Disney Jollywood Nights is a holiday party at Hollywood Studios offering unique entertainment, stage shows, rare characters, and more at Walt Disney World. This reviews our experience with the 2024 special event, covering highlights and lowlights. We’ll also address whether it’s worth the money, as well as how it compares to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party–and who should do this event versus the Magic Kingdom one.
Before we get down to brass tacks with the review, we’ll direct your attention to our Guide to 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party at Hollywood Studios for basic background including full details, dates, ticket prices, and more need to know information. This review presupposes that you’re already aware of the event, and need help deciding whether it’s for you.
What you might not be aware of, and what is relevant background, is that my experience at Disney Jollywood Nights (DJN) last year was an unmitigated disaster. I went on the first-ever night of the inaugural event, and it was an overwhelmingly negative experience. This was not unique to me, and is why you might find highly-critical reviews (including ours!) from last year.
After the opening night meltdown, whether Walt Disney World would bring back its controversial Christmas party for 2024 was an open question. There was speculation that Jollywood Nights might be another one and done–the second straight time Hollywood Studios had tried and failed at hosting a seasonal event.
Thankfully, DJN has been brought back for a sophomore season in 2024. There were kernels of compelling ideas that were incomplete or needed more time (and money) to incubate last year, and the ‘bones’ of the party (entertainment) were strong. That’s why we were happy to hear that Walt Disney World management took the night one reviews panning the party to heart and immediately made changes. Some minor, some major.
Even though my experience was negative and the review reflected that, Disney Jollywood Nights had promise. All of this is why I’ve decided to re-review the event in whole, giving it a second chance for its sophomore season to see if it lived up to its potential. And as you can probably already gather from the title, it does.
This is also why I’d recommend you only rely on reviews from this year when deciding whether to attend the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights. Unlike Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which is virtually unchanged in the last 5 years (more on that at the end), there’s a night and day difference between the first-ever DJN and the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights.
You also might want to read more than just this review because, in the interest of full disclosure, I was invited by Walt Disney World to attend this event for free. Whether you want to discount this review as a result is your prerogative. I’d reassure you that this review is still unbiased and honest, but isn’t that exactly what a dishonest and biased person would say?! Regardless, both Sarah and I will be attending Disney Jollywood Nights in December as paying guests, so you can either trust me now or wait until then, I guess.
With all of that out of the way, here’s my review of the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights…
Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club
Walt Disney World advertises this as a swingin’ celebration in the courtyard of The Hollywood Tower Hotel. Here, you can sip cocktails and unwind in style while a live band swoons and croons holiday tunes.
My complaint about this last year was that it felt a bit lifeless, as everyone passively watched the performers in a cramped viewing area. That felt somewhat harsh, as guests chose to stand back instead of dance and ‘engage’ with the entertainment this way. The band was incredible and it was still a fun experience, just not quite what was advertised.
Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised to see Walt Disney World take that feedback to heart and improve upon the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club for the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights. In addition to the performers on stage, there are now dancers and ‘hype people’ that are seeded to mingle amongst the crowd. The result of this is that it actually is a swinging soiree now, at least to the extent possible in a theme park.
This is one of several little examples of how Walt Disney World didn’t just fix the glaring problems with Jollywood Nights. With so many faults in the first year, the Twilight Soirée could’ve been viewed as “good enough” as they focused on fixing bigger issues. It’s attention to detail like this throughout the 2024 event that really separates it from last year.
Dance Parties
There are a couple other swanky spots around Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The first is the Pixar Disco, a rockin’ dance party at Pixar Place with Edna Mode, Frozone, Joy and other Pixar pals.
The second is Holiday Fiesta en la Calle, a lively holiday street fair in Animation Courtyard. It’s described as a vibrant scene with warm lighting, colorful décor and spirited musicians performing Latin holiday tunes—as well as appearances from José Carioca and Panchito from The Three Caballeros.
Look, it’s very difficult to make Animation Courtyard appealing in any way, whatsoever. For the same reason Walt Disney World doesn’t do a countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve in Dino-Rama, this is typically a ghost town. Holiday Fiesta en la Calle is nevertheless more entertaining and alive than it has any right to be. While I appreciate that Jose and Panchito are meet & greets here, it might make more sense to have them mingle among the audience watching the highly-talented musicians and dancers to give that more energy.
