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Our guide to Christmas 2026 at Walt Disney World offers tips for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and hotels. It covers entertainment, crowds, food, free things to do, decorations, tips & tricks. Plus, what’s new & returning for the holiday season, dates & details.<\/p>\n
Walt Disney World has not yet released official dates or details for Christmas 2026\u2013but a lot of what happens is consistent from year to year. Historically, Walt Disney World has kicked off its Christmas celebrations over the Veterans Day holiday weekend. As discussed below, that’s changed over the last couple of years and there are some inconsistencies as to start dates.<\/p>\n
Before we go down the speculative rabbit hole, we want to underscore that what follows are\u00a0predictions\u00a0<\/em>informed by past precedent and what we\u2019ve experienced over the course of the last 15+ years of visiting during the holiday season. If you want to be notified when official details for this holiday season or other Walt Disney World news is announced,\u00a0subscribe to our FREE email newsletter!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Let’s start with what we can safely predict. Expect the holiday season to start unofficially on Friday, November 6, 2026 with the first Mickey\u2019s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. The day after that (Saturday, November 7, 2026) is likely to be the first Jollywood Nights Christmas Party at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios.<\/p>\n It’s possible these dates will differ, but that’s been one of the few consistent patterns over the last few years.\u00a0In a normal year, the entire holiday season would\u2019ve officially\u00a0<\/em>begun on one of these two days, with all decorations up in 3 of the 4 parks, and entertainment starting. That wasn’t the case either of the last two years, and we don’t expect it to happen in 2026, either.<\/p>\n The Christmas season didn\u2019t officially\u00a0<\/em>start until November 14th last year, the Friday after the Veterans Day holiday weekend. Decorations were all up in the parks the week before that, but that’s the date when character meet & greets and entertainment started. Things like Santa Claus in Dinoland and Merry Menagerie at Animal Kingdom, as well as the trio of atmospheric acts at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios.<\/p>\n Accordingly, past precedent would suggest that Christmas 2026 will start on November 13, 2026 at Walt Disney World. However,\u00a0Disneyland has already released its full calendar for the 2026 and out in California, Christmas is not starting until even later–on November 18, 2026.<\/p>\n Honestly, I don’t know if Walt Disney World can “get away” with delaying Christmas until November 18, 2026. Disneyland doesn’t have the hard ticket parties, so that’s when\u00a0everything\u00a0<\/em>will begin. But it would be incredibly lame of Walt Disney World to begin hosting MVMCP and Jollywood Nights the first weekend of the month, but not officially start the included entertainment until another ~2 weeks later. I wouldn’t put it past them, though, so we shall see!<\/p>\n One thing that’s fairly certain is that the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays won’t start until November 27, 2026. This event always starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs until day before New Year\u2019s Eve. There’s a good excuse for the shorter duration, which is that the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival runs until mid-November. As Walt Disney World’s global theme park, there’s also the fact that Festival of the Holidays is about more than just Christmas.<\/p>\n The most common question we get about the holiday season is When Does Walt Disney World Decorate for Christmas?<\/a> That’s not particularly relevant with festivities already underway, but for future reference, you\u2019ll hear the sounds and see the sights of Christmas from late October 2026 through early January 2027.<\/p>\n This past year, Magic Kingdom was fully decorated by November 3rd, with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom getting decked out in the few days that followed. Again, EPCOT is the only exception.<\/p>\n If you’re already planning ahead for Christmas 2026, you can expect the holiday season to follow this same cadence, regardless of whether the season as a whole begins on November 13, 2026, the Friday before, or some other random date.<\/p>\n Unofficially, the festivities will wind down the first week of January 2027, with Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend being when things wrap up and decorations start coming down. Before that, most substantive holiday offerings will end on December 31, 2026.<\/p>\n For reference, last year’s decorations didn’t come down until January 15th in Magic Kingdom. This is slightly <\/em>later than normal, but it’s due to the WDW Marathon occurring almost a full week late. Next year, we’d expect decorations to come down a tad earlier.