Disney Jollywood Nights is a brand new Christmas celebration coming to Hollywood Studios this vacation season with dates beginning in mid-November 2023. Here are dates & particulars for Walt Disney World’s latest exhausting ticket occasion, plus our commentary about this ‘counterprogramming’ to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, whether or not this appeals to us or is disappointing, anticipated crowd dynamics at WDW in November and December, and extra.
This announcement concerning the 2023 Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Party occurred as a part of Walt Disney World’s “Halfway to the Holidays” celebration that includes bulletins and extra. Based on the press launch, we don’t but know every part about Disney Jollywood Nights. There are nonetheless doubtless some surprises in retailer…and hopefully good ones!
With that mentioned, we do know among the fundamental particulars about Disney Jollywood Nights (DJN). This occasion will probably be held on choose nights in Disney’s Hollywood Studios from mid-November by way of the week of Christmas 2023. Here’s the total textual content of the announcement from Walt Disney World, adopted by our commentary about crowds, pricing, and many others…
It’s a vacation vibe such as you’ve by no means felt earlier than. Sights of glowing décor, sounds of recent beats over traditional vacation songs, tastes of craft cocktails and decadent dishes. It’s nostalgic and it’s glitz and glam galore. This is Disney Jollywood Nights – a brand new, individually ticketed occasion from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on 10 choose nights from November 11 to December 20, 2023.
Get prepared to decorate in your vacation glam greatest or festive aptitude, dance the evening away to merry mashups, bask in divine treats and effervescent spirits, and snap selfies with iconic characters throughout this new festive occasion. For an additional dose of cheer, the celebration wraps with the return of the nighttime spectacular, “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” You’ll be in fa la la la la la la la land earlier than you’ll be able to say Tinseltown!
Experience vacation vibes all through Disney’s Hollywood Studios with leisure areas impressed by totally different genres:
- You’ll be welcomed to Disney Jollywood Nights with a DJ spinning a mixture of vacation tunes. Commissary Lane involves life with a energetic Latin Street Fair.
- Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy host an all-new stage present at Theater of the Stars that includes particular appearances by visitor stars Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse, and Mickey Mouse.
- Hyperion Theater will host a spirited sing-along – extra particulars to come back.
- Encounter glitz and glamor galore at two limited-capacity leisure experiences – a jazz lounge at The Hollywood Brown Derby and an other-worldly soiree at The Hollywood Tower Hotel Courtyard.
- Wrap up the evening and benefit from the return of a festive favourite, “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” This Santa-sized nighttime spectacular is jam-packed with music, fireworks, particular results and dazzling state-of-the-art projections.
Snap selfies with distinctive photograph alternatives all through the evening:
- Pose with mates for holiday-themed Magic Shots and two new Disney PhotoPass experiences all through the evening. Complimentary digital downloads of your Disney PhotoPass photographs captured throughout the occasion are included with the worth of your ticket.
- Meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the remainder of the long-lasting gang in Animation Courtyard on a sizzling set with vacation props. Get into the spirit along with your fave throwback mates like Powerline Max and Phineas and Ferb at Echo Lake and strike a pose with Edna Mode and chill with one among her tremendous mates at Pixar Place.
Enjoy after-hours entry to a few of your favourite rides and coasters underneath the celebs:
- After-hours entry to a few of your favourite rides and coasters like Slinky Dog Dash, Rock N’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. (Star Wars: Rise of Resistance will use digital queue* throughout Disney Jollywood Nights.)
Note: Disney Jollywood Nights is not branded as an After Hours occasion, so it’s NOT anticipated that it’ll supply limitless ice cream novelties, popcorn, or bottled drinks included in the price of this ticketed occasion. Normally at After Hours, you merely stroll as much as outside merchandising carts stationed all through EPCOT and seize a Premium Mickey Bar, Coca-Cola, popcorn, or no matter else.
Instead, visitors at Disney Jollywood Nights should buy specialty choices all through the celebration, corresponding to Spicy Korean Chicken on a Mini Funnel Cake, candy delights together with a colourful Christmas Tree Cookie Stack impressed by the long-lasting Echo Lake Christmas Tree, and traditional cocktails and vacation drinks that may be loved throughout the celebration.
Disney Jollywood Nights is a limited-capacity vacation occasion. Guests of choose Walt Disney World Resort lodges, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin lodges, and Shades of Green should buy tickets beginning June 29, 2023. Tickets could also be bought by all visitors beginning July 6, 2023 on the Walt Disney World web site.
