9 Things to Do During the Christmas Holidays at Walt Disney World in 2024

Christmas is a special time of year at Walt Disney World. Each theme park is decked out in stunning decor, the resorts welcome guests with the holiday spirit (each one unique), and the soft melody of familiar Christmas tunes plays in the background. With those thoughts in mind, we’ve compiled this list of 9 things we consider worth doing at Disney World during the holidays.

Some things we’ve highlighted will require an extra expense, like the seasonal holiday parties at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In those instances, consider your budget and use your best judgment. While we love these extras, we believe you can still have a merry holiday without incurring the extra expense of tickets. The bare minimum for the average family of four to attend the Christmas party this year will exceed $700.00. So, unlike our list of must-dos at Disney World for the 4th of July, this list strictly focuses on nine options that Disney has confirmed leading up to the holiday.

Mickey Mouse in his Christmas Costume at Disney World

1. Attend Jollywood Nights

We attended the first-ever Disney Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios last year and spent most of the evening meeting characters. We were able to see several exclusive characters. However, the lines were so long that it was difficult to do much else. Thankfully, this year’s party will feature up to 20 characters. So it sounds like the meet-and-greet offerings will be considerably expanded, which should help reduce the lines.

Other party entertainment includes

Disney Holiday in Hollywood
What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along
A Skating Spectacular on Hollywood Boulevard (New This Year)
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!

This extra-ticketed party will last five hours on select evenings (7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.). Guests can enter the park with their tickets as early as 6:00 p.m. We have a separate list of dates and prices for 2024 seasonal parties at Disney World. You might also enjoy learning about what characters meet at Jollywood Nights in 2024.

2. Spend an Evening at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is one of our favorite extra-ticketed events at Walt Disney World. We have special memories of attending the parties that date back further than I would like to admit. We’ve never regretted paying extra admission to enjoy the party with our family and friends. Our favorite parts of the evening are meeting a few rare characters, like the Seven Dwarfs, seeing Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, and standing on Main Street, U.S.A., amid faux snow.

If you’re trying to decide between this party and Jollywood Nights, weigh your priorities and pick the one that sounds best for your family. For the record, if we had to choose only one, it would be Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I couldn’t imagine a Christmas without it!

The Seven Dwarfs with Christmas accessories

3. Explore Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays

Guests visiting Epcot between November 29th and December 30th can participate in the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. This festival offers the famous Candlelight Processional, holiday kitchens, a ride overlay on Living with the Land called Glimmering Greenhouses, and Santa Storytellers in many countries in the World Showcase, to name a few. When you enter the park, pick up a festival guidebook for a complete list of activities and entertainment.

a Santa Storyteller standing in front of poinsettias at Epcot during Christmas

4. See the Frozen Holiday Surprise at Magic Kingdom

This endearing performance is held nightly on the stage of Cinderella Castle. It offers stunning projections and features Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and the Snowgies! This performance is easy to see and doesn’t require much time out of your schedule. If you want to see the characters, we recommend getting as close to the stage as possible.

the Cinderella Castle stage during a performance at Disney World

5. See the Merry Menagerie at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

We are so happy to see the Merry Menagerie return to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the holiday season in 2024. These charming performers manage artisan-sculpted winter animal puppets daily on Discovery Island in front of the Tree of Life. They are usually simple to run into when you’re touring this area of the park. Last year, they were available intermittently between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

6. See Sunset Seasons Greetings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Sunset Seasons Greetings is a projection show held multiple times each evening after the sun sets. The Show lasts about 10-15 minutes, and based on my recollection, it began every 30 minutes last year. (Example: 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m., etc.) Times for this year’s performances should be listed in the entertainment section of the My Disney Experience app. This projection show is similar to a Frozen Holiday Surprise and should require little effort, other than being in the area, to see it.

a projection show on the castle at Hollywood Studios

7. Meet Santa Claus!

We love to meet Santa Claus at Walt Disney World during the holidays. He has a meet-and-greet at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs. He’s also been known to make appearances at Disney’s Blizzard Beach! We know what you might be thinking: Meet Santa? Eh, we can do that anywhere! But these are not just any regular Santa Claus meet-and-greets. Each set is extensively decorated and makes for an incredible opportunity to have a family photo taken with your loved ones.

Note: Santa only meets up until Christmas Eve! He takes an extended vacation after that.

a Santa Claus sitting in the gazebo at Magic Kingdom

8. Take the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs

The Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll returns this year. If you visit Disney Springs over the holidays, you might enjoy picking up a map and searching for each tree. They are typically scattered throughout the venue. This is a fun and free way to enjoy the holidays at Walt Disney World.

two Christmas trees with a wreath between them

9. Take a Gingerbread Resort Hop

Last, and by no means least, take a gingerbread resort hop! We’ll have more coverage of the holidays at the resorts as the Christmas season nears. But if you’re planning a resort day in the meantime, the following hotels generally offer gingerbread displays:

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
Disney’s Beach Club
Disney’s Yacht Club
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

gingerbread display of the Boardwalk Deli

We hope you found this list of things to do during Christmas at Walt Disney World helpful. But, most importantly, don’t get too overwhelmed in the planning! You can still have a wonderful time, even if you don’t get to do and see half of these things. Make a list of what’s most important for you and your family, and prioritize them. Everything else will fall into place. Just don’t forget to get that family photo made at one of the Santa Claus locations! They genuinely are elaborate and make for a wonderful keepsake photo you can cherish years later.

In the Comments

We’ll have more seasonal planning as the holidays approach! What are you looking forward to experiencing? Leave us a comment below with your thoughts, feedback, or opinions.