<\/p>\n With that out of the way, here\u2019s everything you need to know about Christmas 2026 at Walt Disney World. We visited over Jersey Week and Veterans Day, and have already experienced this year’s offering (yet again, minus the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, which doesn’t start until Black Friday).<\/p>\n Let’s start with Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where\u00a0Disney Jollywood Nights<\/a> returns for its fourth season. The party was much-improved each of the last two years and we thoroughly enjoyed it–after having an awful experience year one. However, tickets still didn’t sell well, with only a handful of sold out dates.<\/p>\n Not much changed for Jollywood Nights last year. Here’s the list of additions and changes (fair warning–it’s underwhelming):<\/p>\n That’s it. There were also some tweaks made to Glisten, the ice skating show that debuted last year. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same. Be sure to check out our Guide to Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party at Hollywood Studios<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for full details, dates, ticket prices, and more than a little commentary!<\/p>\n Disney’s Hollywood Studios also has some under-the-radar new holiday offerings:<\/p>\n Juggling Elves with Donald Duck<\/strong> \u2013 The Record Setters<\/a> are a pair of jugglers who perform between Center Stage and Dockside Diner near Echo Lake. These holiday helpers deliver festive cheer with a side of shenanigans as they show off their skills of juggling, comedy and more!<\/p>\n The Record Setters appear through December 22, with performances every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Showtimes are at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM.<\/p>\n Holiday Spirit Band with Chip ‘n’ Dale<\/strong>\u00a0– Hollygroove Swingin’<\/a> is a dynamic brass group will make everyone in your party want to join in the fun and stroll into Santa\u2019s good graces. This group also performs in Echo Lake near Dockside Diner, from now through December 21.<\/p>\n Hollgroove Swingin’ performs every Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM.<\/p>\n For old school Disney fans, one of the more intriguing additions is the Christmas exhibits at Walt Disney Presents. There’s a new display featuring artifacts from heartwarming holiday films, including \u201cThe Santa Clause,\u201d \u201cDisney Noelle,\u201d \u201cBabes in Toyland,\u201d and \u201cThe Muppets Christmas Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n Guests can also catch a screening of a special holiday collection of Walt Disney animated short films, including \u201cOn Ice,\u201d \u201cPluto\u2019s Christmas Tree,\u201d and \u201cThe Art of Skiing.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning to Magic Kingdom, there’s Mickey\u2019s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP)<\/strong><\/a>, which will be held several nights per week through the week before Christmas (likely with an end date of around December 20, 2026).<\/p>\n We attended the first MVMCP of the season, taking our toddler for the first time. We’ll have a full photo report and recap first that’ll answer whether Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is still “worth it,” but honestly, that question isn’t all that relevant until 2026, as the hard ticket event is almost entirely sold out for the season.<\/p>\n Finally, there’s the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, which is highlighted by the 2026 Candlelight Processional<\/strong><\/a>. There are a ton <\/em>of new celebrity narrators for this year, including Henry Winkler. There’s also the Behind the Seeds Christmas Tour and a Gingerbread Spaceship Earth in CommuniCore Hall, but those both debuted last year.<\/p>\n Throughout this guide, we\u2019ll provide our tips and tricks for best-experiencing the Walt Disney World at Christmas-time. This offers helpful advice for everyone from first-time guests to yearly visitors. It covers everything from holiday highlights to hidden gems.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t merely regurgitated press releases and generic info about Christmas at WDW. Instead, we provide a frank assessment of things and insight so you be best prepared to have a great time during the holidays–including what’s still missing as compared to a normal Christmas at Walt Disney World.<\/p>\n With that out of the way, here’s everything you need to know about Christmas at Walt Disney World. We’ll keep you posted about what, if anything, changes or is added as more announcements are (hopefully) made…<\/p>\n November and December are roller coaster months for crowds, with the weeks around holidays (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve) seeing elevated attendance and other weeks being more moderate. Accordingly, much of November and December 2026 will have elevated crowd levels due to those holidays and school breaks.<\/p>\n However, there will be pockets of low crowd weeks that are ‘sweet spots’ for holiday time trips. Basically, these two months have very high highs–but also some lows.