Now in its third year, I made another visit this year to Disney World’s newest Christmas event—Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. In this review I’ll start with the basics about the event (what it is, when it happens, how much it costs) before diving into my experience. I’ll conclude with the two groups of people I think this event works best for. Read on to learn all about Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios!

About Jollywood Nights

Jollywood Nights is a ticketed, Christmas-themed event at Hollywood Studios occurring on select evenings in November and December. It features exclusive entertainment, character greetings, and paid treats. Rides and some of the park’s standard character greetings remain open, too. (Read more about the rides at Hollywood Studios here.)

The imperfect way to think about Jollywood Nights is as an adult alternative to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I know as well as anyone that kids and adults can have fun at both events, but their respective entertainment lineups and ambiances tilt in different directions. (FWIW, I—an adult—personally prefer Very Merry.)

Jollywood Nights Dates, Hours, and Pricing [2025]

In 2025, Jollywood Nights, the ticketed event at Hollywood Studios, will be held on:

November 8, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29
December 1, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 22

Tickets went on sale July 16 for guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort and partner hotels. For all other guests, tickets were available starting July 22.

Prices range from $159 to $199 per ticket, plus tax, depending on date. Annual passholder and DVC discounts may be available.

Jollywood Nights runs from 7:30PM to 12:30AM. Event guests can enter the park as early as 5:30PM, and the park closes to non-event guests at 7PM on event nights.

My Jollywood Nights Experience

Most recently, I attended a mid-November 2025 event. I paid $169.34 for my ticket, with annual passholder pricing. I purchased my ticket through my trusty travel advisor, Lauren Quirk of Travel With Character LLC.

When I know I’m going to be at an event on a specific night, possibly late into the night, I like to choose a convenient hotel. Last year, with an event at Hollywood Studios I preferred to be staying somewhere along the Skyliner. We picked a Cars Suite at Art of Animation, which also meant my late arrival would have less of a chance of waking Zoe up.

Unfortunately, the Skyliner only operated until 10:30PM despite the event going until after midnight. As you’ll see, I opted to just leave early and catch the Skyliner (buses run once it stops running), but if you’re expecting to rely on it during your visit, pay close attention to the hours.

This year, with the Skyliner issue in mind, I picked the Walt Disney World Swan. The Swan is a Marriott-operated hotel under the Westin brand. It’s not a Disney hotel, but it does get Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours. The Swan (along with its sister resorts the Dolphin and Swan Reserve) is walkable from Hollywood Studios.

Arrival and Check-In

I arrived at 2PM, well before the event, but I was able to get in since I was using my annual pass. The barricades were set up in preparation for the evening’s crowds.

2PM arrival at Hollywood Studios, no crowds

If you arrive later, you’ll find crowds lining up for the event—event-only guests can enter at 6PM—with a few tap points set aside for regular guests entering the park. Here’s last year at 5:38PM, for example:

When you’re already in the park for the start of a ticketed event, you’ll have to find a place to get your event ticket confirmed and collect your wristband. The check-in points this year (2025) are at the underpass to Galaxy’s Edge (by old MuppetVision / future Monstropolis) and in “Walt Disney Presents…”

Cast Members at the Galaxy’s Edge underpass looked pretty setup when I walked by a 3:45PM, so I decided to just join a small crowd waiting. They started checking us in at 4PM.

Last year, I heard guests complaining about the lack of check-in information. Fair—if you have never been to an event like this before or read a detailed review, you might not realize that you have to track down the check-in.

But you’re reading this review, so if you can’t find check-in, just ask a Cast Member. This year, there were a handful of Cast Members with “Event Guests ->” signs, too.

At check-in I was handed an event guide. These are nicely designed. They’re not quite the quality of the commemorative maps you’ll get on the most important days of Disney parks history, but they were stapled booklets rather than typical maps. It’s a small, but effective, way to make you feel like you’re here for a special event.

As with last year, the event sticks with the sensible plastic wristbands, not the nonsense cloth bands Very Merry weirdly uses.

