Walt Disney World Holiday Guide 2024

November and December

***Updated 12/05/24

There is nothing like the combination of the magic of the holidays and the magic of Disney. Starting in November and ramping up throughout the month, holiday decor, fun, and events can be found everywhere you look on property at Walt Disney World. As you might expect, the holidays also bring holiday crowds, with some of the busiest days of the year being Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve. We heartily recommend people experience the holidays at the parks, we also recommend going mid November or early December if you can swing it. If you are working to a school schedule, we still think this can be a perfect time to visit, but make sure you have a plan in place to tackle the crowds.

November marks the transition from the Halloween season to the holiday season. Starting in November, the Christmas decorations start to come up and the holiday offerings begin. We’ll start off by saying that Disney really does the Christmas season right, with festive decorations and fun events in all of the parks, Disney Springs, and even extending to resort hotels. Consequently, November and December are a great time to visit, especially if you can manage to go during the early and middle parts of the months when crowds will be more moderate and you can take full advantage of the events and generally nice weather.

If you are working around a school calendar, these are still good months to go, you’ll just need to make sure you have a plan in place to maximize your park time with the heavy crowd levels that descend over the thanksgiving and winter breaks.

In addition, the weather continues to improve, while you may still hit a hot day it is equally possible a cold front will come through and you’ll be wanting a thick sweatshirt and jeans. It’s best to check the forecast before going and pack accordingly plus bringing a couple extras for surprise weather changes. In general, the weather should be mild and pleasant, which is ideal for enjoying all the events and fun available this month.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

In addition to special decorations and offerings throughout the park, November is when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns. This is another incredibly popular hard ticketed event (i.e. you pay extra for it) that takes place in the Magic Kingdom on select evenings and often sells out very quickly. It has a special Christmas parade, fireworks, unique character meet and greets, hot chocolate and cookies, and, of course, many of the rides are open and can be ridden with little to no wait.

There are 25 party dates for 2024

November and 8th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 26th, 27th, 29th

December 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 20th.

You can read more details including party cost and which dates have sold out here.

***updated 11/9/24

Epcot Festival of the Holidays

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival continues to run through November 23, 2024. After Thanksgiving, Epcot Festival of the Holidays starts up, with unique holiday offerings in each of the World Showcase countries and a special Candlelight Processional show every evening that can’t be missed. The Candlelight Processional is a retelling of the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator (we saw Neil Patrick Harris!) and accompanied by a choir singing seasonal melodies. It’s really a great show and very popular so either get there early or purchase a dining package, which guarantees entry. You can read more about Epcot's Festival of the Holiday's here.

Disney Jollywood Nights

Disney's Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. 2023 brought a brand new Holiday themed after hours party at Hollywood Studios where the spirit of old Hollywood blends with Christmas and Disney Magic. DJN is returning in 2024 with unique shows, clubs, and treats and alcoholic drinks. Jollywood Nights is a holiday experience that is not to be missed. Jollywood Nights happens on 13 nights from November 9 to December 21, 2024:

• November: 9, 13, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30

• December: 2, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21

You can read more about Disney's Jollywood Nights here.

Merry Menagerie

Animal Kingdom has even gotten in on the festivities with special night time projections onto the Tree of Life, and Merry Menagerie - artisan-crafted winter animal puppets that stroll though the Discovery Island between Island Mercantile and Riverside Depot. These performers interact with guests are accompanied by live musicians to create a festive atmosphere. They make their way out periodically between 9:45 am to 5pm, and are not to be missed.

Meeting Santa Claus at Walt Disney World

• Guests can meet Santa at the It’s a Wonderful Shop on Grand Avenue in Hollywood Studios starting November 12, 2024 through Christmas Eve.

• New for 2024 Santa will be joining the Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party at Restaurantosaurus in Animal Kingdom from November 12 through December 24, 2024.

• Along with the versions of Santa Claus who story-tell at different countries around the World Showcase during Festival of the Holidays, Santa is available for pictures at the Odyssey in Epcot at various times throughout the day. Check the My Disney Experience App for times.

• Not only can guests visit with Santa during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom, during regular park hours guests can visit with Santa at Storybook Circus, usually starting the beginning of December.

• Santa will be meeting guests in his new Marketplace at Disney

  Springs from November 8, 2024 - December 24, 2024.

  • Disney Springs outside the World of Disney has a feature where Guests can use their MagicBand to write a letter to Santa.

    

    
    

Other events around the Walt Disney Resort

• Holiday decorations start popping up, and by the end of November Christmas is in full swing at Walt Disney World. Disney will be decked out with holiday decorations in each of the parks, resorts, and at Disney Springs. Decorations will remain up until early January

• Some rides get a festive overlay, including Jungle Cruise (which becomes Jingle Cruise) at the Magic Kingdom, and Living with the Land which becomes Glimmering Greenhouses.

• If you are looking to meet the Disney characters done up in their finest Christmas attire, over in Hollywood studios the character meal at Hollywood and Vine becomes Minnie’s Holiday Dine.

• At Disney Springs you can check out their annual Christmas Tree Stroll with some incredible themed trees, everything from the Muppets, the Haunted Mansion, Tangled, and more.

• The resort hotels are included in the festivities, with themed trees and decorations featured at each. This includes some incredible gingerbread creations at some of the deluxe resorts, including a life size house at the Grand Floridian, and a carousel at the Beach Club Resort.

• Blizzard Beach will reopen on November 4th and Typhoon Lagoon will be closing on the 3rd.

Other perks for visiting in November and December

• Earlier in the month, for both November and December, the crowd levels tend to be moderate.

• Park hours tend to be longer with the increased crowd levels around the holidays.

• The weather can be unpredictable, but in general is more mild than previous months. The average temperatures range from lows in the 50s and 60s to highs in the 70s. However it is winter so there can be days when it gets colder, so make sure to check your weather forecast and pack an extra jacket just in case.

Things to be aware of

• Crowds ramp up around the holiday’s making Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving week, and Christmas one of the busiest times to visit the parks.

• Some Christmas offerings don’t start until around Thanksgiving, so if you go earlier you will miss them.

• Resort Prices and Ticketing are at the highest from the second week of the month on.  Rarely will you see any discounted packages available during the holidays, making this the most expensive time of the year to visit.

• Water parks are sometimes closed during the winter months, check for availability prior to your trip.

  
  

Need help planning a trip this holiday season? Need to buy tickets to MVMCP or Disney's Jollywood Nights? Click here and let us know. We always have your back.

Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation?  Click here for our planning guide. Need tips for planning a Walt Disney World Vacation with someone with a disability?  Check out the disability section of our blog here.  Need help navigating the parks using DAS?  Click here. No longer qualify for DAS and need help figuring out now to approach a day at the parks? Click here for our ideas on how to flip your thinking and still have a good experience at Disney.