Walt Disney World · Hollywood Studios
Disney Jollywood Nights 2026 Guide
Jazz, cocktails and old Hollywood glamour after dark at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Every night priced, plus an hour by hour plan for the seven hours your ticket buys.
- Tickets
- $169to$199+tax
- Dates
- Nov 7 to Jan 5
- Party hours
- 7:30pmto12:30am
- Gates open
- 5:30pm
- Two hours before the party, no day ticket needed
Dates and per night prices confirmed by Disney. Last checked .
The short version
What Jollywood Nights actually is
A separately ticketed evening party at Disney's Hollywood Studios, 15 nights of it, November 7, 2026 through January 5, 2027. The park clears out at 7:30 PM and for the five hours after that it belongs to ticket holders.
Your event ticket is the only ticket you need. It scans you through the gate at 5:30 PM, two hours before the party officially starts, and it covers everything the party puts on. Food and drink are not covered, which is the thing most people get wrong.
The mood is the product. Retro Hollywood glamour, live jazz in the courtyard under the Tower of Terror, souvenir flute cocktails, and about a third of the crowd in sequins and dinner jackets. That is the deliberate opposite of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party over at Magic Kingdom, which is the traditional version built for young families.
It is also a very good ride ticket in disguise. All 9 attractions run standby with Lightning Lane switched off, which is the same trade Disney After Hours sells. Slinky Dog Dash is the tell. On sold out opening night in 2025 it ran about 20 minutes, against about 95 on a peak December day.
What is new for 2026
Two more nights than last season, and for the first time the calendar runs into January.
- 15 nights, the longest run yet
- Up from thirteen in each of the last two seasons. No year of this event has ever offered more dates to choose from.
- $169 to $199, the 2026 range
- Every date carries its own price. Only November 16 sits at the floor, and every December night runs $194 or higher.
- Where the calendar breaks
- 12 of the 15 nights land on a Saturday or a Monday, and December 23 is the only Wednesday on the calendar. The run then goes dark for 10 nights over Christmas and New Year's before it returns on January 3 and January 5.
- The Muppets coaster joins
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened in May 2026 and runs during the party for the first time. Kermit and Miss Piggy also host the big stage show on Sunset Boulevard, so the coaster and the revue now sit on the same street.
What the ticket covers
Two people eating and drinking properly will spend $60 to $90 on top of the tickets.
Included in the ticket
- Entry from 5:30 PM, with no separate day ticket needed
- Every show, including the ones that only run for the party
- 18 character stops, more than twenty characters between them
- 9 attractions, all of them standby
- PhotoPass downloads from the event
Not included
- Any food or drink, cocktails very much included
- A parade, which this event has never had in any year
- Complimentary snacks, so no free cookies and no cocoa
- Lightning Lane, which is switched off for the night
- Parking, which runs $35 in 2026
One extra worth knowing. In 2025 every guest was handed a free photo frame ornament on the way in. That is last season's detail, not a promise for 2026.
Who this is for, and who should skip it
The deciding factor is who you are bringing. This one is built for adults and it finishes at 12:30 AM.
Buy it if
- You want a Disney party built for adults. Jazz, a real cocktail list, and an excuse to dress up.
- You hunt characters. 13 of the 18 stops are sets you cannot get on a normal park day, including Max Goof as Powerline.
- You mostly want to ride. Last season most of the 9 attractions were close to walk on after about 10:45 PM.
- You are an Annual Passholder or a DVC member. The saving applies to every single night, not a handful of them.
- You hate committing early. This event has historically sold out late, so you can wait for opening night reviews.
Skip it if
- You have young kids who fade early. The party runs to 12:30 AM and the character lines get cut before then.
- You want the traditional Christmas version. Mickey's Very Merry over at Magic Kingdom is the one built for that.
- You need one coherent theme. A Nightmare Before Christmas sing along, a Latin street fair, an ice show and a Pixar disco do not add up to one idea.
- You are coming for the fireworks alone. Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! is a returning show that used to run on regular nights.
The honest summary. Jollywood runs $20 to $30 cheaper than Mickey's Very Merry at every tier, gives Passholders and DVC members the same saving on all 15 nights where Very Merry picks a handful, and the ride waits are not close. What you trade away is the traditional Christmas of it.
See the full comparisonThe calendar
Every night, priced and ranked
15 nights, $169 to $199 per adult before tax. Every date runs the same show lineup, so the night you pick is the single biggest lever you have on what this party costs. Sort it, filter it, then price your whole group against any date. Every date is below in calendar order, with what it costs and how it reads.
How the pricing works. Every price below is per person, before tax. Annual Passholders, DVC members and children ages 3 to 9 all save $10, and it applies to every night of the season. Mickey's Very Merry discounts a short list of dates, which makes this the clearest advantage this party holds over it. Sales tax adds about 6.5 percent at checkout.
Where to start
Cheapest night
Monday, November 16, 2026
$169 Adult, before tax
The floor of the entire calendar at $169, thirty dollars under the December ceiling, and the one date of the fifteen that reads calmest.
Cheapest weekend night
Saturday, November 7, 2026
$179 Adult, before tax
Opening night, and the cheapest weekend date of the run at $179, tied with November 14. It falls six days before Walt Disney World's holiday season officially starts, so the park-wide overlays outside the party are the one thing worth checking before you book it.
New for 2026
The two January dates
- Sun, Jan 3 $194
- Tue, Jan 5 $189
Adult, before tax
The run picks back up after ten dark nights, on the only two dates this party has ever held past New Year's. Neither one has any attendance history behind it.
Night by night
Sorted by date to start. Change the ticket type or switch tax on and every price in this table follows. All 15 nights in calendar order, at the adult price before tax.
Showing all 15 nights, by date
-
Sat 7 Nov
Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Opening night
- Before the holiday season starts
- Crowd
- Moderate
- Value
- Fair value
$179 Adult, before taxWhy this night
Opening night, and the cheapest weekend date of the run at $179, tied with November 14. It falls six days before Walt Disney World's holiday season officially starts, so the park-wide overlays outside the party are the one thing worth checking before you book it.
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Sat 14 Nov
Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Crowd
- Moderate
- Value
- Fair value
$179 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The other $179 Saturday, and the first night that sits inside Walt Disney World's holiday season, which opens on November 13.
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Mon 16 Nov
Monday, November 16, 2026
- Cheapest night
- Crowd
- Calmest
- Value
- Best value
$169 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The floor of the entire calendar at $169, thirty dollars under the December ceiling, and the one date of the fifteen that reads calmest.
-
Sat 21 Nov
Saturday, November 21, 2026
- Crowd
- Moderate
- Value
- Fair value
$189 Adult, before taxWhy this night
A $189 Saturday, and the last night under $194 until the season closes in January.
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Mon 23 Nov
Monday, November 23, 2026
- Crowd
- Moderate
- Value
- Fair value
$194 Adult, before taxWhy this night
$194 on a Monday, five dollars under the Thanksgiving weekend Saturday that follows it, and the quieter half of the same week.
-
Sat 28 Nov
Saturday, November 28, 2026
- Thanksgiving weekend
- Crowd
- Busier
- Value
- Priciest
$199 Adult, before taxWhy this night
Thanksgiving weekend Saturday, at the $199 ceiling, and the first of six nights the season charges top price for.
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Sat 5 Dec
Saturday, December 5, 2026
- Crowd
- Moderate
- Value
- Fair value
$194 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The first December date, and one of only two in the month that sits under the $199 ceiling, at $194.
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Mon 7 Dec
Monday, December 7, 2026
- Crowd
- Lighter
- Value
- Fair value
$194 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The other $194 night, on a Monday, and the last date before every remaining December night is priced at $199.
-
Sat 12 Dec
Saturday, December 12, 2026
- Crowd
- Busier
- Value
- Priciest
$199 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The first $199 Saturday of December. From here the price stops moving and the run holds the ceiling for the rest of the month.