Visiting the Event Entrance

As with Very Merry, if you enter the park and do in-park check-in for Jollywood Nights, you might also want to swing back to the front of the park after 5PM and visit the entrance chute at some point. Specifically, once inside the park, event guests are routed backstage from the front to the area by the Beauty and the Beast theater. Along the way, there’s a photo op:

There’s plenty to do around Hollywood Studios before the event starts at 7:30PM, notably:

Fantasmic is shown at 6:30PM on event nights, which makes that a feasible option for event guests.
If you don’t want to wait in long lines for rides, there are three single rider lines at Hollywood Studios.
Slinky Dog Dash is a beautiful ride at night, and you might not want to waste event time on it; consider getting in line when you arrive in the park.

Over at Magic Kingdom’s Very Merry, there are some event things that manage to start before the event time—select ride overlays, some food service, and a character greeting or two. To the best of my knowledge, Jollywood Nights is much more consistent with the 7:30PM start time, but you might check forums to see if there’s anything available before the technical event start.

Merchandise

Merchandise this year is sold from the exit to the Mickey Shorts Theater. You’ll enter through the regular show entrance, walk through the theater (which has the shorts playing, though it wasn’t clear if you could stop), and then browse merchandise at the exit.

They still really want to #MakeOllieHappen here. Is he happening? I’m honestly not in touch enough to know. (To put it bluntly, I had a baseball cap with Christmas Gertie on all night and not a single person said anything. So I feel like I’m pretty well out of touch with Jollywood Nights crowds, specifically.) As with last year, I just wasn’t excited enough about the event to get any gear.

This anecdote from last year deserves to stick around, though it wasn’t a problem this year:

While I was in line for the merchandise, Cast Members kept reminding people this was the line for merchandise, not anything else. They must have stopped, because later on, I saw professionals reporting they waited in the line not knowing it was only for merchandise. So, I guess, ask a Cast Member what the lines are for when before getting in them.

What’s This? (Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along)

As with last year, I opted to just start my night with the highlight—”What’s This? (The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along).” The first showtime is 7:30PM. Arriving at 7:15PM would be more than early enough, and people were still coming in at 7:25PM.

I can’t avoid all spoilers, but I’ll try and keep it to a minimum. For starters, there is a large Jack Skellington puppet (in the same style as the Halloween fireworks at Magic Kingdom) that makes appearances on stage-right (left from the audience, the far side when entering).

You might prefer to enter earlier rather than later to get seats on that side, but you’ll also have more of a side-angle view the farther toward the end of the row you get.

Otherwise, all I really want to say is I that I still find the show absolutely fantastic. Some of the stylistic choices might be lost on younger kids (and some adults, so I suggest you enter with an open mind), but this was a show that really reminded me of what Disney is capable of.

They could have just phoned this in as a straightforward sing-along, but they didn’t. The overlay of the theater was very well done (and best viewed from the middle), and the show itself was entertaining and not at all what I expected. It’s beautiful, it’s funny, it’s heartfelt, and it’s even a tiny bit of a thinker.

The show won an IAAPA Brass Ring Award, further demonstrating its high quality.

“What’s This?” was scheduled for 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 11:30, and 12:30.

Disney Holidays in Hollywood

As with last year, I decided to just get the core entertainment done as quickly as possible. “What’s This?” ended just after 7:50PM, and I made it to Theater of the Stars for Holidays in Hollywood at 7:59PM. The show wasn’t until 8:15PM and there was still space at that time.

Holidays in Hollywood is hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy, with performances by a cast of characters including Mickey, Minnie, Belle, and Tiana. It’s a swanky show that very much fits the vibes of the entire event, particularly Hollywood Boulevard, which also hosts the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club.

As with “What’s This?”, my feelings on this show didn’t change much this year. It’s a good, fun show, but it doesn’t wow me in the same way that’s “What This?” does. It’s got Christmas songs, great performances, and excellent Muppet humor. If you’re going to the event, it’s definitely a “must see.”

But I’d say this is the sort of show I think should be available in the parks during the entire holiday season. “What’s This?”, by contrast, was the sort of show I’d actually pay to go to a ticketed event for.

