REVIEW: Disney Jollywood Nights 2024 – Our Review and What You Need to Know

Disney Jollywood Nights has returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the 2024 holiday season. Now in its second year, the special ticketed, limited-capacity five-hour event offers a more sophisticated experience for guests looking to celebrate the holidays at Walt Disney World. We were there on the opening night and really enjoyed the evening. It’s a very different experience than the fun and charm of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Is it a good choice for you? Keep reading for our review and thoughts on Jollywood Night.

Click here to view our Instagram Story with TONS of photos and video from our visit to Jollywood Nights. 

1 – Event Details, Dates, and Pricing

Disney Jollywood Nights runs on select evenings from November 9 through December 21 and invites guests to celebrate the season with immersive holiday décor, exclusive entertainment, seasonal treats, and enchanting surprises throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The party runs from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. However, guests can enter the park as early as 6:00 p.m. 2024 event dates are Nov. 9, 13, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, and Dec. 2, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21. Tickets can be purchased by visiting DisneyWorld.com/Jollywood or by calling 407-934-7639. Prices range from $159-$179 depending on the night you visit. If you have children ages 3-9, they do not get a discount; there is one set price for tickets. Annual passholders and DVC members can save $10 per ticket. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ranges from $169 to $219, so the pricing is cheaper for a special holiday-ticketed event.

2 – Jollywood Atmosphere

As mentioned earlier, Disney Jollywood Nights offers a different atmosphere than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This event is geared much more toward adults, offering swanky, sophisticated offerings, beverages and food, and more. Even though you’ll still find many characters, it definitely takes on a more adult bent. That being said, it’s still a great holiday atmosphere with many different offerings. We saw plenty of families visiting, but most of the crowd was adults.

3 – More Character Experiences & Capture Holiday Memories with Included PhotoPass Photos

There are so many characters and special photo opportunities to enjoy during the night. New highlights this year include photo opportunities with The Mandalorian in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Bo Peep and Lotso in Toy Story Land, and the chance to step behind the scenes of “The Muppets Christmas Carol” set at Stage 1 Company Store for a special movie star moment. Guests can also reunite with beloved characters like Phineas and Ferb, Santa Duffy and Santa Stitch while looking forward to fresh new faces such as Bo Peep, Lotso, Baloo, King Louie from Disney Channel’s “TaleSpin,” and more. Take as many photos as you want because, as part of the Disney Jollywood Nights experience, all guests enjoy complimentary Disney PhotoPass digital photos and videos with their event ticket.

Here’s a complete list of character greeting locations:

Echo Lake

• Phineas and Ferb
• Max as Powerline
• Pinocchio or Jiminy Cricket
• Chip ‘n’ Dale as Rescue Rangers
• Baloo or King Louie from “TaleSpin”
• Santa Stitch

Commissary Lane

• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse

Grand Avenue

• Friends from Mary Poppins
• Santa Duffy
• Clarice or Scrooge McDuck

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

• The Mandalorian

Toy Story Land

• Friends from “Toy Story”

Between Pixar Place and Toy Story Land

• Donald Duck and Daisy Duck
• Goofy and Pluto

Animation Courtyard

• Jose Carioca or Panchito

Also, look for these for these photo op locations:

• Warm & Fozzie Video Op: available near Muppet*Vision 3D.
• Ollie Magic Shot: available from the Disney PhotoPass photographer located near Disney’s Hollywood Studios arch.
• Camera Array Video Op: available in Animation Courtyard by the Disney Studio Store.
• The Muppets Magic Shot: available from the Disney PhotoPass photographers stationed near the Once Upon a Time store on Sunset Boulevard.
• Disney Jollywood Nights prop: available from the Disney PhotoPass photographer located at the end of Hollywood Boulevard.

4 – New Merchandise

What’s a Disney event without some exclusive merchandise? There is a new merchandise collection this year that is inspired by the dapper gingerbread man Ollie, the Disney Jollywood Nights mascot, who made his debut last year. The collection includes Minnie Mouse ear headbands, a spirit jersey, an event t-shirt, a commemorative pin, and more! Those looking to purchase event items need to visit the Stage 1 Company Store (the old Muppet store) on Grand Avenue. Guests can find Disney Theme Park merchandise, including other holiday merchandise, in other park locations.

5 – Holly Jolly Treats

One of the night’s highlights is the extensive offering of specialty food and beverage items. Many returning favorites, including the Gertie cookie, and many new offerings. We found a wide variety of options, including many savory items. It’s nice to have options beyond the sweet and sugary. We enjoyed all four food items and one drink that we tried. Our only disappointment was not being hungry enough to try more! Definitely come hungry. While the party starts at 7:30 p.m., stations may open early, so it’s possible to enjoy your dinner at the party and save the treats for later in the night.

Click here for the Foodie Guide to Disney Jollywood Nights.

