and Elsa only grace their presence to meet people at Epcot. And during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, they come into Magic Kingdom. They go into the Royal Hall. They put on their winter outfits. I mean, the movie is Frozen. It is about winter. And here we get to meet them at a wintry themed party. So Anna and Elsa in their winter attire. Very happy about it. That's a good one.

[00:45:22] I am a huge Anna and Elsa fan. Elsa is by far just my favorite. I just love her so much. And so I am all about Anna and Elsa special in Magic Kingdom only at this party in special clothes that you can't get anywhere else. This is great. I am out of I'm kind of out of my meet and greet era at this moment. But do you know if they meet in the outfits like their winter outfits or are they in their traditional like the Olaf? Isn't there like a Olaf short? Yeah.

[00:45:51] That holiday song is in my head now. I mean, it's going to be playing on repeat rent free. Yes. She Elsa has like a crisper, deeper blue with snow on it and fur. And Anna has sort of like a button up coat with fur and reindeer and bells, I think, on the skirt. It's very specific to the holidays. Love it. Cute, cute. Love that. And your kids will love it too. Okay. So I need to choose. I guess I'll choose my treat station.

[00:46:22] And these are pretty standard. Once in a while we'll get a new one. So what the treat stations are are places that you can stop throughout the night to get included, not free, included drink and treat. And that treat is typically cookies. They do have allergy friendly options at all of these locations as well. So kind of like at the Halloween party where you trick or treat at this one, you go around and you can get holiday drinks and holiday cookies at all of these different locations. They have candy canes out front of these spaces. Really cute addition to the party.

[00:46:52] And I love that they're including some kind of snack. But I do agree that I think it takes away from the need to buy other snacks when you can get the different cookies at all of the different stations. So I'm going to choose Cosmic Rays. I think that it has been a staple there for a really long time. And it's central for pretty much everywhere that you want to go. At this location, they rotate what kinds of things you can get there. So I would hope that at this one, I would be getting hot cocoa and a delicious like frosted sugar cookie would be my preference.

[00:47:22] But they also do gingerbread cookies. They also do, I think when we were there, my very favorite one was a snickerdoodle cookie. So they do lots of different types of cookies. And you can also get things like eggnog and cider and things around different places. So that's it. I'm going to choose Cosmic Rays as my location to pick up my cookie and drink. Yeah, some of the stations are ciders and some of them are hot chocolate. I specifically remember last year getting the hot chocolate from Cosmic Rays. And it was a great place to stop, take a beat. So good pick.

[00:47:52] All right, Carla, two for you. Okay, I'm going to go with my snack. And looking for that savory option every year of all of these parties, whether it's Halloween party, Christmas party, we're talking about the Christmas party. They always have a really cool popcorn bucket or popcorn container. I think, I don't know if it was last year or if it's for this year, but it was a little truck with Goofy driving. Mickey's in there. Stuff that's cute like that.

[00:48:16] So I'm going to do my treat, my snack as a popcorn bucket because I don't think you can go wrong. And it's your little souvenir. Maybe that's all you get that night. You don't get the jersey. It's a great pick. That's just your little option. It's a great pick. And then for, gosh, what else do I have? The must ride. You know, my favorite ride ever. We're going to do it. I can feel it. It's coming. It's the teacups. It's the teacups, right? I mean, I went hard for the teacups in another episode.

[00:48:45] And I guess I have to do it again here because it is pretty cool. And even if you don't ride to get, you know, a little video of it, even cooler if the fireworks are happening too. But also, why aren't you on Main Street watching the fireworks? But yeah, the teacups, it's a ride for everybody. You know, the dancing Christmas lights and whatever. The teacups. I go for the teacups. I feel like you're just the teacups. Yeah. I mean, what other option is there? The music and the lights do elevate the teacups.

[00:49:15] I'm not going to ride it pretty much any other time, except I would probably pop on because there's not going to be a line and it does have a holiday overlay. So there's fun for that. I'm not going to be spinning. I'll ride it, but I'm not spinning. Are you holding yourself still? Like, don't let me spin? Or are you willing to let it like naturally spin you? I'll let it naturally, but I'm not going to engage it in spinning. That's wild that you don't want to spin. Like, one of my things about Guardians is that spin at the front, it messes with my head. No, I'm not spinning. But I can go on teacups, no problem.

