Disney World in December 2025 (Dates, Weather, and Crowds)

For many, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. December is an interesting month to visit Walt Disney World. You might go early and be amazed by the comfortable temperatures, or go late and regret it due to the crowds. It’s pretty safe to say that crowds are inevitable from mid-month through the first of the year. It’s the holiday season, children are out of school, and, for many, it’s the only opportunity to see the parks and resorts decked out in their holiday best.

No matter when you visit in December, the holidays will be in full swing. For an overview of what to expect this season, you’ll also want to read over our 2025 Guide to the Holidays at Disney World. It provides a list of everything confirmed for the holiday season to date. For this guide, we’ll focus on important dates and park hours throughout the month that might affect your itinerary, crowd expectations, and weather. It’s a good deal of information, so we’ve created a timeline that allows you to focus on your specific trip dates.

We’ll start with the weather. As always, it can greatly vary throughout the month. Hurricane season ends on November 30, 2025. The weather, at this point, typically shifts from tropical rainy days to very dry. We recommend packing a rain jacket or ponchos in your suitcase, but you might not need to take them to the parks every day. You should be able to check the weather app on your phone for rain, unlike the hotter months, when pop-up showers make things more unpredictable

We have experienced anything from unseasonably hot to chilly Decembers over the years. It would be rare to have to switch the thermostat on to heat, but it is not completely unheard of either. My best advice is to bring a jacket and other items you can layer. We’ve experienced cold fronts this time of year with temperature dips that might have you purchasing sweatshirts in the gift shop that you didn’t budget for upfront. I tend to wear sweatshirts over t-shirts that I can wrap around my waist, but sometimes that can get hot by midday. Items like scarves, gloves, and hats go a long way in the event of chilly evenings. I don’t know about you, but it is difficult for me to stay out in the parks after dark when I’m cold. So it’s something you’ll want to consider.

We always have readers ask about swimming. We love to swim, and I cannot remember a time in December when we haven’t spent time at the pools. Most days are warm, and all of the resort pools are heated to about 85 degrees. The pools will only close if temperatures dip into the low 60s or lower. This is pretty rare for December, and is more prone to happen in January and February.

From our experience, crowds are minimal in the first two weeks of December. Dapper Days (usually held in November) are moving to December 6th (Epcot) and the 7th (Hollywood Studios) this year. This is a non-Disney event where guests show up to select parks wearing vintage outfits. It’s kind of fun to see, but the actual crowd impact shouldn’t be too bad. We’ve added the dates to the timeline below in case you want to avoid those parks on those select dates.

Speaking of avoiding certain parks on select dates, you’ll want to take into consideration Mickey’s Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom and Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We offer the same advice as last month:

Choosing to visit Magic Kingdom on a party day has its trade-offs. The most obvious downside is the early closing time, which means no fireworks or evening parade. For guests with just one Magic Kingdom day, a non-party date is the better choice. On the other hand, if you have multiple Magic Kingdom days built in your trip or a park hopper ticket, a party date might be worth your while. Crowds tend to be lighter on party dates since most visitors avoid using their ticket on a shorter day.

This same advice applies to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on evenings of Jollywood Nights. However, I don’t think that it will work in your favor as much on weekend nights. We’ve tested this out a few times and felt that crowds were still fairly moderate even on a party night. Your mileage may vary. Here are the dates for both parties, and they are listed in the timeline below.

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party December Dates: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21
• Jollywood Nights December Dates: 1, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 22

Lastly, if you’re visiting anytime between December 13th(ish) through January 4th, be prepared. The weeks of December 21st through January 3rd will be the worst, with an emphasis on the dates of December 24th through January 1st. Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are unarguably the busiest days of the entire year.

December 2025 Holiday Entertainment Updates

Disney has added Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade to the holiday schedule. It replaces the Festival of Fantasy Parade on the following dates during regular park hours:

• Monday, December 22, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Tuesday, December 23, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Wednesday, December 24, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Thursday, December 25, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Friday, December 26, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Saturday, December 27, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Sunday, December 28, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Monday, December 29, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Tuesday, December 30, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)
• Wednesday, December 31, 2025 (12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.)

