Lilo and Stitch's new dance party had a surprise guest on opening night, and Pooh and friends turned up at Pete's Silly Sideshow with a group autograph card. Here are the showtimes and all 18 character spots on the map.
Stitch brought a date to his new Christmas party. Angel joined Lilo and Stitch at the first Stitchmas! dance party on Sunday, Nov. 8, MickeyBlog reported from opening night of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom.
Disney had only promised Lilo and Stitch and "closest friends." When we covered the announcement Nov. 5, Angel was BlogMickey's guess. Guess confirmed. She danced in a holiday lei.
Stitchmas! runs the whole party, 7 p.m. to midnight, inside Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland. MickeyBlog described line dancing, hula moves and a conga line, set to songs like "Blue Christmas" and "Must Be Santa!" Stitch wore a red and green shirt covered in poinsettias.
It's "very much geared towards kids," MickeyBlog said. Grown-ups may still get pulled into the conga line.
The other big change is in Storybook Circus. Disney had only said Pooh and friends would meet there. WDWNT found them at Pete's Silly Sideshow: Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, together, each in a different winter scarf. They don't sign, but guests get a card with all four "signatures" and snowman art.
Donald, Daisy and Scrooge McDuck met inside the Sideshow at past parties. This year they greet outdoors near Dumbo the Flying Elephant and The Barnstormer, according to WDWNT and BlogMickey.
Here's last year's Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks from MouseSteps:
What time are the Very Merry Christmas Party shows in 2026?
Showtimes are the same every party night, per the party map, WDWNT and MickeyBlog:
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade: 8:30 and 11 p.m.
Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks: 10 p.m.
Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration: 7:40, 9:25, 10:35 and 11:55 p.m. at the Cinderella Castle stage
Frozen Holiday Surprise: 6:15 and 8:15 p.m. on the same stage
Reindeer Wranglers: 7:15, 8:05, 9:30, 10:30 and 11:40 p.m. in Frontierland
Club Tinsel: 7 to 11:30 p.m. at Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland
Stitchmas!: 7 p.m. to midnight at Cosmic Ray's
Santa's Christmas Carnival takes over Storybook Circus all night, with Santa meeting guests near Dumbo.
What's in the 2026 Christmastime parade?
The parade starts in Frontierland near Tiana's Bayou Adventure, rolls through Liberty Square, circles the hub and heads down Main Street, U.S.A., WDWNT reported.
Highlights from WDWNT's opening-night photos:
Mickey and Minnie on a Christmas tree float stacked with presents
Olaf on a Nordic-style house, then Elsa on a snow-and-ice float, with Arendelle village dancers in between, same as last year
Vanellope in a gingerbread version of her racecar
Goofy's candy machine float, which looks like a penny-farthing crossed with a train
Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, pulled by white ponies, and the royal float
Woody, Jessie, Buzz, Bullseye and Forky on the Toy Story float
Toy soldiers, dancing reindeer and Santa's sleigh to close it out
Where should you watch the Very Merry fireworks?
For the castle projections, stand in the hub or on Main Street, WDWNT says. The fireworks themselves are visible from Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, too. Happily Ever After doesn't run on party nights.
No party ticket? My Disney Experience lists Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks at 8 p.m. for all Magic Kingdom guests Dec. 23 to 29, BlogMickey reported. Day guests can also catch the parade at 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10 and 11, while Disney tapes its ABC holiday specials.
The castle show, Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration, stars Mickey with Clarabelle Cow, Daisy Duck and Woody, and ends with Mickey and Minnie in a sleigh, joined by a troupe of reindeer. It debuted in 2016, WDWNT noted.
Where do characters meet at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party 2026?
BlogMickey counted 18 character greetings on the party map:
Main Street, U.S.A.: Mickey and Minnie, plus Santa Jack Skellington and Sally, at Town Square Theater; Princess Elena of Avalor and Mary Poppins in Town Square
Adventureland: Friends from Aladdin near The Magic Carpets of Aladdin; Captain Jack Sparrow near Pirates of the Caribbean
Frontierland: Tiana and Naveen, even with her ride closed until Dec. 18
Fantasyland: Anna and Elsa, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider at Princess Fairytale Hall; Belle near Be Our Guest; Snow White and Aurora with their princes along the Fantasyland wall; Mirabel in Fairytale Garden; Alice friends near Mad Tea Party
Storybook Circus: Pooh and friends at Pete's Silly Sideshow; Donald and friends near Dumbo; Ariel and Eric toward Under the Sea
Plan around Princess Fairytale Hall. Last year's longest character line was Cinderella and a visiting princess there, at 51 minutes on average, BlogMickey said. Jack and Sally averaged 28.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
MickeyBlog (Nov. 8, 2026), Stitchmas! opening-night details including Angel, plus Reindeer Wranglers and Club Tinsel times
WDW News Today (Nov. 8, 2026), Pooh's meet spot and autograph card, the ducks' new spot, parade, fireworks and stage show reports
BlogMickey (Nov. 8, 2026), the party map's showtimes and 18 character greetings, Christmas week fireworks, the stage show cast and 2025 character wait times
Disney Food Blog (Nov. 8, 2026), the opening-night character list
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.