\u00a0Check out our\u00a0list of the 10 Best and 10 Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2026 & 2027<\/a><\/strong>. That includes\u00a0several\u00a0<\/em>weeks in November and December. In fact, most weeks make one of those lists or the other!<\/p>\n You can also read more about crowd forecasts in our November 2026 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar<\/a> and December 2026 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar<\/a>. (Frankly, the best & worst weeks list is a more useful resource, though!)<\/p>\n On New Year’s Eve, there’s typically special entertainment at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you are thinking of visiting for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we highly recommend reading our Tips for Visiting Walt Disney World at New Year’s<\/a><\/strong> to avoid crowds and have a better experience.<\/p>\n Besides the crowds, there are a few other downsides to visiting during these two weeks. First is the room rates for on property hotels. The second is holiday surcharges at buffets and some other restaurants around property. Definitely keep these costs in mind if you’re approaching this from the perspective of savings.<\/p>\n To avoid blowing your vacation budget, it’s important to pack for the colder weather. This might seem like a silly recommendation, and one unrelated to saving money, but it’s not. Check out our Winter Packing Tips for Disney<\/a><\/strong> post for more insight on what to take on your trip. Just because it’s Florida doesn’t mean it won’t be cold! You don’t want to waste money buying a bunch of $60 sweatshirts from the gift shops because you only packed shorts and t-shirts. (Ask me how I know this!)<\/em><\/p>\n Another way you can save money is by not purchasing Christmas gifts while at Walt Disney World. This is so <\/em>tempting, and something we have done too many times (it’s Disney’s favorite time of year because guest spending on merchandise is through the roof!).<\/p>\n Instead, check out our Essential Disney Fan Gift Guide<\/strong><\/a> for great, money saving gift ideas for Christmas. You can save a ton of money by buying many of the same (and similar) souvenirs and gifts online instead of in the gift shops!<\/p>\n Okay, now that you know when to visit (or now that I’ve further confused you and made the decision even more complicated), let’s figure out what you should experience. Naturally, we’ll start with where to meet the star of the show, the jolly red elf himself, Santa Claus:<\/p>\n Guests can meet Santa Claus at Walt Disney Presents in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This meet & greet is tucked away, making it one of the easier ways to meet Santa during the holiday season. His appearance times are continuous, from 10 am to 5 pm through December 24th.<\/p>\n Santa Claus is also back on the patio at Restaurantosaurus at Animal Kingdom for one final year! As the guest of honor at the 76th Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party, Santa\u2019s invited everyone to join him in this festive location. With the countdown to extinction on, Santa Claus will have to appear elsewhere in 2026–because Restaurantosaurus will cease to exist.<\/p>\n Over in Magic Kingdom, Santa Claus appears in Storybook Circus during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This is part of Santa’s Christmas Carnival, which includes crafts, polar bears, and more. Closer to Christmas, you can expect to see Santa during daily operations at Magic Kingdom, too.<\/p>\n Last year, Santa Claus moved to CommuniCore Hall during the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. Previously, Santa had met in the Odyssey Pavilion. Again, Christmas-time doesn’t kick off until November 27th at EPCOT, so Santa will meet from then until December 24, 2026. Showtimes are likely to be between 10 am and 4 or 5 pm.<\/p>\n Being the only free place to see Santa Claus at Walt Disney World, the meet & greet at Disney Springs is also the most popular. Because of this, Santa uses a virtual queue. Join via the My Disney Experience app at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, or 6 pm. You can only join the queue if you are at<\/em> Disney Springs; you’ll enter the number of guests meeting Santa upon joining.<\/p>\n We’ll start in the Magic Kingdom, which does the most for Christmas out of all of the Walt Disney World parks. No matter what the other parks do, there’s just something to be said for walking onto Main Street and seeing the “town” decked out for Christmas, and that grandiose icicle castle beckoning at the end.<\/p>\n Let’s start by taking a tour of Magic Kingdom at Christmas…<\/p>\n Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party<\/strong> – This beloved after-hours party in Magic Kingdom is a special event that requires separate admission from your normal park tickets. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party features all things Christmas, and occurs on select nights throughout November and December 2026.