Disney Parks start celebrating the holidays right after Halloween, and while the official seasonal celebration doesn’t begin until November 13 in Walt Disney World Resort, plenty of changes are already rolling out or being announced. Holiday ride overlays are a big part of what visitors look forward to this time of year, and both returning overlays and brand-new ones are on the calendar.
Below, we reveal the closing date for one of Disney World’s most popular holiday overlays, and we also talk about other holiday ride updates in the park. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including details on the Astro Orbiter refurbishment and more information about the EPCOT Eat to the Beat Concert Series lineup.
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Jingle Cruise End Date and Jungle Cruise Start Date
The Jingle Cruise has been a Disney World tradition since 2013. Every year, the seasonal ride overlay includes festive decorations like handmade ornaments and lost gifts. The boats also get on-theme names like Gingerbread Gal and Hanukkah Hattie. Skippers update their pun-heavy tour commentary with themed jokes, too.
Both the Jingle Cruise end date and the Jungle Cruise return date for the Magic Kingdom ride in Walt Disney World are now confirmed.
The Jingle Cruise will operate through January 4, 2027, and the Jungle Cruise will return to its normal state on Tuesday, January 5. The official end of the holiday season in Magic Kingdom is January 6. The Jingle Cruise ride overlay in Adventureland began on November 3, giving guests 9 weeks to enjoy the holiday version of the popular ride.
The closing date for the overlay shifts each year. The last Jingle Cruise ran from November 3, 2025, to January 1, 2026, with the regular Jungle Cruise returning the following day.
According to the ride’s lore, the Jungle Cruise skippers are homesick around the holidays, and they’ve decked out the boathouse and cruise to be more merry. The decor you see has either been sent to the skippers, or they’ve made it themselves using materials on hand, like jungle vines.
While Disneyland Park has the Jungle Cruise ride, it no longer runs the Jingle Cruise overlay. While it debuted in Disneyland in 2013, the same year as in Walt Disney World, it hasn’t returned since the 2017 season.
Holiday Ride Overlays in Disney World
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The Jungle Cruise isn’t the only Disney World ride that gets an update to celebrate the holidays.
Living with the Land in EPCOT turns into Glimmering Greenhouses from November 27 to December 30, when the greenhouses get dressed up with lights and holiday-themed elements pop up around the attraction.
Another popular EPCOT ride will also get a seasonal makeover. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — Holiday Remix replaces its rotation of 6 songs with 3 on-theme tracks from November 25, 2026, to January 6, 2027. We don’t expect other ride elements to change aside from the music.
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One of Disney World’s most recent ride updates will undergo another transformation for the holidays as well. Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), which opened on May 26, gets an attraction-wide Obligatory Holiday Overlay. The pre-show, on-ride music, and even the courtyard outside the ride will all be themed.
Also in DHS, the recently updated Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams will play 4 holiday tracks on rotation.
Holiday travelers can also get tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom or Disney Jollywood Nights at DHS. Each event has exclusive character meet-and-greets, food and beverages, and live entertainment. See the dates and ticket prices for these events here. Tickets for these holiday parties go fast, so it’s best to book yours as soon as possible.
There are also Extended Evening Hours through the end of the year for guests staying at a deluxe-category Disney Resort. See the schedule here.
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