HAPPY HOLIDAYS!…HAPPY HOLIDAYS!…While the merry bells keep ringing, happy holidays to youuuu! While it may not currently feel like winter outside in Central Florida, the holidays have arrived at Walt Disney World. And holiday time at Disney World means holiday parties!

We are at the first Jollywood Nights of the year to enjoy everything the Christmas party has to offer, from experiences to music to the gorgeous decor. The special ticketed Christmas party, Jollywood Nights, has officially arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The party takes place on select nights from November 7th through January 5th, 2027. We’re stoked that the holidays are officially here at Disney World, and clearly so is everyone else! We are giving you a look at the crowds on opening night of Jollywood Nights.

It’s the very first party night, so we knew it was going to be busy. We arrived around 5 PM, and there was already quite a crowd waiting to be let in at 5:30 PM. Although the party doesn’t officially start until 7:30 PM, you can enter the park at 5:30 PM with your event ticket. It’s a great way to enjoy the park for a bit and then enjoy all the holiday festivities! There is usually quite a crowd waiting to be let in, so don’t be surprised if it looks a bit overwhelming.

Once the line started moving at 5:30 PM, though, we got into the park fairly quickly. You will scan your ticket, get your wristband and party map, and then you are free to explore the park until the party starts at 7:30 Pm.

The crowds felt pretty dense once we first got inside, since day guests were still in the park. Here is a look down Sunset Boulevard at the crowds right after we entered the park at 5:30 PM. Plenty of people, but we could still maneuver our way to our destination!

We did find lots of people waiting to check out the party-exclusive merchandise. We also joined the line to see the merch and waited about an hour to get inside the store. However, the party doesn’t kick off until 7:30 PM, so depending on your priorities, you could definitely use the two hours before the party starts to grab your merchandise. Be prepared for a wait, though!

While Sunset Boulevard and the merchandise line were pretty busy, other areas of the park were much less crowded. Over by Toy Story Land, there was plenty of space to move around!

When the party started at 7:30 PM, waits for attractions weren’t bad at all! The longest waits were for Meeting Stitch at Celebrity Spotlight (50 minutes), Slinky Dog Dash (35 minutes), The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (30 minutes), and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (30 minutes). By 8 PM, the wait to meet Stitch had dropped to 40 minutes, and Tower of Terror was down to 15 minutes. However, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance jumped up to 60 minutes!

We always love attending Jollywood Nights! You get to enjoy over 20 special character meet-and-greets, exclusive entertainment, delicious food and beverages, and exclusive merchandise! Don’t let the crowds at the beginning of the night scare you; they’ll start to thin out once the party gets going at 7:30 PM.

We will be updating this post throughout the night, so check back later for more. We’ve got a lot more to share with you from Jollywood Nights, so make sure you’re following us at the Disney Food Blog so that you don’t miss anything!

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Looking for some tips for your Disney World vacation? Check out this video below!

Do you have plans to come to Jollywood Nights? Let us know in the comments!