Walt Disney World goes all out for the holiday season. Every resort hotel and all four Orlando theme parks are decorated, there are multiple after-hours Christmas parties to enjoy, and Disney Springs even has a trail of Christmas Trees. Because of all the festive fun, it’s one of my favorite times of year to visit. In fact, my family and I have a tradition of visiting Walt Disney World at the beginning of December to take in all the holiday magic.
If you’re like us and in the middle of planning your trip to Walt Disney World this holiday season, I’ve got you covered. Keep reading for a full breakdown of what’s happening at each park, what resorts are the best to visit for holiday decorations, and tips from a seasoned Disney World pro on how to get the most out of your holiday trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth.
When do the holidays kick off at Disney World in 2025?
This year, Disney holiday celebrations officially kick off on November 14 and run through December 31. This is when you can expect to see all of the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs in full festive mode. The extra-cost after-hours parties, like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights, start earlier in the season.
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While Magic Kingdom is known for its over-the-top decorations and ride overlays, you really should try to visit the other three theme parks for the full holiday experience. The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will take over the park’s World Showcase. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, be sure to check out the pop-up interactive entertainment known as Magical Menagerie. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can take part in a fun holiday-themed character dining experience and take in the classic Christmas vibes. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg for what you can enjoy during the holiday season.
Holiday celebrations at Magic Kingdom
If you’re like me, then Magic Kingdom instantly comes to mind when thinking about the holidays at Walt Disney World. This year, as always, there’s plenty for families to enjoy at the park during the Christmas season.
Every day celebrations and the ‘Jingle Cruise’
The number one thing people always want to know about Magic Kingdom is whether the Jungle Cruise ride will be magically transformed into its holiday version (a.k.a. “Jingle Cruise”). For 2025, the news is good! The popular ride overlay has returned.
If you’re planning on riding the Christmas version of this attraction without a Lightning Lane, try to get in line as early in the day as possible. Alternatively, wait until the end of the day to hop on one of the last boats pulling away from the dock. If you have Lightning Lane access at Magic Kingdom, I still suggest getting in line early. The overlay looks much better during the day than at night.
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Around the park, traditional Victorian-style decorations line Main Street, U.S.A., plus themed decorations can be seen in each land. I love taking a family photo next to the towering Christmas tree near the Train Station on Main Street.
As night falls, your family can gather around Cinderella Castle to catch the Frozen Holiday Surprise show. This performance brings together beloved characters from the Frozen movies to help adorn the iconic castle in light and snow. You can see this during regular park hours or during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
If you’re looking for even more holiday fun at Magic Kingdom, consider purchasing tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This after-hours party takes place on select nights from November 7 through December 21, 2025. Throughout the party, you can ride select Magic Kingdom attractions. Some, including Space Mountain, The Mad Tea Party, and Tomorrowland Speedway, get a party-only overlay.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is also known for its charming entertainment, including a Christmas parade with all your favorite Disney characters, holiday fireworks, and a show with dancing and singing in front of Cinderella Castle. Additionally, around the park, you can pick up complimentary cookies and hot chocolate. This is one of my favorite parts about the party because there’s really nothing like sipping a cozy drink while waiting for the parade to start on Main Street, U.S.A.
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Pro-tip: You can get into Magic Kingdom with your party ticket starting at 4:00 p.m. So use the morning of the party to enjoy Disney Springs or your resort, then head to Magic Kingdom for a few extra hours of fun before the party actually starts.
Holiday celebrations at EPCOT
Even though EPCOT is often thought of as Disney’s more “adult” park, there’s still plenty to do as a family this holiday season. During this festive time, you can stroll around World Showcase and enjoy drinks and eats during the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays event. This year’s festival runs from November 28 through December 30. Kids will enjoy being able to try new dishes and learn about holiday traditions from around the world. Storytellers also share beloved ways that they celebrate everything from Hanukkah and Kwanza to Christmas and Lunar New Year.
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One of my favorite things to do at EPCOT during the holidays is head inside to the American Adventure rotunda to watch the Voices of Liberty singing classic Christmas and holiday songs dressed to the nines in historic holiday outfits.
Another highlight of the EPCOT holiday celebrations is the Candlelight Processional. This holiday tradition is one that many families plan Disney trips around. Each night, a celebrity narrator, a choir, and an orchestra work together to tell the story of the first Christmas. This year, some of the celebrity narrators include Jordan Fischer (known for singing the anthem to Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks), Ashley Eckstein (known as the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars), and Henry Winkler (known for a variety of movies and TV shows).
For more holiday fun, be sure to see Santa inside Communicore Hall from the start of the festival through Christmas Eve. Then head over to the Land Pavilion in World Nature to ride Living With The Land. The ride gets a fun holiday twist as the boats glide through the greenhouses. You’ll also want to catch JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season, a fantastic show featuring gospel and R&B musical stylings of holiday songs.
Holiday celebrations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is going all out this year for the holidays with events during regular park hours, plus the return of the after-hours party, Disney Jollywood Nights.
Everyday Entertainment
The festive entertainment continues at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but most of the holiday fun centers on the front of the park.
