Walt Disney World Holiday Guide 2025: Dates, Events, Tips & Must-Do Magic 🎄
- Practically Perfect Pixie Dust
- Nov 14, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 22
***✨ Updated September 22, 2025: Disney has announced Narrators and Dining Packages for the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, plus a new location for meeting Santa
There’s nothing quite like the holidays at Walt Disney World! Whether you're sipping cocoa under twinkling lights, hunting for holiday treats, or meeting Santa Mickey, this guide will help you plan the most magical holiday getaway ever. Here’s everything we know about the 2025 holiday season at Walt Disney World—including what’s confirmed, what we expect, and Pixie Dust Pro Tips to make your trip practically perfect.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Popular holiday events and resort reservations book up early—especially in mid-to-late December. Plan early for the merriest magic!
🎄 Is November or December a Good Time to Visit Disney World?
Absolutely! November marks the magical transition from spooky season to the full sparkle of the holidays. As Halloween wraps up, Christmas decorations begin popping up across the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs—transforming Walt Disney World into a festive wonderland.
If you’ve never seen Disney during the holidays, it’s truly something special. All four theme parks feature unique seasonal offerings, from EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Even the resorts get decked out with towering trees, themed gingerbread displays, and cozy photo ops.
🗓️ When to Go:
Early to mid-November or the first two weeks of December are ideal if you’re looking to enjoy the festivities with lower crowd levels.
Thanksgiving week and the last two weeks of December are among the busiest of the entire year—if you’re traveling during these peak times, a solid plan is essential to make the most of your days.
🌡️ What’s the Weather Like?
Weather this time of year is usually mild and pleasant, making it a great season for exploring the parks comfortably. You might still hit a warm Florida day—or a surprise cold front—so pack for variety. Think light layers, a sweatshirt or jacket, and extras in case the temperature swings.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Mid November and early December offer the best of both worlds—post hurricane season, cooler weather, full holiday magic, and lighter crowds (if you avoid school break weeks).
🎉 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Returning for 2025)
Kicking off in early November, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is back for 2025—and it’s one of the most magical events of the year! This hard-ticketed (extra-cost) event transforms Magic Kingdom into a winter wonderland on select evenings throughout the holiday season.
The dates MVMCP 2025
November 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, and 30
December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, and 20
✨ Highlights of the party include:
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade with snow on Main Street, U.S.A.
Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks
Rare character meet and greets in festive holiday costumes
Complimentary hot cocoa and cookies
Access to many of your favorite rides—often with lower wait times
🎟️ This party is extremely popular and dates often sell out quickly—especially in December. Disney has not yet released the full 2025 party schedule, but expect tickets and dates to go live in late summer.
📖 Want to dive deeper? You can read all the details—including our party strategy—in our 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Guide.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: If you’re not attending the party, plan your Magic Kingdom day on a non-party night to enjoy a full day and nighttime fireworks without the early 6 p.m. park closure.
EPCOT
Epcot Festival of the Holidays
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival continues through November 22, 2025—so early holiday travelers can catch the tail end of one delicious season before the next one begins!
🎄 Then, from November 29 through December 30, 2025, EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays takes over with festive food, music, and traditions from around the globe.
Each World Showcase pavilion features unique holiday storytellers, seasonal treats at Holiday Kitchens, and cultural celebrations that highlight how different countries ring in the season.
🎶 The centerpiece of the festival is the beloved Candlelight Processional—a moving retelling of the Christmas story featuring a live orchestra, choir, and celebrity narrator. We’ve seen stars like Neil Patrick Harris and Brendan Fraser bring the story to life!
🪑 This show is incredibly popular, so we recommend arriving early or booking a Candlelight Processional Dining Package, which guarantees seating.
✨ Head over to our Dessert Party and Dining Package Guide for all the deets on how to secure the best views—with treats or a meal included!
📖 Want the full festival scoop? Check out our updated EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2025 Guide for dates, menus, celebrity narrator announcements, and more festive details!?
