Disney World Announces 2026 Jollywood Nights Dates, Tickets & Prices, Christmas Party Runs to January 2027!

Walt Disney World is bringing back Jollywood Nights, its holiday event at Hollywood Studios, on select dates in November and December 2026, plus bonus nights running into early 2027! This began as counterprogramming to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom a few years ago, and has blossomed into its own after a rocky inaugural year.

Let’s start with the basic details about Disney Jollywood Nights (DJN). This Christmas party is held on select nights in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), offering a more refined holiday vibe, sights of sparkling décor, sounds of modern beats over classic holiday songs, tastes of craft cocktails and decadent dishes, selfies with rare characters, and stunning stage shows & spectaculars.

Disney Jollywood Nights is a separately ticketed, limited-capacity holiday event on roughly a dozen different nights from early November through late December. You can get holly and jolly for five festive hours from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. during DJN. Here’s everything we know about the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party from Walt Disney World’s official announcement…

This year’s glitz and glamour will shine bright on select nights from November 7, 2026 to January 5, 2027. For the first time ever, the Christmas party will extending into early 2027!

Note that November dates are set for select Saturdays and Mondays, with December events on select Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. In January, events will take place on select Sundays and Tuesdays.

Party dates: This holiday season’s Disney Jollywood Nights will be held on the following evenings:

• November 2026: 7, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28
• December 2026: 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 23
• January 2027: 3, 5

Be advised that the November 7, 2026 Jollywood Nights is before Christmas officially starts at Walt Disney World, which is something to keep in mind if you’re planning a trip. You won’t see the daily entertainment that’s included in admission until the following Friday.

The most interesting wrinkle of the 2026 Jollywood Nights dates is actually the dates that fall in 2027. As noted above, this has never happened before with any holiday hard ticket event, and means that Jollywood Nights will have two more dates than last year!

The second most fascinating aspect of the dates is the gaps between the first and second party, as well as the last event in November and the first in December. This is likely due to these weeks being slower, and hence there being diminished demand for the parties.

It’s nevertheless unfortunate as these are two of the date ranges we strongly recommend to readers in our lists of the Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2026, 2027 & 2028.

Conversely, the Jollywood Nights event dates on December 23, 2026 and both January events are mildly concerning. These three dates are among the busiest of the entire year at Walt Disney World, and DHS is the worst park when it comes to wait times.

Closing the park early on those evenings is not a guest-friendly move for those who purchase (very pricey!) normal park tickets. We would’ve otherwise expected Walt Disney World to extend hours on these dates, likely until 10 pm. Here’s hoping that the park opens at 8 am to offset the earlier closing time.

This is something you’ll want to be mindful of if visiting DHS in either of these weeks. The upside is that the park hosting Jollywood Nights offers a relatively “easy” way to bypass peak season crowds…so long as you’re willing to pay the price. We’d definitely recommend it on those three dates, even if you couldn’t care less about the Christmas entertainment. Rides with short waits will be a huge upside!

2026 Jollywood Nights Ticket Prices: Event tickets are $169 to $199 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by event date).

For those keeping score at home, this is the same starting ceiling as last year, and a $10 increase on the starting price (previously $159). Last year, prices increased for the high end, but not the low end.

Event Times: This special event takes place from 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM.

You can get a head start on the festive fun! Jollywood Nights ticketholders will be admitted to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as early as 5:30 PM on the valid date of their ticket. These date-specific event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or theme park reservation.

Purchase Tickets Soon: Special event tickets may be purchased by the general public starting July 16, 2026. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can purchase tickets early—starting July 9, 2026—for event dates during their stay. This advance purchase window is available to guests of:

• Disney Resorts Collection hotels
• Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
• Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
• Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort

Tickets are limited and may not be available for purchase on the day of the event (or earlier). Purchase Jollywood Nights tickets online or call the Disney Reservation Center at 407-934-7639.

Discounts: Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to Disney Jollywood Nights, valid for all event nights.

The marquee stage show during Jollywood Nights is Disney Holidays in Hollywood. This is a star-studded variety show in the grand tradition of Tinseltown’s most beloved holiday specials – all with a twist of today’s Hollywood magic.

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Tiana, Belle, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are among the special guest stars, and there are plenty of surprises in store – including a brand-new original song by Tiana. Singers, dancers and live jazz musicians round out the talented cast of entertainers in this dazzling performance. Jolly vignettes remind everyone that the holidays mean something special to each and every one of us.

Jollywood Nights attendees also won’t want to miss “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along.” This show will be performed in the Hyperion Theater.

Enter a dreamlike adventure iwhere Jack Skellington takes us on an ethereal exploration of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Sing along to beloved songs from the iconic film and discover peculiar magic in unexpected places. Along the way, you’ll conquer Oogie Boogie and be encouraged to follow your curiosity.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) recognized “What’s This?” with the “Most Creative Winter Holiday Production” award at this year’s IAAPA Honors event. It beat out competitors from around the globe, including an excellent production at Universal Studios Japan. My personal view is that “What’s This?” is the second-best stage show at Jollywood Nights, but the sing-along does punch way above its weight. It’s also very artsy, making it perfect award-bait.

Glisten is returning to Jollywood Nights in 2026. This dazzling ice skating spectacular brings favorite holiday tunes in the center of the park, in front of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Several times each evening, take in the grace and skill of international champion skaters in an awe-inspiring twist on the traditional ice show.

