The most wonderful time of the year has arrived at Walt
Disney World. Like Cinderella in reverse, as the clock strikes midnight
on Halloween, Mickey pumpkins are swiftly swapped for evergreen wreaths, candy
canes, and boughs of holly as the holiday season begins across the parks. This
year, while beloved annual traditions like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party,
EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional, and the unmistakable scent of gingerbread
displays at the resorts make their return, a few surprises add fresh elements
to the mix.
From a new Santa meet-and-greet at Animal Kingdom that’s soon headed
for extinction, to a revamped Disney Jollywood Nights channeling a festive
transformation reminiscent of Scrooge’s Christmas morning awakening, Walt
Disney World’s holiday season has delivered some notable updates alongside the
return of perennial favorites. Here’s what’s new and notable this holiday
season at the most magical place on earth.
Disney Jollywood Nights Finds Its Sparkle
Walt Disney World’s newest after-hours holiday party, Disney
Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is definitely on the “Nice
List” this year after a flawless debut on Nov. 9, seemingly leaving last year’s
rocky start behind like a ghost of Christmas past.
Opening night set an impressively high bar for the holiday
season, with seamless operations and low wait times making the sheer number of
available options feel like the only limit. A streamlined guest experience –
from smooth check-in at all wristband distribution points to a sweet parting
gift of Wondermade marshmallows – paired with exciting new attractions and
thoughtful updates to returning favorites, made this year’s Jollywood Nights a
resounding success.
The Twilight Soiree at the Tip-Top Club brought an
elevated experience to the Hollywood Tower Hotel courtyard with glitzy dancers,
a themed outdoor bar, and reasonably priced cocktails served in keepsake
champagne flutes. Meanwhile, Glisten!, a dazzling skating and singing
spectacular performed five times nightly in front of the Chinese Theater, and
the lively Pixar Disco at Pixar Place, where guests could dance with characters
like Joy and Edna Mode, brought fresh energy to the event.
"What's This? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before
Christmas Sing-Along" at the Hyperion Theater remains unchanged from last
year and for good reason — it’s a phenomenal show. Slightly updated and
still charming is Disney Holidays in Hollywood, a variety show at the Theater
of the Stars Hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy.
Muppets fans can also step into a unique The Muppet
Christmas Carol photo op at the Stage 1 Company Store. This shop is also
the spot to browse exclusive event
merchandise, with shorter lines and plenty of stock available later in the
evening.
With so many showtimes for all of the major shows, there’s
really no need to waste time arriving any more than 10 to 15 minutes early at
most for any show.
Throughout the park there are more than 20 character
experiences, plus event-exclusive Disney PhotoPass photo ops. Only a few
characters — Santa Duffy, Santa Stitch, and Mickey and Minnie in their
Jollywood Nights attire — command notable waits. If any of those are a
priority, consider getting in line for one as soon as you’ve received your
wristband before the party officially starts.
The Mandalorian and Grogu meet-and-greet in Star Wars:
Galaxy’s Edge is another unexpected standout, offering a stress-free
alternative to the pair’s daytime appearances, when guests aren’t allowed to
queue for individual photos. At Jollywood, party guests get a one-on-one
interaction and well-lit Disney Photopass photo — and we never saw the
queue longer than about 10 minutes.
Beach Club Gingerbread. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
The party runs from 7:30 to 12:30 a.m. local time, with park entry as
early as 6 p.m. While marketing is targeted more towards adults, Jollywood Nights
will be just as appealing to kids old enough to stay up late enough to enjoy
the shows, characters, rock-bottom wait times for rides, and holiday fireworks
spectacular, Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
Unlike Walt Disney World’s other After Hours parties, there
are no foods or drinks included other than the parting marshmallow gift, but
there are more
than 70 specialty menu items served at well-staffed locations throughout
the park, remedying last year’s long waits for food and drink. For a more
relaxed dining experience, Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby offers a
seated opportunity for cocktails and light bites with entertainment provided by
a live pianist. With last year’s long queues for other experiences and a
shorter event, I didn’t recommend taking the time to visit Brown Derby, but
with a longer party and shorter waits throughout the night this year, plus the
ability to make advance
reservations, a stop here is more doable.
Tickets
for Disney Jollywood Nights are available for select nights through Dec.
21, ranging from $159 to $179 depending on the date.