-
Mon 14 Dec
Monday, December 14, 2026
- Crowd
- Busier
- Value
- Priciest
$199 Adult, before taxWhy this night
A Monday that still costs the full $199, because the last two weeks before Christmas are priced the same whatever day of the week they land on.
-
Sat 19 Dec
Saturday, December 19, 2026
- Crowd
- Busier
- Value
- Priciest
$199 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The last Saturday of the season, at $199, with only four nights on the calendar behind it.
-
Mon 21 Dec
Monday, December 21, 2026
- Crowd
- Busier
- Value
- Priciest
$199 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The final Monday of the run at $199, with only the December 23 date sitting closer to Christmas.
-
Wed 23 Dec
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
- Closest to Christmas
- Crowd
- Busier
- Value
- Priciest
$199 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The closest night to Christmas on the calendar, and the only Wednesday of the run, at the $199 ceiling.
-
Sun 3 Jan
Sunday, January 3, 2027
- New for 2026
- Crowd
- No history
- Value
- Fair value
$194 Adult, before taxWhy this night
The only Sunday of the season, at $194. It restarts the run after ten dark nights and is the first of the two dates this party has ever held in January.
-
Tue 5 Jan
Tuesday, January 5, 2027
- Final night
- New for 2026
- Crowd
- No history
- Value
- Fair value
$189 Adult, before taxWhy this night
Closing night, the only Tuesday of the run, and at $189 the cheapest date after November. The first time this event has ever finished past New Year's.
Tickets
What the ticket buys, and what it quietly does not
Every night carries its own price, $169 to $199 an adult before tax. The number that matters more is the $10 Annual Passholders and DVC members take off all 15 of them, and the four things this ticket leaves out.
One adult, one night, before tax
$169 to $199
Disney prices all 15 nights separately, and $30 separates the cheapest from the priciest. Add roughly 6.5 percent sales tax and the band lands at $180 to $212.
See what each of the 15 nights costs
The same band, ten dollars lower. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party discounts select nights only. Here the saving comes off all 15 of them, which is the single best reason a Passholder picks this party over that one.
Who pays what
- Adult, age 10 and up
- $169 to $199 $180 to $212 with tax
- Child, ages 3 to 9 Save $10
- $159 to $189 $169 to $201 with tax
- Annual Passholder or DVC member Every night
- $159 to $189 $169 to $201 with tax
- Under 3
- Free No ticket needed
In the ticket
Five things, all of them already paid for.
-
The gate at 5:30 PM
The event ticket admits you to Disney's Hollywood Studios two hours before the party starts, and there is no separate day ticket to buy. You only need regular admission if you want to be in the park earlier than that.
-
All 11 shows on the bill
From the Nightmare Before Christmas sing along at the Hyperion Theater to the swing band in the Tower of Terror courtyard, the whole entertainment lineup is covered.
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18 character stops
13 of them are sets you cannot meet on a normal park day, Chewbacca celebrating Life Day and Max Goof as Powerline included.
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9 attractions, all standby
Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars, Rise of the Resistance and seven more run through the party, and most of them sit near walk on after 10:30 PM.
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PhotoPass downloads
Digital downloads of the Disney PhotoPass photos and videos taken at the event come with the ticket, with nothing extra to buy.
Not in the ticket
Four things people assume are included.
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Any food or drink
Nothing is complimentary here, unlike Mickey's Very Merry and its cookies and cocoa. On last season's menu, cart cocktails ran about $9.50 and most snacks $5 to $7, so two people eating and drinking properly add $60 to $90 on top of the tickets.
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A parade
There is no parade and no cavalcade, and there never has been in any year of this event. Mickey's Very Merry runs one twice a night, which is the honest structural gap between them.
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Lightning Lane
Multi Pass and Single Pass are both switched off for the event, so every ride is standby. That is the trade, not an oversight, and it is why the waits collapse late.
-
Parking
Standard theme park parking is $35 in 2026 and no official Disney source confirms a waiver for event ticket holders, so do not count on free parking. Disney resort guests already have parking where they are staying, and the buses run late enough to cover a 12:30 AM finish.
The seven hours you actually get
The ticket scans you in at 5:30 PM, the party itself runs 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM, and day guests have to be out before it starts. So a five hour party is really a seven hour night, and the first two hours behave nothing like the last five.
- 5:30 PM Tickets scan in
- 7:30 PM Party starts
- 12:30 AM Lights up
Worst two hours for rides
The day crowd is still in the park until 7:30 PM, so standby lines sit at their worst of the night while you are standing in them. Spend the window on anything but attractions and save the rides for after 10:30 PM.
Best two hours for shows
Both Sunset Showcase shows start before the party does, and Fantasmic! runs around 6:30 PM. Last season Disney Villains, Unfairly Ever After opened at 5:50 PM and The Little Mermaid, A Musical Adventure at 6:00 PM, so you can bank a show before the clock even starts. Disney posts the 2026 times in late October.
How the on sale ran
Three dates, all of them now behind us. The useful part is what the calendar has done after general sale in every previous year.
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June 24, 2026
Dates announced
Disney confirmed 15 nights, November 7, 2026 through January 5, 2027.
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July 9, 2026
Resort presale
Open first to guests of Disney Resort hotels, the Swan and Dolphin, and Shades of Green.
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July 16, 2026
General sale
Open to everyone, with the price of every individual date published the same day.
How it sells out
It sells out late, not early
In 2024 only four nights sold out across the entire season. As late as mid October 2025 exactly one night of that season had gone, and yet almost every date was gone by the time the run finished. The pattern is a long flat stretch and then a scramble.
Which means that if your dates are flexible, you can genuinely wait for opening night reviews before you commit, and that is not a move Mickey's Very Merry gives you. If your date is fixed, book it.
- Sold out in the 2024 season
- 4nights
- Across the whole run
- Gone by mid October 2025
- 1night
- Before that season had even opened
- Gone by the end of 2025
- Almost all
- Nearly every date on the calendar
Nothing is refundable. Tickets are non refundable and non transferable, and there is no refund if weather cancels the entertainment. The forecast is your risk, not Disney's, so pack a poncho and pick your night with that in mind.
Disney Jollywood Nights 2026
15nights $169 to $199
Opening night November 7, 2026, final night January 5, 2027, and $10 off every one of them for Annual Passholders and DVC members.
Buy on the official Disney site (opens in a new tab)That link leaves Rope Drop News for the Disney Jollywood Nights page on disneyworld.disney.go.com, where the tickets are actually sold.
Entertainment
11 shows, and the one everything else bends around
Seven hours if you use the mix in window, five once the party starts, and the lineup is built to overfill both. So the useful question is not what to see, it is what you are willing to give up. 6 of the 11 are the names people talk about afterwards, and one title on the whole lineup, the 10:00 PM fireworks, runs a single time all night.
- Shows
- 11
- Party exclusive
- 8
- Earliest curtain
- 5:50PM
8 of the 11 only run on party nights. The other three, Sunset Seasons Greetings, Disney Villains and The Little Mermaid, are not party exclusive. Sunset Seasons Greetings in particular runs on regular nights right through the holiday season, so it is the first thing to cut when the evening gets tight.
Tier one
Build the night around these two
One is a theater show with five showings, the other is a lounge that opens seven times through the night. Everything else in this section has to fit the gaps they leave.
What's This? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along
Hyperion Theater Sunset Boulevard
About 25 minutes Five showings, first at 7:30 PM
A Jack Skellington puppet, live performers, film clips and snow falling inside the theater, with the whole room singing along to the Halloween Town songbook.
The verdict
The event's award winner and the one show almost nobody argues about. If you buy this ticket for a single reason, make it this.
The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club
Hollywood Tower Hotel courtyard Sunset Boulevard
Seven showings, first at 7:30 PM
The Tip Top Club from Tower of Terror, brought back as a 1930s swing and jazz lounge with a live band, dancers and souvenir flute cocktails, under the tower itself.
