What to anticipate from Disney World’s Jollywood Nights

Walt Disney World by no means rests on its laurels. Final yr, it launched Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It was a brand-new vacation occasion geared towards adults. The occasion is again this yr and even higher with some new choices and tweaks to final yr’s package deal.

Many Disney followers already return yr after yr to the Magic Kingdom for the beloved Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, the place sizzling cocoa, free cookies and characters are plentiful. Others make some extent to e-book an annual outing to Epcot for its Candlelight Processional. Now, there is a related motive to return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios every vacation season.

Disney has expanded its Jollywood Nights particular occasion to 13 evenings this yr versus simply 10 in 2023.

It is billed as being the place “Hollywood glamour meets vacation cheer,” and it is uniquely designed to attract Disney adults eager on having fun with a swanky vacation soiree. There are vacation specialty meals, reside leisure and character meet-and-greets you may solely discover right here. It additionally occurs to be one in all Disney World’s costliest occasion choices.

TPG attended the primary night of the Jollywood Nights occasion final yr and this yr. Here is what it was like and what’s new, plus the whole lot you must know if you wish to go.

What to anticipate from Disney’s Jollywood Nights

This celebration is meant to be a throwback to old-school Hollywood — and attendees are inspired (although not required) to decorate the half. We noticed loads of friends wearing sparkly outfits, others in Christmas-themed shirts and attire and a good contingent with Santa hats, elf ears and reindeer antlers. Many strollers had been decked out with flashing vacation lights, including to the general pleasure of the night.

Jollywood Nights options loads of Fifties vacation glam, three specialty stage reveals, fireworks, distinctive vacation character conferences, limited-time lounges and avenue leisure.

The occasion can be hosted on choose Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights by way of Dec. 21, 2024. Similar to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, it is a individually ticketed occasion. Costs vary from $159 to $179 per ticket, plus tax. The official occasion time is 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with mix-in (that is Disney-speak for if you end up allowed to enter the park with some day friends nonetheless there) at 6 p.m.

Notice: Whereas Jollywood Nights is billed as an grownup occasion, you should buy tickets for kids. You will pay the identical value as an grownup, although. We had been shocked to see so many youngsters in strollers throughout our soiree.

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Jollywood Nights stage reveals

Three stage manufacturing reveals are the hallmark of Jollywood Nights 2024. The earliest of the three reveals begins at 7:30 p.m., and the newest hits the stage at 12:30 a.m.

‘Glisten!’

New for 2024, “Glisten!” is a skating spectacular celebrating the season. It takes place within the open air in entrance of Hollywood Boulevard’s Chinese language Theater. Worldwide champion skaters carry out to favourite Disney songs reminiscent of “When You Want Upon a Star” and “Be Our Visitor” and the present is staged 5 occasions on occasion nights.

‘Disney Holidays in Hollywood’

Again by in style demand and taking part in 5 occasions an evening, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy of “The Muppets” fame host this sit-down selection present at Hollywood Boulevard’s Theater of the Stars. Arrive early if you wish to snag bench seating. Disney does a implausible job of earmarking a viewing space for these utilizing assistive mobility units, reminiscent of wheelchairs.

Mickey and Minnie even have a number of numbers alongside a mess of proficient singers and dancers.

“Magnificence and the Beast” followers went wild when Belle took to the stage in her Christmas finery.

“Disney Holidays in Hollywood” is to not be missed.

‘What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas Sing-Alongside’

One other return engagement is “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas Sing-Alongside” on the Hyperion Theater. This one stays in style, so you should arrive early if you would like a seat.

This can be a enjoyable and spirited manufacturing filled with fan-favorite songs from the now-iconic film led by Jack Skellington.

Character meet-and-greets

Along with all of the reveals, Jollywood Nights friends can partake in a trademark of any Disney after-hours occasion: particular meet-and-greets with uncommon characters and Disney favorites in vacation apparel.

Every meet-and-greet typically garnered strains, with wait occasions between 20 and 40 minutes.

PhotoPass downloads included

Complimentary PhotoPass downloads are an incredible profit of shopping for a ticket to Jollywood Nights. This consists of particular MagicShots and new picture experiences. There is no must pay additional for the picture downloads, as this perk is included within the value of admission. They need to present up mechanically in your My Disney Expertise account.