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney Jollywood Nights - Returning for 2025
Disney's Jollywood Nights debuted in 2023 as a glitzy new after-hours holiday event at Hollywood Studios, blending the glamour of old Hollywood with festive Disney magic. And good news—it’s officially returning for the 2025 holiday season!
✨ New this year: a brand-new nighttime spectacular on Hollywood Boulevard, adding even more sparkle to this stylish soiree. Guests can expect returning favorites like:
Themed clubs and lounges
Exclusive holiday entertainment and shows
Specialty treats and cocktails
Unique character sightings in festive attire
🕺 Jollywood Nights is a hard-ticketed event (extra cost) held on select nights November 9 and December 21:
📅 2025 Dates:
November: 8, 13, 15, 18, 22, 24, and 29
December: 1, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, and 22
Ticket prices for 2025 range from $159 to $179 per person, plus tax, and go on sale July 16 for guests staying at a Disney Resort and July 22 to the general public.
Coming soon: Bookings for Jazzy Holidays and select holiday dinner packages are expected to go live (or receive full details) on September 16.
📖 Want to know what to expect, how to plan, and if it’s worth it?✨ Check out our full Disney's Jollywood Nights Guide 2025.
🍽️ Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine
If you're looking to meet classic Disney characters in their holiday best, head to Hollywood & Vine in December! During the holiday season, this popular character dining experience transforms into Minnie’s Holiday Dine, featuring festive decor, seasonal costumes, and themed menu items.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Book early—this is one of the most popular seasonal character meals and reservations go fast!
Disney Animal Kingdom
🐾 Merry Menagerie – A Winter Wonderland at Animal Kingdom
Even Disney’s Animal Kingdom joins the holiday celebration with festive touches that feel both magical and meaningful.
Back for 2025, the Merry Menagerie brings artisan-crafted winter animal puppets to life along Discovery Island, between Island Mercantile and Riverside Depot. These beautifully designed polar bears, foxes, reindeer, penguins, and more are brought to life by talented performers who interact with guests in gentle, heartwarming ways.
🎶 Accompanied by live musicians, the atmosphere is peaceful, joyful, and perfect for all ages—especially little ones who might be overwhelmed by louder holiday offerings elsewhere.
📍 Performances pop up periodically between 9:45 AM and 5:00 PM, typically from early November through early January. Disney hasn’t released specific performance windows or operational dates for Merry Menagerie in 2025.
🌳 After dark, don’t miss the Tree of Life Awakenings – Holiday Edition, with seasonal projections and background music lighting up the park icon in true Disney style. Performances have typically been every 10 minutes after dark, but please check app for exact scheduling
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: The Merry Menagerie offers some of the best holiday photo ops—and it’s one of the few holiday offerings you can enjoy during the daytime!
🎅 Meeting Santa Claus at Walt Disney World
Looking to meet the jolliest guy in red during your holiday visit? Santa Claus appears across Walt Disney World during the season—and only the only location and dates released by Disney for 2025 is for EPCOT. All other locations and dates haven’t been officially announced yet, but here’s what was offered in 2024 to give you an idea of what to expect. We’ll update this section as soon as more 2025 details are released!
📍 Santa Sightings Around the Parks 2025
EPCOT - confirmed for 2025 For this year’s Festival of the Holidays, Santa is moving to CommuniCore Hall for his daily meet-and-greets—swapping last year’s Odyssey location for a spot in EPCOT’s new festival hub.
From November 28 – December 24, you can catch him at 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM.
📍Santa Sightings Around the Parks 2024 Locations
Hollywood Studios: Santa meets guests at the It’s a Wonderful Shop on Grand Avenue from November 12 through December 24.
Animal Kingdom – New for 2024: Santa joins the Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party at Restaurantosaurus from November 12 to December 24. Expect fun, dino-themed décor and festive cheer.
Magic Kingdom: Santa appears during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and often during daytime hours at Storybook Circus starting in early December. Exact dates and times vary each year.
