Celebrating the holidays at theme parks is the perfect way to get into the festive spirit of the season. No matter what park you visit, it’s a magical experience! Every park has wow-worthy decor, special events, seasonal eats, and extras like snow flurries and ice skating shows (even in Florida!). The parks find new ways to surprise and delight each year, and this year is no exception. Here are the events you won’t want to miss when you visit Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld this season!
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — Magic Kingdom
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a staple for holiday celebrations at Walt Disney World. The parties take place on select nights, November 8th through December 20th, from 7 pm to midnight. You can enter the Magic Kingdom at 4 pm on party days with your ticket. This year’s event features all the festive experiences you’ve come to know and love, like snow flurries on Main Street, U.S.A., holiday-themed character meet and greets, dance parties, the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration castle show, and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks. You can also sip and snack on complimentary hot chocolate and Christmas cookies at stations throughout the park.
At this limited-capacity event, you’ll also experience some of the Magic Kingdom’s most popular attractions with shortened wait times. Several attractions have holiday overlays, like holiday music blasting through Space Mountain, Christmas lights throughout the track at the Tomorrowland Speedway, holiday lights and sounds at the Mad Tea Party and the crowd-favorite Jingle Cruise (complete with a new set of holiday puns). View the complete attraction list.
There’s also exclusive merchandise only available during the party, like holiday spirit jerseys, tree ornaments, apparel, and coffee mugs. Seasonal snacks like the Gingerbread milkshake at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor or the Holiday Turkey Burger at Cosmic Rays are also available for purchase.
Several event dates are already sold out! Contact your Wishing On a Star Travel agent today to experience this event during your Disney holiday vacation!
Festival of the Holidays — EPCOT
Celebrate holiday traditions from around the world at EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays. Storytellers throughout the World Showcase share folktales and holiday traditions, such as La Befana in Italy, a Hanukkah musician Between France and Morocco, and a Daruma storyteller in Japan. You can also meet Santas from around the world at several pavilions: Pére Noël in France, Santa Claus inside the Odyssey Pavilion, Barn Santa in Norway, and Father Christmas in the U.K. Plus, enjoy live entertainment like the gospel ensemble Joyful! at the CommuniCore Plaza, Chinese Dragon Dancers in China, a rock band in Canada, a Mariachi band in Mexico and the Voices of Liberty Dickens Carolers inside the American Adventure pavilion. You can also explore delicious holiday dishes from around the world at Holiday Kitchens dotted throughout the World Showcase. The Festival of the Holidays is included with your EPCOT admission and runs every day from November 29th to December 30th.
Candlelight Processional— EPCOT
One of the most popular offerings at EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays is the Candlelight Processional, an extravagant retelling of the Christmas story with a 50-piece orchestra, full choir, and celebrity narrators. The show is performed at the American Gardens Theatre nightly at 5 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:15 pm.
This year, the celebrity hosts are top-notch and include:
- Josh Gad 11/29 – 11/03
- Whoopi Goldberg 12/6 – 12/7
- Tituss Burgess (New) 12/8 – 12/10
- Chrissy Metz 12/3 – 12/5
- Brendan Fraser 12/11 – 12/12
- Gary Sinise 12/15 – 12/16
- Ralph Macchio 12/13 – 12/14
- Neil Patrick Harris 12/17 – 12/18
- Pat Sajak 12/19 – 12/21
- Gloria Estefan 12/22 – 12/23
- Jodi Benson 12/29 – 12/30
View a complete list of all celebrity hosts here.
Viewing the Candlelight Processional is included with your theme park admission, but seating is extremely limited. The best way to guarantee seating at one of the showings is to book the Candlelight Processional Dining Package, which allows you to dine at a select EPCOT table-service restaurant and provides reserved seating for one of that night’s performances. Contact us to learn more about the Candlelight Processional Dining Package.
Jollywood Nights —Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This event features all the glitz and glamor of an old Hollywood holiday celebration and is back for a second year. Jollywood Nights takes place on select nights from Nov 9th through Dec 21st from 7:30 pm to 12:30 am. Good news: the party starts a whole hour earlier this year! Also new is a one-of-a-kind ice skating show, Glisten!, which takes place in front of the Chinese Theatre. Rare character sightings like Panchito from The Three Caballeros, Phineas and Ferb, Santa Stitch, Bo Peep, Lotso, and characters from TaleSpin will be part of the 20 unique character experiences at the event. Entertainment like Jingle Bell, Jingle B.A.M.!, the Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along, Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby, and Holiday Fiesta en la Calle will return this year, too. In addition to an array of delectable treats and eats available for purchase, Guests will receive complimentary Wondermade marshmallows on their way out. You can also enjoy shorter wait times for many of Hollywood Studios’ attractions during this limited-capacity event.
Grinchmas™—Islands of Adventure
Seuss Landing bursts with holiday cheer during this festive season. The Dr. Seuss-themed land transforms into Whoville during the holiday season, with decor stuffed into every possible inch. Interact with Who shoppers roaming throughout the land, and take a selfie if they can take a break from their holiday preparations. Don’t miss the How The Grinch Stole Christmas stage show, where the Grinch retells the famous story and musical numbers from the Who citizens. There’s also a dedicated Grinch meet-and-greet location in Seuss Landing.
Universal’s Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s—Universal Studios
This holiday parade makes its way through the streets of Universal Studios on select evenings from November 22nd through December 31st. The parade features iconic balloons from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and floats with Universal characters like Minions, Despicable Me, Madagascar, and Shrek.
Christmas at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™
The holidays are the most magical time to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley™ and Hogsmeade™are filled with wonder and whimsy with decorations that spark magic and joy. Don’t miss the Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts, which projects moving imagery onto Hogwarts™ Castle and shows scenes of wizarding students enjoying the holiday season, complete with a few fireworks. Top it off with a cup of hot Butterbeer!
Disneyland Festival of the Holidays
The Disneyland Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park infuses the holiday traditions of Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings’ Day into one. Festive food kiosks are located throughout the park so that you can indulge in holiday specialties from various cultures. The ¡Viva Navidad! street party takes place throughout the day. The nightly World of Color show has a seasonal overlay, and guests can enjoy a memorable holiday fireworks display over Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park. The Christmas Fantasy Parade also appears daily. Favorite attractions like “It’s a Small World,” The Haunted Mansion, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree are updated for the holidays, too. The celebrations start November 15th!
Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Orlando
Experience the wonder of the holiday season at SeaWorld Orlando on weekend nights from November 16th through January 5th (and daily the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas). Gaze out at the Sea of Trees, a dazzling light spectacle across SeaWorld Lagoon featuring dozens of lit Christmas trees that dance to holiday music throughout the night. The centerpiece is a magnificent 70-foot-tall tree in the middle of the lagoon. Catch a viewing of O Wondrous Night, a living nativity and stage show that tells the Christmas story with carols, life-sized puppets, and live animals. For the little kiddos in your family, the gang from Sesame Street puts on its own holiday parade and stage show. The night ends with a holiday fireworks finale.
Experience the Holidays With a Magical Theme Park Vacation
With so many things to experience, it’s no wonder the holidays are one of the most popular times to visit Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld! Whether you want to plan a last-minute holiday trip for 2024 or take advantage of great rates for the newly-released Disney reservations for November and December 2025, let our team at Wishing on a Star Travel® help you experience everything the season offers. Get a quote for your vacation today. We can’t wait to help you plan a magical holiday vacation!