Party dates for Disney Jollywood Nights are:
- Saturday, November 11
- Saturday, November 18
- Monday, November 20
- Monday, November 27
- Wednesday, November 29
- Monday, December 4
- Wednesday, December 6
- Saturday, December 16
- Monday, December 18
- Wednesday, December 20
Ticket costs to Disney Jollywood Nights will vary from $159 to $179 per particular person.
Ticket holders will probably be admitted to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as early as 7:00 PM on the legitimate date of their ticket. These date-specific occasion tickets don’t require a further day theme park ticket or theme park reservation.
Disney Jollywood Nights has some components of the occasion that we anticipated and talked about within the system for achievement within the commentary to our publish discussing the rumor {that a} paid Christmas celebration was coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Jollywood Nights does sound just like Merriest Nites at Disneyland, the promoting level of which was 6 uniquely themed events in a single, with dance events and reside leisure. There had been additionally a bunch of Christmas card photograph backdrops across the park.
The spotlight of Merriest Nites was the Victorian celebration on Main Street, which featured character costumes from Mickey’s Christmas Carol and the Muppets Christmas Caroling Coach.
As talked about, the themes of these themed events would must be modified as a result of Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios function totally different lands, however we had been hopeful that Muppets, Toy Story, Star Wars Holiday Special, and 50’s Holiday Traditions in Tinseltown can be featured.
Based on the Disney Jollywood Nights particulars, it looks like this occasion will supply not less than a part of what was anticipated. On paper and as in comparison with our expectations, that ought to be a win. There are definitely components of this–just like the Latin Street Fair and the Muppets internet hosting a reside vacation particular at Theater of the Stars–which have a ton of enchantment.
With that mentioned, I’m involved that this will probably be an incomplete occasion (regardless of the worth level). Although the jazz lounge at The Hollywood Brown Derby and an other-worldly soiree at The Hollywood Tower Hotel Courtyard sound intriguing, the phrases “limited-capacity” are a purple flag, and provides me pause that these will both be tough to entry or upcharge-within-upcharge choices.
Finally, Disney Jollywood Nights doesn’t promote the low strains of After Hours, which makes me marvel simply what number of rides will probably be open (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance utilizing a digital queue reinforces that–and means just one journey per particular person at most). The occasion additionally doesn’t have the leisure roster of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. At least, that’s my preliminary impression.
Maybe I simply awoke approach too early to write down concerning the 4 totally different reductions that Walt Disney World launched, however one thing strikes me as odd about this occasion. That begins with the identify–Disney Jollywood Nights–and I can’t fairly put my finger on why I discover that off-putting. (Perhaps as a result of I stored typing “Bollywood” accidentally and autocorrect actually desires me to name it Hollywood?!)
In principle, Disney’s Hollywood Studios providing a vacation season occasion after park closing that serves as counterprogramming to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a good concept. But as with something, it’s very a lot contingent upon execution, and what we learn about Disney Jollywood Nights to this point sounds makes it extra of a toss-up than a positive factor. I hope that it finally ends up being improbable, as I believe a Christmas occasion at DHS is a good suggestion and since this being a failure may imply that the idea is deserted for an additional decade, moderately than mounted and improved upon.
UPDATE: After studying the press launch once more and catching a pair particulars I missed, and seeing further Muppets idea artwork that wasn’t initially included, I’m already beginning to heat to the concept of Disney Jollywood Nights. It’s nonetheless very a lot dependent upon the execution and whether or not the substance of the occasion lives as much as the promise, however I believe my first impression was overly bitter and harsh.
On a optimistic notice, I do admire that Walt Disney World seems to be attempting to do one thing extra subtle. This comes throughout very a lot within the spirit of outdated Hollywood, and focuses extra on reside music, performers, and ambiance than it does on common characters and rides. Obviously, these latter two issues will probably be current to spherical out the roster, however they don’t seem to be the main target of Disney Jollywood Nights.
So even when I’m slightly involved concerning the execution or whether or not there will probably be sufficient leisure to justify the price of admission (and maintain crowds occupied–even limited-capacity occasions can have points if ticket gross sales exceed compelling choices), I do have to offer Walt Disney World props for attempting one thing totally different and extra grownup. We’ve wished to see exactly this kind of factor. Here’s hoping it’s absolutely fleshed out and successful proper out the door. (My prediction is that this will probably be feast or famine–both it’ll be an enormous hit with its audience or a complete trainwreck.)
I don’t suppose Disney Jollywood Nights will probably be a failure in a single key metric: ticket gross sales. This is a model new occasion occurring throughout the common vacation season and solely has 10 dates. Bloggers, vloggers, social media influencers, College Program members…plus some common visitors…will doubtless promote out the primary evening. I’ll be amongst them, as a result of that’s what my individuals do!