I’m on #TeamMuppets and would love to see them have a bigger presence in the park. And I certainly have nothing against Mickey, Minnie, Tiana, or Belle.

I just always find it a bit jarring when you’ve got a pretty arbitrary collection of characters thrown into a single show. (This isn’t the only Disney show to do this, to be clear. Very Merry’s “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration” has Woody and Jessie sharing the stage with Jose and Panchito. Of course, that show is anchored by the Sensational 6.)

Holidays in Hollywood was scheduled for 8:15, 9:15, 11:00, and 12:00.

Revisiting My Itinerary

This is where my schedule diverges from my approach last year. Last year, I went with:

8:50PM - Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club
9:15PM - Glisten!
9:45PM (est.) - Sunset Seasons Greetings (and food)
10PM - Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!

This year, I went with:

8:45PM - Sunset Seasons Greetings (and food)
9:10PM - Glisten!
9:30PM - Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club / Holiday Fiesta En La Calle
10PM - Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!

Holiday Fiesta En La Calle moved to the area by Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster this year (from Animation Courtyard last year). This meant it made sense to split a longer block of time between that show and the nearby Twilight Soirée. You definitely could use more than 30 minutes for these shows, and if you want a good spot for Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! you can’t arrive last minute.

Sunset Seasons Greetings

With a 20-minute gap before Glisten!, I opted to grab some nearby treats and enjoy Sunset Seasons Greetings.

Sunset Seasons Greetings is a holiday-themed show with lasers down Sunset Boulevard and projections on Tower of Terror. It is an absolutely delightful show and has been a favorite of ours for years. It also plays in the park on nights without Jollywood Nights and on event nights it’s also usually scheduled to run for an hour before the event.

Despite there not being set times in the Jollywood Nights event guide, the Disney webpage actually has this blurb with showtimes: “During Disney Jollywood Nights, Sunset Seasons Greetings will take place at 7:30 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:45 PM, 9:45 PM, 10:45 PM and 11:30 PM.”

Sunset Seasons Greetings is not a “blink and you’ll miss it” sort of thing. It’s more the sort of show that’s perfect for pairing with some snacks, as long as you’re comfortable eating on Sunset Boulevard probably not at a table.

I’d consulted the Foodie Guide beforehand and knew about two items at Fairfax Fare that I was interested in. I got in an almost-long line at 8:43PM and had my food in-hand by 8:50PM. Here’s the “Just the Sides” Popover and the Raspberry-Lemon Square:

Now, based on the description and obvious contrast with the “Holiday Turkey Popover”, you might think that “Just the Sides” is vegetarian, but it isn’t. It has meat, which I assume to be ham. I assume it to be ham because back in 2023, the description for it specifically mentioned ham. Anyways, I’m an “eat around it” vegetarian, and I found the rest of the dish to be pretty tasty.

As for the Raspberry-Lemon Square, I thought I liked tart things but at least at this size I found there to be a bit too much tart.

The only reason to go out of your way to prioritize Sunset Seasons Greetings is if you’re looking to get a particular photograph from a personal or Photopass photographer (Photopass photos from the event are included with your ticket).

The different projected backdrops on Tower of Terror play in the same order each time, so you might want to research ahead of time or plan to catch multiple shows if a specific photo is important.

Glisten!

Finishing my snacks, I headed back to the middle of the park for the 9:10PM performance of “Glisten!”

“Glisten!” debuted last year, and it features “international champion skaters” performing to Disney and Christmas songs. This is done on a fake ice surface in front of the Chinese Theater, which is illuminated with projections as a part of this show.

Glisten! didn’t hook me, but there was a lot to like. The skaters were obviously talented and they really shined (er, glistened?) the whole time. With its central location, five showtimes, and no fixed seating, you’re not going to struggle to fit it into your night. If this is something you’re definitely interested in, you might be sure to arrive a few minutes early to be at the front of the crowds.

Glisten! was scheduled for 8:10, 9:10, 10:30, 11:10, and 12:00.

Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club

Trying to keep my step count respectable, it was back down Sunset Boulevard after Glisten!, as I made my way to the Tower of Terror exit area for Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club. While the bar is open all night long, the band performs on a set schedule—7:30, 8:10, 8:50, 9:30, 10:30, 11:10, and 11:50.

The band performs a 15-minute set of jazz-styled Christmas tunes while decked out themselves to look like characters right out of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

There are dancers to bring some extra energy to the crowd, and it’s overall a very enjoyable time.

I tried the $13 “1939 Royale” drink, which is Teremana Blanco Tequila, Cointreau Liqueur, desert pear, agave nectar, and lime juice topped with Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut. As with most cocktails I’ve had at Disney World, I’d just describe this one as “tasty.” It’s not something I would ever get outside the event, but having really enjoyed the Soirée last year, I thought I’d take the extra step of getting a drink “for the vibes.” I don’t regret it!

If you come between sets you can chat with some mingling characters from the Tip Top Club.

Holiday Fiesta En La Calle

Around the same time, I swung by Holiday Fiesta En La Calle, which was in front of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster this year. This was a positive move for the act, I think, as I felt it had bigger crowds and more energy this year than when I swung by last year in Animation Courtyard.

There did seem to be at least two acts—a mariachi band and a Latin dance music band. Jose and Panchito (from The Three Caballeros) were around, dancing with guests and taking some time to sign autographs.

Holiday Fiesta En La Calle runs continuously from 7:30 to 12:30, though there are short breaks between the sets. This schedule notably contrasts with the other “dance party”—Pixar Disco—which takes a break from 9:30 to 10:30.

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!

The “Nighttime Spectacular” for Jollywood Nights is Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! This projection show occurs once, at 10PM. This follows 2024’s schedule, departing from the original 2023 schedule with a single 12:30AM showtime.

The 10PM showtime lets people self-select between “going to bed at a reasonable hour” and “gettin’ tipsy at the Tip Top Club until after midnight.” This presumably results in lower crowds later in the evening, though I’m not enough of a night owl to have judged.

Years ago—before Jollywood Nights existed—Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! was a fixture of the holiday season at Hollywood Studios. While short of a spectacular show on its own, it did well alongside the great park-wide decorations and Sunset Seasons Greetings to make Hollywood Studios the favorite holiday park for many commentators, us included.

Then it got cut from the 2020 through 2022 seasons altogether before returning exclusively behind the Jollywood Nights paywall in 2023. I don’t want to rehash old complaints, and I’m at least glad Sunset Seasons Greetings remains for non-event guests.

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! is a projection show with a few pyrotechnic effects that features the team of Prep & Landing. It’s a bit niche but highly accessible, and there’s some Nightmare Before Christmas thrown in there too (slightly less niche and arguably less accessible if you have no background on it). It’s overall a fun show and I’d call it a must-see as part of the event.

If you’ve got a small party, you’ll probably be able to grab a decent spot up until showtime. With a larger group, I’d arrive no later than 9:45PM. Tiring of crowds a few minutes in both this year and last, I’ve watched most of the show from farther down Hollywood Boulevard and found it just fine.

One Last Lap

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! ended around 10:15PM, so I decided to take one last lap around the park, as I’m wont to do. I’m no photographer, but I want to provide as many little extra notes as I can for readers, so please forgive any bad photos in this section.

Donald and Daisy were greeting not far from ABC Commissary.

Fancy Goofy and Pluto had a dance party (with a DJ) going on over by Star Tours.

Scrooge McDuck still had a long line at 10:21PM.

Life Day Chewbacca’s line was presumably quite large, but hard to judge because it uses the hidden area off the docking bay.

Partysaurus Rex had a pretty long line (near the entrance to Toy Story Land).

The Pixar Disco kicked off with some character introductions before getting back to party mode. Recall that it takes a break from 9:30 to 10:30, presumably to accommodate the pyrotechnics from Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!

I love Rescue Rangers Chip’s outfit.

I swung by Gertie and bought two Gertie cookies, hoping that one would make it home for Zoe (alas, things were already not going well when the head broke off and fell out of the back onto the stunning carpet of Orlando International Airport)

I exited the park about 10:56PM, making the walk back to the Swan and getting to my room around 11:16PM.

