Disney’s Jollywood Nights 2024: Our Merry Review of Disney World’s Newest Holiday Party. Where Hollywood glamour meets holiday cheer, with a mascot of a Gingerbread man who plays jazz music, and when Hollywood Studios gets decked out in holiday magic, festive vibes, exclusive shows, seasonal treats, and surprises around every corner. But, did Disney bring the festive holiday spirit to the extra-ticketed event for 2024? The simple answer is Yes! We are here to guide you through our evening and add some personal thoughts on the whole event, especially the differences we noticed from last year, and how Disney has fixed each issue we had.
This separately ticketed five-hour event takes place on select nights from November 9 to December 21. It’s the perfect combination of Hollywood glam, Disney nostalgia and all the holiday feels. We were on hand last year for the first-ever night of Disney’s newest nighttime extra-ticketed holiday party Jollywood Nights 2023. Just like we went on the first night of this year’s event, the differences were dramatically different and all for the better. From checking in, to the lines, meeting characters, and overall presentation all made for an evening we will remember for years to come and look back on as one of the best spent money for a Disney event.
We have written all about Jollywood Nights since it was announced back in July of 2024. Giving everyone information on the Disney characters, Jollywood Nights merch, Tickets and Times, and even a backstory on Ollie the Gingerbread Man mascot. So no need to go through all that, instead I want to give you a personal recap and review of our evening, with personal stories and images. As always, your experience may differ in how characters interact, or what you get out of it.
Before we get into the party itself, let us talk about getting dressed. The one thing we loved about Jollywood Nights 2023 was the way it seemed everyone got dressed up and put on better than theme park wear to enjoy the night out. Not everyone will want to get dressed in party clothes or coordinate outfits, those that do did look amazing. So we went into this year, 2024, knowing we would at least try to dress to impress. We do not get out very often in our best outfits so Jollywood gives us a great excuse. Just remember the first few nights of Jollywood could be warmer than you are used to. Start the night in the low 80s, and end the night around 72 degrees.
Getting into Hollywood Studios for Jollywood Nights this year was much easier and faster. If you have a park reservation and are inside the park before 6:00 PM, you can get your wristband at two locations. Launch Bay and Muppets Vision 3D starting at 5:30 PM. Unlike last year when lines were massive to get the wristband, there were no lines this time. It took us 2 minutes to get our band at 5:45 PM at Launch Bay. If you do not have a reservation, lines formed at the entrance to Hollywood Studios, and at 6:00 P.m. they started checking people in. The line moved fast and we heard it took 7 minutes total to get inside.
Once you have the wristband, you will see the large neon Jollywood Nights sign with our pal Ollie. That is the first of many Photopass opportunities located around Hollywood Studios during the event. All Photopass is complimentary during the holiday party, so we headed straight to the Robotic Arm Fozzie Bear photopass at Studio 1 Company Store in the Muppets Courtyard, which you can see below.
Also, every character we met had a photopass cast member taking their photo, and I have to be honest, these were some of the best images we ever got from Disney Photopass photographers.
Speaking of characters: While we did meet many Disney favorites, Like Goofy & Pluto, Bo Peep, Donald & Daisy, and Mandolorian & Grogu, we did have some favorites on our list. Our mission for the night was Santa Duffy, Phineas & Ferb, Baloo, and Lotso Bear, but we were gonna try and see everyone we could. We also got to run into a surprise character, Dr. Strange from the Marvel universe which blew our minds that he was here at Jollywood Nights.
Our fear was the long lines that happened last year and the 45-minute waits. What we found was that the longest wait of the evening was 20 minutes to meet Santa Duffy, and the rest were on average 5 to 10 minutes. It all depends on what time you see the character, if there is a show happening, and where the character is located.
Food and Drinks: This year Jollywood Nights upped their food game. But, that wasn’t all that was updated, the lines for every food and drink we wanted to try were shorter and easier than last year. No more waiting 50 minutes or longer for the Turkey and Sides popovers, which were delicious. We got lucky and walked right up to the Market selling Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls and the Caramel-Apple Cider with or without Moonshine. Another delicious drink and food. This is located right outside the Pixar Plaza.
Merchandise was readily available this year, sold at multiple stores around Hollywood Studios. Unlike last year, where they only had a shirt, this year there were spirit jerseys, a Lug bag, Pins, Shirts, and a Passholder shirt, plus Ollie Disney ears.
What Jollywood Nights mainly tries to do is make an evening of shows, dancing, and entertainment. So some of the shows returning this year are “What’s This” and The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-a-long which features the large Jack puppet as our host of the show. With a special visit by Oogie Boogie. The show is a must-watch and could be one of the best shows Disney has created in recent years.
We saw the first showing of the evening, and upon exiting the show immediately got a good standing-room location to watch the newest addition to Jollywood Nights: Glisten! Skating Spectacular in front of the Chinese Theater. I don’t know if or how to review this show. We unfortunately chose the worst spot to stand, close but too close to the speakers. Making it loud and obnoxious.
What I can say about the show is the new song for the evening was fun, but something was lacking. Maybe it was missing characters, or maybe it was the song choice of Be Our Guest. It wasn’t bad, please don’t think that. I am still in awe of Disney putting an Ice Skating show in the middle of the theme park, where it will not be used every day. That alone made me happy to see the show. It’s an Ice Skating Spectacular in the middle of Hollywood Studios!