Pixar Disco punches far above its weight, and is possibly the best kid-friendly dance party at Walt Disney World right now (Club Tinsel is the closest competition). As with Holiday Fiesta en la Calle, this really brings life to a dead end at DHS and the programming here is surprisingly engaging. No one is buying a ticket just for Pixar Disco (at least, I’d hope not), but it’s a pleasant little surprise. I also love the transition from this area to Toy Story Land along Mickey Ave, which is now lined with themed Sensational Six meet & greets.
Character Meet & Greets
Officially, Walt Disney World is advertising over a half dozen new-for-2024 characters at Disney Jollywood Nights. Unofficially, the number is a lot higher than that as compared to the first-ever party. After last year’s opening night meltdown, Disney scrambled to make changes–and the big one was the introduction of over a half-dozen characters for the remaining parties.
The added characters made a big difference. In addition to seeing every single show at least once, I was able to meet 7 different characters. And with the exception of Minnie & Mickey Mouse, I never waited more than 10 minutes in line for any of them. With that said, I did have to skip Santa Stitch and the rest of the Fab Five because their lines were prohibitively (for me) long–but even then, those waits were under 30 minutes at times.
One thing I really appreciated about the characters was the variety–Santa Duffy was the one must-do for me, whereas someone else probably couldn’t care less about him but loves Phineas and Ferb. And again, the meet and greets showed attention to detail in the props and backdrops that are unique to Disney Jollywood Nights.
Thankfully, most of the characters that were high-priority for me had shorter lines at various points in the night. (If there’s interest, I’ll do a strategy post on DJN, as wait times fluctuated significantly throughout the night–let me know.)
Glisten!
This new-for-2024 addition to DJN is described by Walt Disney World as a new dazzling ice skating spectacular set to your favorite holiday tunes in the center of the park, in front of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Several times each evening, take in the grace and skill of international champion skaters in an awe-inspiring twist on the traditional ice show.
Guess will be swept away by the grace of these skilled skaters as they perform breathtaking routines set to a vibrant holiday soundtrack including original songs and Disney favorites like “Be Our Guest” and “When You Wish Upon A Star.”
I enjoyed Glisten far more than expected. So much so, in fact, that I caught three separate performances of the show. Speaking of which, it’s incredibly easy to see thanks to its centralized location and informal viewing area—you can easily catch performances while crossing sides of the park.
What I appreciate about Glisten is that it’s the rare modern day Walt Disney World production that has heart and humor, and isn’t afraid to get a little weird. Tonally, it’s all over the place—in a good way. (At least, for me.) It has heartwarming moments and quirky ones that made me laugh—often in quick succession. I’ll take this over something that’s paint by numbers and formulaic. The moves aren’t quite as “breathtaking” as Walt Disney World advertises, but that’s the nature of the beast on fake ice and a small rink. It’s a fun show.
With that said, I want to acknowledge here that I might be “blinded by pixie dust,” as the kids say. When I praised this show to a friend, he was quick to remind me that other regional theme parks do bigger and better ice skating spectaculars during Christmas—and they’re often included with admission. He’s right. Glisten is most definitely not a spectacular; it’s more a diversion. It’s also at an upcharge event and being produced by Disney, the worldwide leader in theme parks. So objectively, maybe I should be expecting more from Glisten.
Subjectively, it delivers exactly what I want out of second-tier, low-stakes entertainment at a party like this. And I can’t quite articulate why, but I think there’s a certain “Disneyness” (don’t ask me to define that term) to this that gives it an x-factor, much like Walt Disney World has done with Christmas light displays over the years to make those more special than the ones you’d find in your home town. Glisten is not a DJN top-tier highlight, but it’s a nice plussing.
Disney Holidays in Hollywood
This is the top-tier highlight. Holidays in Hollywood is a stage show inspired by the glitz and glamour of vintage Hollywood TV specials—with a contemporary twist and some holiday magic—at Theater of the Stars, Disney’s own Hollywood Bowl-inspired venue.
According to the company, Holidays in Hollywood is a chance to see the holidays through a fresh lens in this star-studded series of jolly vignettes. Holidays in Hollywood features appearances from special guest stars, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse—accompanied by a talented cast of singers, dancers and jazz musicians.
I absolutely love Holidays in Hollywood! So much so that I wish I could’ve seen it more than once…probably should’ve done this twice over revisiting the next entry or catching Glisten three times. The performances are fantastic, from the dancers and singers to face and fur characters. In particular, dancing Minnie and Mickey Mouse do a superb job with their musical number, as do Belle and Tiana. All around fantastic choreography, music, staging–everything.
Another surprising ‘attention to detail’ change at the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights is that the vintage Hollywood TV special framing device room has been abandoned entirely. Our inaugural event review called this a “fantastic idea” in the spirit of the Disney MGM Studios that didn’t quite “fully click.” I suggested expanding upon it, giving it room to breathe.
Instead, Walt Disney World dropped it entirely and replaced these interludes with more Muppets (another request I made in last year’s review), who have a much more prominent role during the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights. As a diehard Muppets fan, I’m more than fine with this approach. The banter between Kermit and Miss Piggy nails the Muppets’ humor, and helps the show flow better and feel more cohesive. It reminds me of classic Country Bears.
This was already the highlight of Disney Jollywood Nights and one of the best live entertainment productions. Now it’s even better, and ranks as my #1 piece of seasonal entertainment at Walt Disney World. Yes, even better than Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular.
What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along
According to the company, this is a chance to join Jack Skellington at Hyperion Theater for a dreamlike adventure inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Sing along with the Pumpkin King to beloved songs from the film as you follow two friends on a larger-than-life journey. You’ll discover the peculiar magic of wonder in unlikely places, conquer the Oogie Boogie man himself and stay curious when things are not quite as they seem.
Frankly, I’m still not sure why adult sing-alongs became a “thing.” And based on the silence of the audience with whom I attended, it seems like I’m not alone in that sentiment. Regrettably, this is one thing that did not change from year-to-year, and What’s This? is worse off for it. The show leans too much on film clips with the erroneous expectation of audience engagement.
With that said, What’s This? is still better than it had any right to be. The silent performers are fantastic, seeing the Jack Skellington puppet in a theater setting is awesome, and Oogie Boogie steals the show. I’m about the harshest critic of this show as someone who hates sing-alongs and is indifferent (to put it charitably) towards Nightmare Before Christmas.
But I really enjoy What’s This? It’s not as good as Holidays in Hollywood, but it’s still not skippable. I’ll make a point of seeing this again next year–I just hope it receives the same love for 2025 that the other shows got this year.
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
This nighttime spectacular returns to Hollywood Studios only during Disney Jollywood Nights. According to the company, it features heartwarming holiday moments from favorite Disney films are brought to life on the façade of the park’s iconic Chinese Theater. It’s a stunning display of fireworks, lasers, lights, projections and merry music.
I’m not the world’s biggest Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM fan. I don’t love it or hate it. but I do think it’s lame that: 1) this show wasn’t brought back for regular daily operations the last couple of years, and; 2) a new nighttime spectacular wasn’t created that better fit DJN. The only improvement made for 2024 is moving this showtime forward to 10 pm.
As was the case last year, this fireworks show feels like an afterthought. It’s as if Disney knew the above offerings still weren’t enough, so they recycled an old show and tacked it on. My hope is that this is remedied next year, as an original nighttime spectacular that’s more cohesive with the rest of the event could neatly tie a bow around the Disney Jollywood Nights package.
Rides with Low Wait Times
With the exception of Slinky Dog Dash, every attraction appeared to be a near walk-on. Slinky Dog Dash did have a line (maybe ~10-15 minute actual wait until the last hour) and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance thankfully abandoned the virtual queue and was a walk-on when I saw it.
I didn’t do any rides due to the short duration of the event, but one bright spot of Disney Jollywood Nights continues to be that it can essentially function as an After Hours event for those who don’t care about the entertainment. This broadens the appeal of DJN, and makes it an easily superior alternative to Lightning Lane Premier Pass for those who were otherwise considering that.
Event Specific Food & Beverages
There are dining locations throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios selling party-exclusive food and beverages. There were actually quite a lot of these options, as you can see from the Full Food Guide for the 2024 Jollywood Nights Christmas Party.
One of the other marked improvements for the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights was the lines (or lack thereof) for food. My focus was not on eating or drinking, but I was able to purchase a full meal at PizzeRizzo (it was fine–great by PizzeRizzo standards) and a couple of other small bite snacks. I never waited more than 5 minutes from the time I arrived in line until I received my food. That’s better than normal at Walt Disney World.
Although you can’t or shouldn’t eat it, the event merchandise was also better this year. I didn’t buy anything, but I did briefly browse the selection and there was some neat stuff. I also regret to inform you that Ollie is growing on me (figured I’d bury that here where most of you are likely to gloss over it so I don’t lose my street cred).
Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby
This signature restaurant transforms into a limited-capacity smooth jazz joint where you can enjoy holiday music, craft cocktails and an exclusive menu of light bites in a sophisticated setting.
Time is limited during Disney Jollywood Nights, so we elected against doing Jazzy Holidays in 2024. If you go in expecting a very lightly-decorated Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant with a pianist as an atmospheric enhancement, you likely will not be disappointed. If you’ve read somewhere that this is a fully-fledged speakeasy from the jazz age and you’re expecting that, it’s bound to underwhelm.
Suffice to say, Jazzy Holidays comes down to expectations. We found the food to be good last year and the experience was fine, but (obviously) not good enough to consume limited party time again in 2024. There’s probably a reason reservations are much, much easier for Jazzy Holidays this year.
Atmosphere at Disney Jollywood Nights
Walt Disney World has made great strides in making the 2024 Jollywood Nights feel like a more cohesive event. It also flows better throughout the park, with far fewer dead zones. The atmosphere has improved by leaps and bounds over year one, thanks to thoughtful moves like relocating entertainment and characters, and little enhancements. Again, all of this shows tremendous attention to detail and Walt Disney World taking guest feedback to heart.
But like the park itself that hosts it, Disney Jollywood Nights still feels a bit like a grab bag or hodgepodge of intellectual properties. The character choices are random, as are the entertainment options. There are not nearly as many dead zones, but Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is still a big one.
For an event that purports to have a narrower theme than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, it still somehow feels less focused. There are a lot of disparate things, with little-to-no connective tissue. It almost feels like Disney got cold feet about doing an adult-oriented ‘Old Hollywood’ Christmas Party, and threw in ingredients that would appeal to Gens Z, X, and Millennials.
With that said, the vibe of Disney Jollywood Nights improved tremendously. I’m almost hesitant to offer this criticism, as anyone who attended last year vs. 2024 would instantly notice the marked atmospheric enhancements. So on the one hand, Disney deserves credit where it’s due.
On the other hand, many of you reading this will not have attended last year, so 2024 is your only exposure to Disney Jollywood Nights. In that case, the ambiance still is not on par with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. That has truly immaculate ambiance–our favorite thing about the event is simply being there.
Seeing the snow fall on Main Street, hearing Jolly Old Saint Nicholas in Fantasyland, enjoying the moody lighting and special projections, free-roaming characters having fun–it all just puts a smile on my face. And that’s not just nostalgia talking. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has mastered its mood, and that’s a big reason why so many people love that party.
Part of this is simply the differences inherent in Magic Kingdom vs. Disney’s Hollywood Studios–castle park vs. IP park. But we’ve also seen the second gate at Disneyland masterfully pull off a Halloween party, so I’m confident there’s more room for improvement with Disney Jollywood Nights. The sophomore season glow up is already impressive, so if the improvement in 2025 is even half as good, it’ll easily hit the mark.
To be clear, it’s not like Disney Jollywood Nights is a slouch in terms of atmosphere–it just has room for improvement. Echo Lake is a bright spot, as are Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards. Even Animation Courtyard and Pixar Plaza are surprisingly good!
Disney Jollywood Nights vs. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This point about atmosphere provides a natural segue into a comparison of Walt Disney World’s two Christmas-time events. Jollywood Nights is one of two holiday season special events, and as you’ve probably gathered, the other is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom.
Although both are Christmas parties with limited attendance featuring entertainment and other offerings, there are a lot of big differences. If you’re not sure which is right for your family, we’d highly recommend reading Disney Jollywood Nights vs. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. That’s our point-by-point comparison of the characters, fireworks, entertainment, crowds, and more at each event. If budget allows, you could easily attend both and have unique and memorable experiences–that’s how little overlap there is.
That’s what we’re doing, but admittedly, we’re also not the regular guests–we’re diehard fans who do this stuff year in and year out (and have a blog about it). The Cliff Notes version of that ‘versus’ comparison post is that if we were average Walt Disney World first-time families and could only do one, that would be Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Without a doubt.
For the less-concise version, I’m going to make an NFL comparison. Last year’s Jollywood Nights was like the 2021 Detroit Lions, a team that went 3-13-1. In case you don’t follow sports, that’s not a good record–but they finished strong and played their hearts out. Meanwhile, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was like, well, I’m not going to name names at the risk of offending their fans. Insert a perennial contender that plays a game management style of football.
The 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights is like the Detroit Lions of the last two years. Scrappy but tenacious, unconventional, and willing to pull just about any play out of the trick bag. Fell short of the Super Bowl (barely), but a ton of fun to watch–more so than any other team in the NFL, and that includes the perennial contenders. (But as you’ve probably gathered, I’m a biased lifelong Detroit Lions fan.)
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is predictably good. It executes on the fundamentals, and hasn’t deviated from its formula in over a decade. It has changed less in the last 15 years than Disney Jollywood Nights did from last year to 2024. Part of that is for good reason–MVMCP is “playing the hits” because they score well with guests, especially first-timers.
For longtime fans like me, this is part of the problem. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is predictable and formulaic. I have a lot of nostalgia and sentimentality for it, and love those strolls down memory lane. It’s iconic for a reason, and that’s why it’s the easy recommendation for first-timers or infrequent Walt Disney World guests.
At the same time that it’s iconic, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party also feels tired and phoned in for regulars. Almost nothing changes year-to-year, because of a not-so-vicious cycle. Walt Disney World has little incentive to change it because it sells out annually, and it sells out annually because it’s iconic.
Meanwhile, there’s this scrappy new upstart event that began as a flawed party in its first year, but made tremendous strides for its sophomore season. Objectively speaking, Disney Jollywood Nights still isn’t as good as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Even with massive improvements, it falls short of that high bar.
Subjectively, Disney Jollywood Nights is more exciting for me. I also really appreciate that Walt Disney World heard guest feedback, and acted on it. There were at least four specific complaints from our review last year that Disney remedied with the 2024 Jollywood Nights. It’s really satisfying to have the company listen to fans, implement improvements and make positive changes for once, instead of cutting corners and raising prices.
Between the two Christmas parties, I had a more enjoyable experience at the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights. If I could only choose one to attend this year as a Walt Disney World regular, it’d be DJN. Unlike last year, I actually think it’s worth the money–and I’ll be “voting with my wallet” by attending again with my wife. In fact, I’m already looking forward to going back with Sarah and seeing how she reacts and what she enjoys. It’ll also be fun to do MVMCP as a family, but that sense of excitement and discovery is gone–it’s a known quantity.
To each their own, but I’ll take flawed but interesting and ambitious, and that’s the vibe that Disney Jollywood Nights gives off. Like it’s being run by a hungrier and more passionate team than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. That’s evident in all of the little things and incremental improvements, and as a contrast to the stagnation of MVMCP. (If the football comparison didn’t land for you, maybe this will: Disney Jollywood Nights feels like a Disneyland event.)
Somewhat selfishly, my hope is that Disney Jollywood Nights tickets sell well enough to justify it getting ‘renewed’ for 2025, but not so well that it becomes a victim of its own success. I want Walt Disney World to have incentive to keep iterating and improving upon it, instead of resting on their laurels and letting Disney Jollywood Nights stagnate. The only “problem” here is that if Disney Jollywood Nights improves by half as much from this year to 2025 as it did from last year to 2024, it’ll be the best Christmas event at Walt Disney World. Perhaps that’s a good problem to have!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips 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 will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you attended Disney Jollywood Nights? If so, what was your experience? After reading reviews, will you purchase party tickets for the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights? Think the potential positives outweigh the negatives, or vice-versa? What has you excited about the event? What has you concerned? If you’re planning to attend, will you do so instead of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or in addition to it? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
