The holiday season begins at Walt Disney World in November and runs until the first week of January which allows for plenty of time for guests to plan a seasonal vacation to one of the Happiest Places on Earth! Typically you can expect the holiday décor to remain up until early January.
Read on to find out everything you need to know for enjoying the holiday season at Walt Disney World.
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Walt Disney World Announces 2025 Holiday Offerings
Walt Disney World has not yet announced their lineup of offerings for the 2025 holiday season! Typically this news is announced as part of the Halfway to Holidays event that happens in the beginning of the summer. During that period we'll get all of the highlights of the Christmas celebration including dates for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, any new offerings, and favorite returns.
Then, we'll get additional news on what else is coming for the holiday celebration as we get closer. During the weeks leading up to the holidays once Disney World has already started to decorate for Christmas we will get the 2025 Disney World Christmas Foods Guide.
Last year, there were two ticketed events held – the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the Jollywood Nights event. We anticipate that both will return again in 2025. Jollywood Nights had a tough start two years ago when it debuted but last year improved dramatically with new entertainment offerings and key improvements.
Unfortunately, the Cinderella Castle Dreamlights seem to be gone for good. They didn't return last year and we don't think we'll see them back in 2025 either. Although I hope not, these castle lights were so impressive and I lament their loss each year. It would be a great move for Disney to bring these back for the 2025 holidays in order to drive a key attendance bump.
And the best event at EPCOT returns this year! EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays takes place November 29th through December 30th. We won't receive the full narrator list for the Candlelight Processional for awhile yet but the dates this year follows the usual pattern of the festival running right after Thanksgiving.
Animal Kingdom will once again offer the Merry Menagerie artisan-sculpted winter animal puppets which interact with guests near The Tree of Life. This is one of my favorite character interactions during the holidays at Walt Disney World!
The ever popular Disney Christmas gingerbread houses will also return including our top ranked house, the Grand Floridian gingerbread replica! Seeing the gingerbread houses are a great way to enjoy an arrival day at the resort if you don't plan on going to the parks and then you can later finish it off with the Disney Springs Christmas Tree stroll which will return this year along with the popular snowfall in Disney Springs.
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2025 Holiday Season at Magic Kingdom
The main focus of celebration in Magic Kingdom Park is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Guests attending the party will get to enjoy a special Christmas parade, fireworks, and snowfall in the park. You can also read about when Disney World decorates for Christmas here.
Last year's Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Dates
- November: 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29
- December: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20
You can read more about the full list of entertainment offered at this popular Christmas party and how to purchase tickets in our Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party guide.
But if you don't attend the party, you can still enjoy all the holiday decor in Walt Disney World as the park will be fully decorated for all guests to enjoy along with plenty of holiday treats and merchandise to enjoy.
Magic Kingdom also features the main Christmas attraction overlay (unlike Disneyland at Christmas, seasonal overlays aren't a common thing at Walt Disney World!) on the Jungle Cruise. The Jungle Cruise is transformed into the “Jingle Cruise” featuring themed holiday jokes told by the Skippers, holiday names for the boats, and holiday decor on the attraction.
Jingle Cruise is available during regular park hours and during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
Frozen-Inspired Show
“Frozen Holiday Surprise” is a Frozen-inspired experience to illuminate the castle that can be seen during regular park hours and during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This show replaced the previous Castle Dreamlights (more on this below) and past holiday projections that cycled throughout the night since 2020.
Olaf and “more than 100 of his Snowgie siblings” decorate Cinderella Castle. Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Kristoff all appear live on stage with. The celebration ends with Elsa adding her sparkling touches to the castle which will illuminate Cinderella Castle into a shimmering, crystal palace that will remain throughout the evening.
In disappointing news for many Walt Disney World fans, the Cinderella Castle DreamLights will NOT be returning this year and is still being replaced by this new Frozen show. The Cinderella Castle Dreamlights have not returned to Walt Disney World since 2019 and have since been replaced by projections that illuminate the castle instead. Many fans hoped that we would see the lights return as the 50th Walt Disney World decorations were removed but it appears that the DreamLights are gone for good and have been replaced by the projection-style images we've seen on the castle. This was even further confirmed with the announcement of the return of this Frozen show.
