The holidays will go on for 2020 at the Walt Disney World Resort, but they will definitely look a little different than they had in year’s past. This year, the holiday season will take place from November 6 through December 30 and there will be festive dĂ©cor, seasonal food & beverage offerings, holiday merchandise, as well as entertainment offering at all four Walt Disney World theme parks and also at Disney Springs!
Unfortunately, I must start with some bad news. A few of the holiday season classics will not be occurring this year. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the Castle Dream Lights/A Frozen Holiday Wish at the Magic Kingdom and Candlelight Processional at EPCOT will all not be taking place. Also, it appears that Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! will also not be returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There will still be other great holiday offerings that will be available though. So, let’s find out how you can still get your jingle bells on!
First, at the Magic Kingdom, in place of the castle being blinged out with the Castle Dream Lights, the castle will showcase special projections that will rotate with series of designs including a whimsical Christmas sweater and a regal overlay of red, green and gold ornamentation.
The Magic Kingdom will also include special character cavalcades with Disney friends on festive floats dressed in their holiday finest. Plus you might see Gingerbread Men, the Elves and Reindeer, and the Toy Soldiers who will join the Main Street Philharmonic marching through the Magic Kingdom.
Moving over to EPCOT, the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays will continue. This festival will start later in the holiday season, on November 27 and Guests will, of course, find the Holiday kitchens scattered around World Showcase promenade. Also, the Voices of Liberty will bring their incredible performances to the America Gardens Theatre stage for a special holiday concert. In addition, inside World ShowPlace will be the fantastic musical group JOYFUL!, who present a journey through R&B, Gospel, contemporary and traditional Christmas and holiday music.
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At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Minnie’s Holiday Dine will be taking place at Hollywood & Vine starting November 6. No word on if the Sunset Seasons Greetings projections will be shown on the Tower of Terror this year.
Finally, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Guests will be able to see festive flotillas with characters along the waterways beginning on November 6. I do hope that they will at least be able to include some of the holiday decor and entertainment that was introduced last year, in at least some way.
At Disney Springs, it would appear that the elaborately decorated trees which are normally part of the Christmas Tree Trail will this year be spread throughout Disney Springs. Here’s what last year’s Christmas Tree Trail looked like:
In the evenings, things will get even more magical as Guests visiting areas within Town Center, West Side and The Landing will encounter a magical snowfall. Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar will once again share holiday cheer, as the bar decorated in holiday décor and will include a delicious limited-time festive menu.
The resorts will still be getting in on the holiday festivities too, but again, not in the same ways. The lobbies of the hotels will be decorated with trees and other festive flourishes. Unfortunately though, the popular gingerbread displays will not be occurring at the resorts, including Disney’s Grand Floridian, Disney’s Beach Club, and more. Here are a few of the displays from last year.
While the holidays at Walt Disney World will be different this year, it does appear that things will still be just as festive as they always have been. The festivities just may be a bit different.