The verdict
The reason people wear tuxedos and sequins to this party. No reservation and no extra fee, but capacity is tight, so arrive a set early.
Tier two
Then fill the gaps with these four
A stage revue, an ice show, a dance floor and a street fair. None of them takes a reservation, and two of them run continuously, which makes them the easiest things on the map to drop into a spare twenty minutes.
Disney Holidays in Hollywood
Theater of the Stars Sunset Boulevard
About 30 minutes Four showings, first at 8:15 PM
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy host a full stage revue with Mickey, Minnie, Belle and Tiana, backed by live jazz musicians, singers and dancers.
The verdict
Split opinion. One camp calls it the best seasonal show at Walt Disney World, the other calls it a show that should run year round. The staging and the live band are genuinely good.
Glisten! A Holiday Ice Spectacular
Chinese Theater forecourt Hollywood Boulevard
About 20 minutes Five showings, first at 8:10 PM
International champion skaters on a synthetic rink in front of the Chinese Theater, in Art Deco costume, jumping rope with strings of Christmas lights under twinkling projections.
The verdict
Third year running, not new, despite what some guides say. It is the most photogenic thing at the party and the easiest show to catch on a whim.
Pixar Disco
Pixar Plaza Pixar Place
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM and 10:30 PM to 12:30 AM
A holly jolly dance floor hosted by Edna Mode, Frozone, Joy and Mike Wazowski, with 1950s styling and its own food and drink.
The verdict
Punches above its weight and doubles as four character sightings in one stop, which is the most efficient trade on the map.
Holiday Fiesta en la Calle
Coaster Courtyard Sunset Boulevard
7:30 PM to 12:30 AM, between sets
A Latin street fair with live bands, festoon lighting, dancers, and Jose Carioca, Panchito and Miguel from Coco dancing along with the crowd.
The verdict
The best pure atmosphere on the map, and it moved to Sunset Boulevard in 2025 so it finally gets the foot traffic it deserves.
The fixed point
One show runs once, at 10:00 PM
It is also the item this event catches the most flak for, which is an awkward combination when it is the thing your whole evening has to bend around.
- Showings before it
- 21
- Showings after it
- 10
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
Chinese Theater Hollywood Boulevard
About 14 minutes One showing, 10:00 PM
Fireworks, lasers, projections on the Chinese Theater and snow on the boulevard, as Wayne and Lanny from Prep and Landing race to rescue Santa.
The verdict
The most criticized item on the lineup. It is a returning show that used to run on regular nights and now sits behind the paywall. Good, not new.
It is the only title on the lineup with a single showing, so it is the one thing you cannot move. Build the rest of the evening in the space before 10:00 PM and the space after it.
Tier three
Worth a stop if the timing lands
Four smaller pieces. The first two open inside the 5:30 PM mix in window, which makes them the cheapest shows of the night measured in party minutes.
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Disney Villains, Unfairly Ever After
Sunset Showcase Sunset Boulevard
About 20 minutes Five showings, first at 5:50 PM
Not party exclusive
The Evil Queen summons Maleficent, Cruella and the rest for a villainous holiday takeover, in the Sunset Showcase theater.
The verdict
Added to the event in 2025. The two earliest showings land inside the 5:30 PM mix in window, which is the cheapest way to bank a show before the party starts.
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The Little Mermaid, A Musical Adventure
Sunset Showcase Sunset Boulevard
About 20 minutes Five showings, first at 6:00 PM
Not party exclusive
The full Ariel story told with puppetry, projection and live performers in the Sunset Showcase theater.
The verdict
The most family friendly slot on a lineup that otherwise skews adult, and another show you can bank during the mix in window.
-
Welcome to Tinseltown
Hollywood Boulevard
7:30 PM to 12:30 AM
A DJ station on the boulevard spinning holiday, classic and pop music, with specialty food and drink alongside.
The verdict
More of a mood setter than a destination. Good for the walk in and the walk out.
-
Sunset Seasons Greetings
The Hollywood Tower Hotel Sunset Boulevard
About 10 minutes Roughly hourly from dusk
Not party exclusive
Projections turn the Tower of Terror into a Muppets gingerbread house, a Toy Story toy hotel, a snowy corner of Arendelle and a Dickensian village from Mickey's Christmas Carol.
The verdict
Not party exclusive. It runs on regular nights through the holiday season too, so do not spend party minutes on it if your night is short.
Showtime planner
Every showtime, laid against the clock
Seven hours, from the moment your ticket lets you through the gate to the last curtain, with every published time on it. Pick a show and its lane lights up, every showing that starts within twenty minutes of it gets flagged, and the clashes stop being a surprise at 9:20 PM on Sunset Boulevard.
Last season's times
Disney posts the official 2026 times guide in late October, so read the planner as the shape of the evening rather than a promise, and check the official guide before you build a night around any single showing.
How to read this
- A set showtime
- The one fixed point
- Runs continuously
- No fixed showtimes
- Runs into your pick
- Not party exclusive
Fixed showtimes
No fixed showtimes to plan around
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5:30 PM
The mix in window opens and your event ticket is the only ticket you need to get through the gate. The first curtain follows twenty minutes later.
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5:50 PM
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6:00 PM
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6:40 PM
-
6:50 PM
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7:30 PM
The party begins
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7:50 PM
-
8:00 PM
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8:10 PM
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8:15 PM
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8:30 PM
-
8:40 PM
-
8:50 PM
-
9:10 PM
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9:15 PM
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9:20 PM
-
9:30 PM
-
9:50 PM
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10:00 PM
Runs once, everything else works around it
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10:30 PM
-
11:00 PM
-
11:10 PM
-
11:30 PM
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11:50 PM
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12:00 AM
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12:30 AM
Last curtain of the night
-
12:30 AM
The party ends and the park closes behind you.
Four shows with no fixed showtimes
The Twilight Soiree runs on tight capacity, so get there a set ahead, and both Sunset Showcase titles open before the party clock starts. Every time here is last season's, so check again against the 2026 times guide when Disney posts it in late October.
The character roster
13 of the 18 sets never work a normal park day
Max Goof as Powerline, the Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers in their Rescue Rangers outfits, Scrooge McDuck, Bing Bong, Lotso and Chewbacca celebrating Life Day. None of that lineup turns up on a regular day at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and for a lot of people the roster alone is what justifies $169 to $199 for five hours.
About the waits. Only 10 of the 18 sets were timed, across a single five hour event on November 17, 2025, and those are last season's actuals, not a 2026 forecast. The other 8 are marked as not timed, so treat a blank as unknown rather than as a walk on.
Filter by land
All 18 character sets, 13 of them rare.
The rare tier
13 setsThe part of this ticket you cannot buy any other way. One Echo Lake loop holds 5 of them.
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Echo Lake
Max Goof as Powerline
The rarest costume on the roster and the reason a lot of adults buy this ticket.
Not timed
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Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
Chewbacca celebrating Life Day
Millennium Falcon
The single longest character line of the night in 2025 and the first time Star Wars was folded into the holiday party.
39 min in line
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Grand Avenue
Bing Bong
Almost never meets anywhere else at Walt Disney World.
21 min in line
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Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Black Spire Outpost Market
The shortest measured wait of the entire event, a few hundred feet from the longest one.
3 min in line
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Echo Lake
Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers
In the Rescue Rangers outfits, not the everyday chipmunks.
Not timed
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Sunset Boulevard
Jose Carioca, Panchito and Miguel
Holiday Fiesta en la Calle
They dance with the bands rather than hold a formal line, so treat this as a sighting, not a meet.
