I apologize for the lack of content over the last week or two.  We were out on vacation and then I got hit by a nasty flu bug.  All that’s in the past now (at least that’s what I’m trying to get my body to believe) and we’re back with a vengeance and some hard-hitting analysis.

On our recent trip to Walt Disney World we experienced our first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  We had a good time and will have a review of the party up shortly.  Of course, we could review the party right away but there is something far more important – cookies.  For the uninitiated, the Christmas Party is full of places where guests can go get complimentary (also known as: included with the price of admission) snacks.  In the name of research and unhealthy dieting, we tried all of these snacks and are now reporting back on our findings.

Let me be clear, this post is more in jest.  Spending the whole Christmas Party devouring cookies is probably not the best use of your time.  There are a few great entertainment options that far outweigh the cookie stops.  Instead, when you have some extra time and wander past a spot at the party with a giant inflatable candy cane, stop in and grab a cookie or two.

That’s where this post comes in.  Assuming you don’t have enough time to stop at all of the snack spots then you need to know which one is best, right?  Before we get into the actual rankings, Pinocchio’s Village House does offer multiple cookies so stopping there is a good idea.  Also, not all of the snacks are cookies as you’ll soon find out in the rankings.  We’ll rate all of the snacks but not the drinks, which include hot chocolate, eggnog, and apple cider.  Each cookie is individually wrapped and fairly boring to look at so I’m just going to include photos of the Christmas Party instead.  Now to a ranking that you never knew you needed!

8. Sno-Cones (Tortuga Tavern) 

It is astonishing how much worse sno-cones are than shaved ice.  Shaved ice holds in the flavor more and is pleasant to eat instead of having to chomp on miniature ice cubes and then slurp up some overly sweet juice at the bottom of the cup.  Shaved ice is great.  Sno-cones are not and should be left back in the glimmer of your childhood.

7. Dove Chocolates (Friars Nook)

Seeing how this is a definitive ranking of the snacks, you shouldn’t be able to disagree with me.  But, I don’t really love chocolate so some might actually disagree with me.  Either way, this option is fairly boring compared to other options on the list, albeit a very safe choice.

6. Chocolate Chip Cookie (Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies)

Our first cookie entry is the classic Chocolate Chip.  These aren’t bad, I just don’t think they were anything special or interesting.  As I just stated, I’m not a chocolate fan so that may drop these a little lower than they should be.  These are most definitely skippable though.

5. Snickerdoodle Cookie (Cosmic Ray’s)

The biggest of disappointments.  I love Snickerdoodles more than most people.  I was even more excited when I got to Cosmic Ray’s shortly before closing and they handed me roughly 8 cookies.  Then I tried one and was underwhelmed.  While all the cookies I had were fairly soft, these didn’t have enough cinnamon to give it the Snickerdoodle flavor.  Instead they tasted like a strange mix of sourdough bread and sugar cookies.  Bummer!

4. Sugar Cookie (Party Entrance)  

A cookie that coasts to a top-4 finish on looks alone.  Don’t get me wrong, it tasted like a store bough sugar cookie with plenty of sprinkles to mask any problems with the dough.  This cookie was Santa Clause shaped and decorated well enough to make it more memorable than any of the bottom four on this list.

3. Snowman Soft Pretzel (Tortuga Tavern)

The highest non cookie entry on the list by a wide margin, the snowman soft pretzel was exactly what it sounds like – a soft pretzel in the shape of a snowman.  While the shape resembled a snowman that a 5-year-old might have made, the pretzels were freshly made, warm, and soft.  For those that already broke the bank on getting into the party and don’t want to buy dinner then here you go!  No, it’s not a healthy choice but what did you expect with this list.

2. Ginger Molasses Cookie (Diamond Horseshoe)

The top two cookies are extremely delicious and absolutely worth seeking out.  I loved the ginger molasses cookie as it was the softest of all the cookies and had great flavor.  While I’m not including drinks on this list, the cookie was paired with eggnog and that was a nice compliment to the molasses flavor.

1. Peppermint Crunch Cookie (Storybook Circus)

An easy choice for first place, the peppermint crunch cookie was the most original of all the options handed out.  A soft cookie with pieces of peppermint throughout to add some texture, this cookie was unrivaled both in flavor and ambitions at the party.  Get a hundred of these and your party ticket is pretty much paid for!  Really, don’t do that though.  It’s a bad idea.

What are your favorite Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party snacks?  Let us know in the comments!   Planning a trip to Walt Disney World?  Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out.  If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, you can subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email.  All of those links are on the right side of this page.  Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!