After that, there are sufficient diehard Walt Disney World followers that the majority or all dates of Disney Jollywood Nights will promote out for the Christmas 2023 season. This isn’t the kind of factor the place “failure” is more likely to come by advantage of (lack of) ticket gross sales. If something, it’ll be like Villains Unleashed and fail to the extent that it doesn’t comport with expectations and visitor satisfaction is low in consequence. Again, that’s assuming that it misses the mark. It may find yourself being fabulous, with the audience completely loving it. (Like Villains Unleashed, I’ll guess quite a lot of households with babies buy tickets and discover it’s not what they bargained for.)
Another massive factor that’s price addressing is the influence that Disney Jollywood Nights may have on crowds all through Walt Disney World. Christmas is an extremely busy time of yr at Walt Disney World, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party already screws with crowds and attendance dynamics.
One of the benefits of doing an After Hours occasion is that it has minimal influence on crowds since these occasions happen after common park closing. Day visitors thus don’t “plan around” After Hours, because it doesn’t actually influence them. Although not branded as such, that is corresponding to an After Hours occasion timing-wise.
With the 8:30 pm begin time, Disney Jollywood Nights shouldn’t massively disrupt crowds. On a traditional evening throughout the vacation season, Disney’s Hollywood Studios would shut at 8 or 9 pm. On Disney Jollywood Nights dates, it’s doubtless that the park will shut at 7:30 pm or 8 pm to day visitors. That’s a slight lack of time, however not sufficient that it’ll trigger crowds to shift round considerably by itself.
With that mentioned, there’ll doubtless be an influence on Fantasmic. Since the reimagined nighttime spectacular returned, it has provided two performances on busier days–together with all however a handful of dates final vacation season. Last November and December, the primary showtime sometimes occurred round 7 pm, with a second at 9 pm or 9:30 pm relying upon when the park closed.
Disney Jollywood Nights will imply no second showtime of Fantasmic on not less than some nights. In flip, that can in all probability lead to some visitors rescheduling their Disney’s Hollywood Studios park days. That’s the logical method if Fantasmic is a precedence, because the second showtime is a lot simpler to catch. (See our latest Afternoon & Evening Plan for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which illustrates why.)
As we lined advert nauseum final yr, this very dynamic at Magic Kingdom might be leveraged to the strategic benefit of savvy visitors. It’s counterintuitive technique, but it surely works constantly there. That’s our go-to method to Magic Kingdom for August by way of December, and it really works with out fail.
The downside, as famous above, is that it’s counterintuitive. Additionally, most visitors are usually not savvy or have good purpose (no Park Hopper tickets, desirous to see Happily Ever After, and many others.) for not desirous to embrace the method. The incontrovertible fact that the technique does work with out fail is a testomony to the truth that the exhausting ticket occasions are so disruptive to attendance dynamics, and that the scheduling of MVMCP and ensuing crowds create complications.
Nevertheless, one silver lining right here is that savvy Walt Disney World planners will have the ability to strategize round Disney Jollywood Nights and profit from barely decrease crowds in consequence. It gained’t be almost as pronounced as over at Magic Kingdom the place the park closes ~4 hours sooner than regular, however that’s in all probability a very good factor, as that method clearly creates winners and losers. (All of us are benefiting from decrease crowds at Magic Kingdom exactly as a result of others are paying the worth of upper crowds.)
Ultimately, I hope that Disney Jollywood Nights finally ends up exceeding expectations. Heck, I hope to revisit this announcement in a number of days and really feel extra optimistic about it for one purpose or one other. (Update: it really took lower than an hour!) Once Walt Disney World supplies extra particulars, maybe Disney Jollywood Nights will turn into extra interesting…particularly if that tease concerning the Muppets finally ends up being vital!
Or possibly Disney Jollywood Nights is solely one thing that’s “not for me” however will maintain enchantment for individuals who love to bop and get fancy for a night out within the park. To discover a silver lining on this new occasion, not less than the vacation/jolly-night celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios ought to put some crowds and demand away from the 2023 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, in order that’s a win for longtime followers like me who love that time-tested occasion!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you attend this Christmas celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? If so, will you do it as a substitute of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or along with it? What do you concentrate on Disney Jollywood Nights? What are your ideas on ticket costs? Will your loved ones be shopping for or sitting out the Christmas festivities? Are you excited for Christmas 2023 at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Any questions we can assist you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!