Walt Disney World's holiday season runs Nov. 13 to Jan. 6, with a Muppets Christmas coaster and nightly snow at Disney Springs

By entgrove · October 22, 2026

Walt Disney World's holiday celebration runs from Nov. 13 through Jan. 6, 2027, across all four theme parks and Disney Springs. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets gets a Christmas overlay from Nov. 4, Cosmic Rewind gets holiday music from Nov. 25, and Disney Springs adds nightly snowfall and a Hallmark pop-up.

Walt Disney World's holiday season begins Nov. 13 and runs through Jan. 6, 2027, with decorations, seasonal food and drinks, holiday characters and special entertainment across the resort. Orlando station WFTV Channel 9 laid out the park-by-park plan, from a Muppets Christmas overlay on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to nightly "snow" at Disney Springs.

Magic Kingdom brings back Jingle Cruise and a frozen Cinderella Castle

Magic Kingdom's holiday plan pairs a returning ride overlay with a castle moment built around Frozen.

• Jingle Cruise. The holiday version of Jungle Cruise in Adventureland returns with decorations and plenty of Christmas-themed jokes.
• Frozen Holiday Surprise. Cinderella Castle turns into a glowing ice palace, with Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and more than 100 snowgies, the tiny snowmen from the Frozen Fever short.

EPCOT adds a holiday soundtrack to Cosmic Rewind and brings back Candlelight

EPCOT's season starts on its indoor coaster and builds to the Festival of the Holidays and the Candlelight Processional.

• Holiday soundtrack. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, the indoor coaster in World Discovery, gets holiday music starting Nov. 25.
• Candlelight Processional. The choir and orchestra retelling of the Christmas story at America Gardens Theatre returns with a rotating celebrity narrator.
• The narrators. Gary Sinise, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Roberts, Jason Kelce, Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Groban, Henry Winkler, Lacey Chabert and Eva Longoria.

The report did not say which nights each narrator will appear.

The Muppets take over Rock 'n' Roller Coaster for Christmas at Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios adds a limited-time Christmas overlay to its Muppets coaster before the rest of the season starts.

• Starts early. The overlay on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets begins Nov. 4, nine days before the resort-wide season.
• Holiday songs. The Electric Mayhem, the Muppets' house band, performs holiday songs on the ride.
• Guest singers. The songs include collaborations with Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Jennifer Hudson and Cyndi Lauper.

Animal Kingdom's polar puppets return and Disney Springs gets nightly snow

Animal Kingdom brings back its polar animal puppets, and Disney Springs adds its own winter weather and a new shop.

• Merry Menagerie. Animal Kingdom brings back its artisan-sculpted polar animal puppets.
• Santa's trail. At Animal Kingdom, Santa greets guests along a trail with intermittent snow flurries.
• Christmas Tree Stroll. The walk past themed Christmas trees returns to Disney Springs.
• Nightly snowfall. Town Center at Disney Springs gets "snowfall" every night of the season.
• Hallmark pop-up. A new limited-time Hallmark holiday shop at Disney Springs sells ornaments, greeting cards and Disney gifts.

Nov. 27 to Dec. 24 is when everything overlaps

The season rolls out in stages, so your travel dates decide which holiday extras you catch.

• Early November. Between Nov. 4 and Nov. 13, the Muppets coaster overlay is the only holiday addition named so far.
• From Nov. 25. Cosmic Rewind's holiday music joins the decorations and characters already in place.
• After Christmas Eve. Santa's appearances end Dec. 24, about two weeks before the season closes on Jan. 6.

Our take. A visit between Nov. 27 and Dec. 24 catches the festival, Cosmic Rewind's holiday music, Santa and nightly Disney Springs snow at once. Disney has not said when the limited-time Muppets overlay ends, so ride it early if it matters to you.