Santa Returns to Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this Holiday Season
We’ve been making our list and checking it twice. Of course, we’re referring to our list of where to meet Santa Claus in 2025. In case you haven’t heard, Santa has returned to Dinoland, U.S.A., one last time this holiday season. He is meeting guests on the patio of Restaurantosaurus between now through December 24th, 2025. After that, he’ll be on a much-needed break with Mrs. Claus until next year.
By one last time, we’re referring to the imminent closure of what’s left of Dinoland U.S.A. in early 2026. For the time being, we’ll focus on where you can find him between now and Christmas Eve. You’ll have to walk through a maze of walls to reach the little remaining area of Dinoland, U.S.A. Once you get to the end of the walled-off walkway, you’ll continue straight toward the DINOSAUR attraction. Instead of turning left to reach the ride’s entrance, you’ll see the queue for Santa’s meet-and-greet on the immediate right. You cannot miss it.
Santa meets intermittently on the side patio of Restaurantosaurs throughout most of the day. Typically, this meet-and-greet will wrap up by about 4:00 p.m. So you’ll want to check his exact times in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit. You can use these instructions to locate him on the day of your visit.
How to Locate Characters in the My Disney Experience App
- Open the My Disney Experience app and select the pin drop at the bottom of the home screen.
- Scroll (left to right) through the icons at the top of the screen and select “Characters.”
- After selecting characters, use the locations drop-down to select the park of your choice.
- Then, on the bottom right of the screen, select “Show List.”
- Scroll through the list of characters with their times and locations.
- As an alternative, you can use the map view to locate characters.
*As the day passes, you might notice that characters disappear from the app. When their last scheduled time passes, the meet-and-greet automatically disappears. A new schedule won’t be loaded until the following day. It is essential to check the app for meet-and-greets on the day of your visit.
Like all of the Santa meet-and-greets at Disney World, this location has a fun holiday theme. It’s a great place to have an individual or family photo taken. A PhotoPass photographer is available at this location.
You might also enjoy some of the other Santa Claus locations this year. They are as follows:
- Meet Santa Claus in Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom Park
- Details for Santa’s Meet-and-Greet at Communicore Hall at Epcot
- Meet Santa at Walt Disney Presents at Hollywood Studios
- Where and How to Meet Santa at Disney Springs in 2025
If you have the time, we highly recommend checking out a few of these spots! For a quick overview, see our guide:
Where to Meet Santa Claus at Disney World in 2025
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In the Comments
Will you have the opportunity to meet Santa in Dinoland U.S.A.? Let us know in the comments below.