[00:49:44] Okay. I have two things left. I have wild card and show. Both of those, you've already, both of you have already chosen. So I just kind of get to take what I want here. I guess I'm going to take my wild card. And there are still multiple things that I would want to choose here, but I think I'm going to take the dessert party. The dessert party is a extra charge for it. So there is that that's kind of a bummer.

[00:50:09] But if you want to have the view of Main Street and the castle in a reserved space, that does not mean you're fighting with, not fighting ever at Disney, but having to stand and wait with the rest of the crowd, having a dedicated space, having drinks. It's really an internal fight. It's an internal fight for me. That's fair. It's like, do I really want to stand here and fight with the room of holding my space?

[00:50:34] No, getting to be in the Hubgrass area, having a dedicated dessert party where you're getting drinks that are exclusive to the party that only you get to walk up and get them right. And also like Christmas themed small bites and treats included. It's a good way to do it. It does come with the cost, but to have the extra space, the less stress and getting to watch the beautiful fireworks show. And yeah, I think that's where I'm going to go. Don't you get wine? Yeah, I have to be honest here.

[00:51:03] I as a person, if we were going to this party together, I'm all in. I am all about a good atmosphere and ambiance, a glass of champagne. Sign me up. Fireworks are the goal with included desserts. The problem becomes for me when it comes to parties, I don't usually pitch the dessert parties very hard because you already pay so much money to be at the party.

[00:51:26] The dessert party on top of the party becomes an extremely expensive evening and the party becomes dedicated time away from the ticketed event you bought a ticket for. That's fair. However, I will say, you know, a dessert party is always on top of the cost of a ticket to get into the park. So you're going to be standing, trying to get your spot anyways for, you know, that dedicated time. Whatever. Yeah. I think it's fair. I just I would do it with the right group.

[00:51:56] Right. I would do it with y'all. I don't know. I would do it. But give me some like charcuterie with my champagne. I don't want another dessert. I'm deserted. Expand it. OK. When I did when I did the dessert party for it was enchantment at the time that now would be happily ever after. They had dessert. It was the dessert party. But there was an entire table of savory. OK, good. Give me that arepa from Beacon Barrel. Can I get that? Can I get that delivered? That's not there. This is like cube cheese.

[00:52:24] Beacon Barrel is open, though, during this party. Did you guys catch that? Do they do a Yo-Ho holiday? I bet they do. That would be amazing. They throw some Yo-Ho in your Ho-Ho. Oh, gosh. So is that me? That's you for two. And then we're done. And it's it. Yeah. So I get to just take my last two here. I haven't done my treat station. Thank you. Not that I care. I'm saying he's done. OK. He's done. I was like, yeah. What about me? No, I have two more things to take.

[00:53:02] Regardless of what was off the board, because we are doing a very party focused episode right now. And yes, you can walk to Grand Floridian, but it is maybe a 20 ish, 15 to 20 minute walk. Contemporary is five minutes. You can be from park to bed in five minutes. You have to wait on nothing. You do not need to wait on a boat, bus or monorail.

[00:53:25] Going to the party, security gates are by far one of the hardest things to bypass. Contemporary guests have their own security gate going in on the walking path. You kind of bypass that portion of the party crowd. And so if I am focusing on the party, first of all, the lobby or the upper lobby, not the check in lobby of contemporary does have gingerbread, little gingerbread houses and nods for the holidays.

[00:53:53] It's not a complete turnover immersion like I think Grand and Wilderness are. They have the gingerbread Epcot ball, don't they? Yeah, they have a lot of different, they have a lot of different amazing things to see. I think they moved that to Epcot in the Communicore last year. But they do have a lot of great things in there. And so you are getting nods to the holidays. But that security entrance, that five minute walkability, the zero need for any transportation. It is by far the best resort to stay at for a party focused trip.