Not timed
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Animation Courtyard
Duffy as Santa
Walt Disney Presents
22 min in line
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Toy Story Land
Lotso
Near Slinky Dog Dash
16 min in line
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Toy Story Land
Partysaurus Rex
11 min in line
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Grand Avenue
Scrooge McDuck
BaseLine Tap House entrance
10 min in line
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Echo Lake
Stitch as Santa
Not timed
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Echo Lake
Phineas and Ferb
Not timed
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Echo Lake
Baloo and King Louie
Not timed
The everyday tier
5 setsThese work regular park days too, so they are the first thing to cut when the clock runs down. Take them if you walk past a short line.
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Commissary Lane
Mickey and Minnie in holiday attire
Red Carpet Dreams
The one line most families will stand in. Indoors, so it moves through weather.
29 min in line
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Commissary Lane
Donald and Daisy Duck
21 min in line
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Toy Story Land
Bo Peep
7 min in line
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Grand Avenue
Goofy and Pluto
Not timed
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Pixar Place
Edna Mode, Frozone, Joy and Mike Wazowski
Pixar Disco
Four characters in one stop, and you can dance instead of queue.
Not timed
What the lines actually did
9 of the 10 timed lines came in under half an hour
Where a line stood mattered more than who was standing in it.
- 10 minutes or less
- 11 to 25 minutes
- Over 25 minutes
Food and drink
Eat well, and know what it will cost
Nothing at this party is included in the ticket. Every bite and every pour is bought separately, which makes the menu a budgeting problem before it is an eating one. Here is the full 12 stop lineup, the three things worth crossing the park for, and the price bands to plan around.
2025 lineup
The 2026 menu has not been published
Disney posts the event Foodie Guide in late October every year, and the 2025 edition landed on October 24. Until the 2026 version appears, every item and every price on this page is last season's, not a 2026 confirmation. Stops get added and dishes rotate. What holds steady year to year is the price banding, which is the part you actually budget from, so treat the 2025 menu as the template and check back when the new guide lands.
Order these
Three things worth crossing the park for
53 items is a lot of menu to read standing up. If you only remember three, remember these, and note that two of them cost under seven dollars.
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Three years running
Holiday Turkey Popover
$6.49
Fairfax Fare, Sunset Boulevard
The most praised savory item at the party, three years running.
Fairfax Fare is the savory anchor of the whole event and the shortest walk from the Sunset Boulevard show cluster, so this one fits neatly between showtimes.
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Best bite
Arepas de Choclo
$4.99
KRNR The Rock Station, Sunset Boulevard
Named best bite of the event by two separate review outlets, and the cheapest thing worth queueing for.
KRNR was added to the event in 2025, and the arepas are the reason anyone noticed. Under five dollars is as cheap as this party gets.
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Sleeper hit
Holiday Dill-light
$11.00
Tune-In Lounge, Echo Lake
Hendrick's and pickle juice. The sleeper hit of 2025 and better than it sounds.
Tune-In Lounge pours drinks and nothing else, and it holds the most interesting cocktail list anywhere outside the Brown Derby.
What to set aside
The price bands
Individual dishes change. These five tiers have not, and they are all you need to plan a night. Every figure below is a 2025 price, before tax.
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Snacks and small bites $5 to $7
22 of the 28 priced savory and sweet items land in here. 4 dip below it, the cheapest of the season at $4.79, and 2 climb above it, topping out at $9.79 at Hollywood Scoops.
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Cart and quick service cocktails $9.50
The most common price on the map by a distance. 8 different drinks landed on exactly that number, and 3 more at the carts and windows charge a little over, at $10 to $11.
-
Lounge pours $10 to $12.50
Everything the Tune-In Lounge pours, which is where the mixing gets more ambitious than a spirit tipped into cocoa.
-
Beer Margarita at BaseLine Tap House $18.50
The one genuine outlier, and the most expensive pour outside the Brown Derby. Know that going in and it stops being a surprise.
-
The Hollywood Brown Derby $16.50 to $20.50
Jazzy Holidays cocktails sit in a tier of their own, above everything else the party sells.
The one upgrade this event sells
Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby
The Derby's oval dining room becomes a holiday jazz lounge for the party, with live piano, a craft cocktail list and a menu of small plates. It is the only upgraded experience on offer, and it is not a package. You book a table, you order, you pay.
How it works
- Admission fee
- None
- Food and drink
- A la carte only
- Included in the event ticket
- No
- Disney Dining Plan
- Not eligible
- Event ticket still required
- Yes
- How you book
- Advance Dining Reservation
- Booking window
- 60 days out
- Capacity
- Limited
Two plates and two cocktails for two $57 to $79 The cheapest pair against the priciest pair on the 2025 list, before tax and tip, on top of the event tickets.
Book it the day the window opens, in mid September. Reservations opened on September 17 in 2024 and September 18 in 2025, roughly 60 days before opening night, so expect the same stretch of September 2026. Tables are limited and they go.
Price the drinks first. Cocktails here run $16.50 to $20.50 against a flat $9.50 at the carts outside, and the plates run $12 to $19. There is no package price and no set menu, so the bill is only ever what you ordered.
The menu and prices shown are the 2025 actuals. The 2026 list posts with the rest of the event menu in late October.
There is no dessert party, and nothing is free
Beyond the Brown Derby lounge above, this event sells no upgrades at all. No dessert party, no fireworks viewing package, no prepaid anything. There is also no complimentary food or drink anywhere on the map, which is the sharpest split against Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, where cookies, cocoa and festive drinks are handed out park wide all night. Plan for a party where the ticket buys the entertainment and your wallet buys dinner.
- Dessert party
- None
- Fireworks viewing package
- None
- Prepaid food package
- None
- Complimentary food and drink
- None
- Upgrades on sale
- The Brown Derby lounge
Attractions and wait times
Ninety five minutes in December, twenty at the party
Jollywood Nights runs 9 attractions and every one of them is standby. On sold out opening night in 2025 most posted 20 minutes or less for much of the night, with near walk ons after about 10:45 PM. The headliners sit at 60 to 95 minutes on a normal peak December day, which is the whole quiet argument for this ticket.
Standby, cut by
4.7x
All 9 attractions together, party waits against peak December standby.
Lightning Lane is switched off for this event
Multi Pass and Single Pass are both unavailable during Jollywood Nights, so there is no line to buy your way past and no 7 AM booking to set an alarm for. All 9 attractions run standby for everybody in the park, which is exactly why the numbers below look the way they do.
It also means Star Wars, Rise of the Resistance takes a standby queue for the party. At 90 minutes on a peak December day against 20 during the party, it hands back 70 minutes, second only to Slinky Dog Dash.
The system still governs your regular park days, and our guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World covers what to book, when to book it, and what it costs.
Every ride, party night against a peak December day
Party figures are what was reported across sold out opening night, November 8, 2025, except where a ride has changed since. Peak day figures are typical peak December standby, not a promise. Every ride name links to its full ride page.
- Peak December day
- Jollywood Nights
Sort by
-
75 min saved 4.8x shorter
-
Star Wars, Rise of the Resistance wait times and ride guide
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
70 min saved 4.5x shorter
-
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets wait times and ride guide
Sunset Boulevard
New for 2026
55 min saved 4.7x shorter
-
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror wait times and ride guide
Sunset Boulevard
50 min saved 4.3x shorter
-
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway wait times and ride guide
Hollywood Boulevard
45 min saved 4.0x shorter
-
Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run wait times and ride guide
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
40 min saved 5.0x shorter
-
Toy Story Mania wait times and ride guide
Toy Story Land
35 min saved 4.5x shorter
-
30 min saved 7.0x shorter
-
Alien Swirling Saucers wait times and ride guide
Toy Story Land
30 min saved 7.0x shorter
-
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. The Muppets version opened in May 2026, after the night these party figures were measured, so its party wait is carried from the Aerosmith version that ran in the same building. 2026 is its first Jollywood Nights.
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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Worth riding while Sunset Seasons Greetings plays on the outside of the same building.