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Specialty experiences solely at Jollywood Nights

With the “of-age” crowd as the main target, the cornerstone (and most hyped portion) of the occasion are two specialty lounges: the Twilight Soiree at The Tip High Membership and Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby.

The Twilight Soiree at The Tip High Membership is themed after the fictional bar from The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror lore.

Held within the adjoining courtyard exterior the attraction, the occasion encompasses a reside band and a small pop-up bar with specialty cocktails. This proved to be an immensely in style spot in 2023 and once more in 2024.

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Additionally throughout the occasion, the enduring Disney eating spot The Hollywood Brown Derby transforms right into a jazz membership with reside leisure and a specialty food-and-beverage menu. Whereas there was a cell walk-up digital queue within the Walt Disney World app final yr, this expertise could possibly be reserved prematurely for the 2024 occasion nights.

As soon as inside, the expertise — which you’ll anticipate to final no less than an hour — was roughly just like a daytime go to, with the addition of a reside pianist and vocalist. Throughout our time, he caught to principally Disney classics, however we might like to see a full vacation playlist to contribute to the spirit of the occasion.

Sundown Seasons Greetings additionally returns all through the evening, reworking the Tower of Terror with a vacation projection present as “snow” falls upon Sundown Boulevard.

Pixar Disco is new this yr at Pixar Place with Pleasure, Frozone, Edna Mode and extra.

In Commissary Lane, you will discover one other event-specific expertise: Vacation Fiesta en la Calle. This avenue expertise options reside Latin music celebrating Central and South American vacation traditions that proved to be a enjoyable spot to chill out and take heed to the sounds. There’s additionally a DJ spinning vacation tracks close to the entrance of the park.

And what’s a Disney occasion with out fireworks? The festive nighttime spectacular “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” is staged one time throughout every occasion. It combines projections, music, lasers and fireworks set to the gorgeous backdrop of the Chinese language Theater.

Restricted-time meals at Jollywood Nights

Disney curated a sturdy food-and-beverage program for this occasion, with a mixture of savory and candy goodies out there from varied eating areas all through the park. Nonetheless, notice that not one of the treats are included in the price of admission right here — there’s an additional cost for each merchandise you want to pattern.

The cute Gertie cookie (modeled after the park’s beloved inexperienced dinosaur) was a favourite within the dessert class, and the savory vacation turkey popover was a transparent savory winner.

A favourite cocktail was the fifth Dimension Royale from The Tip High Membership. This brightly hued drink is a fruity twist on a margarita topped with prosecco.

Needless to say wait occasions for specialty meals and drinks can fluctuate from 20 minutes to half-hour, based mostly on our expertise, so if having fun with the occasion’s treats is necessary to you, plan accordingly.

Wait occasions for points of interest at Jollywood Nights

Many can be happy to know that the majority points of interest are open throughout the occasion. One of many highlights of our night was strolling on to a number of fan-favorite rides, together with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Toy Story Mania! and Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith. It was even simple to hop within the standby queues for Millennium Falcon and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance contained in the park’s Galaxy’s Edge part.

Getting access to the rides as early as 6 p.m. and all through the night is a serious promoting level of Jollywood Nights, in our opinion. It was a deal with to expertise a few of our favourite rides over and over. Strolling onto Rise of the Resistance in lower than 10 minutes was an enormous rating in our e-book.

Is Disney’s Jollywood Nights value it?

As with every Disney Parks after-hours occasion, it is completely as much as your tastes and what issues to you.

If getting dressed up in festive apparel and attending a Disney occasion that was created primarily for adults (although youngsters are welcome) feels like a terrific evening out in your crew, then go for it. For many who love Tim Burton or “The Muppets,” that is an apparent alternative. The identical goes for friends who love seeing uncommon characters and Disney favorites of their limited-time vacation apparel.

That stated, we advise having sensible expectations for what you’ll do if you’re spending high greenback to be there. Having a technique that prioritizes what issues most to you is essential for a lot of Disney parks occasions, and this new occasion is not any exception. With the brief time-frame of the occasion (5 hours), it is not possible to expertise all of the characters, leisure and specialty eats that the occasion has to supply.

Even so, we completely loved the occasion in 2023 and 2024 and stay up for the occasion hopefully returning in 2025.

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