All about my experience at Jollywood Nights, Disney’s new holiday after hours event in Hollywood Studios:
If Disney had come to me and said, “Becky, we’d like to create a new Holiday event in Hollywood Studios – which things would YOU personally most want to see?” I’m not sure I could have done much better than what they came up with for Jollywood Nights.
From the moment it was announced, it was definitely a “me” event from everything we heard. Encouraging people to dress up in their tinsel town best? I love dressing up! Enjoy the 1930s vibe of Tower of Terror? Well, how about we have a live jazz band and themed cocktails! Oh, but you really love Latin music and food too? We’ll add the Fiesta de Calle for you!
Oh, and we need a big stage show. Who should host? What would Becky be thrilled about? Ah, Kermit and Miss Piggy! We need some special guests of course, and we need to have princesses. Which two princesses are Becky’s favorites? Belle and Tiana? Great, throw them in! (Seriously, I’m not sure the random assortment of characters makes too much sense other than they are all some of my absolute favorites. There really is no other great explanation!)
Once I heard about all of this (and more), I was obviously sold on the event. So much so that I planned a long weekend trip in December just to attend the first year it was held. This past year, I managed to convince Jenn at Fairest Run of All to come join me for it!
So – did Jollywood Nights still live up to my expectations? I’m happy to tell you all about it!
The entertainment at Jollywood Nights
I’m going to start with what I feel was the highlight of the event, and that was hands down the entertainment. There were several big stage shows as well as smaller bands/performances happening around the park.
If this event happens again in the future, my biggest advice to anyone attending – don’t pass by these performers. They are the heart and soul of the event, and they were so talented. If you appreciate live music, there are some great opportunities at Jollywood Nights.
I spent a majority of my time enjoying the performances. As an annual passholder and someone who visits the parks several times a year I can do the rides any time, but this was something different.
The full entertainment lineup for Jollywood Nights included:
- Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club
- Holiday Fiesta en la Calle
- Disney Holidays in Hollywood
- What’s This? The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-along
- Sunset Seasons Greetings
- Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby
- Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
- Glisten
- Pixar Disco Dance Party
Now that I’ve visited twice, I have seen almost all of these. I think it would be close to impossible to hit every single one in just one evening though. The first year I went I skipped Nightmare before Christmas and Jazzy Holidays (and Glisten & the Pixar Disco hadn’t been added yet). So this year those were priorities!
Twilight Soiree at The Tip Top Club
Over by Tower of Terror, they leaned into the “Hollywood. 1939.” theming. There was a jazz band that performed and they were excellent. The band consisted of a singer, a saxophone player, an upright bass, and a drummer.
The main singer was very talented and also perfectly in character. She made comments to the audience but stayed true to being a 1930s jazz singer. They did a mix of classic jazz tunes and jazzy versions of holiday favorites.
I could tell that Disney had learned a few things from the first year, too. One improvement was listing the times the band was playing on the map and in the app. In 2023 they were just said to be playing “intermittenly,” which meant you didn’t know when. Tower of Terror is pretty out of the way, so you’re not likely to just be wandering by. I think this change helped draw a bigger crowd.
Another improvement was the addition of two dancers down in the crowd. They did some dance steps together, but also went out into the audience to draw people in and up to the edge of the stage. It was nice to have a natural way to get people involved and really have it feel like a party atmosphere.
There was even some streetmosphere between sets! A Tower of Terror bellhop and maid were in thecourtyard interacting with guests, and they were hilarious. Bring back more streetmosphere!
Ultimately, the Twilight Soiree continues to be one of my favorite experiences at Jollywood Nights. There’s just something about live entertainment and the talent that they have. As much as I love the big stage shows, I love the intimate setting of smaller performances like this.
Holiday Fiesta en la Calle
This is one of the entertainment offerings that probably changed the most since the first year. Originally it was located on the pathway where ABC Commissary was, but there wasn’t a lot of traffic that way and it was kind of a cramped space. This time around it’s in the courtyard by Rock n Roller Coaster. So more room, but
I thought it was definitely worth it to stop and watch some of the musicians here. They seem to have several different acts who perform, so the music is pretty much on-going. Most recently we caught a band finishing up a set and heard a mariachi group come out and start their set.
In 2023 there were two other performances I saw. The first was one man with a guitar. He was very talented, but he was also great at getting people engaged. At one point he managed to get a group of around 12 of us gathered in a circle and he taught us some dance moves – all while singing and playing! There was also another very talented band, with a lead vocalist plus guitar player, bongos, drums, keyboards, and more. The lead singer’s voice was so good – some of the notes she hit actually gave me chills.