<\/p>\n Normally, there are a few elements of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that also happen during daily operations closer to Christmas in Magic Kingdom. The major ones are Mickey\u2019s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, discussed below.<\/p>\n For more information about MVMCP, read our Guide to the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Minnie\u2019s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks<\/strong> – This show is not to be missed. Minnie\u2019s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks is a replacement for the Holiday Wishes fireworks show. As the name suggests, this nighttime spectacular is hosted by Minnie Mouse, celebrating the magic of Christmas with medleys of beloved holiday songs.<\/p>\n The fireworks feature \u201cWonderful Christmas Time\u201d by Paul McCartney and other favorites. Projection mapping also features heavily, with the end result being that Minnie\u2019s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks evokes heartfelt moments of home and family, and the spirit of the season before an incredible finale. We\u2019d highly recommend consulting our Best Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Locations<\/strong><\/a> when it comes to picking a spot for watching Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime.<\/p>\n While we strongly recommend watching the parade on Main Street for full effect. During the Christmas and New Year’s weeks, you can watch it from anywhere along its route without much of a difference in the experience. The floats are very cute, the music is catchy, and there’s a wide range of Disney and Christmas-y characters featured. It’s a must-see.<\/p>\n Mickey\u2019s Most Merriest Celebration Stage Show \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>In the days before Christmas, Mickey throws a holiday party and invites all of his friends, who sing Christmas Carols before the show is \u201cis Christmas-wrapped up in one sensational, snowy, show-stopping finale.\u201d<\/p>\n We love this stage show. It’s heartwarming, endearing, and a bit goofy (lowercase g). Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is also incredibly popular, and the viewing area can be frustrating if you\u2019re shorter. During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, we recommend watching the last showing of Mickey\u2019s Most Merriest Celebration. Actually, we recommend the same during daily ops, too.<\/p>\n Jingle Cruise – <\/strong>The Jingle Cruise overlay consists of decorations in the show scenes and a special spiel from the skippers, who are “homesick” and wanting to celebrate Christmas. The queue is decorated and the boats receive Christmas-inspired names. While holiday overlays are divisive, we are big fans of the idea here and think Jingle Cruise is generally well done.<\/p>\n This gets popular during the Christmas season, so prioritizing it in your touring plan can be a good idea (see our 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary<\/strong><\/a> for more recommendations). However, we prefer doing Jingle Cruise at night to get the full experience of the Christmas lights turned on.<\/p>\n Jingle Cruise is an all-day, every day attraction for regular guests and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party attendees. Starting in early November, experience this wild attraction wrapped with festive jokes and even more fun memories, something guests of all ages look forward to every single year.<\/p>\n Jingle Cruise started on November 3rd and will run through January 1, 2026. (The end date could be unofficially extended. The overlay usually lasts through January 4th or 5th.)<\/em><\/p>\n “Frozen Holiday Surprise” <\/strong>– Magic Kingdom will once again host the \u201cFrozen Holiday Surprise\u201d in front of Cinderella Castle, featuring Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and the adorable Snowgies.<\/p>\n \u201cFrozen Holiday Surprise\u201d can be seen during regular park hours and during Mickey\u2019s Very Merry Christmas Party. During this brief stage show, friends from Arendelle ring in the season together and help transform Cinderella Castle into a shimmering crystalized palace \u2013 projections that remain throughout the evening.<\/p>\n We saw \u201cFrozen Holiday Surprise\u201d a few times last year and it was incredibly underwhelming. I don\u2019t know how they managed to add a stage show component to this and still somehow made the end result worse than the previous projections, but it was quite a feat. The projections at the end are too static.<\/p>\n The version of the show that was performed with the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights through 2019 was far superior. We still miss the Dream Lights, which were the most spectacular Christmas light display at Walt Disney World. Well, at least once the Lights of Winter at EPCOT and Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at DHS were retired. It’s sad that the top 3 light displays at Walt Disney World are all now defunct. Christmas is not what it once was.