6 CHANGES Happening in December in Disney World

The holiday season at Disney World is a beautiful, crowded, chaotic, magical time of year. Marching toy soldiers? Check. Adorable reindeer? Check. Santa? CHECK. If you’re willing to brave the crowds, this really is a spectacular time to hit the parks and resorts.

Somehow, December is right around the corner, and that means some new Disney World CHANGES are on the horizon. If you’re planning a trip to Disney World this December, here are all the biggest CHANGES and events happening throughout the month!

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Remember how we said you might have to deal with some major crowds around the holidays? This is our biggest example. Both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT have New Year’s Eve fireworks shows, and both are SUPER popular. In EPCOT, you can catch the Cheers to the New Year: A Sparkling Celebration at 11:54PM. This will ONLY occur on December 31st.

Magic Kingdom also has a special fireworks display! The Fantasy In The Sky Fireworks will occur on December 30th and 31st at 6:30PM and 11:50PM.

Most of the year, the Disney World parks do NOT hit capacity, but the chances go WAY up on a holiday like New Year’s Eve. These fireworks shows are super popular and only happen once (or twice) a year, so people make a special trip just to see the show.

TIMES Revealed for New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Disney World in 2024

Last Month to Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom is closing on January 6th, 2025. But this isn’t any old temporary refurbishment.

Big Thunder Mountain will be closed until 2026, and Disney said the ride will reopen with “a little bit of new magic.” The ride will be closed for over a year, so if you want to squeeze in one more ride before the attraction is unavailable, head to Magic Kingdom this December!

CONFIRMED: Full List of Disney World Ride Closures in December 2024

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is December 25th. If you’re planning to be in Disney World for the holiday, look out for increased crowds and higher Lightning Lane Multi Pass Prices.

In the past, we’ve seen Magic Kingdom get pretty crowded around the holidays, and we expect the same thing to happen this year.

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Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Ends

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs for the duration of the holiday season in Magic Kingdom, with highlights like Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, special treats, and more. But did you know that the last party actually happens BEFORE Christmas Day?!

The party runs select nights from November 8th through December 20th. If you want to visit the party this year, purchase your tickets NOW before they’re gone for the season.

Learn more about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

Jollywood Nights Ends

Don’t forget about the second holiday party happening in Disney World, a.k.a. Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

This year, the event features some charming new additions, like a holiday-themed ice skating show called “Glisten!” (which is SO GOOD, by the way). This party also ends before Christmas, so if you’re interested, know that the event runs select nights from November 9th through December 21st.

Is Disney World’s Jollywood Nights Worth It in 2024? We Found Out!

Island Tower Opens

The new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is currently under construction, with an anticipated opening date of December 17th. This addition will expand the capacity at the Polynesian Village Resort and open up a whole new place for Disney Vacation Club Members to stay!

The new tower will be a Disney Vacation Club building with several villas and bungalow options. There will be a new restaurant, a terrace garden, and a new splash pad and pool. We can’t wait to check it out — stay tuned for our full review!

See a FULL LOOK INSIDE the NEW Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

As you can see, it will be a BUSY (and FESTIVE) December! Who’s ready for Christmas? In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

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Will you be visiting Disney World this December? Let us know in the comments!