The holidays are one of the busiest, most magical times at Walt Disney World, and also the easiest to get wrong: party nights close Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios early, some dates are already sold out, and a few big rides are down. Here's what to plan around for November and December 2026 (as of Oct 16, 2026).
The holiday calendar at a glance
- Nov 3: Jungle Cruise becomes the holiday Jingle Cruise (Source ↗).
- Nov 7: Disney Jollywood Nights opens at Hollywood Studios; opening night is already sold out (Source ↗).
- Nov 8 – Dec 22: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party nights at Magic Kingdom (Source ↗).
- Nov 13 – Jan 6, 2027: Walt Disney World's holiday season (Source ↗).
- Nov 14 – Jan 3, 2027: Universal Orlando's holiday events, if you're splitting your trip (Source ↗).
- Nov 27 – Dec 30: EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays and the Candlelight Processional (Source ↗).
Magic Kingdom party nights: the park closes at 6 PM
On Christmas party nights Magic Kingdom closes to regular day guests at 6 PM, so a day ticket gets you a short day and no evening fireworks. Disney's published calendar (fetched Oct 16 via ThemeParks.wiki) shows these party nights from November on: Nov 8, Nov 9, Nov 12, Nov 13, Nov 15, Nov 17, Nov 19, Nov 20, Nov 24, Nov 25, Nov 27, Nov 29, Dec 1, Dec 3, Dec 4, Dec 6, Dec 8, Dec 10, Dec 11, Dec 13, Dec 15, Dec 17, Dec 18, Dec 20, Dec 22. On the other nights the park is scheduled to stay open until 10 PM. See the Magic Kingdom guide for the next 7 days of hours.
Already sold out as of Oct 11: Nov 9, 12, 17 and 24, Dec 1, 20 and 22 (Source ↗). If the party is the point of your trip, buy tickets now; if it isn't, plan your Magic Kingdom day on a non-party night.
Hollywood Studios: Jollywood Nights closes the park early too
Hollywood Studios' calendar shows ticketed event nights (Jollywood Nights) where the park closes to day guests at 7 PM: Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 16, Nov 21, Nov 23, Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 7, Dec 12, Dec 14, Dec 19, Dec 21, Dec 23. Opening night, Nov 7, is sold out (Source ↗). On other nights the park is scheduled to close at 9 PM.
EPCOT: Festival of the Holidays and Candlelight
The Festival of the Holidays runs Nov 27 – Dec 30, 2026, and the Candlelight Processional has performances at 4:45, 6:30 and 8:00 PM (Source ↗). Celebrity narrators rotate through the run; announced dates include Gary Sinise Nov 29 – Dec 1, Benjamin Bratt Dec 2–3, Whoopi Goldberg Dec 4–5 and Eva Longoria Dec 28–30 (check the source for the full list before you plan around one narrator). Deluxe resort guests also get Extended Evening Hours at EPCOT on Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16, Nov 23, Nov 30, Dec 7, Dec 14, Dec 21.
What's closed during the holidays
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure: closed Nov 2 – Dec 17, reopening Dec 18 (Source ↗). Tiana's Bayou General (the shop) is closed from Nov 2 until about mid-December.
- Typhoon Lagoon: closed since Sep 9 with no reopening date (Source ↗).
- Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress: closed until late spring 2027 (Source ↗).
- Mickey Shorts Theater (Hollywood Studios): closed Oct 28 until about early January (Source ↗).
- Good news: the Walt Disney World Railroad's Main Street and Fantasyland stations are scheduled back Oct 30, and Grand Floridian Café reopens Nov 2 (Source ↗).
The full, updated list is on our Disney World closures page.
Holiday room deals worth checking
- Up to 20% off select Disney Resorts Collection rooms on select nights Oct 4 – Dec 24, 2026 (Source ↗).
- Florida residents: up to 25% off select rooms most nights Oct 19–31, Nov 15–28 and Dec 13–24 (Source ↗).
- Annual Passholders: up to 30% off select rooms Oct 4 – Dec 24 (Source ↗).
- Disney+ Perks: a free Park Hopper add-on and up to 25% off rooms with a 4-night, 4-day package for stays Oct 19–31, Nov 15–28 and Dec 13–24 (Source ↗).
Offers have limited inventory and can't always be combined. All current offers are on the Disney deals page. Already booked? Discounts released after you book can sometimes be applied to an existing reservation, which is exactly what a price-drop check is for.
A simple plan for a holiday week
- Pick your party nights first (or decide to skip them), then put Magic Kingdom on a non-party day so you get the full evening.
- Avoid Hollywood Studios evenings on Jollywood Nights dates unless you have an event ticket.
- Ride Jingle Cruise early in November, before December crowds; Tiana's is down until Dec 18 either way.
- Use the trip planner: enter your dates on the park hours page to see each day's hours, early entry, party nights and what's closed while you're there.