Disney Holidays in Hollywood
I would say this was the “big” stage show of the event, and it was a cute variety-style show in the theater where they usually have the Beauty and the Beast live show.
There were two human hosts, but they (of course) were overshadowed by the two real hosts of the evening – Kermit and Miss Piggy! I’m always happy to see the Muppets get a little more love, and it was so cool to see them “live.”
There was an ensemble of very talented dancers who really added a lot to the big numbers. We had a song from Tiana, a cute duet with Mickey and Minnie in their holiday outfits, and then Belle came out to sing “As Long As There’s Christmas” (from the Beauty and the Beast Christmas movie – which is actually good if you haven’t seen it!). She was also wearing her Christmas dress as an added bonus.
The show was about 25 minutes long and played 4 times during the evening. Both times I went I only arrived maybe 10 minutes before the show and got a decent seat without any issue. If you wanted a close, middle seat, you might want to plan to get there a little earlier.
What’s This? The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-along
The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along is held in the same building that does the Frozen Sing-Along during the day. They do a great job changing the vibe.
Nightmare Before Christmas has a great soundtrack, so it works really well as a sing-along. Jack comes out at the beginning and end and is pretty impressive. Puppet? Animatronic? I’m not totally sure, but it’s cool. Oogie Boogie also gets his turn to take the spotlight and is a ton of fun.
We have two actors who interact with our Nightmare Before Christmas characters. Unlike the narrators during Frozen, they actually don’t speak or sing at all. Nevertheless, they do a great job telling the story with just their movement and body language. It was pretty cool to watch.
In the short time of the show they can’t include every song, and since this is a Christmas-themed party after all they focus on the more Christmas-themed songs. Unfortunately, that does mean we don’t get to sing “This is Halloween,” one of my favorites. But that makes sense, since it is not, in fact, Halloween.
Sunset Seasons Greetings
This is what Disney calls their holiday projection show in Hollywood Studios, which happens on the Tower of Terror. The projections are really beautiful, and it was even accompanied by “snow” on Sunset Boulevard!
I didn’t stop to watch the little show, but there was music and some sort of story? I definitely heard Olaf talking at one point, but to be honest, with everything going on, and it was a little hard to hear. But it was a really nice Christmas-y addition!
Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby
Jazzy Holidays is entertainment that you can only get if you grab a reservation for a meal at the Hollywood Brown Derby. Overall the atmosphere was really nice, and the food and drinks were good (more on that later), but the biggest problem was the sound.
Maybe it was due to where we were seated, but it was very difficult to hear much of the performer at all. There were two musicians who took turns playing the piano and singing. The first was a little easier to hear than the woman who followed him, but it was still not great. I wish they had set up a better sound system, since the entertainment is supposed to be a big part of this meal.
What we did hear was good, though! The first performer played at least two Hamilton songs while we were there, which made me happy. Those are not really jazzy songs and not holiday songs, but I was okay with it. There were also some traditional Christmas songs played, as well as jazzier versions of Disney tunes.
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
The first year I attended I watched half of Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! (But I’ve also seen it in the past). Back then it was the last thing happening at the party before you left, so I snuck out early to beat the lines at the buses.
This year it was at 10pm and we skipped it since the show isn’t a high priority for me, and luckily Jenn trusted my judgement. We used that time to hit a character line when the wait was presumably a little lower. It’s a “nighttime spectacular” but relies much more on the projections than fireworks.
Glisten
A small ice skating rink is set up in front of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway for this show. We didn’t get a chance to really see it, but we did walk by at one point and wanted to stop for a bit. Unfortunately, our view was terrible. I don’t know if it’s because we were off to the side or if they went too heavy on the fog machine, but a lot of our view was obscured by fog.
The do a 15-minute performance of figure skating set to Disney music. If you’re interested, I’d try to get a view in the center!
Pixar Disco Dance Party
This is another event we didn’t get around to, but I have a feeling it was a good place for the kids! You can dance to fun tunes with Pixar characters like Edna Mode and Mike Wazowski.
Food and Beverage
Another highlight for me? The food and drink options that were available during this event! You did have to pay extra for everything. It would have been nice to have something included like soft drinks/bottled water and popcorn like at the After Hours events, or hot cocoa and cookies like at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
That being said, I thought the food and drinks available for purchase were overall better than what was normally available during the day, and they did pretty well at getting into the theming with them.