If you want to see a castle lit up with actual glittering icicles and not projections, it's just more incentive to also visit Disneyland for Christmas!
Disney Jollywood Nights- After-Hours Event at Hollywood Studios
Walt Disney World has announced that the newest holiday party, Jollywood Nights, is returning to Hollywood Studios! Disney Jollywood Nights will once again take place after Hollywood Studios closing time on select nights in November and December. This new event features the return of “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” which hasn't returned to Disney World since 2019!
Last year's Jollywood Nights Party Dates
- November 9, 13, 16, 18, 23, 25 and 30
- December 2, 7, 11, 14, 18 and 21
This party will take place from 8:30PM to 12:30AM and guests with tickets can enter Hollywood Studios as early as ^PM for the event. Since this party takes place after Hollywood Studios typically closes, this won't impact guests visiting the theme park without party tickets.
This new holiday party features the return of “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” plus new entertainment and a Muppets focused holiday special at Theater of the Stars! Read all the information including how to buy tickets in our Disney Jollywood Nights event guide.
Hollywood Studios
Sunset Seasons Greeting's projection show is definitely worth a look as the Hollywood Tower becomes full of light including laser projections and snow.
When evening falls, the billboards transform into real life characters telling a tale of their love for the season.
These holiday scenes include:
- Mickey and Minnie reminiscing about a hometown Christmas as the scene shifts into a romanticized, Norman Rockwell-inspired town—starting in black and white before slowly changing into color.
- The Toy Story characters guessing which new toys are coming this Christmas as the scene becomes covered in holiday wrapping paper.
- The Swedish Chef from The Muppets babbling as only he can while the scene turns into giant gingerbread houses.
- And finally, Olaf pining over his holiday wish as iconic music plays and the scene freezes over into a Frozen winter wonderland—complete with dancing Aurora Borealis lights and projected falling snow.
Minnie's Seasonal Character Dining at Hollywood & Vine
Hollywood & Vine at Hollywood Studios changes their character dining throughout the year to match the park seasonal celebrations. The holiday Hollywood & Vine character dining includes Santa Goofy along with Minnie and other friends dressed in their holiday best. You can read our full review of this holiday experience to see why we loved this special event.
Echo Lake Holiday Decorations
Echo Lake gets a merry makeover with extra-large ornaments, colorful garlands and a giant Christmas tree centered on the water. Even Dinosaur Gertie will be festively dressed for the occasion!
Disney does not disappoint with their seasonal decorations so take the time to soak it in and enjoy!
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays takes place November 29th through December 30th, featuring the popular Holiday kitchens around the World Showcase promenade. This will include favorite treats such as the American Holiday Table featuring Slow-roasted Turkey with Stuffing and Bavaria Holiday Kitchen with dishes like Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl.
The Voices of Liberty will perform on the America Gardens Theatre stage again this year for a concert of carols and holiday songs. We will keep updating with menu, entertainment, and tips for visiting the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. Guests can also view holiday character cavalcades at Epcot including Mickey, Anna & Elsa, Santa, and more!
Animal Kingdom
At Animal Kingdom you can expect the park to be decked out in breathtaking holiday décor.
Walt Disney World has made an effort to include a greater amount of things to do and see for the holiday season at Animal Kingdom.
Tree of Life Awakenings
The Tree of Life awakens during the holiday season wintry tales projected on the tree.
Discovery Island
This winter celebration at Discovery Island includes life-size, artisan-sculpted animal puppets that include reindeer, foxes, and polar bears. These winter animal puppets, called the Merry Menagerie, will appear throughout the day. The park’s iconic Tree of Life also awakens each evening with a colorful tableau of wintry tales accompanied by a musical score.At night the rooftop will be filled with luminous lights and bird lanterns.
Asia and Africa Celebrations
In Asia guests can enjoy glowing flowers, lanterns, and more where residents of Anandapur have decorated the theater district in celebration of Diwali––the festival of lights in India. In Africa, guests can enjoy more decorations in the village of Harambe that blends the style of Western traditions with authentic African celebrations.
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Guests can enjoy seasonal decor and handcrafted materials indigenous to Pandora to celebrate Christmastime at Pongu Pongu.
