10 Things You Need to Know About the Holidays in Disney World
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Disney twice around the holidays. If you’re thinking of heading down to the parks during this time, here are ten things you need to know about the holidays in Disney World.
Holiday decorations and overlays throughout Disney Property
It’s not just the parks that get in on the holiday cheer! You’ll see holiday decorations and overlays all throughout Disney World Property.
This includes Christmas trees and decorations in the resorts, parks, and Disney Springs. You’ll also find holiday overlays on some of the rides throughout the parks.
These holiday touches typically start appearing the first week of November and will last until very early January.
I’ve been there on the last days of the holiday decor, and while there’s no hard end date, everything was packed up by January 3rd or 4th.
Holiday Crowds
Here’s one big thing you need to know about the Holidays in Disney World.
The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year in WDW. And they’re the absolute busiest at the ends of November and December (in line with most holiday breaks.)
If you’re looking to experience the Disney holiday charm with less crowds, you might want to try going earlier in these months.
However it’s worth noting that some experiences are slow to roll out. So if you’re planning on an early November trip and there’s a holiday activity that’s a priority for you, do some research and make sure it’ll be up and running when you arrive.
If you are planning on being there during the ends of these months when things are the busiest, know that the parks can sometimes reach capacity, especially on the holidays themselves. So if you want to be in a park, make sure you get there early enough.
And if a park you want to go to is at capacity, it doesn’t mean all is lost. People will leave the park at some point, which will give you a good opportunity to get inside. You’ll just have to monitor the situation.
Things are more expensive
Pretty much everything is more expensive in Disney during more popular times. This includes park tickets, hotel rooms, and Lightening Lanes.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go–especially if you want to experience Disney at this time of year. But it doesn’t mean you need to be prepared and budget accordingly.
Holiday activities all around Disney Property
There’s a good number of holiday themed activities all around Walt Disney World Resort. From free concerts and experiences at Disney Springs to paid sleigh rides at Fort Wilderness, there’s no shortage of holiday festivities.
Like we mentioned, things are more expansive in Disney during the holidays, so if you’re looking to experience the Disney holiday magic on a budget, spending a few less park days in one way to do it.
Gingerbread displays
If you’re looking for another free activity to do you can checkout the gingerbread displays that are featured at several Disney World Resorts!
These displays are truly elaborate works of culinary art and worth the effort to visit them.
In the past, they’ve been at the following locations, but know that this can change and you should double check before you head to a resort.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (not appearing in 2025 due to construction)
If you’re interested in more free activities you can do at Disney World, check out this post.
After Hours holiday events
Two parks have holiday themed after hours events that may be worth your time! But note, these requires and they’re own ticket.
The Magic Kingdom has Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which is running from November 7 – December 21, 2025.
The cost of your ticket includes seasonal treats and beverages, along with a special parade and shows.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has Jollywood Nights, which is a little more of an upscale party. Your ticket gets you five hours in the parks with special entertainment. This event runs from November 8 – December 22, 2025.
Both events are only offered on select nights.
Festival of the Holidays at Epcot
Epcot hosts four festivals a year. One of them is the Festival of the Holidays!
This festival runs from day after Thanksgiving through the month of December. For 2025, the official dates are November 28 – December 30.
This festival features food booths throughout the World Showcase that highlight holiday foods from all over the world. You’ll also find holiday traditions and music.
Candlelight Processional
One key aspect of the Festival of the Holidays is the Candlelight Processional. This event features a retelling of the story of Christmas told by a celebrity narrator, a 50 piece orchestra, a choir and the Voices of Liberty.
This is a free experience at Epcot’s American Adventure pavilion, but seats are limited. So if you want to catch this, make sure you check show times on your preferred day and get there early.
You can also pair this with a dining package to guarantee yourself a seat.
Holiday themed treats and snacks
You’ll find holiday themed snacks and treats popping up all over Disney World Property. So while there’s always more to Disney World snacks than Mickey pretzels and ice cream bars, that’s especially true at this time of the year.
If you find yourself in or around Disney World, be sure to be on the look out for these unique season treats!
New Year’s celebrations in most parks
If you’re sticking around Disney World to ring in the New Year, know that every park except for Animal Kingdom is typically open through midnight on New Year’s Eve.
This is usually one of the most crowded nights in Disney World. So you definitely want to be mindful of crowd capacity levels and either get to the parks earlier or be ready to monitor capacity levels.
For more Disney World Tips, check out these posts!
That’s what you need to know about the holidays in Disney World. What are you most excited about?