A look at the locations with food/drink and a bit of what they offered:
- ABC Commissary (Latin cuisine)
- Backlot Express (twists on holiday favorites)
- Baseline Taphouse (small bites and drinks)
- Dockside Diner (meatball, samosas, cookie, drinks)
- Epic Eats (sweet and savory funnel cakes, drinks)
- Fairfax Faire (popovers, drinks)
- Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction (cookie)
- Hollywood Scoops (Muppets themed ice cream sundaes)
- Ice Cold Hydraulics (gingerbread churros, drinks)
- KRNR The Rock Station (Arepa, churro sundae, drinks)
- Market (Spring rolls, macaroons, drinks)
- The Trolley Car Café (desserts)
- Tune-In Lounge (holiday cocktails)
- Twilight Soirée at The Tip-Top Club (cocktails and champagne)
- Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby (small plates, cocktails)
- Outdoor vending/bar carts (gingerbread bites, drinks)
- Joffrey’s carts (specialty coffee drinks)
Sadly, I couldn’t try all of the locations – though I did manage to eat and drink my way through quite a few of them! (You can view the 2025 full menus here). Here’s what I tried and my thoughts.
ABC Commissary
Originally in 2023, it made sense that ABC Commissary was serving a Latin inspired menu because that’s where the “Fiesta en la Calle” was held. This time around the fiesta has moved, but the food remains!
I had the Chicken Empanadas with Street Corn (Chicken empanadas served with a side of street corn salad topped with chili peppers, lime, and cotija cheese):
There were two empanadas they were very tasty – I only wish I had one or two more! The street corn that accompanied it was perhaps even better, so that was a great side.
I grabbed a drink here as well, and went with the Oaxaca Old Fashioned (Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, agave nectar, Mexican chocolate, and orange bitters served over ice garnished with an orange).
This was just okay. I love both old fashioneds and tequila, so I thought this would be really good, but it was kind of one-note for me. The description mentions Mexican chocolate and I’m not sure that was involved in my drink at all? It was probably my least favorite drink of the night.
Baseline Taphouse
I love Baseline Taphouse during the day, so hearing they had some specialty items for this event meant I had to stop by!
For a beverage, of course I had to try the Beer Margarita (Blend of Patrón Silver Tequila, Cointreau Liqueur, and lime juice topped with Scrimshaw Pilsner over Ice):
(Also pictured here is the Charcuterie Cup that was offered in 2023, but not in 2025).
Remember in the intro how I mentioned that it seemed like Disney basically created an event based on things that I love? Well, this drink was no different. It was as if they said “What are Becky’s two favorite drinks? Margaritas and craft beer? Let’s just combine them!”
I wasn’t sure if this would “work”, but I had to try it. And it actually was really, really good! The pilsner was a perfect, light choice and paired surprisingly well in a margarita. I’m going to have to try to recreate this at home.
Epic Eats
Jenn stopped here to get the Warm Spiced Chai Cocktail (Twinings Chai Tea, RumChata Cream Liqueur, vanilla, and cinnamon):
She was kind enough to let me have a sip, and I thought it was delightful. It wasn’t particularly cold the evening we attended, so I didn’t feel like I needed a hot drink, but if it had been cooler this would have been perfect. It doesn’t sound too involved, so I might try to recreate it at home!
Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction
There was one item available here, and that was the Christmas Gertie Cookie (Sugar cookie with mint icing).
Back in 2023 you could also get it with mint soft serve (I’m not sure if they offer that anymore). I think the cookie by itself would have been just okay. It was a good sugar cookie and, of course, adorable!
Hollywood Scoops
There are two ice cream sundaes served here that come in a cute collectible cup. You can go Kermit, with mint chocolate chip and green apple, or Miss Piggy with strawberry flavors.
I got the Kermit Mint Whirl (green apple boba pearls and white chocolate cheesecake topped with mint chocolate chip ice cream and green M&M’S Milk Chocolate candies):
In general, I’m not a big fan of cheesecake, but I ordered this for the souvenir cup & the ice cream. It was pretty good! The mint chocolate chip ice cream was good, and I had a few bites of the cheesecake. I was a little worried that the green apple boba wouldn’t work well, but weirdly, it seemed okay.