Daytime Holiday Offerings at Hollywood Studios
Jollywood Nights doesn’t get all the festive fun at
Hollywood Studios. The park is dressed to the nines in its iconic vintage
holiday decor, with a nostalgic soundtrack of crooner classics.
Three new entertainment acts — Juggling Elves, Holiday
Spirit Band, and Seasons Jukebox — add to the park’s festive daytime
atmosphere. At night, snow falls along Sunset Boulevard and Sunset Seasons
Greetings holiday projection show lights up the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
“Frozen” fans should be sure to catch “For the First Time in
Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration,” which gets a holiday overlay for the
season.
EPCOT
The holiday season gets a later start at EPCOT, where the EPCOT
International Festival of the Holidays runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 30, 2024. Live
storytellers, performers, and holiday kitchens bring a global taste of the
holidays to World Showcase.
The beloved Candlelight Processional returns with a mix of
new and veteran celebrity narrators, including Ralph Macchio, Titus Burgess,
and Neil Patrick Harris.
Be sure to wait until the sun goes down to ride “Living with
the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses,” the classic attraction’s glowing seasonal
overlay.
Disney Springs. (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
A DinoLand Debut at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Walt Disney World’s most charming holiday offerings is
delightfully device-free. The Merry Menagerie, a troupe of winter animal
puppets greet and interact with guests daily from Nov. 12 in front of the Tree
of Life. After dark, the Tree of Life lights up with a moving holiday
projection show.
New this year, but destined for extinction Dec. 24, Santa
will be greeting guests at DinoLand U.S.A.’s Restaurantosaurus at the 75th
Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party on the Patio. After you visit Santa, be
sure to get those final rides in on Dinosaur while you can. The ride doesn’t
have a final closure date yet, but DinoLand will begin a phased permanent
closure next year to make way for the area’s total retheming to Tropical
Americas.
Disney Springs Is Aglow with MagicBand+ Enhancements and
First-Ever Tree-Lighting Ceremony
On Nov. 8, Disney Springs flipped the switch — literally — on the
holiday season during the first-ever official tree-lighting ceremony in Walt
Disney World’s retail, dining, and entertainment district.
MagicBand+ interactivity has been added to more stops on the
Christmas Tree Stroll, a free scavenger hunt activity. Sixteen of the stroll’s
21 trees now features special effects activated by the circular motion of
nearby MagicBand+.
New interactive holiday windows at World of Disney are also
triggered with the tap of a MagicBand+, taking the wearer on a personalized
journey. MagicBand+ triggers both practical and digital effects, from the
launching a toy train around a track, to revealing a digital letter to Santa,
“signed” with the MagicBand+ wearer’s name.
Eagle-eyed Disney fans are sure to spot some nostalgic
vintage Walt Disney World props and nods to classic attractions and IP, along
with mischievous visits from Stitch throughout the displays.
For the best view of the windows and the lights along the
Christmas Tree Stroll, visit Disney Springs after dark, when you’ll also get to
enjoy nightly “snowfall.”
Special holiday menu items are available at restaurants
throughout Disney Springs. For the most festive atmosphere, don’t miss Jock
Lindsey’s Holiday Bar, a seasonal overlay to Indiana Jones-themed Jock
Lindsey’s Hangar Bar. The airplane hangar turned watering hole is dripping in
colorful decor and the holiday menu is as fun for the eyes as the
tastebuds.
Magic Kingdom Park
At Magic Kingdom, Main Street, U.S.A. is all dressed up in
its holiday finest, as is the Jungle Cruise, temporarily transformed with a
holiday overlay to the Jingle Cruise. Magic Kingdom is home to Walt Disney
World’s long-running after-hours holiday fete, Mickey’s
Very Merry Christmas Party.
Many fans bemoan the absence of the beloved Cinderella
Castle Dream Lights, but “Frozen” fans should enjoy the nightly “Frozen
Holiday Surprise!” During the brief castle stage show, Cinderella Castle is
transformed with projections into a shimmering ice palace.
Disney Resort Hotels
Walt Disney World resorts hotels can be destinations in
their own right year round, but especially during the holidays when they are decorated
for the season with themed Christmas trees and gingerbread
displays.
Fans of the 1983 animated “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” can’t
miss a visit to Disney’s Beach Club Resort lobby, where the hotel’s 24th annual
Holiday Carousel gingerbread display features five stunning horses inspired by
the animated Disney take on the classic Dickens tale.
Limited-time holiday treats are also available at select
locations within the resorts.
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