<\/p>\n “Christmas” at EPCOT is technically a misnomer, because Walt Disney World’s global theme park celebrates a wide variety of worldwide holidays during the\u00a0Epcot International Festival of the Holidays<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays features marketplace food booths open around World Showcase offering different seasonal snacks from around the globe. You might be tempted to think of this as the “Epcot Food & Wine Festival Lite,” but it’s really so much more.<\/p>\n The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays will run from Black Friday until December 30, 2026. In addition to food, you’ll also find other entertainment options, decorations, and more around both World Showcase and Future World.<\/p>\n There you can also pick up maps for Chip and Dale\u2019s Christmas Tree Spree, which is a paid scavenger hunt (akin to the Figment and Ratatouille ones during other festivals at Epcot). Chip and Dale are collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree, and you go around looking for them as they gather ornaments from holiday decorations in each World Showcase pavilion.<\/p>\n Candlelight Processional<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 Candlelight Processional is a retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator, along with a mass choir performing seasonal melodies, and a 50-piece live orchestra. In a normal year, Candlelight Processional runs nightly with performances at 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. You can find the full lineup of celebrity narrators for the Candlelight Processional and more details by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n One tip for Candlelight Processional is to book a dinner package if you’re visiting when one of the popular narrators is in town. They’re not too much of a premium if you were already planning on eating a table service meal, and will save you tons of time. We were there for the second night of Neil Patrick Harris’ run a couple of years ago, and we saw people waiting in line FOUR HOURS before the show.<\/p>\n Your enjoyment of Candlelight Processional will depend on whether you like the traditional Christmas story and choir Christmas music. We love the music, but if you don’t like either, this may not be for you. Although the narrators show some personality, don’t expect Candlelight Processional to be “Comedy Hour with Neil Patrick Harris.” It’s not.<\/p>\n Holiday Storytellers<\/strong><\/a> – <\/em>Throughout World Showcase in Epcot, there are international storytellers (most of whom are that country’s version of Santa Claus) who share traditions and tales from their native country. These Santas and other characters appear dressed in location-appropriate outfits and describe what happens on Christmas Eve and Christmas in their homeland. In addition to the Santas, representatives at the American Adventure describe the celebrations of Kwanzaa and Hanukkah.<\/p>\n The Storytellers can be hit or miss, and whether you want to spend the time seeing listening to their stories will depend upon your personal preferences. If you are on the fence, we’d recommend starting your tour around the World Showcase in Mexico (instead of Canada) as the most engaging Storytellers are near the beginning of the tour that way. If you don’t enjoy those countries’ Storytellers, chances are that you won’t enjoy any of the rest.<\/p>\n Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses <\/strong>– In the Land pavilion, you can take a leisurely boat ride through the greenhouses of Living with the Land for a special, sparkling tour. Enjoy a peaceful cruise and view twinkling holiday light displays throughout the greenhouses.<\/p>\n We absolutely love Living with the Land. It\u2019s one of the Walt Disney World attractions we do the most. We also absolutely love Christmas lights. Put those two things together, and we are squarely the target audience for Living with the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses (previously Merry and Bright Nights<\/em>).<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, we absolutely love this overlay. I could go on and on about this, gushing about the calming atmosphere, thoroughness, and understated simplicity of it all. Suffice to say, do not miss Living with the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses!<\/em><\/p>\n ‘Joyful! A Gospel Celebration of the Season’<\/strong> – Joyful performs at the front of World Showcase from the end of November until the end of December throughout the day, rotating with other performers on the stage.<\/p>\n It’s a fun show, actually, it’s surprisingly good, but it’s still not an adequate replacement for the gorgeous Lights of Winter<\/a> that were deemed obsolete a few years ago.<\/p>\n Sunset Season’s Greetings <\/strong>– This is a projection show consisting of vignettes from Olaf\u2019s Frozen Adventure, Mickey\u2019s Christmas Carol, the Muppets, and Toy Story, plus appearances by the Prep & Landing characters.