Theme Park News - July 7-13, 2025

Guide to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom

The holiday season is approaching quickly, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is set to return with its festive fun. This separately ticketed event celebrates the season at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, featuring special entertainment, holiday themed ride overlays, a festive atmosphere, and plenty of seasonal treats. 

The 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates will run on select nights from Friday, November 7 to Sunday, December 21.  They are: 

• Nov. 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 30 

• Dec. 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21 

Guests attending the party can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 p.m., even though the event officially starts at 7 p.m. 

Tickets for the party go on sale July 16 for guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green. Tickets become available to all other guests on July 22. Discounts will be offered for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members. Tickets can be purchased with the help of your Carry on the Magic agent. 

Guests can look forward to exclusive character meet and greet opportunities, including Anna and Elsa in festive attire, Sally and Santa Jack, and Mickey and Minnie dressed in their holiday best. The event also features Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade, a magical procession with dancing gingerbread men, ballroom dancers, toy soldiers, and many Disney characters in holiday outfits, culminating with a special appearance by Santa Claus. 

At night, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks light up the sky with classic holiday songs, pyrotechnics, and castle projections. Guests can view the spectacular from various locations throughout Magic Kingdom or enjoy the experience with a special fireworks dessert party at Tomorrowland Terrace. 

Other highlights include Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration on the Cinderella Castle stage, the Frozen Holiday Surprise with characters like Elsa and Olaf, and themed dance parties in Tomorrowland. 

Families can meet Santa at Santa’s Christmas Carnival in Storybook Circus, a perfect spot for young children with crafts and holiday cheer. 

Holiday themed versions of popular rides such as Space Mountain and Jungle Jingle Cruise will be available, along with classic attractions across the park including Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. 

Throughout the party, guests will be treated to complimentary cookies, hot cocoa, and other seasonal snacks, with locations marked on event maps. Exclusive holiday merchandise will be available at the Emporium. 

To secure your tickets as soon as they go on sale, reach out to your Carry on the Magic agent. 

EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2025: What to Expect

The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays returns from November 28 to December 30, 2025, starting the day after Thanksgiving. This festive event features holiday decorations, entertainment, and celebrations from around the world. 

Key highlights include: 

• The nightly Candlelight Processional at America Gardens Theatre, with live orchestra, vocal ensembles, and celebrity narrators at 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m. Dining packages with reserved seating are available. 

• Holiday Storytellers in the World Showcase sharing traditions like Mexico’s Las Posadas, Norway’s Barn Santa, China’s Lion Dancer, and more.  

• JOYFUL!, a concert series blending gospel, jazz, and R&B music. 

Food lovers can enjoy Holiday Kitchens offering global seasonal dishes and beverages, plus the returning Holiday Cookie Stroll, where guests collect cookies across the park for a special reward. 

Additional activities include visits with Père Noël in the France Pavilion, Barn Santa’s playful antics in Norway, Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition scavenger hunt, and a festive holiday version of the Living with the Land boat ride. 

Start planning your visit with your Carry on the Magic agent to experience the best of the season at EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. 

Disney's Jollywood Nights 2025: Dates, Highlights, and New Experiences

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Jollywood Nights returns for 2025 from November 8 through December 22, offering a separately ticketed holiday event filled with vintage Hollywood glamour and festive fun. The event runs on select Saturdays and Mondays in November and Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in December, from 5:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., giving guests up to five hours of exclusive entertainment, specialty food and drinks, and lower wait times on popular rides. 

New for 2025, Jollywood Nights includes earlier park access, fresh shows like “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” and “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After,” plus a new specialty menu at Backlot Express. Guests can enjoy the Holiday Fiesta en la Calle with Miguel from “Coco,” classic shows such as “Disney Holidays in Hollywood,” “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Singalong,” and the skating show “Glisten!” near the Chinese Theater. 

The festivities also feature a jazzy atmosphere at The Hollywood Brown Derby, a Latin inspired street fair on Sunset Boulevard, and the spectacular “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” fireworks. Over 20-character meet and greets include Phineas and Ferb, Max Goof, Chip ‘n’ Dale, Stitch Santa, Duffy, Pixar pals, and classic Disney favorites. 

Popular attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be open with reduced wait times. Ticket sales start July 16 for resort guests and July 22 for the public, with discounts for Annual Passholders and DVC members. More details on exclusive merchandise and food options will be announced as the event approaches. 

Jollywood Nights is a must for anyone wanting to experience festive holiday magic sprinkled with classic Hollywood charm. 

Terrifier Haunted House Brings Art the Clown's Horror to Life

Welcome to the terrifying world of Art the Clown in this year’s all new “Terrifier” haunted house, inspired by the slasher film franchise that has scared audiences since 2008. The experience begins at Universal Orlando Resort on August 29 and at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 4. 

Created by Damien Leone and Phil Falcone, “Terrifier” introduces Art the Clown, a supernatural entity who haunts Miles County, New York, each Halloween, terrorizing victims in gruesome and inventive ways. The franchise includes three gory films, with a fourth in development, and now features a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house. 

At Halloween Horror Nights, guests will face a new level of gore as they navigate Art’s chilling Funhouse, drawn from Terrifier 2. Visitors will encounter iconic characters and scenes—including Vicky, the Little Pale Girl, and infamous kills—all within claustrophobic corridors filled with terrifying sights and sounds. From chaos at the Clown Café to a deadly Christmas nightmare, guests must escape Art’s twisted domain before becoming his next victim.