I’m back from opening night of Disney Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and while I still love this holiday event, a few changes to the entertainment schedule made a noticeable difference in how we spent our evening.
For returning Jollywood Nights guests, especially those who have developed a routine over the past few years, some of the biggest changes involve the final showtimes for two of the event’s most popular entertainment offerings. And unfortunately, I think Disney could have communicated these changes a little better.
No More Midnight Shows?
In previous years, Jollywood Nights guests could end their evening with performances of Disney Holidays in Hollywood or What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along, with showtimes extending to midnight and 12:30 AM.
That was actually one of my favorite Jollywood Nights traditions! I typically saved the 12:30 AM Nightmare Before Christmas performance as my little “kiss goodnight” before heading home. However, opening night brought a much different schedule for the 2026 run.
Disney Holidays in Hollywood, the live holiday spectacular featuring Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, offered a performance at 7 PM, right as the official event began. Meanwhile, The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along had a performance at 6:30 PM, a full 30 minutes before Jollywood Nights officially started! These earlier start times shifted the entire schedule and eliminated those later times. Here’s 2025 showtimes vs. 2026 for Holidays in Hollywood:
Although guests with party tickets can enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios beginning at 4 PM, the event itself runs from 7 PM to 12:30 AM. For anyone who previously planned their evening around those late-night performances, this was a pretty significant change.
What Happened to the End of the Night?
Without those final performances, we noticed fewer entertainment options as the night went on.
The 10 PM performance of Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! drew a substantial crowd, and several character meet-and-greet queues stopped accepting additional guests roughly 30 minutes before the event ended.
While I can’t say the schedule changes directly caused the larger fireworks crowd, the lack of late-night shows certainly made the final portion of the event feel different.
We eventually hopped in line for Slinky Dog Dash after midnight because the character queues we wanted to visit had already closed. I understand that character lines need to close early enough to accommodate everyone already waiting, but having additional entertainment during those final hours would give guests more options.
The Santa Gertie Loungefly Situation
Another opening-night frustration involved one of the event’s most anticipated merchandise items: the Santa Gertie Loungefly bag.
Apparently, guests with Jollywood Nights wristbands could enter the event merchandise queue as early as 4 PM, even though the party didn’t officially begin until 7 PM. As a result, the popular Santa Gertie bag sold out within the first hour of the event time.
Upon checking eBay for proof of reseller activity, there are several listings with a Gertie bag sitting on a park bench in broad daylight.
I understand why guests would want to shop early, especially with limited merchandise. However, this created a frustrating situation for anyone who expected exclusive event merchandise sales to begin when the party actually started. In years’ past, nothing Jollywood-exclusive began before 7 PM. There were quite a few frustrated guests in the line with us. Clearer communication about early shopping opportunities would have helped guests plan accordingly.
Jollywood Nights Is Still a Wonderful Holiday Event!
Despite these frustrations, I still think Disney Jollywood Nights offers one of the most enjoyable holiday experiences at Walt Disney World. Disney Holidays in Hollywood, with Kermit and Miss Piggy hosting, is practically the definition of what makes Jollywood Nights so special. The entertainment has that classic Hollywood Christmas charm that fits the park perfectly.
Add in rare character encounters, snow falling along Sunset Boulevard, festive food and drinks, and shorter attraction waits, and the event still feels like an extra-special way to experience Disney’s Hollywood Studios during Christmas. And if you’ve followed my Disney holiday coverage, you already know how much I love Hollywood Studios’ vintage Christmas decorations!
My biggest takeaway from opening night is simple: If you’re attending Jollywood Nights in 2026, don’t rely on previous years’ schedules. Check the entertainment times before arriving, take advantage of early entry if you can, and prioritize any must-see characters or merchandise.
I hope Disney considers bringing back some late-night performances as the season continues. Those final shows were a wonderful way to close out the evening, and I definitely missed them this year. For now, Jollywood Nights remains one of my favorite Disney Christmas events, even if opening night came with a few surprises!