You can see the whole show in our video below:
The show stopper of the evening is Disney’s Holiday in the Hills featuring Kermit & Miss Piggy from the muppets, along with Princess Tiana singing a Christmas song, and Belle doing her holiday song. This is classic holiday entertainment. Reminding us of the Holiday variety shows of the 50’s and 60s like Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, and so many more. If What’s This is one of the best new Disney stage shows, this is THE best stage show Disney has created in years. The perfect holiday show.
Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club—a swingin’ celebration in the courtyard of The Hollywood Tower Hotel. Here, you can sip cocktails* and unwind in style while a live band swoons and croons holiday tunes is a fun stop for a few minutes. The band is really good and couldn’t be in a better setting. We enjoyed 20 minutes and got some photopass images next to the Tower of Terror during the show.
On the way to and from Tip Top Club, you can see the projection shows on the Tower itself. We stopped for the minute-and-a-half shows and really enjoyed them. Something about the “snow” snope and lasers on Sunset Boulevard that are kinda beautiful. But this should not be a must-do, it is something to see going to and fro!
So we got to see the major shows by 10:00 PM, and we were close to Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway, so we watched Jingle Bell Jingle Bam! Which would be considered the Nighttime Spectacular Fireworks show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This show used to run nightly for all the guests, but now it is limited to Jollywood Nights. This show is fine. It is worth the 13-minute investment. We stood back from the crowd a little and it just added fireworks to an already great night.
Okay, I have to be honest at this point in the evening. Even though we walked by Pixar Dance Party, I figured I didn’t need to stop and watch. Since the listing of characters was Edna Mode and Frozone and Joy, I figured I meet them all the time. What I didn’t realize was Sadness from Inside Out and Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. would be joining in and dancing with guests. I missed out on this, please take my advice and check this party out!
Officially the party ends at 12:30 AM, and shows run until the end, we left the party around 1:00 AM. We got into line for Slinky Dog Dash after meeting Lotso and Bo Peep in Toy Story Land when the party was wrapping up. So we probably rode the coaster after waiting for 10 minutes at 12:30 AM.
We did everything we set out to do and here are our thoughts on Jollywood Nights 2024: Disney may have capped tickets sold at a lower limit because we felt the party, while full of people, was not packed. We truly got to witness every show, meet all the characters we wanted, enjoy the food we wanted to eat, drink the drinks we wanted, spend time with friends talking, and still do everything offered. While Glisten! may not have hit the mark, the other shows are magical. The addition of photopass being included was huge to us, we got so many images and memories of the evening.
Finally, this was a date night for us, but spending time at these parties is about friends and family. It is a holiday party after all. So with that in mind, we spent a lot of our evening with our friends who we consider family. The jokes flowed, the banter never stopped, and new memories were created. All of our friends definitely got to do what they wanted, while we got to drag them through some character meet and greets they may or may not have done.
I have to say we have the best friends in the world to spend an evening out with, so maybe that added to the enjoyment of the evening. I know everyone is thinking that as a Disney News site, you are in competition with so many others, but what you don’t realize is most of us are friends. So with that being said, thanks to Sam and Family at Sam’s Disney Diary, and of course Scott & Michele at The Main Street Mouse.
With that being said and out of the way, we had some amazingly funny stories from our evening. So if you made it this far, here are a few special stories of our evening, with an image or two.
First, Disney needs to get better lighting! At the least change where the spotlights are because we ended up with this image: Seriously!
Lotso gives the best bear hugs, but I may have accidentally propositioned him. It was so awkward I couldn’t even share the video. I gushed all over him, I had wanted to meet Lotso in Disneyland and didn’t, so seeing him here made me happy. The line was short, so I went in for a big bear hug, and then remembering he was supposed to be evil, I mentioned “Enough being nice, we should take over the world!” and then ended my conversation by saying “Well at least we could take over the bedroom”! I heard everyone gasp and knew I said that completely wrong. One of our friends turned to my wife and said “What the Bleep did he just say?” Yup, I messed up!
I meant since he was just a teddy bear and took over the daycare, he and I could rule the bedroom. See even trying to explain this, it sounds like I wanna enjoy the bear in a certain way, but dangit that isn’t what I meant! If you have followed the blog or podcast, you all know I have a thing for Disney Bears! Hence the meeting of Baloo, Santa Duffy, and Lotso. Sometimes, I think I need to keep my inner thoughts to myself.
BTW, sitting next to the show directors at a show they have created and them saying Please find me at the end of the night and give me your honest thoughts is cool. Just a random thought.
Finally, for the funny stories. We were close to Toy Story Land and got yelled at by a Green Army Man. Scared the crude right out of us. Imagine just waiting for Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Daisy to come prancing out from behind closed doors and a Green Army Man comes out instead. While carrying a bullhorn he stops, looks at us, and through the vocal enhancer asks us if our batteries are broken, why are we just standing here MOVE MOVE MOVE, talk about a heart attack.
So, is the party worth it, in our opinion, Yes it is. $169.00 for an evening of entertainment, shows, characters, friends, and family. This is a night we will always remember, with hopes of repeating it the next time we go. Jollywood Nights may have had issues during the first year of the event, but Disney has fixed almost every single problem that arose. Shorter Lines, easier check-in, better food & drink options, more characters, more magic shots & photopass.
Jollywood Nights is not Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and that is fine with us. MVMCP is made for that Disney holiday feel and does such a good job, but the addition of an evening like this just gives people more options while visiting ‘The World’s Most Magical Place’ Walt Disney World.
Disney’s Jollywood Nights 2024: Our Merry Review of Disney World’s Newest Holiday Party