- Time handed back
- 430 min 7 hours 10 minutes, which is 10 minutes more than the seven hours the ticket puts you inside the park.
- Peak December day
- 545 min Standing in all 9 standby lines, 9 hours 5 minutes.
- Jollywood Nights
- 115 min The same 9 lines, 1 hour 55 minutes.
Sizing the prize
Nobody rides all 9 back to back, so treat 430 minutes as the size of the prize rather than a plan. The realistic version is smaller and still absurd. Do the five headliners, Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, and you save 295 minutes, 5 minutes short of the entire five hour party.
That is the same trade behind Disney After Hours, the other Walt Disney World ticket built around late night ride time. Jollywood Nights is the version with a jazz band, a fireworks show and the rare character lineup attached to it.
The one exception
Slinky Dog Dash never really empties out
Everything else on the chart collapses as the night goes on. This one holds a real line the whole time and still runs around 20 minutes late on, when Toy Story Land is otherwise a walk on. It is also the longest normal wait in the park at 95 minutes, so it is the ride this ticket beats hardest.
Do it first or do it last. Ride it in the 5:30 PM mix in window before the party starts, or make it your final ride of the night. Anything in between is the most expensive 20 minutes you will spend.
New this year
The Muppets took over the coaster
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened in May 2026 in place of the Aerosmith version, so 2026 is the first Jollywood Nights running it. The Muppets already host the party's flagship stage show, Disney Holidays in Hollywood, and Muppet*Vision 3D closed for good in June 2025, so this is where the act moved.
The ride math did not change with the marquee. It is 70 minutes on a peak December day and 15 during the party.
What is missing
What is not on the ride list
Six things people go looking for on a party night are not rides you can queue for. One is gone for good, three are not on the party's attraction list, and two still run in a form that is not a ride.
Gone for good
- Muppet*Vision 3D Closed permanently in June 2025. The old Muppets Courtyard is walled off for the Monsters, Inc. land.
Not on the party attraction list
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage Its theater hosts Disney Holidays in Hollywood instead.
Runs, but not as a ride
- Walt Disney Presents Runs as a character meet location during the party, not as an attraction.
- Fantasmic! Runs around 6:30 PM, inside the mix in window, so you can catch it before the party starts.
Where everything happens
The party is front loaded, and the back of the park knows it
10 of the 11 entertainment offerings sit on Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, two lanes that run side by side at the front of the park. Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land sit at the far end with 5 of the 9 attractions between them and not one show. Work that gap and the whole night changes shape.
Tap any land to see everything running inside it after 7:30 PM.
- Warm side, where the stages are
- Cold side, where it stays quiet
The number on each land counts the shows, character meets, food stops and rides running inside it during the party, 50 in all. Food stops are the 2025 locations, since the 2026 Foodie Guide posts in late October.
13 stops in total
Sunset Boulevard
The busiest lane at the party, and where four of the five best things happen.
- Longest line, 2025
- 15min
Shows and entertainment 7
- What's This? Sing-Along
- Disney Holidays in Hollywood
- The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club
- Sunset Seasons Greetings
- Holiday Fiesta en la Calle
- Disney Villains, Unfairly Ever After
- The Little Mermaid, A Musical Adventure
Character meets 1
- Jose Carioca, Panchito and Miguel
Food and drink, 2025 lineup 3
- Fairfax Fare
- KRNR The Rock Station
- Hollywood Scoops
Attractions 2
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
- Tower of Terror
5 stops in total
Hollywood Boulevard
Where you walk in, and where the 10 PM fireworks land.
- Longest line, 2025
- 15min
Shows and entertainment 3
- Glisten! A Holiday Ice Spectacular
- Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
- Welcome to Tinseltown
Character meets None
Food and drink, 2025 lineup 1
- The Trolley Car Cafe
Attractions 1
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
10 stops in total
Echo Lake
The character corridor. Five rare meets in one loop, each with its own Christmas tree.
- Longest line, 2025
- 5min
Shows and entertainment None
Character meets 5
- Max Goof as Powerline
- Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers
- Stitch as Santa
- Phineas and Ferb
- Baloo and King Louie
Food and drink, 2025 lineup 4
- Backlot Express
- Dockside Diner
- Tune-In Lounge
- Epic Eats
Attractions 1
- Star Tours
5 stops in total
Grand Avenue
The grown up pocket, and the walk through to Galaxy's Edge.
- Longest line, 2025
- 21min
- Shortest line, 2025
- 10min
Shows and entertainment None
Character meets 3
- Goofy and Pluto
- Bing Bong
- Scrooge McDuck
Food and drink, 2025 lineup 2
- BaseLine Tap House
- Ice Cold Hydraulics
Attractions None
3 stops in total
Commissary Lane
Short lane, two of the busiest character lines at the party.
- Longest line, 2025
- 29min
- Shortest line, 2025
- 21min
Shows and entertainment None
Character meets 2
- Mickey and Minnie in holiday attire
- Donald and Daisy Duck
Food and drink, 2025 lineup 1
- ABC Commissary
Attractions None
2 stops in total
Animation Courtyard
Quiet corner with one line that gets deep, and a food stop right beside it.
- Longest line, 2025
- 22min
Shows and entertainment None
Character meets 1
- Duffy as Santa
Food and drink, 2025 lineup 1
- Market at Animation Courtyard
Attractions None
2 stops in total
Pixar Place
Four characters, a dance floor, and no queue for any of it.
Nothing in this land was timed in 2025.
Shows and entertainment 1
- Pixar Disco
Character meets 1
- Edna Mode, Frozone, Joy and Mike Wazowski
Food and drink, 2025 lineup None
Attractions None
6 stops in total
Toy Story Land
Three rides and three characters, and the far end of the map most people never reach.
- Longest line, 2025
- 20min
- Shortest line, 2025
- 5min
Shows and entertainment None
Character meets 3
- Lotso
- Partysaurus Rex
- Bo Peep
Food and drink, 2025 lineup None
Attractions 3
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania
- Alien Swirling Saucers
4 stops in total
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
The quietest corner of the party, which is exactly why it is the smart one.
- Longest line, 2025
- 39min
- Shortest line, 2025
- 3min
Shows and entertainment None
Character meets 2
- Chewbacca celebrating Life Day
- The Mandalorian and Grogu
Food and drink, 2025 lineup None
Attractions 2
- Star Wars, Rise of the Resistance
- Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run
The exploitable one
The longest line and the shortest one were a few hundred feet apart
On one measured night in 2025 the longest character line of the whole party ran 39 minutes at the Millennium Falcon, and the shortest ran 3 minutes at Black Spire Outpost Market. Both stood inside Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, a few hundred feet apart. The crowd goes where the entertainment is, and the entertainment is at the other end of the park.
The efficient one
Echo Lake is the character corridor
5 of the 13 rare meets at the whole party stand inside Echo Lake, more than any other land holds, and 4 of the 2025 food stops sit beside them. It is the one land where standing still is the efficient play.
The plan opens on Sunset Boulevard, the fullest land on it with 13 stops.
Hour by hour
Three routes through the same seven hours
Your event ticket opens the gate at 5:30 PM and the party runs to 12:30 AM. These are three different nights inside that window, eleven stops each, built around what people actually buy this ticket for. Pick one and work down it.
The Show Run
Six shows in one night, in the only order that fits them all in without sprinting.
For First timers and anyone who wants the full event
- Stops
- 11
- Last stop
- 12:15am
- Before 7:30 PM
- 3
- After 10 PM
- 3
Mix in window
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
The Sunset Showcase shows run inside this window, so anything you catch here costs nothing off the party clock.
-
5:30
PM
Walk in and go straight to Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Your ticket gets you through the gate two hours early with no day ticket needed. Do not spend the mix in window on rides, spend it on the Sunset Showcase show that runs before the party clock starts.
-
5:50
PM
Disney Villains, Unfairly Ever After
Sunset Showcase
The first showing runs inside the mix in window, so it costs you nothing off the party clock.