[00:54:23] So that I think is perfect in that spot. I will. I do agree on that. However, I will say that all of the monorail resorts you get to have, if you're getting on the monorail, you also have your security at your resort. So it's... Yeah, but you still have to wait in a line for the monorail. And those lines at the end of the night are crazy. It's bad. It's really bad. So and I think too, you get such great views of Magic Kingdom. I mean, from really any of these resorts, but contemporary, you're basically right there. You are.

[00:54:49] So if you're doing a multi-night stay, you can maybe see Happily Ever After without going into the park so close like you're there, really, from contemporary. So there's a lot of pros when you're doing a party focused stay. And then my last thing I have to do is my treat station. And this is tough because I just don't think... I didn't like the cider at that one. I'm kind of looking at the list. Do they still do those? I guess it really doesn't matter here because I do think Cosmic Rides is probably the best place to sit.

[00:55:19] So I'm going to go with the Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie at Gaston's Tavern. That's what they had there last year. I don't know that it will for sure be the same one this year, but back in that area, it's kind of off the path, in my opinion. So it's kind of a nice way out of the chaos. And then anything salty sweet is kind of what I want. So last year they did do that salted caramel chocolate chip cookie. Love that.

[00:55:45] Carla and I talked about a salty sweet cookie from Gideon's being our preference. So I'm going to go with that. Don't start us on that conversation. Yeah. Now don't start that again. Yeah. Okay. So I do know that's what I'm going with. And that completes my draft. Okay. That takes me to my last one. And all I have left is show and entertainment. So I have to take the one show and entertainment that is left, which is called Frozen Holiday Surprise. It's a mini show. It's on the castle stage.

[00:56:13] It's Anna and Elsa and Olaf and Kristoff. And they come out on the stage and have a really cute but shorter show. Most of the other offerings. But if you don't want to wait in line for Anna and Elsa and you want to get that taste of Frozen, this is a really great place to get it. It's a good one. Yeah. Cute, short, easy to actually see the whole thing. Also maybe a little forgettable. Not going to be a highlight of your night. But okay. Okay. Okay. The end of the sentence was, but very fitting for this party.

[00:56:42] And great that they have it there. Was the end of my sentence, ma'am. But start the sentence with forgettable. What are you taking with your last one, Carla? It's just my treat station. I'm going to go with the gingerbread cookie, which in the past has been at Sunshine Terrace. Again, don't know if it'll be there again, but I'm a sucker for gingerbread. Do you guys like gingerbread? Allie loves gingerbread sheeals. Not from the Grand Floridian. I don't care for it from there. But otherwise in life, I do.

[00:57:10] When we used to own our bakery, we had this whole cupcake line we called Cookies for Santa. And we bought, you know, like shot tubes that you would have, like when you're younger. And we filled those with milk and we stuck them in the cookies and we called it Cookies for Santa. And on top of each cupcake, we baked a little cookie. And my very favorite one, we had this gingerbread cupcake. It had a filling. And a little gingerbread boy that I baked on top. And they were so cute. Gingerbread has to be done right. You can do gingerbread wrong. It needs to be soft. It needs to be soft. It's kind of chewy.

[00:57:40] That's exactly. I was going to say, I think I like gingerbread cake better than gingerbread cookies. Or like a molasses. I love a molasses too. Doesn't Disneyland have the gingerbread Mickeys and they're super hard to get? Do you know what I'm talking about? Yeah. Not really, but it sounds great. You know what else Disneyland has that Disney World should have? Fresh made candy canes. Yeah. Disneyland does a lot, right? They do. Okay. This was extremely fun. I am actually starving now, now that we're talking about this.

[00:58:08] But all the sweet talk, it's still not quite what I want. But the spirit, I think we captured the spirit of what this party is. It is full of festivity. It is full of ability to make really, really special memories. It is just quaint and kind of makes you feel like you're transported, right? Into just old-fashioned Christmas. I don't know. It's just wonderful. It's today's magic word for all the M&Ms listening is going to be spirit. This party has so much spirit.