<\/p>\n Normally, there are also giant projections on “billboard” screens around Sunset Boulevard, and synchronized lights on palm trees.<\/p>\n Echo Lake “Flurry of Fun” <\/strong>– This consists of decorations throughout the area, including the introduction of SANTA GERTIE! There are also oversized Christmas ornaments in Echo Lake, as well as a giant Christmas tree, and other decor.<\/p>\n There’s also decor on Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, and the park once again feels appropriately festive for Christmas. It’s all very well done, and a nice addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this Christmas.<\/p>\n Minnie’s Holiday Dine<\/strong> – This Christmas-themed character meal at Hollywood & Vine is a ton of fun. Minnie’s Holiday Dine will once again be a buffet and offer character hugs, autographs, high-fives, etc.<\/p>\n We’ve done this, and shared our thoughts and photos in our Minnie’s Holiday Dine Review<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n A few years ago, Animal Kingdom upped its holiday game significantly, debuting serious holiday overlays and offerings, with new entertainment and decorations in every single land–including Pandora: World of Avatar.<\/p>\n All in all, Animal Kingdom is great during the holiday season. Walt Disney World has really enhanced this park’s holiday offerings, and the Merry Menagerie in particular is simple yet pure and awe-inspiring.<\/p>\n Tree of Life Holiday Awakenings – Holiday Edition <\/strong>– These are projection-mapping vignettes that begin shortly after sunset and continue until park close. The Holiday Awakenings tell a series of winter tales, complete with a familiar and heartwarming holiday-inspired musical score.<\/p>\n Note that there are many evenings in December when Animal Kingdom closes before sunset. Plan accordingly.<\/p>\n Discovery Island Luminaries <\/strong>– The epicenter of the yuletide fun is on Discovery Island, where the area is in the midst of a celebration of winter. There are holiday decorations hand-crafted by the eclectic community of artists who make Discovery Island their home, including colorful, animal-inspired luminaries on the rooftops, wireframe bird-shaped lanterns, and themed garland adorning the buildings throughout the land.<\/p>\n The merriment on Discovery Island continues long into the night. The rooftop luminaries around Discovery Island create a warm and festive glow throughout the entire village, imbuing Discovery Island with a \u2018winter wonderland\u2019 elegance.<\/p>\n Merry Menagerie<\/strong> – During the day, Discovery Island is alive with a life-size \u201cMerry Menagerie\u201d of artisan-sculpted puppets that include reindeer, foxes, polar bears, penguins, birds, seals\u2014and probably other critters we missed.<\/p>\n These winter animals are accompanied by serenading live musicians who mingle amongst guests and the Merry Menagerie of critters to create festive atmosphere. Seriously, these puppets are something special. See photos & video, and read more about Merry Menagerie and why we love it so much here!<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas Tree Stroll<\/strong> – This features numerous trees each themed to a different Disney characters (including one dedicated to Mickey & Minnie, The Muppets, Tangled, and more!). Rather than being done as a distinct trail this year, it has returned as the “Christmas Tree Stroll” with spots scattered around Disney Springs.<\/p>\n Aside from the beautiful decorations, you can expect some live entertainment, holiday carolers, a street party, photo ops, and Santa Claus.<\/p>\n During the Christmas season, Disney Springs is insanely busy on weekends. On busy dates, there can be waits to enter Disney Springs. On rare occasion, the parking structures close to capacity.<\/p>\n For a lot of locals who don’t have Walt Disney World Annual Passes, Disney Springs is a way to enjoy free Christmas entertainment during the holiday season. These locals are most likely to visit on weekends. Add to that the normal mix of tourists, and you have huge crowds.<\/p>\n As such, we strongly <\/em>encourage you to visit Disney Springs on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Arrive by 4 p.m. and stay until just after dusk, or arrive really late (after the parks close). Disney Springs will be busiest between 6 and 8 p.m. nightly. For everything else you need to know about making the trip, consult our Tips for Disney Springs at Christmas<\/strong><\/a> post.<\/p>\n Highlights include the Deluxe Resorts but other hotels are spruced up with wreaths and trees decorated with miles of garland, ribbon and glistening ornaments. The biggest draw of all is edible gingerbread houses, which are a staple of certain hotel lobbies during the holiday season. For where those were located last year, see Giant Gingerbread Houses & Displays for Christmas at Disney World<\/a>.