How do you make the 50th anniversary celebration even more magical? Easy – you add a slew of holiday events and entertainment to bring season’s greetings to all who visit the Most Magical Place on Earth! Here’s the news you need to know.
Magic Kingdom
The holidays at Magic Kingdom are next level. Main Street, U.S.A is adorned with decor, the storefronts bedecked with yuletide charm, and the bright but cool Florida air sharpens everything into view. Even with all that, the big holiday event at this park is Disney Very Merriest After Hours, a separately-ticketed event taking place on select nights between November 8 and December 21. This year, there are 24 nights of Merriest After Hours available to choose from, with tickets starting at $170. Here’s a list of what you can expect:
- A new show: “Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories,” which will be performed on Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage and will allude to past Merriest After Hours shows.
- A holiday-specific comedy show at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
- A fun holiday overlay on the Jungle Cruise.
- “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade,” where guests can meet Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, and other characters.
- “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks,” a fireworks and projections display set to popular holiday songs for a magical ending to a magical day.
- Club Tinsel in Tomorrowland, a venue for dancing and celebrating the season. Located in Tomorrowland.
- Performances by The Reindeer Wranglers, who bring country flair to the holidays in Frontierland.
All that and more await guests who attend Disney Very Merriest After Hours. On evenings when the Magic Kingdom isn’t hosting this event, Cinderella Castle will be given a special holiday projection before turning into a Beacon of Magic.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom participates in the holidays by hosting the Merry Menagerie. A number of life-sized puppets of winter animals: reindeer, foxes, and polar bears will all come visit for the yuletide season to impress and interact with guests. Beloved characters such as Goofy and Chip ‘n’ Dale will get holiday overlays in which to enjoy their raft rides down Discovery River. The iconic center of the park will also get some seasonal attention, with holiday music and shimmering fireflies warming up the Tree of Life between moments of Beacon of Magic.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The Hollywood Tower Hotel gets the holiday treatment with a special alternating projection that turns it into a Muppets gingerbread house, a Toy Story toy hotel, a part of Arendelle, or a village scene from “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” As is the case with each of the other icons across the park, Beacons of Magic will illuminate the Tower once the sun goes down. Before guests see the special holiday features, they can sing along with Olaf and other Frozen characters in “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration.”
EPCOT
EPCOT honors the celebrations and holiday festivities around the world through song, music, and dance throughout the World Showcase. In the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, guests can learn about how people celebrate the holidays all around the world. This seasonal entertainment will take place between November 26 and December 30.
Disney Springs
Last but not least is Disney Springs. Here, the beloved Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth returns to invite guests and visitors to take a close look at the details of each intricately decorated and inspired Christmas trees throughout the shopping center. Decorations will adorn the shops, and guests will even have the chance to see snow in Florida by visiting Town Center for magical, falling snow. Need an end cap to your evening? Jock Lindsay’s Holiday Bar will be back this winter to serve out lively libations.
Which holiday feature are you going to see first? Let us – and thousands of other Disney fans – know in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook.
And then be sure to follow Orlando Informer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.
