I’ve Been a Disney Fan for 10 Years. Here’s Why It’s Hard for Me To Trust Disney World’s New Holiday Announcements

Merry Christmas in July! Yes, Disney World is already dropping news about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights. No, we’re not mad about it!

Sure, Christmas is still a long time away; Halloween still has to come first, but that isn’t stopping Disney from getting us in the early Christmas spirit. In fact, with all the latest news about the upcoming Christmas parties, we’re getting very excited. That said, in our experience, we find that the holiday dates can be a little hard to trust when it comes to Disney World — and we’re going to tell you why.

The full list of 2025 dates for both Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights just dropped online. Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will happen on select nights starting November 8th through December 22nd. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom will take place on select nights starting November 7th through December 21st.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. You might think that the holiday season officially kicks off the night of the first holiday party, right? NOPE.

According to Disney, the official start date of the holiday season at Disney World is November 14th and runs through December 31st, 2025. Disney World will deck its halls with Christmas decor and offer fans special food and beverage items, characters dressed in festive outfits, exclusive holiday entertainment, brand-new holiday merchandise, and so much more.

However, if the Christmas parties start on November 7th and 8th, respectively, and Disney World officially starts its holiday season on November 14th, when does Christmas start at Disney World? We’re sure we aren’t the only ones asking ourselves this question. To make things even more confusing, the Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT doesn’t begin until November 28th (and runs through December 30th). See what we mean? It’s hard to trust the holiday schedule — it’s all over the place!

But really, the thing most people care about is not the “official” start date of the holiday season. We want to know when those iconic holiday decorations will show up! And, based on our experience, decor can start to show up pretty early; we’re thinking that we’ll start seeing Christmas decorations up BEFORE the holiday season “starts” at Disney World on November 14th. It’s likely that Magic Kingdom will bring back its decorations before any other park, along with Hollywood Studios, since holiday parties start at both parks in early November. This could happen as early as November 1st or 2nd, as soon as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is over.

So, even though Disney World has an official start date for the holiday season, we’re expecting to see decorations up before that. Things like treats, special food, beverages, merchandise, and other festive fun may arrive once that November 14th date hits. As for EPCOT, even though it will look like Christmas, the holiday booths and activities won’t show up until the Festival of the Holidays begins on November 28th. Yes, it’s all a little confusing!

We’re so excited for the holiday season at Disney World. We love all the beautiful lights, the music, and everything the parks have to offer. The  Merry Menagerie at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an underrated favorite of ours! As we get closer to the holiday season, we’re expecting to see more news. Make sure you’re staying tuned with us at AllEars!

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

 

Disney CONFIRMS Popular Menu Items for the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Are you excited for Christmas at Disney World this year? Let us know in the comments!

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