-
6:30
PM
Grab the Holiday Turkey Popover
Fairfax Fare
Food lines almost never run past five minutes, but they run shortest now.
The party
7:30 PM to 12:30 AM
The show clock takes over, and the two minute walks along Sunset are what make the run fit.
-
7:30
PM
What's This? Sing-Along
Hyperion Theater
The first showing of the best show at the party. Be at the theater by 7:15 PM.
-
8:15
PM
Disney Holidays in Hollywood
Theater of the Stars
Walk two minutes down Sunset from the Hyperion. The 8:15 PM showing is the least crowded of the four.
-
9:10
PM
Glisten!
Chinese Theater forecourt
Standing show, so arrive about ten minutes early for a clean sightline.
-
9:45
PM
Claim a fireworks spot on Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
The projections are mapped to the Chinese Theater, so the boulevard centre is the only place the show reads properly.
-
10:00
PM
Fixed point on every plan About 14 minutes
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
Chinese Theater
Fourteen minutes, with snow on the boulevard at the end.
-
10:30
PM
The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club
Hollywood Tower Hotel courtyard
The 10:30 PM set is the one to catch. Capacity is limited, so get there as the fireworks smoke clears.
-
11:30
PM
Second What's This? Sing-Along
Hyperion Theater
Late showings run emptier and the crowd sings louder.
-
12:15
AM
Last ride of the night
Sunset Boulevard
Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster are usually walk ons in the final fifteen minutes.
The Ride Raid
Nine attractions, near walk on waits after 10:30 PM, and a route that never doubles back.
For People treating this as an After Hours ticket
- Stops
- 11
- Last stop
- 12:15am
- Before 7:30 PM
- 3
- After 10 PM
- 3
Mix in window
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Ride lines are at their worst of the night right now, so this window buys the walk to the back of the park and the one ride that holds a line all night.
-
5:30
PM
In the gate, straight to Toy Story Land
Toy Story Land
Day guests are still in the park, so this is the worst hour for waits. Use it to walk the length of the park while everyone else eats.
-
6:00
PM
Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Land
The one ride that holds a real line all night. Getting it done early is the single best decision on this plan.
-
6:45
PM
Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers
Toy Story Land
Both drop under ten minutes once the day crowd starts leaving.
The party
7:30 PM to 12:30 AM
Waits fall away from here, and the last ninety minutes is when this ticket earns its money.
-
7:30
PM
Walk to Galaxy's Edge
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
The far corner of the map empties out first because the entertainment all sits at the front of the park.
-
7:45
PM
Star Wars, Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
Standby only during the party. On a normal December day this is a ninety minute wait.
-
8:30
PM
Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
Meet Chewbacca on the way past if the line is under fifteen minutes.
-
9:15
PM
Star Tours
Echo Lake
Almost never more than five minutes during the party.
-
10:00
PM
Fixed point on every plan About 14 minutes
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
Chinese Theater
Take the fourteen minutes. Ride lines are at their worst while it runs anyway.
-
10:30
PM
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Hollywood Boulevard
It empties out the moment the fireworks end.
-
11:00
PM
Tower of Terror, then Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Sunset Boulevard
The final ninety minutes is when this ticket earns its money. Ride both twice if the lines hold.
-
12:15
AM
One more Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Land
Last call. It drops to about twenty minutes, against ninety five on a peak December day.
The Rare Character Sweep
The meets you cannot get on a normal park day, ordered by how fast each line grows.
For Character hunters and pin people
- Stops
- 11
- Last stop
- 12:10am
- Before 7:30 PM
- 4
- After 10 PM
- 2
Mix in window
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Chewbacca's line is at its shortest right at the gate, and the back of the park stays empty while everyone else is still on the boulevards.
-
5:30
PM
In the gate and straight to Galaxy's Edge
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
Chewbacca ran the longest character line of the night in 2025 at thirty nine minutes. It is shortest right at the start.
-
5:45
PM
Chewbacca celebrating Life Day
Millennium Falcon
Then walk fifty yards to the Black Spire Outpost Market.
-
6:20
PM
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Black Spire Outpost Market
Measured at three minutes on the same night Chewbacca ran thirty nine. The rear of the park is chronically underused.
-
6:45
PM
Toy Story Land trio
Toy Story Land
Lotso, Partysaurus Rex and Bo Peep, all within a two minute walk of each other.
The party
7:30 PM to 12:30 AM
Every line below only grows through the night, so the order is set by how fast each one fills.
-
7:40
PM
Pixar Disco
Pixar Plaza
Four characters at once with no queue at all. The most efficient trade on the map.
-
8:10
PM
Grand Avenue run
Grand Avenue
Scrooge McDuck at the BaseLine Tap House entrance, Bing Bong and the Goofy and Pluto set a few steps on.
-
9:00
PM
Duffy as Santa
Walt Disney Presents
Twenty two minutes in 2025, and it only grows through the night.
-
9:40
PM
Donald and Daisy
Commissary Lane
Then straight next door for the Mickey and Minnie line.
-
10:00
PM
Trades the 10:00 PM fixed point About 14 minutes
Skip the fireworks and take Red Carpet Dreams
Commissary Lane
The Mickey and Minnie line drops hardest during Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!, which is the single best trade of the night.
-
10:45
PM
The Echo Lake corridor
Echo Lake
Max Goof as Powerline, the Rescue Rangers, Santa Stitch, Phineas and Ferb, and Baloo and King Louie, five rare sets in one loop.
-
12:10
AM
Last call on whichever one you missed
Echo Lake
Character lines close at 12:30 AM sharp, and cast members cut the queue before then.
These start times are last season's. The show times above are the 2025 published times that every 2026 preview reprints, the character waits quoted in the steps are 2025 figures, and any menu item named in the steps is a 2025 item. Disney posts the official 2026 entertainment times guide and the new Foodie Guide in late October, so re-check before you build a night around a 7:30 PM curtain.
Merchandise
Last season's line is this season's price sheet
Disney has not shown a single 2026 item. Everything below is the 2025 line at 2025 prices, which is the closest thing to a budget you can build right now.
2026 line not revealed
First look expected
Mid August to September
The 2024 line arrived August 15 and the 2025 line in September.
Checked August 4, 2026.
Ticket not required
$169
The cheapest party night, and no longer the price of getting at the merchandise.
The exclusivity expires
By December 2, 2025 the party exclusive merchandise was on sale to every park guest at Once Upon a Time and Mickey's of Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard, with no event ticket needed. So if the merchandise is the reason you are buying a $169 ticket, buy it for the shows instead and pick the shirt up on a normal park day.
The 2025 line, item by item
Ollie, the gingerbread man the event uses as its mascot, fronts most of the line, including the two most expensive pieces.
Build your basket
- $84.99
- Teal, with puffy gold ink. Up $5 on the 2024 version.
- $85.00
- Swapped in for the 2024 Lug crossbody, and $20 more.
- $36.99
- Plush Ollie faces.
- $34.99
- Red gingerbread print.
- $26.99
- Ollie on top of a Jollywood marquee.
- $24.99
- Teal.
- $19.99
- Limited release.
- $19.99
- Limited release.
One of everything, all 8 pieces $333.93
Before tax.
Sold at Mickey Shorts Theater in Echo Lake, and only while the party is running, 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM.
One shirt to a full line
- 2023 1 item
- 2024 7 items
- 2025 8 items
The entire 2023 line was one T-shirt at $29.99. Three seasons later it is 8 pieces, though the count only moved by one between 2024 and 2025.
What moved from 2024 to 2025
| Returning item | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|
| Ollie Spirit Jersey | Up $5 |
| Ceramic mug | Up $5 |
| Ear headband | Up $2 |
| Adult T-shirt | Flat |
| Ornament | Flat |
| Pins | Flat |
Three returning items rose $12 in total between 2024 and 2025. Three held flat.
