Disney World begins its holiday programme on 13 November

Disney World’s holiday programme begins on 13 November 2026 in Orlando, with seasonal experiences scheduled across its parks through 6 January 2027. The programme includes returning celebrations at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, alongside festive offerings at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs.

Holiday programme runs across Disney World parks

The resort’s official programme opens with holiday decorations, seasonal entertainment and special experiences across the theme parks. At Magic Kingdom, the Jungle Cruise becomes Jingle Cruise, while Cinderella Castle features the Frozen Holiday Surprise with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and the Snowgies.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios adds nightly projections to the Hollywood Tower Hotel through Sunset Seasons Greetings. Disney Jollywood Nights is scheduled on selected nights from 7 November 2026 to 5 January 2027, while Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on selected nights from 8 November to 22 December 2026 at Magic Kingdom.

The official holiday programme also lists seasonal entertainment at Animal Kingdom, including the Merry Menagerie and a holiday edition of Tree of Life Awakenings. At Disney Springs, visitors can find the Christmas Tree Stroll and seasonal decorations.

Disney World’s four parks shape the holiday programme

EPCOT provides the clearest fixed-date element within the wider programme. The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026, with festive traditions, Holiday Kitchens, the Holiday Cookie Stroll and the Candlelight Processional at America Gardens Theatre.

The Candlelight Processional presents the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, an orchestra and a massed choir. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind also receives three seasonal songs from 25 November 2026 through 6 January 2027, linking a modern attraction to the resort’s wider holiday schedule.

Disney World is an entertainment and recreation resort southwest of Orlando. It covers nearly 40 square miles and includes four theme parks, two water parks, resort hotels, Disney Springs and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, according to Visit Florida’s resort overview.

The holiday programme therefore uses the resort’s full structure rather than a single attraction. A visitor can connect the period’s global traditions at EPCOT with seasonal transformations at Magic Kingdom and entertainment-led experiences at the other parks.

Visiting Disney World: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The main holiday programme runs from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 across the resort.
• The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026, while Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights are separately ticketed events on selected nights.
• The resort is southwest of Orlando in the United States and includes Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
• Seasonal experiences are distributed across large theme parks, water parks, hotels and Disney Springs, so the named venue should be checked before travelling.

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Frequently asked questions about Disney World

When does the holiday programme take place at Disney World?

The main programme runs from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, with individual events using separate dates.

What is the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays?

It is an EPCOT event running from 27 November to 30 December 2026, with seasonal traditions, food offerings and the Candlelight Processional.

Where is Disney World and how do you get there?

The resort is southwest of Orlando in the United States and includes four theme parks, two water parks and Disney Springs.