I didn’t make any serious effort to do anything after 10:15, with still 2 hours and 15 minutes left in the event. This definitely would have been enough time for a few character greetings or several rides. Slinky Dog Dash, at 20 minutes, had the longest wait of the rides.

Conclusion

My perspective when I visit these events is to try and figure out who I think would have a good time. Who is it really for? Similar to my visit to Disneyland’s Star Wars Nite, I knew this event was not really for me, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to look at the bigger picture.

Before I get into that, I want to remind you of two big-ish things I skipped at this event. First of all, I didn’t meet any characters. If characters are a minor thing for you, I had plenty of time left over in the night to fit a few in. If characters are a major thing for you, I assume you have some sort of independent spreadsheet intensive analysis that goes into deciding whether the character lineup justifies the cost. Some of the notable characters included Powerline Max, Partysaurus Rex, Life Day Chewbacca, Santa Stitch, Santa Duffy, and Scrooge McDuck.

Second, I didn’t do any rides. Except for “After Hours” events that exist only to help you get on rides, I tend to think rides are a poor use of time at ticketed events. If the event is your only visit to a given park, the analysis may change, but generally, spending money on Lightning Lanes during the day is going to be more sensible than paying for a ticketed event if you mostly care about rides.

Those two issues aside, I have a pretty clear idea of when I think Jollywood Nights is worth it. I’ve got two groups of people who I think this event works well for.

For starters, I think an average Disney fan who is also an above average Nightmare Before Christmas fan can justify this event. This is the group that I fall into. “What’s This” was a spectacular show, and Jingle Bell Jingle Bam! is Nightmare Before Christmas adjacent as well.

This isn’t to say “What’s This” justifies the $150+ per person on its own. But it can be enough to take an average Disney fan who, let’s say, will enjoy Holidays in Hollywood, a few character greetings, a few rides, and Sunset Seasons Greetings, and push them over the top.

The second group I think can get real value out of this is people who want to cosplay going to a fancy Christmas event. There were a lot of people who were dressed to the nines and seemed to be loving it (there seemed to be fewer in 2025 than 2024, but still a good amount). They thrived at the Twilight Soirée and “ooh”d and “ahh”d at Glisten! And I assume in between they hiked up their skirts and ran between Tower of Terror and Slinky Dog Dash.

A key word there is “cosplay.” This is not Victoria and Alberts. You are still very much in a theme park. But if something about being in fancy dress around other people in fancy dress, sipping on champagne cocktails speaks to you, then I think this event might be your jam.

As with last year, I enjoyed how easy a time I had at the event. I had no problem at all covering every activity I wanted (remember that I skipped characters), and I had no issue with excessive lines or crowds anywhere.

Now, it’s worthing pointing out that personally, this was my only holiday evening at Hollywood Studios this year. Given that, I’m 100% glad I went to the event. If I’d had another night to, specifically, enjoy Sunset Seasons Greetings, then I’d be a little more on the fence. But next year I’d definitely be open to Jollywood Nights being our family’s sole holiday evening in Hollywood Studios since Zoe is also a Nightmare Before Christmas fan.

All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered

Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.

Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.

When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!

Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.

Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.

Learn More About The Holidays at Walt Disney World

Want to learn more about Christmastime at Walt Disney World? For starters, we've got a Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World, which introduces you to everything you need to know.

Need more specifics? You'll want to read about the park that gets the most Magical decorations in our post on Christmas at Magic Kingdom. You'll also want to read about Flurry of Fun—the Christmas celebration at Hollywood Studios, the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, and the Holiday Celebrations at Animal Kingdom.

But the flagship event of the season is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party—and our guide has you covered with everything you need to know. Or check out the quick version in our 12 Tips for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Last but not least, let's not forget that the celebrations don't stop at the parks! You can visit our post on Christmas decorations at the Disney World hotels to see how even the hotels get into the spirit! Even Disney Springs gets in on the action, with bar overlays and an awesome Christmas Tree Trail! It’s a great time of year at Walt Disney World resort!