Not a returning item The convertible bag was replaced outright. A Loungefly took over from the 2024 Lug crossbody at $85.00, which is $20 more than the bag it replaced.
Reviewers did not agree. One camp called the 2025 line uninspired and Ollie a mascot that still has not landed. The other praised a real jump in quality. The popcorn buckets and sippers were re-releases from Halloween 2025, which drew criticism of its own.
Before you go
Ten things that change how the night goes
Ranked, not listed. The first three are worth more than the other seven put together, and the first one costs you nothing but half an hour.
The one number to take away
40 minutes is what leaving half an hour earlier was worth on a sold out night in 2025. That is the whole of tip 01, it costs nothing, and it is the highest value thing on this page.
The three that change the night
Everything after these is fine tuning
-
Tip 1. Arrive by 5 PM, not 5:30 PM
The entry queue is the single most complained about part of this event. On sold out nights in 2025 the line snaked around the front courtyard, past security and into switchbacks, and cast members started scanning people in early because they ran out of physical space. Getting there half an hour before the doors open costs you nothing and can save you 40 minutes.
In line by 5 PM
-
Tip 2. Your event ticket is the only ticket you need
You do not need separate park admission to get in at 5:30 PM. You only need a regular ticket if you want to be inside Hollywood Studios before then.
Doors open 5:30 PM
-
Tip 3. Spend the early window on shows, not rides
Between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM the day crowd is still in the park and the ride lines are at their worst of the night. In 2025 the Sunset Showcase shows and Fantasmic! all ran inside that window, so bank those and save the rides for after 10:30 PM.
The early window 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Seven more worth knowing
Still in rank order
-
Crowds
Tip 4. Walk to the back of the park early
Almost all of the entertainment sits on Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land stay noticeably empty, which is why, on a night in 2025, the Mandalorian ran a 3 minute line while Chewbacca, a few hundred feet away, ran 39 minutes.
-
Money
Tip 5. There is no free food, so budget for it
Unlike Mickey's Very Merry, nothing is complimentary here. In 2025 cart cocktails ran about $9.50, lounge pours $10 to $12.50, and most snacks $5 to $7. Two people eating and drinking properly will add $60 to $90 on top of the tickets.
-
Trade offs
Tip 6. Skip the fireworks if you want the Mickey line
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! is the one show that empties the character queues. In 2025 Red Carpet Dreams dropped hardest at 10 PM, and the fireworks do not run a second time, so it is a genuine trade rather than a free win.
-
Comfort
Tip 7. Layer, and expect to still be out at 12:30 AM
Orlando in November swings from the mid 80s down to the high 40s, and December can go either way. The party runs five hours and finishes after midnight, so a light jacket or a cardigan matters more than it looks like it should in the afternoon.
-
Dress code
Tip 8. Dressing up is optional and about a third of people do it
The Twilight Soiree is why you see tuxedos and sequins. Most guests are in normal park clothes, so nobody will look at you sideways in sneakers.
-
Booking
Tip 9. This event sells out late, not early
In 2024 only four nights sold out all season. As late as mid October 2025 only one night had gone. By the end of the 2025 season almost every date was gone. If your dates are flexible you can genuinely wait for opening night reviews before you commit, which is not true of Mickey's Very Merry.
-
Fine print
Tip 10. Nothing is refundable, including for rain
Tickets are non refundable and non transferable, and there is no refund if weather cancels the entertainment. Bring a poncho and treat the forecast as your problem, not Disney's.
What to expect
The parts nobody puts in the brochure
Three of them, none in the ten above, and none of them dealbreakers. All three are easier if you see them coming.
- Every queue is standby
- Lightning Lane is switched off for the event, so there is nothing to buy and no way to shorten a line. It works out, because the lines are short later in the night. It also means the busiest stretch of the evening has no shortcut in it.
- Check in is not obvious the first time
- The signage does very little to tell an event ticket holder where to stand, so first timers pick a line by watching what everyone else does and find out at the front whether they guessed right. Give yourself the margin to guess wrong once.
- It looks busier than it is
- Walk two streets and you will decide the party is packed. Walk five and you will decide it is empty. Both are true on the same night, which is why the crowd photos you have seen tell you very little about the evening you will get.
The dress code
Why the room looks like two different parties
The reason is one show. The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club, in the Hollywood Tower Hotel courtyard, is why you see cocktail dresses, sequins and the occasional real tuxedo inside a theme park at eleven at night. Nobody checks anything at the door, and the Soiree fills on capacity rather than on what you turned up in, so treat it as a party you can join or ignore.
Shoes are the decision that actually matters. Galaxy's Edge back to Sunset Boulevard is the length of the park and you will walk it more than once, so the pair you can walk in beats the pair that photographs well. Our guide to what to wear to Disney World handles the daytime version of the same question.
What is still to come, and when it lands
Four announcements are still outstanding for 2026, and these are the windows each one has landed in before. The last two rows are the event itself.
-
Mid August to September 2026
Event merchandise first look. The 2024 line was revealed August 15 and the 2025 line in September.
Not announced yet
-
Early to mid September 2026
Jazzy Holidays reservations at The Hollywood Brown Derby open, roughly 60 days before the first night. They opened September 17 in 2024 and September 18 in 2025.
Not announced yet
-
Mid to late October 2026
The Foodie Guide with the full 2026 menu. The 2025 guide landed October 24.
Not announced yet
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Late October 2026
The official attraction list and entertainment times guide. The 2025 attraction list posted October 27.
Not announced yet
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November 7, 2026
Opening night.
Event night
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January 5, 2027
Final night, and the first time this event has ever run past New Year's.
Event night
That is the night, from the 5 PM queue to the 12:30 AM finish
All ten hold on every date. The price does not, and it runs $169 to $199 per adult before tax depending on which night you take. If you are making a full day of it first, our step by step guide to planning a Disney day handles the hours before the doors open.
Jollywood Nights versus Very Merry
The card comes out close, the choice does not
11 things separate Walt Disney World's two hard ticket Christmas parties, and they split almost evenly. 3 to Jollywood, 4 to Mickey's Very Merry, 2 even and 2 down to taste. On paper that is a coin toss. It is not, because the wins on each side are nowhere near the same size.
The card
- Jollywood
- 3
- Very Merry
- 4
- Even
- 2
- Your call
- 2
Take Jollywood Nights for the jazz, the cocktails, the rare characters and the rides. Take Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party for a first traditional Christmas party, especially with young kids. The rest of this section is why.
| Point of comparison | Disney Jollywood Nights | Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nights in 2026 | Jollywood 15, Nov 7 to Jan 5 | Very Merry 25, Nov 8 to Dec 22 | Edge Very Merry |
| Party hours | Jollywood 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM | Very Merry 7:00 PM to midnight | Edge Even |
| Early entry | Jollywood 5:30 PM, two hours before | Very Merry 4:00 PM, three hours before | Edge Very Merry |
| Passholder and DVC discount | Jollywood $10 off every single night | Very Merry $10 off select nights only | Edge Jollywood |
| Parade | Jollywood None, and there never has been | Very Merry Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, twice | Edge Very Merry |
| Fireworks | Jollywood Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at 10 PM | Very Merry Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks | Edge Even |
| Free food | Jollywood None | Very Merry Cookies, cocoa and festive drinks park wide | Edge Very Merry |
| Ride waits | Jollywood Near walk ons after 10:30 PM Last season | Very Merry Short, but the park is bigger and busier | Edge Jollywood |
| Characters | Jollywood Twenty plus rare sets you cannot meet on a normal day | Very Merry The classics in holiday best | Edge Your call |
| The vibe | Jollywood Jazz, cocktails, sequins and retro Hollywood | Very Merry Matching pajamas and traditional Christmas | Edge Your call |
| Sells out | Jollywood Late, often not until the final weeks Last season | Very Merry Most dates well before December Last season | Edge Jollywood |
On the two rows marked last season. Ride waits and the way each party sells out are what they did last time, so read them as the shape of the event and expect 2026 to move around that.