[00:58:35] It feels like Christmas of childhood compared to Jollywood feeling like Christmas of more mature kind of theming. Both very fantastic. But this feels like take me back to my childhood memories of Christmas. It's all of those simple joys, I think. Yeah. All right. Let's review what we drafted here before we give a couple of honorable mentions. In snack, I took the snowflake ornament dessert at Pinocchio Village House. Carla took a popcorn bucket and Becky took the peppermint bark funnel from Sleepy Hollow.

[00:59:04] Funnel cake, excuse me, from Sleepy Hollow. Meet and greet, I took Anna and Elsa in their winter attire. Carla took Santa and Becky took Jack and Sally with Jack dressed as Santa Claus. A must ride, I took Jingle Cruise. Carla took the teacups and Becky took Space Mountain. In show and entertainment, I have Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Carla has the most merriest celebration on the castle and Becky has the Frozen Holiday Surprise, also at the castle.

[00:59:32] In treat station, I have the caramel pretzel chocolate chip cookie from Gaston's, we think. Carla has the gingerbread cookie frequently at Sunshine Terrace. And Becky has the treat station at Cosmic Race. For resort, I have the contemporary. Carla has Wilderness Lodge. Becky has Grand Floridian. And for Wildcard, I have Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Firework Show. Carla has Main Street. And Becky has the dessert party.

[00:59:57] And I have no idea who's going to win this draft because I really think in each category, we have our own strengths. And this is just a really great party is what that's telling me. It really is. I think that's really nice of you to say, but I think you killed this one, Allie. She did. I think Allie killed this as well. I think I'm a big loser. I think it's a shocker that number one draft pick would likely be the winner in this. I am not convinced. I can see many categories that I get taken down. Yes, you are. You're so full of spirit. You're so full of spirit.

[01:00:27] I really do see categories I could definitely not win here. So we'll see what the M&Ms have to say about it. Vote in our comments section. Vote in our stories. And let us know what you think about this party. And if you're going to this party and leave your trip review about this party and ask your questions about this party inside our Facebook community, Moms Behind the Magic. Any honorable mentions, things that weren't drafted but deserve a shout out? Specifically my wild card considerations.

[01:00:52] I really wanted to bring up that the Diamond Horseshoe Lounge that is currently a trial opening in the Diamond Horseshoe is going to be open for the parties. And I'm hearing, I haven't gotten to be there yet, but I'm hearing that people are liking the food and the drinks significantly more than what's at the Beacon Barrel. So I definitely want to get there. I don't know whether I would use my party time for it, but it is open for the parties. And then I also just wanted to give another little nod. I thought about drafting it, but didn't.

[01:01:21] You mentioned it at the top of the episode, Allie, the importance of those pre-party extra hours that you get with your ticket. Like, do not waste that time that you can get into the park before the party starts. Yeah, you get eight hours at Magic Kingdom. Eight hours. It's amazing. My kids didn't even make it the whole time. Like, when we went, they knocked out. So, I mean, it's a lot of park time. It's a whole day, basically. Yeah, that makes sense.

[01:01:46] The other snack that I thought might be worth calling out is there's usually a frozen hot chocolate, which is really perfect for Florida. Like, if you like the hot chocolate flavor. And it's not a freezing cold night, which some of these parties do get pretty cold at nighttime. A frozen hot chocolate can be a really good addition. And sometimes you can even find alcohol versions of those if that's something that you are interested in. Party? Walking around? We'll see inside of the lounge, possibly. So, we'll see what gets announced once we actually get all of the full details.

[01:02:16] But I'm hopeful. I'm excited to go to Diamond Horseshoe because it's interesting that you said that. I have actually maybe heard a little bit of the opposite. So, I'm interested to go there and see what I think. Make my own opinion. Yeah, I think the lounge itself is nowhere near Beacon Barrel. Beacon Barrel is amazing. But I've heard good things about the eats and drinks. I guess we'll see. All right. You're all ready to do a quick lightning lane and then we close out this episode? Yes, let's do it. Do Becky first. Okay, Becky answer first. All right.

