Merry Menagerie Returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for 2024 Holidays

Merry Menagerie, a freestyle performance of animal puppets, has returned to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the 2024 holiday season.

Merry Menagerie

In a public place, a person in white attire skillfully interacts with a puppet resembling a mystical creature, creating an enchanting scene worthy of inclusion in the Merry Menagerie. Meanwhile, people are seated and walking in the bustling background.

First introduced in 2019, this entertainment offering features puppeteers with artisan-crafted puppets. They wander Discovery Island between Island Mercantile and Riverside Depot, interacting with guests.

Two people in animal costumes with long white beards and horns, part of the Merry Menagerie, stand in a theme park. Visitors walk around them, mesmerized by their mystical presence. Trees and a signpost are visible in the background, adding to the whimsical atmosphere.

The “show” is performed periodically between 9:45 a.m. and 5 p.m. There are two different sets of animals, which rotate, so you don’t always know what you’re going to see.

Performers from the Merry Menagerie, dressed in enchanting animal costumes, stand gracefully in a park adorned with lush greenery and a majestic tree as their backdrop.

Featured animals include an arctic fox, reindeer, penguins, polar bears, and seals. They are all white with light blue, purple, and gold highlights. Most of the creatures are performed by one puppeteer, but some of the larger animals require multiple performers.

A person in a whimsical outfit plays a violin, weaving through the merry menagerie of a crowded outdoor park. With trees lining the path and a large tree structure standing sentinel, their joyful tune adds enchantment to the lively scene.
A person merrily plays a steel drum while wearing a pointed hat, standing on a sunlit path with people walking by and tropical plants in the background, creating a lively menagerie of sounds and sights.

Live musicians also roam with the animals, performing holiday music. The musicians and puppeteers are dressed in white outfits that match the puppets.

In the bustling outdoor scene, two plush penguins with blue accents are whimsically part of a Merry Menagerie, gliding on wheels as they are joyfully pulled along by passersby.
Two straw penguin sculptures with blue accents, resembling a whimsical display from a Merry Menagerie, are being pulled on a leash by a person on the street.

Guests can take home their own plush penguin and polar bear puppets. They are available with other Merry Menagerie merchandise items at Island Mercantile.

People strolling through the theme park are greeted by a building adorned for a Merry Menagerie event, while kites resembling birds dance joyously in the sky.
A pole with a stylized pterosaur sculpture on top stands tall against the clear blue sky, like a proud guardian in a merry menagerie.

Discovery Island is also decorated with lanterns and figures that match the style of the Merry Menagerie puppets.

Amidst a sunny day, the person joyfully guides a large, decorated polar bear puppet, adding whimsical charm to the Merry Menagerie.
In a whimsical Merry Menagerie ensemble, a person dons a white flower-themed costume and sunglasses, clutching a plush animal toy while standing amidst buildings and greenery in the background.

Watch our 2024 video of Merry Menagerie below.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Merry Menagerie Returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for 2024 Holidays appeared first on WDW News Today.