Disney Jollywood Nights is Walt Disney World’s newest holiday party. It takes place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on select nights in November and December. The party begins on these nights at 8:30 PM and continues until 12:30 AM when Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! marks the end of the hard ticketed event.
This is an event that is clearly in its first year. There are some things that are really fun and there is also definitely room for growth as well. Around the park there are entertainment, characters, food, and drink that can be enjoyed during the festive evening. There are also some pretty short lines for attractions as well.
Throughout the night, there are quite a few highlights to be caught at Disney Jollywood Nights. The Daps Magic team was able to do everything that was on our list with plenty of time to spare. Here are a few of the things that were experienced and some thoughts on them:
Disney Holidays in Hollywood
This is probably the “biggest” show of the night. It has two hosts, Kermit & Miss Piggy, Tiana, Belle, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and a cadre of dancers. This was put on as if it was a live taping of a television program. The show has some fun music, fun moments, and was an enjoyable Christmas program. I will admit, it wasn’t the greatest show I’ve ever seen Disney put on. It also seemed a bit all over the place. I think I would have almost preferred it to be a bit more focused and perhaps have a clearer and simpler storyline, perhaps with some conflict and resolution. Instead, it was a variety show with some really solid performances.
Grade: B
What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along
I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this show. I’m not a huge sing-along guy but within moments of this show starting, I realized it didn’t matter. There really weren’t a lot of people actually singing along. What there was instead was the really tall Jack Skellington puppet, two incredible silent storytellers, and Oogie Boogie. Overall, I really enjoyed this performance way more than I was expecting to. This definitely should not be missed by anyone attending this party.
Grade: A
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!
For Disney Jollywood Nights, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! returned to light up the skies of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and also the front of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (and the buildings on either side). This show is fun but it also definitely was not something new. It was also shown at 12:30 AM, right as the party ended. I personally would have liked it to be shown toward the beginning of the party instead of at the end to help with the momentum of the night. Overall, it is still a solid show but I do think something unique to Disney Jollywood Nights next year would be amazing.
Grade: B
Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club
This wasn’t actually billed as a show with specific times but it was a fun thing to catch. This was a small jazz band that was playing the courtyard for The Hollywood Tower Hotel. This was a really talented group of performers and the singer nailed it. This was a highlight for me for the night. Although, the drinks that were offered here were a bit too sweet for me. However, the vibe here was great and so was the entertainment!
Grade: A
Sunset Seasons Greetings
Sunset Seasons Greetings offers magical snow moments over Sunset Boulevard and on the front of The Hollywood Tower Hotel. This happened multiple times throughout the night and were a nice addition. If memory serves, these were also shown regularly on holidays evenings at the park too. These were fun moments that were a nice addition to the ambiance.
Grade: B+
Holiday Fiesta En La Calle
On Commissary Lane, the Holiday Fiesta En La Calle offered live Latin music throughout the night. This was a fun area to walk through but also didn’t offer a ton of space for dancing for those who would want to. We wondered through this and the music was quality but seemed like it was more of a place to pass than a destination.
Grade: B
DJ
A DJ was found in the front of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. He worked very hard throughout the night but not a ton of people seemed to be stopping there. I honestly would have switched the DJ and Holiday Fiesta En La Calle as they each would have filled the spaces better it seems. Overall, though, he did a good job and was a nice lead in to Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!
Grade: B+
Food
There were also different foods and beverages to be enjoyed throughout Disney Jollywood Nights. The team didn’t actually try most of these, but what was tried was enjoyed.
Grade: N/A
Characters
There were also several characters to be found as well. This included:
- Chip ‘n’ Dale as Rescue Rangers
- Phineas & Ferb
- Max as Powerline
- Goofy or Pluto
- Donald Duck or Daisy Duck
- Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse
- Edna Mode
- Frozone
The characters were fun to see. Hopefully next year there will be more characters at this party.
Grade: B
Disney Jollywood Nights was a fun first year for this hard ticketed event at Walt Disney World Resort. There were lots of people who were dressed up for the event and that added to the festivities. The mood of the night was full of holiday cheer. This is a hard-ticketed event that set a foundation that could be built on in the coming years if given the chance. I personally would love to see how this could grow and develop. I hope that the future would see Disney Jollywood Nights specifically get more unique entertainment, more characters, and some polishing of what was already offered.
Grade: B
Did you attend Disney Jollywood Nights? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
