What to expect at Walt Disney World at Christmas

November 14th sees the start of the Holiday Season at Walt Disney World, so ho-ho-hold on to your mouse ears because no one does Christmas like Disney!

Each of the Theme Parks, Disney Springs, and all the Disney Resort Hotels are transformed, making the most magical place on earth even more magical! Expect dazzling decorations, festive food (and drink), special seasonal entertainment and much, much more!

And the best bit? Many of these fabulous festivities are included in your standard Theme Park entrance fee.

When do the Christmas decorations go up in Walt Disney World?

You’ll see decorations going up in the Parks around mid-October (they start early because of the sheer volume!) in preparation for the official start date, with Magic Kingdom switching from a Halloween to a Christmas theme after the final Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Each Park has its own iconic tree and park-specific décor.

The Resorts also get a festive makeover (the deluxe Hotels go big), each featuring a huge Resort-specific Christmas tree and décor.

Top tip

Don’t miss the Gingerbread houses and displays, where talented pastry teams bring gingerbread to life! Just follow your nose to:

  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
  • Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
  • N.B. The Grand Floridian will not have a full-sized Gingerbread house at this year, as it is undergoing renovations.

These usually begin to appear from the first week in November and are accompanied by a delicious Holiday menu.

What Festivities and Entertainment can you expect at Walt Disney World at Christmas

Magic Kingdom (MK)

An MK highlight guaranteed to make you feel festive is the ‘Frozen Holiday Surprise’ which takes place every night on the Cinderella Castle forecourt stage at 6.15pm.

Jungle Cruise becomes Jingle Cruise, complete with Christmas jokes.

On the evenings Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party isn’t taking place, you’ll be able to catch the new ‘Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away’ parade (two shows each night).

Find Santa at Storybook Circus, although he may not be there every day in December – well, it is his busiest time! His schedule will be posted on the My Disney Experience (MDE) app so plan ahead and be sure to double check on the day of your visit. Unfortunately, you can expect a long queue!



If you are visiting in the last week of December, you’ll have the chance to see the special Christmas Parade (usually only available during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party) which typically runs twice daily through to December 31st.

Additionally, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration takes place at select times on the Castle stage and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmas Fireworks temporarily replace Happily Ever After.

The fireworks on 30th & 31st December will be a special showing of ‘Fantasy in the Sky’ for New Year’s Eve.

Lots of lovely festive food and drink options will be available throughout the Park, just look on the MDE app for details.

EPCOT

EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays takes place in World Showcase between 28th November and 30th December 30th, 2025, and celebrates holiday traditions from all around the world through music, stories, and the food and drink served at the special holiday kitchens. Pick up your Festival Passport as you enter the Park and check the MDE app for details.

There are so many fantastic things to experience here that we’ll have to recommend some of our favourites and leave you to discover the rest, but we can start by saying the Holiday Cookie Stroll is a firm favourite!

Another highlight is the EPCOT Candlelight Processional, where a celebrity narrator (each with a connection to Disney), a full choir (made up of local choirs and Cast Members) and a 50-piece orchestra feature in a spirited retelling of the Christmas story.

JOYFUL! A celebration of the Season is a concert series blending gospel, jazz, and R&B which takes place on the CommuniCore Plaza Stage with (typically) four performances a day.

You can meet Santa between 11am and 5pm in CommuniCore Hall from 28th November to 24th December (check the MDE app for his schedule) and Voices of Liberty, a talented vocal group, belt out holiday classics dressed as Dickensian Carollers inside the American Adventure Rotunda.

Once the sun goes down (from around 5.30pm onwards), Spaceship Earth features a fun festive projection show and be sure to visit Living with the Land, which looks lovely with its festive overlay; enjoy the twinkling lights and colourful wreaths as you cruise through the EPCOT greenhouses.

Another nice touch we appreciate is how some of the Characters around EPCOT add a little festive flair to their outfits.      

Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS)

After dark, head to Sunset Boulevard in DHS to watch Sunset Seasons Greetings, where the billboards come to life and the Hollywood Tower Hotel is the backdrop for colourful projections telling the stories of iconic characters.

You can also visit Echo Lake to see the stunning Christmas Tree light up the night, or meet with Santa Claus inside Walt Disney Presents, for a hug and a photo.

Frozen fans are in for a treat with the Christmas version of ‘For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration’ as Olaf brings something extra special to the finale and keep an eye out for your favourite Toy Story friends, who will be out and about wearing their holiday best.

Whilst Minnie Mouse hosts a series of dazzling Yuletide dinner gatherings for her friends at Hollywood & Vine (we’d highly recommend you make an advance reservation for this), you can also access plenty of other festive food and drink throughout the Park (you’ll find all the details on the MDE app).

Animal Kingdom (AK)

A real must-see in AK is the Merry Menagerie, where you’ll meet incredible life-sized, artisan-sculpted puppets (along with their puppeteers) of winter animals including reindeer, foxes, polar bears and penguins.

The Park’s iconic Tree of Life comes alive after dark with ‘Awakenings – Holiday Edition’, a dazzling display of special festive tales set to Holiday-inspired music. N.B. AK closes earlier than the other Parks and may not be open every evening after dark, which can impact show times.

You can Meet and Greet Santa Claus on the beautifully decorated patio of Restaurantosaurus, which has been decked out with twinkling lights, colourful stockings and dinosaur décor. Check the MDE app for his schedule.

Mickey and Minnie will be at Adventurer’s Outpost in their Holiday finest and you’ll find plenty of festive food and drink options across the Park (see the MDE app for details).

Disney Springs (DS)

Disney Springs will be dripping in festive décor, offering lots of fun photo opportunities, and you’ll have the chance to meet Santa (just join the Virtual Queue when you arrive in DS).

Take part in a scavenger hunt to find the 19 elaborately decorated Disney-themed trees that feature in the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll (you’ll get a prize if you spot them all!) and keep an eye out for carollers, Toy Solider stilt walkers and other performers along the way.

There is magical snowfall in the Town Centre every evening and, of course, lots of delicious festive treats in the restaurants.

Christmas is ON at Disney from 14th November to 31st December and, this year, we will be going ourselves (soooooooo exicited!)… hope to see you there!

Want to know more about planning your perfect family trip to Walt Disney World? Our Walt Disney World Planning Guides are written specifically for families from the UK and Ireland and are packed with useful information!

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