December at Walt Disney World includes the holiday season in full swing at the theme parks with special ticketed parties taking place, changes in operating hours, and changes to restaurant operations.
Keep reading for all the changes coming to Disney World in December. At Mickey Visit, we bring you all the latest Disney news, including recent changes to holiday parties and the potential new Disney ticket system.
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1. EPCOT’s Glimmering Greenhouses & Festival of Holidays Returns
Though technically in November, the kickoff of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays starts on November 28 and is a big change that impacts December at Walt Disney World. This event features holiday traditions from around the world in food and entertainment. It also features the popular Candlelight Processional. This is a very popular festival and arguably one of the best at EPCOT!
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This festival brings the popular Glimmering Greenhouses overlay to the Living With the Land attraction. This boat ride takes guests through the greenhouses where EPCOT grows food to support Walt Disney World restaurants. During the holidays, they add special decor and lights throughout the attraction. Now, as of November 22, this ride has actually opened early for the 2025 season and is already delivering holiday magic ahead of the official start of the festival. To properly take in the awesome additions to this ride, experience it at night.
2. Popular Restaurant Adds Reservations
The popular resort hotel restaurant, The Wailulu Bar & Grill, will start taking online reservations in early December. Since the Wailulu Bar & Grill opened, it has been a walk-up location only and has not offered reservations.
That is now changing with online reservations opening up on December 3, 2025, with the earliest available reservation date on December 4, 2025.
3. Sangria University Switches Locations
The popular Sangria University experience is relocating at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort in December.
Starting December 13th, it will now be located at Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood inside Gran Destino Tower instead of Three Bridges Bar and Grill. This is one of our top secret Disney experiences that will make you feel like a VIP even though they are actually affordable. That’s a fun list. Click the article to read.
4. Last Dates of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on the following dates at Magic Kingdom on Dec. 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21. The last party date on the 21st is the last date of the season. Magic Kingdom will close early at 6 PM on the dates that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is taking place.
The ticketed event at Magic Kingdom includes the popular Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show, character dance parties, and seasonal overlays of attractions. This party is now sold out for the holiday season.
5. Holiday Party Entertainment Moves to Regular Park Hours
Once Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ends on December 21st, the fireworks and parade become part of the daily entertainment at Magic Kingdom. This is a great feature for those visiting during the holidays. You get access to much of the great party entertainment as part of your park ticket price.
Currently, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks are scheduled to start running at 8:30 PM, replacing Happily Ever After, starting on December 22nd. While not on the calendar quite yet, the fireworks will be joined by Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.
6. New Year’s Eve Celebrations Revealed at Magic Kingdom
The New Year’s Eve celebrations at Magic Kingdom will take place on December 30 and December 31st. The first showing of Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks will be at 7:30 PM and the second showing at 11:50 PM. On both nights, Magic Kingdom will close at 12:00 AM.
7. Jollywood Nights Ends at Hollywood Studios
Jollywood Nights, the ticketed holiday event at Hollywood Studios, takes place on Dec. 1, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 22. The park will close at 7 PM when Jollywood Nights are taking place.
Holiday entertainment at Hollywood Studios will continue throughout the month, including Sunset Seasons Greetings with the nightly holiday projections transforming the Hollywood Tower Hotel into a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, a Toy Story toy hotel, a corner of Arendelle, and a Dickensian village from “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”
8. Hollywood Studios Adds New Year’s Eve Show
The New Year Countdown Fireworks at Hollywood Studios take place at 11:57 PM on December 31st and feature a projection show with lasers and a few rooftop launch fireworks during the three-minute show. Hollywood Studios will stay open until 12:00 AM.
9. New Candlelight Processional Narrators
The Candlelight Processional is a concert that celebrates the Christian tale of Jesus, featuring a choir, orchestra, and a celebrity narrator telling the story as favorite Christmas tunes are sung in EPCOT as part of the International Festival of the Holidays.
This December features the debut of multiple new celebrity narrators, including Henry Winkler, Lauren Daigle, Brie Larson, and Leslie Uggams. See the full list of the celebrity narrators in our EPCOT concert guide. We also just saw that Disney swapped one of the narrators for this year.
10. EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Ends
The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays ends on December 30 and features holiday traditions from around the world, the popular Candlelight Processional, a gorgeous seasonal overlay on Living with the Land, and festival marketplace booths.
Since this festival has such a limited run, with a start date of November 28, the crowds in EPCOT will be heavy in the evenings as everyone turns out to see this popular festival.
11. EPCOT New Year’s Eve Events
There will be a special celebration at EPCOT for New Year’s Eve, with the park staying open until 1:00 AM on December 31st. The standard nighttime spectacular, Luminous: The Symphony of Us, takes place at 6:30 PM. This is then followed by Cheers to the New Year: A Sparkling Celebration at 11:54 PM, which features a countdown display and fireworks launched from around the World Showcase Lagoon.
EPCOT’s New Year’s Eve celebration also includes dance parties around the World Showcase, and it’s one of the best places at Disney World to celebrate, especially for adults.
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