Christmas in July! Preview New Holiday Merchandise, Entertainment and More!

Walt Disney World held a special “Christmas in July” event for media to share a preview of what will be new in the parks this coming holiday season.

First Up — lots of new merchandise!

There’s a line of new merchandise this year with a Nordic Winter pattern, replacing the retro style that was featured the last few years. This motif contains icons and images from the parks and various attractions like the Enchanted Tiki Room, “it’s a small world,” the Walt Disney World Railroad, Dumbo, toy soldiers and more. See if you can spot the attractions in the sample of the pattern below.

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This design is also featured in a new Dooney & Bourke line of handbags — scheduled to be released in October.

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There’s also a collection of housewares — plates, bowls, and the like — with a design that’s sure to go with every decor.

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Also new this year is a collection of unique holiday ornaments for the resorts. Here’s a sample from Animal Kingdom Lodge, Art of Animation, Polynesian Village, Grand Floridian and Contemporary Resorts.

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There is also a line of products with Minnie smooching Mickey. These are the notecards, but there are pillows and much more.

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Of course there are the obligatory pins. So many new and limited edition collections!

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And headgear…

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And plush!

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(Yes, Chip and Dale give us a chance to show off the Dooney & Bourke again!)

That’s Entertainment!

There are a number of new surprises to be found all around the World as far as new and enhanced entertainment offerings.

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In Disney’s Hollywood Studios — the holidays will be front and center in a number of ways.

First of all, Sunset Seasons Greetings is being amped up. This year, four new groups of multi-colored lasers will be added to the show. The focal point of the festivities is the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and lasers will be coming from the very top of the tower as well as its mid-section, sending beams of light over your head, lighting up the “snow” much more. The projections along the boulevard will play Nov. 8, 2018, to Jan. 6, 2019.

Other holiday happenings in the Studios include:

— The Frozen Sing-Along Celebration’s Christmas edition will return.

— The new Toy Story Land will receive a holiday overlay, which means attractions, and maybe even the characters, will sport a holiday theme.

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— The nighttime projection show Jingle Bell Jingle BAM! returns on Nov. 8 and runs through Jan. 6, 2019.

— Echo Lake will have TRIPLE the decorations it had last year as it celebrates a “Flurry of Fun.”

Disney Springs will celebrate the season with the return of the popular Christmas Tree Trail.

In its first year, the Christmas Tree Trail had more than 500,000 visitors, while last year more than 950,000 folks visited the 20 trees. This year, however, there will be *25* trees. New this year:

— Haunted Mansion Tree – everything you know about the attraction will be in this tree. The topper will be the famous Haunted Mansion Bride with a Heart.

— Star Wars Tree – the light sabers will become garland.

— A Four-Parks Tree – Monorail will be the garland for this one.

— Nordic Winter Tree – will match all the new merchandise.

— Mickey and Minnie Nostalgia Tree.

In the Magic Kingdom you’ll find that the annual Christmas Parade will be available to all guests once MIckey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties end their run, from Dec. 22 until Dec. 31. But in a switch from previous years, the Totally Tomorrowland Christmas show will begin over Thanksgiving Weekend.

Over at Fort Wilderness, they will be offering sleigh rides again, too.

There are more holiday surprises to be announced soon! Be sure to check back as we add more details when they are released.

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Debra Martin Koma wrote about food, travel and lifestyle issues for a number of local and national publications before she fell in love with Walt Disney World on her first visit — when she was 34! She's returned to her Laughing Place more times than she can count in the ensuing years, and enthusiastically shares her passion with readers of AllEars.Net and AllEars®. Deb also co-authored (along with Deb Wills) PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line, a travel guide designed for all travelers to Walt Disney World who may require special attention, from special diets to mobility issues.

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3 Replies to “Christmas in July! Preview New Holiday Merchandise, Entertainment and More!”

  1. Hi! We are planning on going to Disney end of November, first of December for the first time. So is the parade the same parade as always or is there a Christmas theme?

    DEBK replies: The daytime parade during that timeframe will be the regular parade. The Christmas-themed parade is only performed at night during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party through Dec. 21. Starting Dec. 22, the daytime parade is the Christmas parade, so you will miss it, unless you go to one of the MVMCP nights.

  2. Are the Christmas decorations, plush, and head gear etc., already available?

    Thanks!

    DEBK Replies: Hi Tara, some of the holiday merchandise is already available online at shopdisney.com. I’ve seen several of the “smooching” Mickey and Minnie pieces for example. I believe that some is also available in the parks already, but not all of it. The Dooney & Bourke holiday bags won’t be out until October.

  3. Great info!
    We will be in WDW Nov 2 and then again Nov 10 & 11. Trying to figure out what parks to visit on those days. Looks like MK and HS will have decorations up by Nov 8. What about EP and AK? Do any parks go up earlier than Nov. 8? Thanks!

    DEBK replies: Christina, Epcot’s holiday season begins Nov. 18 this year. They haven’t released too many details about Animal Kingdom’s holiday happenings yet. And I don’t think you’ll see many decorations before Nov. 8 — after all, Halloween is Oct. 31, they need time to recover from that first! Enjoy your upcoming trips!