Disney Springs: Visit Santa in his Marketplace location, typically open from November 8 through December 24.Bonus: Disney Springs also features an interactive Santa Letter Station near World of Disney where guests can use MagicBands to write and send letters to the North Pole!
🎁 Disney Springs Holiday Magic
From November 14 to December 31, 2025, Disney Springs is aglow with festive cheer—making it the perfect place for a magical holiday stroll.
🌲 The Christmas Tree Stroll, presented by AdventHealth, features 20 elaborately themed trees inspired by Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Super Heroes, and more. Pick up a scavenger hunt map, collect stamps at each tree, and earn a festive surprise—it’s a free holiday tradition not to be missed!
✨ The fun doesn’t stop there. Enjoy brass-band performances, stilt-walking Toy Soldiers and Icicles, and magical “snowfall” moments in Town Center that will transport you straight into a winter wonderland.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Arrive just before sunset to catch the first snowfall, enjoy live entertainment, and shop for seasonal snacks and souvenirs under the twinkle lights.
🎁 More Holiday Fun Around Walt Disney World
As early as the first week of November, holiday magic begins to appear across the entire Walt Disney World Resort—and by Thanksgiving, Christmas is in full swing! From twinkling trees to festive overlays, there’s no shortage of seasonal sparkle.
🎄 Decorations, Overlays, and Characters
All Four Parks, Disney Springs, and Resorts are decked out with themed garlands, ornaments, and holiday touches. Decorations typically stay up until early January.
Ride overlays include:
🎅 Jungle Cruise transforms into Jingle Cruise at Magic Kingdom
🌿 Living with the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses adds twinkling lights in EPCOT
Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine (Hollywood Studios) features classic characters in festive attire all December long.
Dinsey Resort hotels also get in on the holiday magic—with especially elaborate displays at the Deluxe resorts:
All Disney Resorts have a decorated Christmas Tree and Holiday displays in the theming of the resort.
Resort hotels also get in on the holiday magic—with especially elaborate displays at the Deluxe resorts:
Disney’s Contemporary Resort usually features an impressive gingerbread castle display (themes vary each year).
Disney’s Beach Club Resort brings a rotating gingerbread carousel to life in the lobby.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will not have its iconic, life-sized Gingerbread House in 2025 due to lobby renovations—but holiday décor will still be present throughout the resort.
Note: Other Deluxe resorts typically participate too, such as BoardWalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht Club, and Wilderness Lodge, though exact displays for
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Plan a holiday resort-hopping day to explore the gingerbread displays, take photos, and soak in the festive atmosphere—no park ticket required!
📅 November & December Travel Perks
Early November and early December tend to have moderate crowd levels, making them a great time to visit.
Park hours are extended during the holidays, especially at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.
Weather is generally mild, with average highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s–60s. That said, Florida winters can surprise you with a hot day or sudden cold front—so
pack layers and check the forecast before you go!
⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind
🎖️ Crowds spike around key dates:
Veterans Day weekend
Thanksgiving week
Christmas and New Year’s Eve
⏳ Some seasonal offerings don’t begin until after Thanksgiving, so early November trips may miss a few holiday extras.
💰 Prices are at their highest in late November and December, with few if any discounts available.
💦 Water parks may be closed for refurbishment during the winter months—check the My Disney Experience app for availability.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: If you're visiting during a peak week, take advantage of tools like Lightning Lane Multi Pass and mobile ordering to save time and minimize stress.
🎉 Ready to Celebrate the Holidays at Walt Disney World?
Whether you're sipping cocoa on Main Street during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, resort-hopping to see gingerbread displays, or discovering holiday traditions around the World Showcase, Walt Disney World at Christmastime is pure magic. With thoughtful planning, smart timing, and a sprinkle of pixie dust, your holiday trip can be both unforgettable and manageable—even during the busiest time of year.
🗂️ Don’t forget to check out our packing list, browse our character cheat sheets, and use our planning sheets to help you plan your practically perfect holiday getaway.
Pixie Dust Hugs,
Bren, Lyn, and Kim
P.S. Planning your own magical getaway?