KRNR the Rock Station
Now that the Fiesta en la Calle is moved to this area, KRNR is open with a few food and drink items. They also lean into the latin flavors. I got the Arepas de Choclo (sweet corn cakes with cheese topped with cilantro aïoli and served with jícama slaw ):
The arepa itself was fine, but nothing special. We have a Colombian restaurant near our house that does amazing arepas, and this was definitely not on that level. But I thought the real highlight was the cilantro aioli that came on top of it. That aioli had a lot of flavor and really added something different to the dish.
I also tried two different drinks here. The first one was the White Cranberry Margarita (Teremana Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, white cranberry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup with a sugar rim and cranberries):
I definitely preferred this one out of the two drinks I had there. It was a nice balance of being sweet but not too much. I liked the addition of the white cranberry juice to a margarita to make it a little more Christmas-y.
The other drink was the Spiced Apple Sangria (Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, red wine, apple cider, Minute Maid Orange Juice, and lemon and lime juices garnished with a star fruit chip):
This one was also good, though not my personal favorite. It was definitely sweeter than the margarita, though the fireball did bring some nice cinnamon flavor. Both are solid choices at this location!
The Market
I hit this one in 2023, where I got some of the Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls (Fried spring rolls served with a jalapeño-ranch dipping sauce and fried rice noodles).
I’m not sure how they relate to the holidays or Pixar (this location is in Pixar Place) or what, but I will say they were really good! They definitely had a good kick to them with the jalapeno dipping sauce. And they were pretty large spring rolls so it was actually a decent value for the money.
Tune-In Lounge
I technically did not visit the Tune-In Lounge during Jollywood Nights, but some of the drinks served here were also offered at other locations, so I can give you the info on the drinks!
It’s where you’ll find one of my favorite drinks of Jollywood. That was the In Holiday Fashion (Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, rosemary syrup, cranberry and lime juices, and cinnamon):
I loved a good Old Fashioned. This was a great holiday twist on one! It wasn’t overly sweet but had enough hints of sweetness from the juices to make it more approachable. In fact, it was so good I recreated this one at home already!
I also had the Sugar Cookie Martini (Stoli Vanil Vodka, Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, and DISARONNO Originale Liqueur mixed with milk and sugar in a sprinkle-rimmed glass with a sugar cookie garnish):
This drink was actually better than I expected. It was sweet but not too sweet and stronger than I expected (they could have done this the wrong way and went super heavy on the milk and sugar, but I’m glad they didn’t). It was a nice little “dessert drink” to end the evening.
Twilight Soirée at The Tip-Top Club
This is where you’ll find some fun cocktails inspired by the 1930s and the atmosphere over by Tower of Terror. There are two cocktails and one mocktail here. For the two cocktails, the names have changed but the drinks have stayed the same. This year they were also available in souvenir plastic champagne flutes.
The first drink I had was The 1939 Royale (Teremana Blanco Tequila, Cointreau Liqueur, desert pear, agave nectar, and lime juice topped with Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut):
This one was previously known was the 5th Dimension Royale, but despite the name change the drink is exactly the same. It was really good and my second favorite drink of the night, after In Holiday Fashion. The desert pear added a more unique flavor and some sweetness but the brut balanced it really nicely. It went down pretty easy!
I also had the Top Floor Daiquiri (Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, ube, lime juice, and a splash of shimmer):
The first year this was called the Twilight Daiquiri. This was the opposite of the first one – it was icky sweet and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Very rarely am I tempted to not finish a drink, but I didn’t bother with the last few sips of this one. It was on the warm side as well, which didn’t help, but ultimately it just tasted like sugar. I’ve learned I’m not really a fan of ube in drinks.
Throughout the park
Before catching the last showing of Holidays in Hollywood, Jenn and I grabbed the Gingerbread Whisky Mule (Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, gingerbread syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer garnished with a gingerbread bite):
This one was strong on the ginger. I couldn’t really taste the cinnamon from the Fireball at all, which made this a little one note. Definitely more “ginger” than “gingerbread.” I like ginger, but it was a bit one note for me. This would be something I’d pass on in the future.
Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby
Even though it takes up some of your party time, this year we decided to do the sit-down meal at the Hollywood Brown Derby. I talked about the entertainment side of this above, but I think if they improved the sound quality I would strongly recommend doing this. As it is, it’s nice if you want a warm place to sit down for a little bit and grab a more leisurely bite to eat and a drink.