Adventurer's Outpost
You can also find characters such as Mickey and Minnie dressed in seasonal attire at the Adventurer's Outpost. Around the park you can also find characters such as Santa, Goofy, Baloo, King Louie, Donald, Chip and Dale dressed in seasonal clothes.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs will be fully decked out in its holiday finest by November 10. You can find seasonal treats and shopping in this Disney district.
Disney Springs also features a variety of entertainment for the holiday season such as:
Christmas Tree Trail: a walk through wonderland of Disney themed Christmas trees featuring falling snow and holiday music. The Christmas Tree Trail returned last year with a new list of full holiday trees to experience. For now, you can cruise a Christmas Tree Trail list from a past year to see what themes to expect! We anticipate that this will return in 2025 again.
This tour starts near the fountain outside Once Upon a Toy, once you find the pathway you can look forward to seeing these themed trees:
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- Walt Disney World Theme Parks
- Mickey & Minnie Mouse
- Beauty & the Beast
- Sleeping Beauty
- Aladdin
- Frozen
- The Princess & The Frog
- The Little Mermaid
- Mulan
- Haunted Mansion
- Snow White
- Pinocchio
- Toy Story
- Disney Villains
- Dumbo
- Cinderella
- Robin Hood
- Star Wars
- Peter Pan
- Tangled
- The Lion King
- Mary Poppins
- Fantasia
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- Stitch’s Holiday Gift Hunt: a scavenger hunt to find all of Stitch's lost items, if you find them all you receive a prize!
- Meet Santa: Visit with Santa at Once Upon a Toy!
- Nightly Snowfall: Town Center in Disney Springs is transformed into a winter wonderland with nightly snowfall.
There are also carolers wandering through Disney Springs along with other roaming varieties of seasonal entertainment.
Walt Disney World Gingerbread Displays
One of the most beloved traditions at Walt Disney World is multiple gingerbread displays at the various resorts at the park. Last year's Disney World gingerbread houses included displays at these hotels:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
You can read all about the Disney World gingerbread houses and our tips to see them in our guide.
Easily the most famous of all is the gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. You can view clouds of cinnamon billowing out of the chimney of this life-sized storybook gingerbread house made from a classic Austrian recipe.
This house is adorned with white chocolate, candy canes, edible snowflakes, sugar poinsettias, and 25 – yes, 25 – hidden Mickeys! Along the porches, you’ll find an 85-pound chocolate Santa, nutcrackers, toy soldiers, and snowmen that have all been hand-painted by the Grand Floridian Bakery team.
You can even get limited edition pins, mugs, holiday ornaments, and treats! Some of the goodies you can purchase from the Gingerbread House include:
- Freshly baked, homemade items, such as Gingerbread Mickeys and Shingles, Stollen Bread, Brownie Christmas Tree, and Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- House-made Gingerbread Ornaments and Gingerbread Houses
- New items like the Gingerbread Latte Whoopie Pie and Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Assorted Gingerbread Cookie Bags, Marshmallow Pops, and Caramel Pecan Fudge Bar
- Gluten-friendly, plant-based, and no sugar added treats
- Grand Floridian Combo Box featuring assorted fan favorite treats, including the Chocolate Mickey Ornament, exclusive to the Combo Box
Animal Kingdom Lodge features a Life-sized Baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Zebra.
While you're over at Animal Kingdom Lodge you can even decorate an ornament with ostrich shells. These mosaic-like ornaments are made from crushed and dyed ostrich eggs.
Since no male ostriches live in the park or resort, these eggs remain unfertilized and go unused by the female ostriches who lay them on a cycle similar to chickens. Once cleaned, the eggs are crushed and colorfully dyed, glued onto an animal-shaped ornament of your choosing, and tied off with a recycled telephone wire. Guests can participate by visiting the recreation clubhouses at Jambo House and Kidani Village.