The verdict
One of these parties is trying to please everybody
- Price gap
- $20 to $30 Cheaper a head at Jollywood at every comparable tier, before tax.
- Passholder and DVC
- $10 Off every single Jollywood night, against select nights only at Mickey's Very Merry.
- Time in the park
- 7 hrs to 8 Jollywood opens the gate at 5:30 PM and finishes at 12:30 AM. Very Merry opens at 4:00 PM and finishes at midnight, which is the extra hour.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is predictable and formulaic, and that is less of an insult than it sounds. It has run the same playbook for years and it nails the fundamentals. The parade goes twice a night, the cookies and cocoa are free and park wide, the classic characters are out in holiday best, and nobody walks out unsure what they paid for.
Jollywood Nights is the other kind of event. It is flawed, it is ambitious, and it is improving fast. 2026 is the longest season it has ever run at 15 nights and the first to carry on past New Year's, and it still has no parade and nothing complimentary. It was never built to be a crowd pleaser. It was built for people who want a live jazz band, a cocktail and an empty queue at midnight.
Which is why the 4 marked rows carry the decision and the other 7 do not. If you have already done the classic one and found yourself wishing it stayed open later, you know which of these two is yours.
Take this one if
Disney Jollywood Nights
- The price decides it. Cheaper a head at every comparable tier, and the Passholder and DVC discount runs on all 15 nights, where Very Merry picks a handful.
- You would rather ride than watch a parade. Waits fell to near walk ons after 10:30 PM last season, and there has never been a parade here to miss.
- You want the characters you cannot meet on a normal park day. Twenty plus rare sets of them in one night.
- Jazz, cocktails, sequins and retro Hollywood sounds like a night out rather than a compromise.
- Your dates are not locked yet. This one sold out late last season, so you can wait for opening night reviews before you commit.
Take this one if
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
- It is your first Disney Christmas party. The traditional version is the one to do first, and this is the traditional version.
- There are young kids in the group. The parade runs twice a night, so a long queue or a late nap does not cost you the parade.
- Free food matters. Cookies, cocoa and festive drinks are complimentary park wide. Nothing at Jollywood is complimentary.
- You want more time in the park. Entry is at 4:00 PM against Jollywood's 5:30 PM, a full extra hour inside the gates.
- You want the classics. Mickey, Minnie and the rest in holiday best, rather than a hunt across the park for rare sets.
Still torn
Four questions, and this calls it for you
Pick whichever answer is closer to the truth.
Questions
Sixteen questions, answered straight
Grouped into three short lists. Start with the basics, take the middle list for the things competing guides get wrong, or go straight to the night you are choosing.
Five questions
The basics
What it is, when it runs and what a ticket costs.
What is Disney Jollywood Nights
It is a separately ticketed holiday party at Disney's Hollywood Studios, running 15 select nights from November 7, 2026 to January 5, 2027. The park closes to day guests and reopens for ticket holders with its own shows, character meets, food and drink. The tone is retro Hollywood glamour, jazz and cocktails, which makes it the grown up alternative to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party over at Magic Kingdom.
What are the 2026 Jollywood Nights dates
Disney confirmed 15 nights. In November, Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 16, Nov 21, Nov 23, Nov 28. In December, Dec 5, Dec 7, Dec 12, Dec 14, Dec 19, Dec 21, Dec 23. Then two brand new January dates, January 3 and January 5, 2027, the first time the event has ever run past New Year's.
How much are Jollywood Nights 2026 tickets
Prices run $169 to $199 per adult before tax, depending on the night. The cheapest night is November 16, 2026 at $169, and the most expensive nights are the December dates at $199. Annual Passholders and DVC members save $10 on every night, and children ages 3 to 9 also save $10. Add roughly 6.5 percent sales tax on top.
What time does Jollywood Nights start and end
The party runs 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM. Ticket holders can enter Disney's Hollywood Studios as early as 5:30 PM, which gives you seven hours in the park in total.
Do I need a separate park ticket
No. The event ticket alone admits you from 5:30 PM. You would only need regular park admission if you want to be in Hollywood Studios earlier in the day.
Seven questions
What is and is not included
No parade, no free cookies and no dessert party.
Most often got wrong
Is there a parade at Jollywood Nights
No. There is no parade and no cavalcade, and there never has been in any year of this event. That is the single biggest structural difference against Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which runs its parade twice a night.
Which rides are open during Jollywood Nights
Nine attractions operate. Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land; Star Wars, Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run in Galaxy's Edge; Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror on Sunset Boulevard; Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway on Hollywood Boulevard; and Star Tours at Echo Lake. Lightning Lane is switched off for the event, so everything runs standby.
How long are the ride waits during the party
Short. On sold out opening night in 2025, most attractions posted 20 minutes or less for much of the party, and near walk ons after about 10:45 PM. Slinky Dog Dash is the exception and holds the longest line all night, around 20 minutes late on. On a normal peak December day those same rides run 60 to 95 minutes.
Is there free food at Jollywood Nights
No. Unlike Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party there are no complimentary cookies or cocoa. Everything is bought separately. In 2025 Disney did hand out a free photo frame ornament to every guest, and PhotoPass downloads from the event are included with the ticket.
Is there a dessert party at Jollywood Nights
No. There is no dessert party and no prepaid premium package of any kind. The only upgraded experience is Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby, which is a jazz lounge you book as a regular dining reservation and pay for a la carte.
What is Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby
The Brown Derby's oval dining room converted into a holiday jazz lounge with live piano, craft cocktails and small plates. There is no admission fee, but food and drink are not included in your event ticket and it is not eligible for the Disney Dining Plan. You book it as an Advance Dining Reservation 60 days out, and you still need a valid event ticket. Small plates ran $12 to $19 in 2025 and cocktails $16.50 to $20.50.
Disney has not dated 2026 reservations yet. Expect them early to mid September 2026.
Is parking free with a Jollywood Nights ticket
Do not count on it. Standard theme park parking is $35 in 2026 and no official Disney source confirms a waiver for event ticket holders. If you are staying at a Disney resort, parking is included there and the buses run late enough to cover a 12:30 AM finish.
Four questions
Choosing your night
Which night to buy, and how it reads against the other party.
Which Jollywood Nights night is the cheapest
November 16, 2026 at $169 before tax, which is a Monday and the calmest combination on the calendar. The next cheapest are November 7 and November 14 at $179, both Saturdays.
Do Jollywood Nights tickets sell out
Eventually, but late. Only four nights sold out across the whole 2024 season, and as late as mid October 2025 only one 2025 night had gone, though almost every date sold out by the end of that season. If your dates are flexible you can realistically wait for opening night reviews before booking.
Jollywood Nights or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Jollywood is $20 to $30 cheaper at every tier, gives Passholders and DVC members $10 off every night rather than select nights, and delivers dramatically shorter ride waits. Mickey's Very Merry gives you an extra hour of park time, a parade, free cookies and cocoa, and the classic characters. Pick Jollywood for jazz, cocktails, rare characters and rides. Pick Mickey's Very Merry for a first traditional Christmas party with young kids.
What should I wear to Jollywood Nights
Layers. Orlando in November and December swings from the mid 80s to the high 40s, and you will be outside until 12:30 AM. Roughly a third of guests dress up for the Twilight Soiree in cocktail attire, sequins and the occasional tuxedo, but most people wear normal park clothes and comfortable shoes.
The last word
The cheapest night is Monday, November 16, 2026
$169
before tax, and the season runs November 7, 2026 through January 5, 2027
Four things are still outstanding for 2026. The merchandise, the Jazzy Holidays reservation date, the food menu and the official showtimes all land between mid August and late October, so every block on this page that still carries last season's figures says so, and gets replaced the week the new one posts.