For more details, see: 2025 Magic Kingdom’s Christmas Parade Schedule Set

Disney has added Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks to the holiday schedule. They replace Happily Ever After on the following dates during regular park hours:

• Monday, December 22, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday, December 23, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Wednesday, December 24, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, December 25, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Friday, December 26, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, December 27, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Sunday, December 28, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)
• Monday, December 29, 2025 (8:30 p.m.)

Disney has added Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks to the schedule for December 30th and 31st. New Year’s Eve fireworks are held twice on the 30th and 31st at Magic Kingdom.

• Tuesday, December 30, 2025 (7:30 p.m. and 11:50 p.m.)
• Wednesday, December 31st (7:30 p.m. and 11:50 p.m.)

For more details, see: Magic Kingdoms 2025 Holiday Fireworks Schedule Changes

Lastly, here are the schedule changes for New Year’s Eve fireworks at Epcot. The special holiday ending is only offered on New Year’s Eve:

• December 31, 2025: Luminous the Symphony of Us (6:30 p.m.)
• December 31, 2025: Cheers to the New Year: A Sparkling Celebration (11:54 p.m.)

Update: Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be offered twice on most evenings between December 16th through December 26th. It will not be offered twice on evenings when the park closes early for Jollywood Nights. Then, starting December 27th through the 31st, Fantasmic! will be offered 3 times per evening. We have a complete overview of this holiday schedule change here. Make sure to check the calendar in the My Disney Experience app for more updates. Disney has also added a special New Year’s Eve countdown to the park:

• December 31st: Countdown to New Year’s Eve Fireworks 11:57 p.m. at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Here is our calendar:

Other Reminders for December

Extended Evening Hours are offered twice weekly for deluxe and deluxe villa resort guests. If you would like to learn more about this benefit, see our guide to Extended Evening Hours at Disney World.

Magic Kingdom Temporary Ride Closures This Month: The following attractions are closed for refurbishment:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for a lengthy refurbishment and is expected to reopen sometime in 2026.
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin is closed for a lengthy refurbishment and is expected to reopen sometime in 2026.

Magic Kingdom Permanent Closures: The Liberty Square Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, and Rivers of America all permanently closed in July of 2025.

Epcot Ride Closures: Nothing is posted for this month.

Hollywood Studios: The following attractions and restaurants permanently closed in 2025:

• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Pizzerizzo
• Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano
• Animation Courtyard
• Star Wars Launch Bay
• Disney Junior Play and Dance

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Kali River Rapids has reopened from refurbishment.

New: Zootopia! Better Zoogether opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on November 7th.

The following attractions and dining options closed permanently in 2025:

• TriceraTop Spin
• It’s Tough to be a Bug
• Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures
• Fossil Fuel Games
• The Boneyard Playground
• Trilo-Bites
• Dino-Bites Snacks

See our guide to Dinoland U.S.A.’s Final Closing Dates and Information.

What’s the deal with the holiday parties?

The holiday parties are separate, ticketed events with exclusive entertainment offerings. They will be offered on select evenings through mid-December. If you’re not attending a party, you might want to plan your schedule around party nights to maximize time in the parks.

Final Thoughts

We will update this calendar as more announcements are made. As always, we hope that these timelines will serve not only as a current reference but also as a future one. You can preview all of this year’s guides in our 2025 Disney World Month-by-Month Guide.

Planning Beyond December? If your Walt Disney World vacation continues beyond the holidays, you may want to review what changes after Christmas and into the New Year. The following guides will help you get started:

2026 Walt Disney World Planning Guide: A broader look at what to expect throughout the year, including pricing seasons, events, and planning considerations.

January 2026 Walt Disney World Planning Guide: Covers crowd levels, special hours, events, and seasonal shifts in early January.

Check back with us soon at ResortsGal.com for more Disney World news, resort updates, and reviews!

In the Comments

Did you find this December planning guide helpful? Will you be visiting toward the end of 2025? Let us know in the comments below.