Disney’s Christmas Parties at Walt Disney World are back! If you want to get tickets for this season’s Disney World Jollywood Nights Party, then you’ll want to read these Jollywood Nights Party Tips. Don’t make these mistakes this holiday season! Here are 3 Things NOT To Do At Jollywood Nights in 2023 to make this Disney World Christmas party worth it.
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Is Jollywood Nights Worth It?
This is probably the number one question everyone has when special theme park parties and after-hours events go on sale.
The Jollywood Nights party looks cool, but truly: is the Disney World Christmas Party worth it?
After all, you can see the Disney Christmas holiday decorations and Christmas trees during a day visit (and even get some other Christmas season merriment at Disney Springs for free!)
What makes the special events worth it during some of the busy times at Disney? It’s a great time, for sure, but will it help avoid long lines and Christmas season crowds?
As always, your mileage may vary. But here’s what you need to know before buying your Jollywood Nights tickets for your Walt Disney World vacation.
How Much Does Jollywood Nights Christmas Party Cost in 2023?
This party is a specialty-priced ticket that you need to add on top of your normal theme park tickets.
The tickets vary based on the date with the least expensive dates being $159 and the most expensive dates are $179.
And yes, despite the cost, these parties DO sell out every year.
So use this Jollywood Nights tip: the best time is now. Get your tickets EARLY!
Jollywood Nights Select Dates For 2023
- November: 11,18, 20, 27, 29
- December: 4, 6,16,18, 20
There is no Christmas Party held on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
When Do Disney’s Christmas Party Tickets Go On Sale?
If you have a room booked at a Walt Disney World Resort, you can get your Christmas party tickets starting on June 29th.
General public can get their tickets starting on July 6.
All tickets can be purchased through the Walt Disney World Website.
Jollywood Nights Party Hack: How can I get into a sold-out MVMCP? ASK!
Additional tickets may be sold on the day of- it never hurts to ask!
In the past, military members could walk up and purchase special party tickets, even if the event was sold out.
We’ve had conflicting information on this policy for 2022, but we certainly think it doesn’t hurt to ask Guest Services if you happen to be at the resort anyway. You may luck out!
What Makes Christmas At Disney World Worth The Price? Jollywood Nights Review
We think the party might be worth the price as lovers of Christmas at Disney World, depending on what you value in a special event party.
Despite the intense crowds, people return year after year to enjoy a holiday celebration at the Most Magical Place on Earth. The cast members seem to love it too, which says a lot!
It all boils down to the theming and exclusive experiences you can take advantage of at the Christmas Party at Hollywood Studios.
The party runs on select nights from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am, with early entry into Hollywood Studios starting at 7 pm for party ticket holders.
For essentially 5 and 1/2 hours of intense Christmas at Walt Disney World Resort, is the extra cost worth it?
If you are BIG Christmas and BIG Disney fans, this is likely a must-do event for you at least once.
If you are only so-so on the Christmas holiday, then you are better off saving your money as Jollywood Nights won’t be worth it to you.
We also think that this party skews towards teens and adults, so if you have smaller children, you may prefer Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party instead.
At your party you’ll experience:
- Lower overall crowds as tickets are limited– WORTH IT!
- Unlimited PhotoPass pictures included with the price of the ticket- WORTH IT!
- Unique character meet and greets including the Fab 5 in their holiday costumes – WORTH IT!
- Special Christmas-focused shows including the Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along and the Muppets in a variety show- SO, SO, SOOOO WORTH IT!
- Free parting gift of Jollywood Nights coasters – they’re nice, but not something I’d say is worth it.
- Lower waits for attractions – WORTH IT!
- A chance to get a fabulous holiday card photo with your entire family- WORTH IT!
Tips For Jollywood Nights: Keep Florida In Mind When Choosing Your Dapperist Outfit
Please remember that you’ll arrive at the party before the Florida sun goes down, and Florida don’t play!
It might be tempting to dress everyone up in ugly Christmas sweaters for a great group feel, but keep in mind: it’s Florida.
The parties in early November this year are still experiencing a heatwave so you’re better off sticking to themed t-shirts and possibly bringing layers from your Disney resort to the park.
However, one of the best things about this party is, indeed, the encouragement to get dressed up for the night.
We chose Dapper Day-type outfits, but made sure we kept temperature in mind.
There were tons of guests joining in with the theming of the night, and that was so fun to see!
Getting a chance to dress up and take pictures in our favorite holiday park was a big perk for us, one that we admit was a strong pull for this party ticket.
3 Things NOT To Do At Jollywood Nights | Disney World Christmas Party
You might be asking, is Jollywood Nights worth the price of the ticket? We think so if you use your time wisely in order to get the biggest Christmas bang for your buck.
Overall, we had a good time, despite showing up on the first night that many thought was disappointing.
There were issues, yes. And thankfully Disney looks like they are correcting many of those.
You can listen to our podcast episode or watch the YouTube video review here. We had a lot to say!