Guess will be swept away by the grace of these skilled skaters as they perform breathtaking routines set to a vibrant holiday soundtrack including original songs and Disney favorites like “Be Our Guest” and “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

I enjoyed Glisten far more than expected. So much so, in fact, that I caught three separate performances of the show. Speaking of which, it’s incredibly easy to see thanks to its centralized location and informal viewing area—you can easily catch performances while crossing sides of the park.

Another highlight is Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club in the courtyard outside the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Walt Disney World advertises this as a swingin’ celebration in the courtyard of The Hollywood Tower Hotel. Here, you can sip cocktails and unwind in style while a live band swoons and croons holiday tunes.

This exclusive event transports guests to a 1930s-style jazz lounge, complete with live holiday music.

Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby offers a refined, adult-oriented retreat within the Christmas atmosphere of Jollywood Nights. It’s an ideal choice for guests seeking a blend of culinary delights, live music, and a touch of holiday elegance.

There is limited space at this popular offering, so if soft jazz notes harken the holidays for you, then mark your calendar for September to make reservations.

Pixar Disco lights up Pixar Place with a holly jolly dance party featuring Edna Mode, Frozone, Joy, and other Pixar favorites.

Characters at Disney Jollywood Nights 2026 will include the following:

• Phineas and Ferb
• Max Goof as Powerline
• Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers
• Stitch dressed as Santa
• Baloo and King Louie
• The Mandalorian and Grogu
• Chewbacca celebrating Life Day
• Lotso from Toy Story 3
• Partysaurus Rex
• Bing Bong from Inside Out
• Duffy
• Scrooge McDuck
• Donald Duck and Daisy Duck
• Goofy and Pluto
• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse

And this is just the beginning! Be sure to keep an eye out for even more character appearances and where to spot them coming on a later date.

During Disney Jollywood Nights, guests could also enjoy after-hours access to some of your favorite rides and coasters under the stars. After-hours access to some of your favorite rides and coasters including the following:

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
• The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Toy Story Mania
• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Available attractions are subject to change. Admission to Jollywood Nights does not guarantee access to any specific attraction or experience according to Walt Disney World.

More Merry to Come for 2026 Jollywood Nights

As we get closer to the magic of the holiday season, Walt Disney World has teased that they’ll be rolling out more information on Jollywood Nights concerning characters, festive food, merchandise, entertainment, and more.

Our hope is that some of our Halfway to the Holidays Predictions end up being accurate. Specifically, more Muppets in the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Courtyard, along with something to breathe life into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.

Additional rare characters are a ‘sure thing’ announcement, as are menus & merchandise. Stay tuned–we’ll keep you posted once Walt Disney World announces more!

Comparing Christmas Parties

As you probably gathered from the opening, Disney Jollywood Nights is one of two holiday season special events at Walt Disney World. The other is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. Although both are Christmas parties with limited attendance featuring entertainment and other offerings, there are major differences between the two.

If you’re not sure which is right for your family, we’d highly recommend reading Disney Jollywood Nights vs. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. That’s our point-by-point comparison of the characters, fireworks, entertainment, crowds, and more at each event.

You could easily attend both and have unique and memorable experiences–that’s how little overlap there is. If your budget allows, we would recommend doing both. With that said, if we were average Walt Disney World first-time families and could only do one, that would be Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Without a doubt. It is the classic and iconic Walt Disney World holiday party, and it’s fun for guests of all ages and interests. I love DJN, but it’s definitely more niche.

As an annual attendee who hasn’t missed MVMCP since 2007, Disney Jollywood Nights is the more exciting and interesting of the two Christmas parties for me, personally.

A big part of this is that it changed more in its first few years than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has in the last decade-plus. If I could only choose one to attend as a Walt Disney World regular, it’d be DJN.

With that said, we now have a toddler and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is much better suited to our family of three. If it were still just Sarah and me, we’d do Jollywood Nights. It’s not as good overall as MVMCP, but it skews more adult and is fresh as compared to MVMCP.

Suffice to say, Jollywood Nights has gotten better with each year. There was a big leap between the first and second years, followed by more incremental improvements last year. If you’re planning ahead for 2026, it’s worth reading our Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party Review.

Walt Disney World management and entertainment teams deserve kudos for taking the negative year one reviews panning the party to heart, and making major changes for its second and third seasons. We also mention this because reviews from 2023 are obsolete. While the bones of the event are the same, it’s a much improved guest experience.

From a planning perspective, we also have a 1-Night Disney Jollywood Nights Itinerary, if you already know all about the event, don’t need an overview, and just want tips & tricks.

Ultimately, I hope that Disney Jollywood Nights ends up exceeding expectations in 2026, now in its fourth season. There’s some excellent entertainment and kernels of great ideas with this Christmas party, but it still needs a bit more refinement to really shine, stand out and sell out.

Beyond that, there are opportunities to incorporate all of the areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios into the event. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could have a Life Day celebration. Toy Story Land could do something. These are two of the most popular parts of the park, and yet, they’ve felt dead during Jollywood Nights. And while we’re at it, let’s add Muppet Christmas Carol to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and that courtyard.

Disney Jollywood Nights doesn’t need major improvements like it did after the first year, but there’s still room for improvement if this event is going to be comparable to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. For now, we’re both curious and cautiously optimistic. Here’s hoping Disney Jollywood Nights exceeds expectations again in Christmas 2026!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Will you attend this Christmas party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? If so, will you do it instead of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or in addition to it? What do you think about Disney Jollywood Nights? Are you excited for Christmas 2026 at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!