The Beach Club Resort features a famous gingerbread life-sized carousel that's been a tradition since 1999 that actually spins! This carousel and its horses are masterfully created with chocolate, sugar, and fondant along with hand-painted characters and hand-crafted gingerbread shingles and snowflakes decorating the display. What makes this year even more special is that all the horses celebrate a different Disney princess. Commemorate your holiday viewing with limited edition pins, mugs, holiday ornaments, and treats including:
- Signature Stollen Bread
- Candied Pecans (Plant-based)
- Trio of Fudge
- Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Snowman
- Crispy Rice Treat
- Chocolate Mickey Cookie (New)
- Peppermint Bark
- Gingerbread Shingle
- Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie (Gluten-Friendly)
- Gingerbread Cookie (Gluten-Friendly)
BoardWalk Inn's gingerbread display includes a miniature, edible version of the BoardWalk Deli! Before leaving, be sure to check out some of the treats you can take home with you, like:
- Mickey and Minnie Sugar Cookies
- BoardWalk Mickey Sugar Cookie (New)
- Giant Gingerbread Mickey Cookie (New)
- Gluten-Friendly & Plant-based Gingerbread Mickey Cookie
- Artisan Peppermint Marshmallows (New)
- Carnival Bark (New)
- Gingerbread Frost Cocktail
Last year Disney’s Contemporary Resort featured a Mary Blair-inspired Cinderella Gingerbread Castle- designed by Walt Disney Imagineers featuring a brand-new 50th anniversary overlay… 11 hidden 5-legged goats! Don’t forget to check out the limited-edition pins, mugs, and holiday ornaments to remember the season. We will see what the Contemporary Resort has in mind this year now that the 50th anniversary is over!
And of course, to keep with the Gingerbread spirit, several areas around the resort will feature a new Gingerbread Martini with Absolut Elyx Vodka, Rumchata Cream Liqueur, and gingerbread spice featuring a rim of gingerbread, freshly baked in the Resort Bakery. You can find this delicious holiday beverage at Grand Floridian Café, Cítricos, and Enchanted Rose at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Boma: Flavors of Africa and Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Chef Mickey’s and Outer Rim at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and dinner at Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
The American Adventure at EPCOT also has a gingerbread display. This unique display recreates some classic monuments in America and EPCOT with gingerbread versions of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, The American Adventure building with Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue, and a Festival Kiosk.
Blizzard Beach Holiday Festivities
Blizzard Beach gets into the Christmas spirit as well with additions from the popular Frozen films. In the kid's section of Tike's Peak you can find Anna and Elsa's igloo castle along with Olaf and his Snowgie pals in the wading pool.
Through the holiday season, guests can enjoy seasonal holiday treats such as the Orange Bird DOLE Whip cone and Peppermint Milkshake.
This holiday season also brings more seasonal touches to Blizzard Beach like daily snowfall, holiday music, festive inner tubes and a tropical-dressed Santa.
Photo Tour of Disney World during the Holidays
We have plenty of magical pictures to share with you to get you in the holiday spirt!
Disney Resort Hotels
Guests can find Disney Christmas trees all throughout the retail, dining and entertainment locations in Disney Springs. In addition to standard holiday décor, guests can also experience snowfall in the Town Center, West Side and The Landing. Plus guests can enjoy the Jock Lindsey's Holiday bar with festive décor and a holiday menu.
The Disney Resort hotels will also have plenty of holiday decorations in their lobbies including fabulous Christmas Trees.
Seasonal Treats and Shopping
Half of the fun of enjoying a Walt Disney World Christmas is enjoying the delicious food and great seasonal shopping options! Walt Disney World will offer many seasonal themed treats and dishes in all of their theme parks that are worth trying. Read our full Disney World Christmas food guide here for all information on the food items released.
In addition to treats, the shopping at Walt Disney world offers many Christmas and seasonal themed items sure to make someone on your Christmas list very happy.
Plan Your Walt Disney World Vacation!
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- Guide to Epcot Food and Wine Festival
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Good Morning!
DW Christmas holiday schedule for 2021?
Are there military & law enforcement discounts available?
Thank you!
Susie
YCP Instructor
Hello!
DW Christmas holiday schedule for 2021!
Do you offer any medical/nurse, first responder discounts?
Melinda
Disney offers military discounts, you can read more about their discounts on our Disney World Discount Tickets page. The schedule should be anounced this summer for the hoilday season but it usually kicks off the first week of November and runs until the first week of January.