<\/p>\n We cover the details of each hotel’s display as well as a best plan of attack for visiting the hotels efficiently on our “Free Self-Guided Yuletide Tour” page<\/a><\/strong>. Definitely check this out if you want to visit the resorts to see their decorations. This is an itinerary for a single day, so if you’re looking for something longer, check out our 2-Day Yuletide Tour of Walt Disney World<\/strong><\/a>. We’ve heard from many readers who found our this to be a highlight of their WDW Christmas vacation!<\/p>\n We love these WDW Yuletide Tours so much that we do them every single year–sometimes more than once. We’ve had a lot of readers tell us they’ve really enjoyed following the steps of that tour, so we’d highly recommend checking it out, and potentially trying it for yourself!<\/p>\n Deluxe Hotels<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Several Deluxe Hotels have either a large Christmas tree or a seasonal display that is well worth seeing. The great thing about most deluxe resorts is that they’re in close proximity to one another. You can easily reach the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Contemporary from the Magic Kingdom monorail station and Wilderness Lodge via boat.<\/p>\n Similarly, the Yacht & Beach Club and Boardwalk are easily accessible by foot or boat from Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. About the only Deluxe that is worth visiting that’s not easily accessible is Animal Kingdom Lodge.<\/p>\n Moderate & Value Hotels<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n There are some neat decorations at the Moderates and Values, and the decorations are all themed to the specific resort, which is pretty cool. If you have interest in a specific “style” of Christmas, you might want to check out a specific resort.<\/p>\n Same goes if you’re a really, really big fan of Christmas decorations. Everyone else probably should bother making trips to the Moderates and Values to see their decorations. While neat, it just isn’t worth the time.<\/p>\n The one exception to this might be Fort Wilderness. There are some awesome displays put up by long-terms guests on the campground loop. If you have time one afternoon, take a boat over from the Magic Kingdom, have dinner at Trail’s End, and enjoy some of these cool displays.<\/p>\n We’re already over 5,000 words, so we’ll wrap up this Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World here. Hopefully, it’s everything you need to plan your dream Griswold-style Christmas Vacation to Florida. In case it wasn’t already made clear, we truly love Christmas at Walt Disney World.<\/p>\n The holiday season is our favorite time of year in Walt Disney World. November and December offer a mix of perfect weather, entertainment, festive decorations, great holiday snacks, and so much more. If you’re only going to visit WDW once, make it during Christmas-time!<\/p>\n Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews<\/a> page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews<\/a>. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets<\/a> post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips<\/a> post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides<\/a> will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide<\/strong><\/a> for everything you need to know!<\/p>\n What are your top tips for enjoying Walt Disney World during the holiday season? Have any questions about the holidays at Walt Disney World that aren’t answered here? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below! Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback\u2013even when you disagree with us\u2013is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our guide to Christmas 2026 at Walt Disney World offers tips for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and hotels. It covers entertainment, crowds, food, free things to do, decorations, tips & tricks. Plus, what’s new & returning for the holiday season, dates & details. Walt Disney World has not yet released official dates…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[61],"tags":[95,93,211,224,53],"class_list":["post-6540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disney-tips-tricks","tag-christmas","tag-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party","tag-trip-planning","tag-top-posts","tag-walt-disney-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/santa-claus-magic-kingdom-christmas-disney-world-2844.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8KX1y-1Hu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6540"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83363,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6540\/revisions\/83363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-magic-kingdom-disney-world-3110.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/christmas-storybook-circus-magic-kingdom-disney-world-3306.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/christmas-crowd-magic-kingdom-disney-world-0108.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Partysaurus-Rex-Disney-Jollywood-Nights-Christmas-Party-Hollywood-Studios-Disney-World-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat’s New for Christmas at Disney World (Last Year)<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/charles-dickens-costume-gonzo-muppet-christmas-carol.