6 – Festive Entertainment and Signature Performances

In addition to meeting favorite characters, indulging in delicious treats, and shopping, guests will find the night packed with entertaining shows, and honestly, this lineup is where the event shines; there are just so many options for everyone.

There’s a new ice-skating show (yes, in Florida!), Pixar Dance Party, and plenty of returning favorites. There’s an interactive stage show, “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along.” Kermit and Missy Piggy reunite in “Disney Holidays in Hollywood,” a star-studded holiday musical. And “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” caps off the night with fireworks, projections, and a sparkling holiday soundtrack. Other returning favorites include The Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club located in the Tower Courtyard, where guests can dance throughout the night.

We experienced all these offerings except for one—and we enjoyed every single one! Learn more about the entertainment at Disney Jollywood Nights by clicking here. 

7 – Limited Capacity Event; Wait Times for Characters and Attractions

The event is billed as a limited-capacity event, meaning crowds should be manageable. The first night in 2024 was a sold-out crowd, and we never felt like crowds were too crazy, but it varied. We did not see any food lines more than a few people deep. We never waited more than a few minutes, and most times, we walked right up to order. Character lines were long, however. Santa Duffy, Santa Stich, and Mickey and Minnie, at one point, all had a 50-minute wait time. Other character lines had anywhere from 10 to 30-minute waits. So, if you’re going to visit the characters during the party, plan to spend a good amount of time in line waiting.

Finally, attraction wait times were also pretty reasonable, yet again, they varied. We’ve enjoyed the Disney After Hours events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios many times and love the low wait times. We saw similar wait times throughout the night. At the beginning of the evening, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was only a 10-minute wait, and most of the night was around 10-15 minutes (which, in reality, usually meant a walk-on). Toy Story Mania varied from 10 minutes to as long as 35 minutes at one point. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was great all night, spending the most time at 13 minutes (code for a walk-on) and occasionally going up to 20 minutes. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance saw decent wait times ranging from 15 to 35 minutes. Slinky Dog Dash (spent some time down) had wait times ranging between 50-60 minutes.

8 – Overall Thoughts and Recommendations

Overall, we really enjoyed our evening at Disney Jollywood Nights. The entertainment offerings and food stood out the most to us. The atmosphere, while more sophisticated, was a refreshing change from the classic Disney holiday experience at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Adults especially will enjoy the swanky atmosphere with plenty of alcoholic drink offerings. The unique characters certainly were geared toward the younger Millennials and Gen Z crowd by offering Max as Powerline, Chip ‘n’ Dale as Rescue Rangers, Scrooge McDuck, characters from TaleSpin, Phineas and Ferb, and Santa Duffy. The crowds were manageable, yet the character lines were long.

As mentioned earlier, the party ranges from $159-$179, depending on when you visit. The Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom ranges from $169-$219. A Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios ranges from $175-$185. When comparing these hard ticket options, a Jollywood Nights ticket is a great option that gets you into Hollywood Studios late in the evening with low wait times for attractions and the added benefits of great entertainment, extensive food and beverage options, and a long list of character greetings.

We’ll bring up one more thing to compare. Each of these special event offerings has some “complimentary” offerings. For the Christmas Party, you get free Christmas cookies and hot chocolate. You get unlimited ice cream novelties, popcorn, and sodas at Disney After Hours events. At Disney Jollywood Nights, you get complimentary Disney PhotoPass digital photos and videos from the event. While not a perfect comparison, a Memory Maker One Day costs $75. This complimentary offering sounds like a great deal; however, we don’t love it. First, many people attending have already purchased a Memory Maker package for their entire vacation, so this extra benefit is something they are not receiving. Second, only one person in your family needs to purchase Memory Maker because Disney allows family to share the package with your family. It’s not like a couple is really saving $150 by not having to buy Memory Maker One Day; at most, they are saving $75. Finally, while we love Disney PhotoPass and Memory Maker, this complimentary offering is only worth something if you take the time to take a lot of photos. The regular photo op areas had short lines, but we’ve already discussed how long character lines are. You may not get a lot of photos. We’d much rather see additional complementary treats or soft drinks similar to the After Hours Events. We’re not too hung up on this, but we feel like we should bring up the fact that this complimentary offering will appeal to a much smaller guest pool.

If you’re looking for a different holiday experience to enjoy while visiting Walt Disney World during the holiday season, then Disney Jollywood Nights is a great option. The price tag, while a bit shocking at first, is right on par with other special-ticketed events. You’ll get decent wait times for most attractions, excellent entertainment options, plenty of great food and beverage items to enjoy, and special and unique character greetings.

Editor’s Note: Disney Parks, Experiences and Products provided us with two complimentary Disney Jollywood Night tickets and a Disney Gift Card for dining purchases. However, as always, the thoughts and recommendations contained in this article are entirely our own.