[01:02:44] What is the one thing at this party you would never skip? Parade. I think the parade is the thing that you have to see. Parade. Yeah, it's parade. Which happens on Main Street. Main Street. Not only Main Street, but... Yeah. Worth the money or not. Totally. I think yes. I think yes. Fit it in your budget. Make it happen. If you get there and there's one going on, you will have FOMO. Just make it a part of your budget. If a client only had one night at Disney in December, would you send them to the party? Heck yeah. Like, get yourself to the party.

[01:03:14] Yes. Even above a Magic Kingdom day, in my opinion. Like, if you had to choose between... Halloween? Maybe. What is the most underrated part of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party? Carla, have you answered any of these questions? I have. Okay. I would say the most underrated part is the shorter lines. And I just don't think people are there to ride the rides. And I think if that's part of your night and that's what you want to do, then... I think it allows you to feel like you're getting a double dose of Christmas.

[01:03:41] Because when you're at the Christmas party, you feel Christmas. Where otherwise, it feels like the holiday season. This just, to me, feels like Christmas. Yeah. Totally. Okay. And what is your most memorable moment from Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party? You're going to put me back in my mama feels in this. Most recent trip to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party was with McKenna, who is my daughter, who's now a freshman at UCF.

[01:04:08] And riding the carousel, like riding the carousel and seeing the Christmas lights and hearing the Christmas music. Like, oh, like it felt like she was still a kid, even though she was a full-blown teenager at that moment. Yeah. I would just say just being on Main Street and seeing Santa. Back on Main Street. Mine is that picture Carla mentioned. Yeah. We had just watched the parade. My kids were waving at Santa. Oh, my God. And then we all just started snowing. And I don't know. They're just they were so happy.

[01:04:37] And they're dressed like little reindeer and their nose is black. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. And you know that my girls wore sparkly heel boots and they did not complain and they did not take them off the whole night. That is crazy. It's magic. I think there's Disney magic that lets your feet not hurt while you're in the park. Yeah. Bless their hearts. Yeah. Okay. Well, that was really fun. I cannot wait to hear what our M&Ms think. Make sure you are voting. But that is going to do it for us here on another episode of The Moms Behind the Magic.

[01:05:06] Get yourself to Mickey's very Merry Christmas party. Happy holidays to those who celebrate. I'm so excited this time of year is finally here. And until next time, we're sending you fun, love and joy. And we'll see you real soon. Use code. I'm sorry. I changed and I thought I typed it. Magic 10. I know. But what is it? Magic 10. Magic 10. No. No. What do you? I know it's magic 10. What do you get? Oh, $10 every $50. I just lost you guys because I moved. Wait.

[01:05:36] Something glitched. But you're, you don't sound good. It's coming out of another mic. Okay, wait. Let me. It's swapped over. Why do you do this to me? Carla, do you hear us? Can you hear me now? So proceed. My cheeks hurt. Do you know that we'll be, this mom's sign to magic will be like a year old when this episode releases? I was trying to look and see if we ever did this episode because I feel like we did. I was having massive deja vu and I could not find it anywhere.

[01:06:04] But like, I feel like I had to draft the cars, the go-kart things. And I felt like. During the Halloween draft? We drafted the Halloween. I know, but I, I swear I was having huge deja vu. And like, I didn't. And I remember a conversation when you had to, had to choose the cars, but I don't know why. Right. And I also feel like. Maybe it was about an overlay. It was just a holiday thing in general. Maybe. I don't know. I'll have to think back on it, but.

[01:06:33] Because there was some conversation where I'm like, I feel like I've done. Because we definitely talked about Jingle Cruise. Oh, and I feel like I got. No. I feel like I got the teacups. Remember the Magic Kingdom draft? That was just a standard draft. And then Katie drafted. Didn't she draft like the Christmas parade? Or. No, it was something. She drafted Enchantment. And I called Becky. Enchantment that was a after hours party. Oh, okay. Okay. Awesome. Allie wins another draft. Coming up. All right. I get it, but.

[01:07:02] I don't know that it's as surefire as you're saying. Oh, gosh.