It is a tradition for Disney Vacation Club to help Members celebrate the holiday season by holding the Merry Member Mixer at Walt Disney World. My wife and I have been Members since 2009 and on December 1, 2014, we had our first opportunity to attend a Mixer. This year, it is being held in the World Showplace Pavilion, a very large meeting room at Epcot located between the Canada and United Kingdom Pavilions. We planned our day around it, selecting FastPass+ attractions and a lunch dining reservation at Epcot that would give us plenty of time for the Mixer, which was being held from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
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Although this was our first time attending a Merry Mixer, others had given us some tips, such as it wasn't necessary to be there when the doors first opened at 3:00 PM. I was a bit surprised when we walked by the World Showplace about 1:45 PM and saw a handful of people already waiting to get in. We went to The Land Pavilion and used our FastPass+ for Soarin' and, with still some extra time to kill, we walked on to the Living With the Land attraction. It was getting close to 3:00 PM when we got off this attraction, so we headed over to the World Showcase and the Merry Mixer.
Imagine our surprise when we got to the World Showcase and saw a very long line stretching all the way from the large Christmas tree at the World Showcase's Port of Entry, past the Canada Pavilion and toward the Merry Mixer's meeting room. Rather than stand in line, we sat by the DVC Kiosk near the Canada Pavilion. The line started to move once the doors opened at 3:00 PM, but it wasn't until 3:35 PM that my wife and I finally got into the Mixer.
When we arrived at the Mixer we had to show our DVC Member card. Although it was just the two of us, we could have brought up to six non-Member guests with us. We were each given a perforated card: One part was a ticket stub that could be redeemed for a holiday treat; the other part was an entry ticket for a DVC gift basket that was being given away to one lucky Member.
Once inside the World Showplace, we noticed several activities going on simultaneously. There was a DJ playing music and getting kids involved in dancing and other fun contests. Tables were set up with arts and crafts for families to decorate paper cut-outs of things like Santa's elves. Along the walls of the room were several meet and greets with Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie, Chip and Dale, and Lilo and Stitch. The Merry Member Mixer is a very family-friendly event.
Scattered about this large meeting room were several stations where we could exchange our ticket stubs for a holiday cookie or rice krispy treat. There were other stations where we could get something to drink, such as hot chocolate, juice, and water. The stations nearest the entrance seemed to have the longest lines, while those toward the back of the room were less busy.
Toward the back of the room was a shopping area where we could purchase special DVC pins as well as some holiday-themed Disney merchandize. There was also a wide selection of characters for the Disney Infinity game set that could be purchased. However, none of these items appeared to be exclusive to the Merry Mixer. Many of the items are available at other locations in the Parks and Downtown Disney and at the same prices that they were being offered for sale at the Mixer.
DVC had set up tables and chairs for attendee to use and had organized queues for those waiting to see the Disney characters and to shop for the holiday merchandise. Although there were lots of Members and guests at the Mixer, the World Showplace is a very large meeting room that can accommodate large crowds.
One of the perks of attending the Merry Mixer is receiving a special DVC holiday ornament. This year, the pewter ornament has a train design with the DVC logo on the front and is inscribed with "Happy Holidays 2014" on the back. An ornament is handed to each family group when leaving the Mixer.
We left the Merry Mixer just after 4:00 PM. As we were leaving, I noticed there were still lots of treats and drinks to be had and all the merchandise remained available for purchase. Unless I missed it, there weren't any doorbusters available only to the first few in line. Like others have said, there really isn't any need to be at the Mixer right when the doors open. Next time we attend a Merry Mixer, we might not even arrive until after the first hour.
The Merry Member Mixer has already been held twice this year and two more are scheduled for December 15 and December 22. The event takes place from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Epcot's the World Showplace Pavilion. Park admission is required and Members must show their DVC card to enter the Mixer. Advance registration is not required. Additional details are available at DVCmember.com.