We found the service to be quite fast, so it didn’t eat up a ton of our time. If we wanted to I think we could have been out in half an hour. We decided to spend a little more time enjoying our drinks. I can’t say this will be the experience for everyone, but that’s how it happened for us.
There is a special menu for Jazzy Holidays, which focuses on drinks and small bites. Both Jenn and I started with the Poinsettia Fizz (Grand Marnier Liqueur, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and prosecco garnished with frozen cranberries):
This was a very nice, pleasant drink. Perhaps nothing special, but it is pretty, fits the theme well, and tasted good. So I’m happy with it!
I also had the Pomegranate Whisky Sour (Crown Royal Blended Canadian Whisky, pomegranate juice, and sweet-and-sour):
This was just okay. It was very heavy on the cranberry juice and sweet-and-sour, which made it overly sweet for me. I would have preferred for more of the whisky to come through.
We also tried two small bites that we split between us. The first was the Pork Belly Bao (Korean barbecue, cucumber slaw, and soy vinaigrette):
This was very good! I rarely have pork belly, so it was something a little different for me. In a bao bun it’s extra delicious! The Korean barbecue presented some fun flavors as well.
We also had the Charcuterie (House-made cured meats and accompaniments with blue cheese mousse and toasted sourdough):
This was rather meh. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it was fairly small without much variety. The accompaniments were lackluster too (except the honey, I’m a big fan of that and they didn’t skimp on it). Jenn and I are on a quest to try all of the charcuterie in Disney, but I don’t think this one would rank highly. Middling at best.
Photo Opportunities
If you’ve followed my blog regularly, you probably know one thing about me – I love to dress up and get into a theme. Whether it’s a running costume, Halloween, or for a fancy event, I’m in! The description in the first press release said “Disney Jollywood Nights is brimming with red-carpet moments, Hollywood vibes, glimmering décor and fantastic photo ops—so you’re encouraged to don your holiday best!” Of course I had to take them up on that.
And I wasn’t the only one! Many guests were dressed up. Whether it was fancy holiday attire, a 1930s period look, or decked out in fun outfits for the holidays, part of the fun that evening was just checking out all of the outfits!
And whatever you choose to do to dress up, of course getting a few photos has to happen. Jollywood Nights went above and beyond here. Not only did they have some fun spots to take photos and special magic shots, they had even more unique photo opportunities. It was a lot of fun!
Also a side note – all of your photo downloads were included for this event, so you didn’t have to pay extra for Memory Maker if you didn’t have it. I always do as I pay for the add on with my annual pass, but it’s good info to know that you’ll get your photos from this event regardless.
Magic Shots
I only got one magic shot, but it was one of the best Magic Shots ever! If you’re not familiar with Disney’s magic shots, the photopass photographers at certain locations will have you pose a specific way. Then later something is “magically” added to your photo.
I had almost forgotten she set me up for a magic shot, so the next day I was pretty thrilled to see a photo with two of my favorites – Kermit and Miss Piggy! Have I mentioned that there should generally be more Muppets everywhere?
There are a few other magic shots during the event, too. These included:
- Ollie (the gingerbread man)
- Life Day orb
- Mickey holiday lights
There were also a few places with fun physical props, too! These included:
- Gift box
- Ollie clapboard / slate
- Fantasia clapboard / slate
- Villains props
Photo spots
You could also find a few fun/unique places to take some photos, too! Here’s a list of the locations I thought were some fun photos but weren’t specifically about the props or magic shots.
- Jollywood Nights neon sign
- Sci-Fi Dine In Car
- “Living room” background with Christmas tree inside Sid Cahuenga’s One-of-A-Kind
- Jollywood Nights stylized backdrop
There were also photopass photographers in some of the “regular” spots, and if you arrived to the party early (they let you in at 5:30pm), you could do any of the regular photo spots. Lightsabers and formal wear was a pretty fun picture!
Back in 2023 there was also a stylized photo over at the “Tip Top Club” by Tower of Terror. They took a few photos here but one of them comes out as an old Hollywood style black and white photo. It was very cool! But I suspect it was removed because the area was a bit too crowded.
No longer available in 2025: Camera Array Shot & Robotic Arm Shot
I have to preface this section by saying these were no longer available at Jollywood Nights in 2025. That being said, they were very unique and I hope they bring them back! So I’m leaving this section in here about my 2023 experience.
Unique to this event were two special photo ops. These were back in two buildings in the Animation Courtyard. I made this my first stop of the night because I wasn’t sure how long they would take and what the lines would be like.
