Theme park news: Disney World announces holiday plans, Disneyland prepares for 70th anniversary

Hello there, and welcome to the newly re-vamped weekly theme park news column! There’s a lot to talk about this week when it comes to Disney theme park news, especially if you’ve been looking forward to the announcement of all things holidays. That’s right, it might only be mid-July, but we have a lot to catch up on when it comes to end-of-year festivities at Walt Disney World. From seasonal hotel discounts to news from Disneyland Resort one week ahead of its 70th anniversary, here’s what you may have missed this week:

Holidays at Walt Disney World

The big story this week is the reveal of this year’s holiday happenings at Walt Disney World. The “official” holiday season at Walt Disney World runs from November 14 through December 31, but as you’ll see, there are a few things that kick off the week prior. No surprises it seems for 2025, as the year’s major lineup includes returning favorites: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Disney Jollywood Nights, and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.

Those first two parties are after-hours events that require separate admission to attend. Tickets for both Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights go on sale July 16 for guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting July 22.

Disney Jollywood Nights takes place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the following evenings in November and December:

• Nov. 8, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29
• Dec. 1, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 22

And here are the dates for this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party lineup at Magic Kingdom:

• 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

The EPCOT International Festival of Holidays takes place daily from November 28 through December 30. The festival is accessible to anyone with park admission, with entertainment, holiday storytellers, and Holiday Kitchens scattered around the park selling festive food and beverage items. At night, the fan-favorite Candlelight Processional will return with its lineup of celebrity narrators.

VISITING DISNEY WORLD THIS HOLIDAY SEASON? YOU’RE IN FOR A REAL TREAT!

The latest from Disneyland Resort

Next week is a big one at the Happiest Place on Earth. Next Thursday, July 17, marks the 70th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland Park. The resort has already been celebrating with an over-one-year-long festival that kicked off this past May, but even more openings and commemorations are on the way.

The big event next week is the opening of “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” a brand-new show debuting on July 17 at the Main Street Opera House. Fans have been a-buzz over this show for quite some time, as it will feature the first-ever Audio-Animatronic of the man himself, Walt Disney. 

It was announced ahead of the show’s opening that a virtual queue will be used to manage the expected turnout beginning on July 17 (no end date for the virtual queue has been announced). Anyone wishing to see the show may join the first virtual queue at 7:00 AM as long as they have a park reservation for Disneyland Park. Guests already in Disneyland or Disney California Adventure with a Park Hopper ticket may join the second virtual queue drop at 12:00 PM noon.

That’s not the only new addition to the park coming next week. The final verse to “it’s a small world,” penned by songwriter Richard Sherman prior to his passing in 2023, will be added to the finale scene of the classic boat ride at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. This addition will also debut on July 17.

HEADING TO ANAHEIM THIS YEAR? DISNEYLAND’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IS UNDERWAY.

Rapid-fire news roundup!

• To go along with the announcement of this year’s holiday festivities, a new hotel discount promotion dropped this week. Guests can save up to 20% when they stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel mid-October through late December.
• Three new character dining experiences were announced for the fall season at Disneyland Resort. An all-new Clarabelle’s Enchanted Halloween Dinner is coming to Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa from August 22 through October 31. Reservations open July 15. Mickey’s Autumn Adventures Breakfast Buffet at Storytellers will be available August 16 through October 31, and Goofy’s Kitchen Halloween returns August 22 through October 31.
• A new concierge lounge opened this week at the Disneyland Hotel. High Key Club celebrates “music and classic sounds of early Disneyland Park.” The lounge will be open for breakfast, snacks, and beverages throughout the day for club-level guests. The lounge will also boast views of Disneyland’s fireworks (on select evenings).
• You have until August 8 to get those final trips in on Haunted Mansion this year at Disneyland Park. The classic version of the ride will close for the year and begin its seasonal refurbishment on August 9, reopening as Haunted Mansion Holiday on August 22 and continuing through January 7, 2026.

More from The World of Spark!

• Is Disney After Hours right for your family on your next Walt Disney World vacation? I was recently invited to attend an after hours event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
• Heading to Disney World soon? It’s going to be hot! Make sure you’re prepared for the *worst* of summer weather in Central Florida.
• It has been 50 days since the opening of Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort. Catch up on three things that surprised me the most about the brand-new theme park.

START SAVING: HOW MUCH WILL WALT DISNEY WORLD TICKETS COST IN 2026?

Theme Park News: Disney World Announces Holiday Plans, Disneyland Prepares For 70th Anniversary originally appeared on The World of Spark.

More from FamilyVacationist: