Jollywood Nights is a Christmas party at Hollywood Studios. Our guide to the event covers 2024 dates & details for Walt Disney World’s newest hard ticket event, entertainment & attractions info, character meet & greets, a comparison to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, and more. (Updated November 9, 2024.)
Let’s start with the basic details about Disney Jollywood Nights (DJN). This event will be held on select nights in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), offering a more refined holiday vibe, sights of sparkling décor, sounds of modern beats over classic holiday songs, tastes of craft cocktails and decadent dishes, selfies with rare characters, and stunning stage shows & spectaculars.
Disney Jollywood Nights is a separately ticketed, limited-capacity holiday event on 13 select nights from November 9, 2024 through December 21, 2024. You can get holly and jolly for five festive hours from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. during this limited capacity, separately ticketed event. Significant changes are expected for the sophomore season of Disney Jollywood Nights after mixed reviews in year one. We’re attending opening night and another DJN date and will share our 2024 review and report in the coming weeks, so for additional updates about the event, subscribe to our free newsletter.
Ticketholders will be admitted to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as early as 6:00 PM on the valid date of their ticket. These date-specific event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or theme park reservation. Note that the event hours and mix-in time differ from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which allows guests to enter Magic Kingdom earlier.
Tickets to Disney Jollywood Nights are now available for all guests. Price range from $159 to $179 per person, depending upon the date. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to Disney Jollywood Nights, valid for all event nights.
Party dates for Disney Jollywood Nights are:
- November 9, 2024 – $169 (SOLD OUT)
- November 13, 2024 – $159
- November 16, 2024 – $169
- November 18, 2024 – $159
- November 23, 2024 – $179
- November 25, 2024 – $179
- November 30, 2024 – $179
- December 2, 2024 – $169
- December 7, 2024 – $179
- December 11, 2024 – $179
- December 14, 2024 – $179
- December 18, 2024 – $179
- December 21, 2024 – $179
Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to Disney Jollywood Nights, valid for all event nights.
Tickets are limited and may not be available for purchase on the day of the event (or earlier). As you can see from the above, the first date of Jollywood Nights is now sold out. This didn’t happen until the day before the first party, so it’s difficult to discern whether this is a result of guests purchasing all available tickets (as would normally be the case) or Disney marking it as ‘sold out’ to create FOMO for future nights.
Although both are plausible, we assume this is due to organic demand–a legitimate sell out. Many guests are just now arriving at Walt Disney World for the holiday long weekend, only to find that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is already sold out for all dates of their visit. With that, Jollywood Nights becomes a consolation prize.
As for whether future dates sell out, it really depends upon reviews and word of mouth from the first party or two. Last year, buzz was overwhelmingly negative, causing cancellations and people to switch to MVMCP. It actually got easier to book DJN and more difficult to book Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. However, a lot of changes and course-correction have occurred since, so it’s entirely possible that the reverse will occur in 2024. If reviews are very positive, there could be a “run” on tickets shortly after the first event. We’ll keep you posted.
The 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights will be packed with entertaining shows like What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along, Disney Holidays in Hollywood, and Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
Starting with the latest updates, “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” is returning for the 2024 Jollywood Nights, taking you on a festive journey to the North Pole with the elves from “Prep & Landing.” It’ll be back with a new, earlier showtime of 10 pm (last year it was at 12:30 am). This is presumably one of several changes that has been made to make the event more family friendly.
The Chinese Theater comes alive during “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” with holiday moments from Disney favorites like “Pluto’s Christmas Tree,” “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” all leading up to a sparkling finale that’s “So tinsel!,” as Lanny and Wayne would say.
The bigger change for 2024 is actually an addition: “Glisten!” – An All-New Skating Spectacular.
“Glisten” is 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.”
For those who missed the inaugural DJN, Disney Holidays in Hollywood is a star-studded variety show in the grand tradition of Tinseltown’s most beloved holiday specials – all with a twist of today’s Hollywood magic.
Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Tiana, Belle, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are among the special guest stars, and there are plenty of surprises in store – including a brand-new original song by Tiana. Singers, dancers and live jazz musicians round out the talented cast of entertainers in this dazzling performance. Jolly vignettes remind everyone that the holidays mean something special to each and every one of us.
Jollywood Nights attendees also won’t want to miss “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along.”
Enter a dreamlike adventure in The Hyperion Theater where Jack Skellington takes us on an ethereal exploration of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Sing along to beloved songs from the iconic film and discover peculiar magic in unexpected places. Along the way, you’ll conquer Oogie Boogie and be encouraged to follow your curiosity.
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and friends are wearing glitzy outfits exclusively for Disney Jollywood Nights – and they invite you to do the same. The outfits are inspired by the party’s vintage vibe, which celebrates the glitz and glam of Hollywood.
Art directors, show producers and designers worked together to land on just the right combination of colors and fabric for these special looks. Delve into any old collection of ornaments from the ‘30s, ‘40s or ‘50s, and you’re sure to find an array of colorful pastels. And that’s exactly what we see here!
Mint green and soft reds in sumptuous fabrics set the tone as you encounter Mickey & Friends Holiday Greetings in Animation Courtyard. The gang has just wrapped on the set of their new holiday film, and you’re invited to catch a glimpse of the magic!
Those aren’t the only characters–the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights event includes over 20 unique character experiences featuring both new and returning favorites.
New Characters to Disney Jollywood Nights in 2024:
- Baloo and King Louie from Talespin – appearing at Echo Lake
- José Carioca or Panchito from The Three Caballeros – appearing at Animation Courtyard
- Bo Peep or Lotso from the Toy Story movies – appearing at the entrance to Toy Story Land
- Mandalorian & Baby Yoda from Disney+ shows – appearing in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Returning Characters to Disney Jollywood Nights in 2024:
- Phineas and Ferb – appearing at Echo Lake
- Max Goof as Powerline – appearing at Echo Lake
- Rescue Rangers Chip ‘n’ Dale – appearing at Echo Lake
- Santa Stitch – appearing at Celebrity Spotlight at Echo Lake
- Santa Duffy – appearing at Santa’s Workshop at Grand Avenue
- Edna Mode and Frozone from The Incredibles – appearing at Pixar Plaza
- Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck – appearing on Hollywood Boulevard near Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Goofy and Pluto – appearing by Pixar Plaza
- Minnie Mouse – appearing at Red Carpet Dreams on Commissary Lane
And more! Don’t forget PhotoPass digital downloads are included in your event ticket!
OG Disney Jollywood Nights fans will remember Ollie, the most dapper gingerbread man in Hollywood. (Or perhaps not–I went almost the entire night and only saw him once.)
Disney’s creative team behind Ollie wanted to capture the classic aesthetic of mid-century holiday cards and 1940s-1950s advertisement illustration. Every aspect of Ollie’s design, from the optimistic twinkle in his eyes to his stylish holiday attire and star-quality hair, was meant to encapsulate the whimsy and mid-century cheer of Christmas while complementing the artistic flair of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This year, Walt Disney World is introducing a new merchandise collection inspired by Ollie with the line “Happy Ollie Days 2024.” The product line will feature items like a Minnie Mouse ear headband, Spirit Jersey, coffee mug, ornament, and festive apparel. This event assortment of Ollie merchandise can be found in Stage 1 Company Store during this year’s event.
Upon exiting the event, you’ll be gifted six champagne flavored Wondermade marshmallows in a Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy themed box — the perfect way to end an unforgettable night on a sweet note.
This parting gift for the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights is a nice touch. Personally, my hope is that the Kermit and Miss Piggy graphic ends up on event merchandise. I’d love that or Muppets Christmas Carol stuff as opposed to a bunch of items featuring Ollie. (Stop trying to make fetch happen, Disney.)
Food is also a big part of the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights.
As with last year, there are literally dozens of cocktails, light bites, and sophisticated snacks available at the counter service and table service restaurants, as well as outdoor vending locations around the park. Last year, lines for food & beverages at the event we attended were quite long, to the point that we didn’t want to waste valuable party time to pay even more money to eat. We heard reports that lines weren’t nearly as bad for food during subsequent DJN nights, though.
See the Full Food Guide for the 2024 Jollywood Nights Christmas Party for a rundown of the items available this year.
Speaking of which, the swankiest spot during Disney Jollywood Nights is Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby. The restaurant transforms into a smooth jazz joint, playing holiday tunes amidst sparkling décor.
Here, you can sip craft cocktails and indulge in an exclusive menu of light bites while enjoying the music and ambiance of this classy establishment. Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby will return for 2024–and continue requiring a reservation due to limited space.
This is a limited-capacity experience; reservations are strongly recommended to help you plan your evening. Make your Jazzy Holidays reservation today.
Another highlight is Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club in the courtyard outside the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. 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.
The Holiday Fiesta en la Calle will move to Animation Courtyard for the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights and there you’ll be able to spot Jose Carioca and Panchito from The Three Caballeros! This features holiday street fair with lively energy and Latin holiday music will fill the air as musicians play along the walkways. Drinks and treats in this area will be inspired by Latin holiday traditions.
During last year’s Disney Jollywood Nights, guests could also enjoy after-hours access to some of your favorite rides and coasters under the stars. After-hours access to some of your favorite rides and coasters including the following:
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (standby line offered)
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
Last year, Star Wars: Rise of Resistance used a virtual queue during Disney Jollywood Nights. It really wasn’t needed last year and limiting guests to one ride wasn’t necessary–if this is how people want to spend the event, just let ’em. Thankfully, there’s a standby line this year (hence the note above, which otherwise might seem odd since the ride normally uses a standby line during the day).
Last year, here were the showtimes for Disney Jollywood Nights:
- What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along – 8:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
- Disney Holidays in Hollywood – 8:45 p.m., 9:45 p.m., 10:45 p.m., 11:45 p.m.
- Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Fireworks – 12:30 a.m. (moving to 10 p.m. for 2024)
Everything else more or less operated continuously during Disney Jollywood Nights. Character meet & greets do take brief breaks during this type of event, but there typically are not sets that are spaced out with half-hour or longer gaps in between.
We’ll be attending the first Disney Jollywood Nights of 2024 and will report back with a full review, photo report, tips & tricks, and everything else you need to know to plan for the event…or decide whether it’s right for you.
Last year’s first night were absolutely atrocious. It made Madame Web sound good by comparison. Our experience at the inaugural night of the event, as covered in Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party Review: Good, Bad & Ugly, was heavy on the bad and ugly.
However, as we discussed in that lengthy review, the entertainment was fantastic. There were kernels of great ideas that were incomplete or needed more time (and money) to incubate. For its part, Walt Disney World management took the night one reviews panning the party to heart and immediately made changes. The party went significantly smoother as the season progressed and tickets started selling better towards the very end of the season.
Just from the announcement, it’s already clear that Walt Disney World is further improving the 2024 Jollywood Nights, and our expectation is that it’ll be better right from night one. What that means is still unclear. Our guess is that a lot of fans will be in “wait and see” mode, awaiting early reviews before taking the plunge.
In all likelihood, dates won’t sell out until after those come in–and then there will either be a run on tickets with more dates selling out…or not…based on whether the reviews are positive or negative. Last year, demand was not as strong for Jollywood Nights as it was for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and it’s hard to imagine that changing unless there are hugely positive surprises at the 2024 Disney Jollywood Nights.
If you’re a Floridian or Annual Passholder with a ton of flexibility and able to do one of the December 2024 dates for Disney Jollywood Nights, you can wait until reports come out from the first and second nights before deciding whether or not to buy tickets. No guarantees on that, but if you’re on the fence and don’t necessarily mind missing out, that’s probably what we’d recommend. (I’ll be there on opening night and will have a report ASAP afterwards.)
Disney Jollywood Nights is one of two holiday season special events at Walt Disney World. 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 just as many differences as there are similarities between the two events.
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’ll be doing, but 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). 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.
In theory, Disney’s Hollywood Studios offering a holiday season event after park closing that serves as counterprogramming to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a great idea. But as with anything, it’s very much contingent upon execution, and what we know about Disney Jollywood Nights thus far sounds makes it more of a toss-up than a sure thing.
I do appreciate that Walt Disney World appears to be trying to do something more sophisticated. This comes across very much in the spirit of old Hollywood, and focuses more on live music, performers, and atmosphere than it does on popular characters and rides. Obviously, those latter two things will be present to round out the roster, but they are not the focus of Disney Jollywood Nights.
So even if I’m a little concerned about the execution or whether there will be enough entertainment to justify the cost of admission (and keep crowds occupied–even limited-capacity events can have issues if ticket sales exceed compelling offerings), I do have to give Walt Disney World props for trying something different and more adult. We’ve wanted to see precisely this type of thing. Here’s hoping it’s fully fleshed out and a hit right out the door. (My prediction is that this will be feast or famine–either it’ll be a huge hit with its target audience or a total trainwreck.)
Another big thing that’s worth addressing is the impact that Disney Jollywood Nights will have on crowds throughout Walt Disney World. Christmas is an incredibly busy time of year at Walt Disney World, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party already screws with crowds and attendance dynamics.
One of the bigger changes is that Disney Jollywood Nights is starting earlier in 2024, which means it’ll have more of an impact on attendance trends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios…and everywhere else. One of the advantages of doing an After Hours event is that it has minimal impact on crowds since those events occur after regular park closing. Day guests thus don’t “plan around” After Hours, since it doesn’t really impact them.
Families always complain about these events with later start times, as their kids go to bed earlier. While that’s a fair perspective, there’s also the bigger-picture of how hard ticket events disrupt crowd dynamics across all of Walt Disney World. It’s a balance. Last year, Disney Jollywood Nights didn’t throw a monkey wrench into crowds like MVMCP.
As we covered ad nauseum, this very dynamic at Magic Kingdom can be leveraged to the strategic advantage of savvy guests. It’s counterintuitive strategy, but it works consistently there. That’s our go-to approach to Magic Kingdom for August through December, and it works without fail.
The problem, as noted above, is that it’s counterintuitive. Additionally, most guests are not savvy or have good reason (no Park Hopper tickets, wanting to see Happily Ever After, etc.) for not wanting to embrace the approach. The fact that the strategy does work without fail is a testament to the fact that the hard ticket events are so disruptive to attendance dynamics, and that the scheduling of MVMCP and resulting crowds create headaches.
We shall see what happens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the 7:30 p.m. start time for DJN. My guess is that it will throw a monkey wrench into daytime crowds to some extent, but not nearly as much as MVMCP. Our recommendation will probably be the opposite of Party Season in Magic Kingdom as a result, which is that day guests should avoid DHS on dates when Jollywood Nights is scheduled in the evening.
Ultimately, it sounds like Disney Jollywood Nights will end up meeting or exceeding expectations in its sophomore season and correcting all of the first year problems. As mentioned above, the stage shows during last year’s party were really good–no need to mess with those in any major ways. Other concepts, like the holiday lounges were good, but overpromised and underdelivered. All of that is easily fixable–and a lot of it was fixed for later dates of DJN last year.
Beyond that, there are opportunities to incorporate all of the areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios into the event. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could have a Life Day celebration and Toy Story Land could do something. All of the entertainment last year was concentrated in the front of the park, making the rest of DHS feel dead during Disney Jollywood Nights. Here’s hoping the entertainment and operations teams took time to look at what worked and didn’t last year, and made major changes where needed and left well enough alone what worked.
Nevertheless, it’s possible Disney Jollywood Nights is simply something that’s “not for you.” This is definitely more of a niche offering for adults, families without small children, and other demographics. It’s not attempting to be a crowd pleaser with something for everyone and iconic entertainment like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Either way, we’re both curious and cautiously optimistic. At the very least, Disney Jollywood Nights should be much improved in year two, which doesn’t always happen! At the very least, the holiday/jolly-night party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios should put some crowds and demand away from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, so that’s a win for longtime fans like me who love that time-tested event!
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
Will you attend this Christmas party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? If so, will you do it instead of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or in addition to it? What do you think about Disney Jollywood Nights? What are your thoughts on ticket prices? Will your family be buying or sitting out the Christmas festivities? Are you excited for Christmas 2024 at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? 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!