If your family loves the movie Frozen, be sure to get a seat at For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. During the holidays, Olaf kicks off the finale of the show by singing some of his favorite holiday tunes. Then head over to the front of the Tower of Terror to see a projection show, Sunset Seasons Greetings.
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For families who love character meals, you’re going to want to make a reservation to eat at Hollywood and Vine for Minnie’s Holiday Dine. During your meal, you can meet Minnie Mouse and her friends dressed in their holiday outfits. And over in Toy Story Land, Woody, Buzz, and Jessie are all donning their festive best.
Disney Jollywood Nights
The holiday offering I’m most excited about this year is Disney Jollywood Nights. This separately ticketed event kicks off on November 8 and takes place on select nights through December 22, 2025. I’ve attended the party the past two years, and Disney has really stepped up its game in terms of characters, entertainment, dining, and overall theme at the party.
The event includes exclusive entertainment around the park. One of the offerings I’m most looking forward to is “Disney Holidays in Hollywood,” where favorite Disney friends, including Mickey, princesses, and the Muppets, are the stars of the show. Another show that’s always popular is “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along,” where fans can join Jack Skellington to sing all of the best songs from the iconic movie. Try to sit close to the front of the stage for this show so you can get a good look at the Jack Skellington puppet that’s used during the performance. It’s quite impressive. You’ll also want to make a point to see “Glisten!,” the ice skating show that debuted in 2024. The show takes place in front of the Chinese Theater, and features a handful of skaters doing tricks and acrobatics to an upbeat score and classic holiday songs.
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Around the park, themed entertainment is abundant. One area that I love is the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club, which is in the courtyard of the Tower of Terror. Here you can listen to live music while enjoying a cocktail and dancing.
Around the park, you can find exclusive meet-and-greets with characters and fun Disney PhotoPass opportunities. If there’s a popular character, like Santa Duffy, that you want to meet, I highly recommend getting in line early. All of your Disney PhotoPass images are included in the cost of your ticket, so it’s definitely worth it to get some professional pictures taken.
Pro-tip: If you’re going to Disney Jollywood Nights, the Hollywood Brown Derby is transforming into a jazz club, but you’ll need a reservation. You can make them on the My Disney Experience app 60 days in advance of your visit to the parks.
You can read more about Disney Jollywood Nights with our full guide to the party, here.
Holiday celebrations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the park with the least amount of actual Christmas activities, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find anything there. The park’s signature holiday offering is Merry Menagerie, which takes place on Discovery Island, where you can interact with adorable, and extremely lifelike, winter animal puppets. And at night, watch the Tree of Life come alive with a holiday projection show.
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This is also a great park to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse together in their holiday safari outfits. They meet at Adventurer’s Outpost just past the Tree of Life. I love using the photos from this meet and greet on Instagram and TikTok to show off my Disney holiday vacation.
Holiday celebrations at Disney Springs
The holiday spirit is also alive and well at Disney Springs. This year, there are numerous things for families to do. The first is to see Santa near Disney’s Pin Traders from November 13 through December 24, 2025.
After seeing Santa, your family will want to take in the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll, where themed trees are scattered around Disney Springs. For even more fun, you can pick up a Christmas Tree Stroll map from one of the designated locations (City Works Eatery & Pour House, Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers, Havaianas, The LEGO Store, and Polite Pig) and match sticker icons to where you found the trees at Disney Springs. Once you complete the map, take it back to one of the map distribution locations and get a prize.
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If your family is choosing to enjoy Disney Springs at night, you might also be able to enjoy a magical snowfall in the Town Center neighborhood. And all around Disney Springs, pop-up entertainment will help to bring a festive atmosphere.
Pro-tip: Some of the restaurants at Disney Springs have tasty holiday menus. One of my favorite places to go is Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, which has an Indiana Jones theme, for holiday drinks and eats.
Holiday happenings at Disney Resorts
There’s always a giant Christmas tree in the lobby of the Disney resort hotels in Orlando during the holiday season. Each tree is specifically designed and decorated to fit the theme of the hotel. The hotels will also be decked out with other festive flourishes, including garlands and lights. All of the Disney Resorts have holiday treats that you can enjoy from table service or quick service dining options.
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One of the most popular reasons to visit the Disney resorts is to gaze at the gingerbread displays in some of the hotel lobbies. And while the iconic life-sized gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa won’t be around this year due to construction in the hotel’s lobby, there are a handful of other resorts building their own gingerbread creations. These include Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
My best tips for enjoying a Disney World Christmas vacation
Disney World is very busy during the holidays, so it’s best to head into the parks with a plan. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to any entertainment you want to see. Theaters fill up quickly, and the area in front of the castle can be crowded just before showtime.
Book any reservations or buy party tickets well in advance. The most popular places fill up quickly. Same with tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights. Don’t expect to just get tickets at the front gate of the parks.
Most importantly, be flexible. The bottom line is that during the holidays, you may not be able to do everything on your list. If you can’t get to all of the rides at Magic Kingdom in one day, it’s okay. Remember that Disney is about having fun and soaking in the magic, whether it’s during the holidays or not. Don’t let your overbooked park schedule get in the way of actually enjoying your vacation.
