Jollywood Nights kicked off last night at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! I was really looking forward to going, and to see anything new that they added. You may remember opening night last year. It was a brand new holiday party and it was less than jolly, but still a good time with lots of potential. The crowds were crazy, the lines for everything were extremely long, we didn’t cover a lot of ground. We also went to the very last party and noticed an improvement! Speaking of improvement, let’s discuss opening night for 2024!
Yesterday, I was excited for the party all day! The fun thing about Jollywood Nights is that people get all decked out in their holiday best! I don’t get to get fancy too often, so I was looking forward to it. The check in situation at the Studios this year was much better. They ran it the same way as MVMCP, just a wristband when you scanned your ticket. Pretty fast! As soon as you get into the park, the photo ops start almost right away. The light up Jollywood Nights sign is to the right when you walk in.
The show I look forward to the most at Jollywood Nights is “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-a-Long.” This production is at the same location as the Frozen Sing-a-Long and follows a similar format. The large Jack Skellington puppet introduces the show and the fun begins from there. Guests get to sing their favorite songs from the movie and see an appearance by Oogie Boogie himself. It is definitely a must see show!
After the Nightmare show, we headed over to see something new this year. “Glisten” is the brand new ice skating show, located right in front of Runaway Railway. As a former figure skater, I was excited to see it, plus you don’t see ice skating outdoors in Florida too often. The skaters were talented and did a great job. The show itself was lacking a little bit in holiday spirit. Something was missing. There were no characters or anything extra to drive home the spirit of the season. The only holiday song was an original one, the rest was from Disney movies. One thing about Jollywood Nights, is being that it’s a new party, they do make changes and improvements as they go along. So, maybe updates will be made to Glisten, we shall see.
Back to photo opportunities. Jollywood Nights has so many of them! You can meet so many different characters, some are rare and not seen as often! I got pics with Bert & a penguin from Mary Poppins, Lotso back in Toy Story Land, plus there’s a video type opportunity back in the Muppets courtyard. You can meet Santa Duffy back there as well.
When it comes to party food and drinks, Jollywood Nights nails it! The buffalo chicken spring rolls are fantastic, the turkey popover is good too. The drinks are the best on Disney property, especially the sugar cookie martini. I so wish they served those during the regular days at the Studios for the holidays. Truly the best! The caramel apple cider with Moonshine was delicious also! The cranberry martini was good but not worth the nine bucks. The sugar cookie martini is so much better and you get more. Plus a sugar cookie biscotti on top!
Other entertainment offered are the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club by the Tower of Terror, Disney Holidays in Hollywood, the Holiday Fiesta en la Calle, and of course Jingle Bell Jingle BAM. Don’t forget Sunset Seasons Greetings, with the projections on the tower plus “snow.”
What’s a party at Walt Disney World without new merchandise for the event? Last year, Jollywood only offered a t-shirt as far as that goes. This year however, you can get festive items like mouse ears, a spirit jersey, Lug bag, tees, and more! All super cute!
All in all, I highly recommend Jollywood Nights. It’s quickly becoming my favorite party at Walt Disney World, and that says a lot. It’s great for a date night or a girls night out! If you haven’t gone to this magical party yet, you should if you can. You won’t regret it. You may walk away tired but full of holiday cheer, which is much needed and appreciated for so many!
You May Also Enjoy: Disney Jollywood Nights Foodie Guide 2024
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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