Comparing Character Meet and Greets at Jollywood Nights and Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party 2025

Choosing which Christmas Party to attend when you have booked a Walt Disney World trip from the UK is a reality for many UK visitors. The option to attend both parties is often out of the question for financial reason, so how do you decide? If you love your character meet-and-greets this is one way to choose between the two, as each party offers different options.

Choosing which party to attend based on character meet-and-greets isa great option for families with children, or Disney fans who love to collect those Instagrammable pics with rare and unique Disney characters. Both Jollywood Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party have different character meet and greet options and in 2025, both parties are offering great character interactions. We’ve really struggled to get to a decision on this one….

Character Meet and Greets at Jollywood Nights 2025

Here is the line-up of character meet and greets available during Jollywood Nights in 2025:

At Echo Lake you can meet the following characters:

• Phineas & Ferb

• Max Goof as Powerline

• Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers

• Santa Stitch

• Baloo & King Louie

Pixar Plaza

• Mike Wazowski

• Edna Mode

• Frozone

• Joy (Inside Out)

Near Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster

• Jose Carioca & Panchito from The Three Caballeros

• Lotso

Walt Disney Presents

• Duffy (Santa outfit)

Commissary Lane

• Donald Duck and Daisy Duck

Grand Avenue

• Goofy & Pluto

Red Carpet Dreams

• Mickey and Minnie

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

• The Mandalorian and Grogu

Rare and New for 2025

Jollywood Nights adds some very exciting character meet-and-greets to the 2025 line-up, including a few we think could sway your decision if your picking based on character interactions.

• BingBong (Inside Out): Meeting on Grand Avenue

• Partysaurus Rex (Toy Story): Meeting near Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster

• Chewbacca celebrating Life Day: Meeting in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

• Miguel (Coco): Meeting near Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster

Partysaurus Rex and Bing Bong are the most exciting in our opinion, but would one of these character meet and greets sway your decision?

Character Meet and Greets Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2025

At Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party experience the following meet an greets in 2025:

On Main Street USA

• Mickey Mouse

• Mary Poppins

In Fantasyland

• Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

• Alice and White Rabbit

• Winnie the Pooh & Friends

• Ariel and Prince Eric

• Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder

• Cinderella & Prince Charming

• Snow White & Prince

• Aurora & Prince Philip

• Belle (in holiday dress)

• Mirabel

In Storybook Circus

• Minnie Mouse, Donal dDuck, Daisy Duck

• Scrooge McDuck

• Santa Goofy

• Meet Santa at Santa’s Christmas Carnival in Storybook Circus (new in 2024)

Frontierland

• Country Bears

Liberty Square

• Tiana & Prince Naveen

In Adventureland

• Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine & Genie

• Captain Jack Sparrow

• Peter Pan

• Santa Stitch

Rare and New for 2025

The new 2025 character meet and greets are more reimagined than new. All three sets of new character meet-and-greets feature characters in new outfits, rather than being new characters. That’s not to say that Jack Skellington as SandyClaws is not a must see! This Instagram post by Disney Parks sums up the excitement:

• Sally and Jack Skellington as SandyClaws

• Anna and Elsa un Christmas attire at Princess Fairytale Hall

• Minnie and Mickey together at Town Square Theatre

Which Party Offers The Most Character Meet and Greets?

You can potentially meet, and snap a picture with, over 41 individual characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. At Jollywood Nights, you can potentially meet and take your picture with around 28 characters.

On paper you get the chance to meet a lot more characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. There are around a third more character interactions available in Magic Kingdom when compared to the character interactions available at Jollywood Nights. However, the focus should not be on number but on who you get to meet.

Why Choose Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

If you love Disney Princesses and the classic Disney characters from animated Disney then the character meet-and-greets here will be your cup of tea. This is also the only Christmas party offering the chance to meet Santa Claus, which is often important for families with young children looking to pick a party.

The other advantage of choosing Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade. Although you don’t get to meet the characters, you do get to see them. There is also no substitute for a Magic Kingdom parade, especially a festive one!

Why Choose Jollywood Nights

Jollywood Nights has fewer character meet and greets on paper but is offering more new meets for 2025 than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. There is also a wider range of unique and rare characters to meet, include Bing Bong and Partysaurus Rex. For people looking to tick-off the more unusual characters this party will have more appeal. If quantity is what matters, then Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will offer you more characters.

Meeting Duffy may also be a draw for any fans of Tokyo Disneyland or with aspirations to tick that park off their travel bucket list. Max Goof as Powerline is also a nod to 90’s nostalgia and is likely to have a greater appeal for Disney adults rather than younger Disney fans who may not understand the reference.

For anyone with young children, note that there is not a Santa meet and greet at this party, so if that matters to you, choose Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

Which Party To Choose?

Overall, Jollywood Nights offers fewer chances to meet characters but a wider range of unique and interesting characters that you don’t very often see. It’s great for adult who may enjoy the subtle nostalgic references in character outfits. On the other hand, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party offers that classic Disney vibe. It’s quintessentially Christmassy and offers the cosy and traditional Christmas vibes, which don’t find at Jollywood Nights.

If I was choosing, based solely on meet and greets, I’d be off to Jollywood Nights, but there’s a tinge of sadness to that as Jack Skellington looks like an incredible meet and greet at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.