But there were a few things we wish we had done a little differently and we’ve learned from those mistakes.
Check out these hacks and tips for Jollywood Nights at Disney World so your party experience can be even better than ours!
Our biggest Jollywood Nights tips are not the must-dos but the things to SKIP at the party.
Here are our top three things to skip or avoid at Jollywood Nights in 2023.
1. Disney Christmas Party Tips: Check In To The Party Anywhere Other Than the Main Entrance
This tip is primarily for folks who will be in Hollywood Studios all day or have Park Hopper tickets or Annual Passes.
If you have theme park reservations for Hollywood Studios that day and are already in the park at 7 pm, do NOT swim upstream to check in at the Main Gate entrance for the party.
You do not need to leave and come back in. You’re good to go if you are inside the park at 7 pm.
If you are just coming in at 7 pm with your party ticket, and there is a backup or line at the Main Entrance, just breeze on by- you have plenty of time and other locations to get checked in.
Remember: the official party stuff doesn’t start until 8:30 pm so you won’t need a wristband until then.
Instead, look for other locations to obtain your Jollywood Nights wristbands and lanyards.
You can find the wristband distribution:
- In Mickey’s Shorts Theater
- At Muppets 3D attraction
2. Decide Priorities: Shows, Photos, Rides, or Food. Pick 2 To Start
This party is actually kinda short compared to the Halloween and Magic Kingdom Christmas Parties.
So you will need to prioritize opportunities because we don’t think you can legitimately get everything accomplished.
In our case, we started with the Gertie cookie and then went to food at Fairfax Faire. The Muppets variety show and visiting Tip Top Club were the next priorities.
Ultimately, character photos were put off until the end of the night- and we ran out of time to do any of those (the rain that came in didn’t help!).
Our tip for Jollywood Night: decide 2 things that are absolutely important to you and do those first.
You’ll likely be able to get much more in, but you certainly don’t want to miss the big thing that drew you to the party in the first place.
3. Disney Christmas Party Tips: Skip the Table Service During Jollywood Nights
As General Ackbar says: It’s a trap! In this case, it’s a time trap.
You’ll be inside the Brown Derby eating a meal for an hour at least; the only plus to this typical Hollywood Studios meal will be a piano player and different menu.
While you can get on the waitlist at Jollywood Nights Christmas Party, we are screaming at you NOT to do it.
The special stuff you’re paying the premium price for is happening OUTSIDE the restaurants.
If you book a dinner during the party, you’ll spend 1-2 hours of your time eating when you could be experiencing everything that makes the Jollywood Nights party worth the cost.
And you’ll pay for that expensive meal on top of it.
That meal is absolutely worth having, but not at the expense of prime party hours.
Plenty of quick service and snack options are open during the party with special food options, which will save you a ton of time in the long run.
Grab a seat outside to eat, where you can see all the Christmas decorations!
Christmas At Disney World Tip: There’s One Exception To Table Service Timing
One exception to this rule: if you can book a reservation inside with AC between 7 and 8:30 pm, avoiding the regular guest crowds who haven’t left just yet may be worth it.
This is a very busy time at Hollywood Studios where the day guests are finishing up their last rides and the party guests are coming into the park. Everyone loves Christmas time at Disney, so you know the parks will be packed, even on party days.
If you like to avoid crowds, finding someplace to eat just may be the move. But only if you can score an early but not-too-early reservation.
Nothing special to the party starts until 8:30 pm, so if you can sit down and eat while the turnover happens, you may be the smartest person in the park!
OK, So What Should You NOT Miss At Jollywood Nights? Tips For A Great Party
What you are paying for is a unique way to celebrate the season.
Our must-dos at Jollywood Nights include:
- Magic Shots photos (ask any photo pass photographer what they can offer and try not to miss these!) We loved the one with Miss Piggy and Kermit!
- Holidays in Hollywood variety show featuring Kermit and Miss Piggy
- Jingle Bell Jingle Bam fireworks at the end of the night
- Character photos like Santa Duffy
- Snow on Sunset Blvd
- Listen to the band at the Tip Top Club- they are amazing!
Christmas at Disney World tips: food and photo lines got shorter as the night went on.
Jollywood Night Party Tips: Stay Late!
This is your chance to walk on most rides throughout the park. Take advantage of that!
No wait for Slinky Dog? Yes please!
13 minute wait for Tower of Terror? That’s a YES!
Holiday magic in the Disney parks is real- and TOTALLY worth it.
And once the early-to-bed crowds leave you’ll have the park to yourself, especially the back half including Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge.
We hope these Jollywood Nights party tips help make your trip the best one yet!
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Patty Holliday has been running Disney since 2011. She knows just about every tip, trick, and hack there is to cover the runDisney Magical Miles at Disney World and Disneyland. She knows every mile isn’t *always* magical- but with training, tips, and a little bit of pixie dust, they can be a lot of fun! You can also find her at noguiltlife.com and noguiltfangirl.com