Welcome back, Mousekefriends! This week, Mousekemoms are fresh from Walt Disney World, including attending Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios on it’s debut night, this last Saturday!
Jollywood Nights is the NEW specially-ticketed nighttime party for the holidays, on select nights from November 11-December 20th from 8:30pm-12:30am.
Atmosphere
Hollywood Studios is known for its old Hollywood Vibe, and this event was no different. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was very much Christmas and cozy, whereas Jollywood Nights was more glitz and sequins and furs. It made for phenomenal people watching, no added to the dripping-with-elegance feel of the party. The atmosphere itself was also very elegant. It was a very adult-vibe, a Christmas Dapper Day feel, if you will.
Shows
During the night, there were two different nighttime shows throughout the night. Each show played several times, giving you plenty of opportunities to see them.
Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas sing-a-long is a 30 minute show that happens at the Hyperion Theater. It’s filled with classic songs from the beloved movie, and has great reviews.
Disney’s Holidays in Hollywood is a 30 minute show at Theater of the stars on sunset Boulevard. This show is inspired by old-Hollywood television specials. Kermit and Miss Piggy host the show, which is filled with holiday cheer and comedy. We definitely enjoyed this show.
Character Photo-Ops
Much like other after-hour events at Walt Disney World, there are plenty of opportunities to see unique characters, and our favorites decked out in Jollywood gear! Of course, the fab five were decked out in their Hollywood Holiday best, but there were also some lesser-seen characters. This included Phineas and Ferb, Max, Chip and Dale as the Rescue Rangers. The lines weren’t super long, for the characters, except for Phineas and Ferb.
In addition to that, there were lots of Magic Shot opportunities, as well as a red-carpet photo op, which was unique and very glamorous.
Other Entertainment Opportunities
One thing we did not want to miss is the Twilight Soirée at Tower of Terror. Essentially, this ended up being a jazz band in the courtyard. The band was awesome, but more people were in line for the specialty food and drink than were there for dancing. This was located at the end of the Tower of Terror, by the Joffrey’s Cart.
There was live entertainment at the Brown Derby, as well as plenty of street performers on Commissary Lane. Lots of people having a great time.
The other main source of entertainment was the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Fireworks show, at 12:30. We didn’t end up sticking around to watch this, but its a repurposed show. We’ve seen this show before, so it’s nothing new.
Food and Drink
First off, one of the biggest things is that there’s so many delicious options, but the lines were incredibly long.
There was only one table-service available, which was the Hollywood Brown Derby. They called it a lounge, and advertised it as a jazz party. They didn’t change the restaurant, but they got some entertainment. We got a spot on the walk-up as soon as it was available. We were quoted a short, 10-minute wait, but it ended up being 2 hours. It was absolutely delicious. (Pictured above, the Bao Pork Belly and Duck Drumlets). This menu was totally different for the party, so it was great to try.
There were a lot of quick-service locations open, but the lines were long. However, on opening night, there were a lot of influencers trying to get the scoop on opening night, so priorities were on food and trying as much as possible.
The one that surprised us the most was Dockside Diner. This is located at the Steamboat across from the Frozen sing-a-long. Usually, they usually just have hot dogs, but they had a great menu for Jollywood. They had an eggplant dip, poutine tots and a Christmas Tree cookie stack. The cookie stack was vanilla cookies with pistachio buttercream with raspberry and cranberry jam, topped with sprinkles.
There were tons of options that we didn’t even get to, because we had plenty to eat. They definitely knocked it out of the park food-wise.
Attractions
Unlike Walt Disney World’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there aren’t Christmas overlays on the rides. The lines, however, were pretty much walk-on waits. It wasn’t necessarily festive, but it was great to be able to get on any of the rides if you wanted.
Verdict
Definitely attend this party for older kids and adults, not families. It’s different and fun. Yes, there were some kinks to work out, but it was the first one EVER. We would dress up nicer next time, but we enjoyed this. The lines were short, the food was spectacular, and we enjoyed it.
Mousketip
Attend this party! It was enjoyable. We also think you should prioritize the food.
It’s not too late to book yet, but we think if you can’t get in this year, that it should be back next year.
Ready to book your own Magical Holiday Vacation to celebrate this season?
Our friends at Kingdom and Cruise travel are more than happy to help you begin planning. Click here for your free, no-obligation quote to get started on making new, magical memories that will last a lifetime
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