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sold-out-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-magic-kingdom-disney-world-bricker-174.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fireworks-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-magic-kingdom-disney-world-bricker-191.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/christmas-main-street-magic-kingdom-disney-world-2694.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhen to Visit WDW at Christmas<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/crowds-christmas-magic-kingdom-disney-world-119.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/figment-ugly-christmas-sweater-bricker-epcot-holidays-disney-world-1-563x750.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/animal-kingdom-christmas-disney-world-2840.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhere to Meet Santa Claus<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/santa-claus-magic-kingdom-christmas-disney-world-2844.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/abc-christmas-parade-magic-kingdom-disney-world-030.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChristmas in Magic Kingdom<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-magic-kingdom-disney-world-2442.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/minnies-wonderful-christmas-fireworks-mvmcp-magic-kingdom-disney-world-2860.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/abc-christmas-parade-magic-kingdom-disney-world-024.jpg\")
\nMickey\u2019s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade \u2014<\/strong>\u00a0During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, this parade is shown twice at night and features excellent lighting, ambiance, and SNOW on Main Street, USA. Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade also runs during the daytime in the week leading up to Christmas through New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-magic-kingdom-disney-world-bricker-196.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/jingle-cruise-magic-kingdom-disney-world-florida-044.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/fireworks-pixie-dust-pyro-christmas-magic-kingdom-disney-world-756.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/frozen-spaceship-earth-festival-holidays-epcot-christmas-disney-world-e-smokehouse1174.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChristmas at EPCOT<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/neil-patrick-harris-candlelight-processional-christmas-epcot-festival-holidays-disney-world-536.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hanukkah-holiday-storytellers-epcot-world-showcase-christmas-disney-world-508.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/living-land-glimmering-greenhouses-christmas-ride-overlay-epcot-disney-world-003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/joyful-celebration-season-epcot-christmas-music-disney-world-337.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sunset-seasons-greetings-christmas-hollywood-studios-disney-world-575.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nChristmas at Hollywood Studios<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/sunset-santa-gertie-dhs-christmas-disney-world-406.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/minnies-holiday-dine-hollywood-vine-character-meal-walt-disney-world-013.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/dino-rama-chip-dale-dinosaur-meet-greets-animal-kingdom-disney-world.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChristmas at Animal Kingdom<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/merry-menagerie-christmas-animal-kingdom-disney-world-380.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/merry-menagerie-christmas-animal-kingdom-disney-world-369.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/megatron-bricker-christmas-animal-kingdom-disney-world-044.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/haunted-mansion-christmas-tree-trail-disney-springs-wdw-1101.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChristmas at Disney Springs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/christmas-disney-springs-wdw-orlando-florida-775.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gingerbread-carousel-christmas-beach-club-resort-deluxe-hotel-disney-world-2868.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChristmas at WDW Resort Hotels<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/megatron-sarah-bricker-wilderness-lodge-resort-christmas-disney-world-031.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/christmas-art-animation-resort-disney-world-961.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.disneytouristblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sarah-tom-bricker-santa-claus-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-disney-world-081.jpg\")
<\/p>\nYour Thoughts<\/h2>\n