The first one, the camera array, uses 9 different cameras to create a “boomerang” style video. They had a small gift box and you could do a few different fun things with it – open it, or fight over it if you were with a group. I actually didn’t wait at all for this one and walked right up to it.
The robotic arm was a super neat video opportunity! There were two different styles you could choose from – one was called “celebrate,” and one was slo-mo. You could basically do anything you wanted within the 5 or so seconds you had.
Celebrate was more upbeat and looked like it would be good with a group of people, but you could also do a lot of fun stuff with the slo-mo video. A lot of couples did cute things like dancing together. There were some funny ones too! People were very creative.
Characters at Jollywood Nights
After hours events are usually a time when Disney brings out a lot of character opportunities – often ones that aren’t normally available in the parks.
In 2025, Jollywood Nights had the following characters:
- Mickey & Minnie Mouse
- Donald & Daisy Duck
- Phineas & Ferb
- Chip n Dale as Rescue Rangers
- Max as Powerline
- Baloo or King Louie from Talespin
- Santa Duffy
- Santa Stitch
- Scrooge McDuck
- Bing Bong
- Partysaurus Rex
- Bo Peep
- Lotso
- The Mandalorian
- Chewbacca in Life Day outfit
- Miguel
I enjoy character photos, but it’s also not where I usually want to focus my time overall. I’m also fortunate to get lots of unique character opportunities during the RunDisney events. For example, I had gotten a picture with Santa Duffy at Wine and Dine!
Jenn and I only waited for Bing Bong, and it was probably about 20 minutes. We went around 10am during the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM show.
The year before I grabbed a picture with Daisy just because I wanted at least one character photo if the lines weren’t too bad. I’d say I waited less than 10 minutes for her, but this was pretty early in the night.
And for the sake of historical data, here are characters that were out in 2023 (but not back for 2025):
- Goofy
- Pluto
- Edna Mode
- Frozone
- Jiminy Cricket
- Pinocchio
- Snow White and Dopey
- Mary Poppins and Penguins
Edna Mode and Frozone do make appearances at the Pixar Disco, though!
Attractions
Of course, the other major component of the evening was that we were actually in a theme park and many of the rides were running!
Most of the major rides were up, including:
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Tower of Terror
- Rock n Roller Coaster
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rise of the Resistance
- Star Tours
- The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
We did not prioritize any rides or attractions. We did catch Villains: Unfairly Ever After when we first arrived around 6pm, but that was before the party officially started.
The first year I attended I did Rise of the Resistance (at that point a virtual queue was still running, and there was a separate one for the party). Rise of the Resistance was the only attraction I did that night. I had thought about doing a few others, but I was having such a good time with the entertainment options that I knew I wouldn’t really be able to fit it all in.
Out of curiosity I did keep an eye on the app and the wait times, and they were very short throughout the night. I think the longest listed wait time was 20 minutes, but most of them were in the 5-10 minute range. I’m guessing they were pretty much walk-ons. So if you’re looking to ride things without a wait, you could get a lot done!
Merchandise / Gift
I remain underwhelmed by the specialty merchandise for Jollywood Nights. It’s definitely gotten better than the first year (they had nothing – maybe one t-shirt at some point!). But even now, it’s all focused on Ollie the gingerbread man.
He’s fine, but he’s not really involved in Jollywood Nights in any way. He’s just the character they created to represent it. I bought the one item that didn’t have Ollie on it, which was a pin that featured Kermit and Miss Piggy. I think more Muppets merch would do really well. I’d also love some Twilight Soiree/Tip Top Club stuff!
Hopefully they will think about expanding the merch in the future. Not that I NEEDED to spend more money, but I’m sure they could make some stuff that would tempt me.
They did give us a free gift as we left. This year it was a cute picture frame ornament. In 2023, we got a set of 2 coasters with the Jollywood Nights logo printed on them – it was at least nice to have some sort of keepsake. And free is even better!
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Overall, I absolutely loved Jollywood Nights. It was a bit different than some of the other holiday or after hours events, but for me it was well worth it. I can’t say that I’ll make it out every holiday season, but I know I’ll definitely return to Jollywood Nights as often as I can!
What do you think of Jollywood Nights? Do you think it is an event that you would enjoy?
Not me poring over this post like I wasn’t literally there. 😅 I’m trying to buy less stuff and I would still absolutely kill for some Tip Top Club merch!
I feel like I gotta get out my cricut and make some myself!