Christmas Archives - Laughing Lindsay

Jollywood Nights Guide at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

November 11, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

From early November to early January, you can attend a separately ticketed holiday event at Hollywood Studios. So, I thought I would post a Jollywood Nights Guide to go over the different entertainment options at this party.

Jollywood Nights Guide

I previously posted a review of this event when it first began, back in 2023. Since that time, Disney has added a few entertainment options. So, I wanted to post a guide with a look at the various entertainment options and my thoughts on each of them. I also posted a separate solo guide to this event, if anyone is considering attending this event by themselves.

Disney Holidays in Hollywood

This is one of my favorite shows to see at this event. I love seeing the Muppets in the park! Plus, I like that the show is held in a stadium with seats. So, you don’t have to stand for this show. It’s a cute show that will put you in the holiday spirit.

What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along

I attended this show during its first year, on my first visit to the event. However, I haven’t felt the need to go back to it. If you are a big fan of the movie or like sing-alongs, then this might be for you. For me, it was a one and done. I do appreciate it’s shown indoors with seats though.

Glisten!

Added in 2024, Glisten! is a fun ice skating show. I saw it in 2024 and 2025. It’s neat to see the skaters do a few tricks to the Christmas music. However, it’s less than ideal that you have to sit on the ground. I also think that the small, thin ice rink limits what the skaters can do. It’s a neat show, but it may not be enough for some folks. Although, they are adding some characters to the show in 2026.

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!

This is the nighttime spectacular at this event. It’s mostly a projection show with some light fireworks added in. It used to be offered during a regular park day during the holiday season. So, many folks have probably already seen it. However, it’s nice that it’s offered here as it’s a holiday show. I still wish it would return to the park for regular park admission. Alas, we must accept that it’s behind a paywall. Nonetheless, it’s a cute show that I’m sure to catch each time I attend the event.

Character Experiences

One of the big draws of this event is the unique characters it brings out. I always try to meet at least one new (to me) character at this event. In 2025, I saw Party Rex from Toy Story. We got to dance together. So, that’s a fun memory. However, I will note that the lines for characters was longer in 2025 than 2024. So, I don’t like that trajectory.

Themed Entertainment

There’s three themed entertainment options at this party: Pixar Disco, Checkin’ It Twice Lounge and Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club. I don’t much care for drinking, so I haven’t actually visited the Twilight Soiree. However, I know it’s a nice time for adults. I have visited the Pixar Disco and that was a fun event. Think Pixar characters dancing to music with guests! I had some fun there briefly before moving on to something else. The Checkin’ It Twice Lounge is new for 2026.

Jollywood Nights Guide: Is it worth it?

Again, this is a separately ticketed event. So, it’s not cheap. However, I’ve always enjoyed my time at this party. The special entertainment is currently only available during this party. Plus, you can meet rare characters here that you can’t meet elsewhere. Have you attended Jollywood Nights?

Mickey’s Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Guide

November 4, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe, but Mickey’s Christmas Party is returning to Magic Kingdom on November 8th! So, I thought I would provide a little guide to the event with my thoughts on the offerings.

Mickey’s Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event held on select nights in November and December at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World! While I have reviewed the event previously in my Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Review, I never have broken down what exactly you can do at the party. So, I thought I would do that in this post.

Free Cookies

In my Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide with Tips, I highlighted trick-or-treating as a favorite activity. During this party, you can go around the park for free cookies and beverages! The past several years have featured Cheryl’s Cookies at the party with a variety of cookies available. The exact cookies available change from year to year, but you can typically expect at least one or two frosted sugar cookies and a chocolate chip/chunk cookie. Each stop also gives you a beverage to accompany your cookie. This includes hot chocolate, apple cider, and sometimes eggnog.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

Twice a night, you can watch this special Christmas themed parade travel down Main Street, U.S.A. You can see your favorite Disney characters dressed up for the holidays in the parade! Plus, there’s some adorable dancing gingerbread men along with some fun marching toy soldiers! It’s a classic fan-favorite parade for a reason!

Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show

In addition to the parade, there’s the special Christmastime Fireworks show! Minnie Mouse acts as the host for this show set to some classic favorite Christmas carols along with some other festive tunes! I posted a Mickey’s Very Merry Dessert Party Review as well as Disney Christmas Plaza Garden Dessert Party Review if you are interested in viewing these fireworks without fighting the crowds. I think my preference is to watch from the Tomorrowland Terrace since you have a seat and don’t have to move once you get your seat. However, the view from the Plaza Garden gives you a better look at the projections. So, it depends on what you are interested in.

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration

This is a castle stage show starring the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse! It’s a cute little show that will get you into the holiday mood. It’s not a must-see for me though. I might catch it from a parade viewing spot or fireworks viewing spot, but I don’t make an effort to watch it during the party. It takes place several times during the party.

Character Experiences

Another unique experience for the party is the character experiences. The characters are typically dressed up for the holidays and this is the only time you can see them in those costumes. So, it’s fun to catch rare characters or common characters in rare outfits during these parties.

Should you attend Mickey’s Christmas Party?

Mickey’s Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom is not a cheap experience. However, it is the only way to see this holiday entertainment, unless you are visiting right around Christmas/New Years Eve. During the last week of the year, this entertainment comes with standard park admission. However, the cookies are just for the party. Plus, lots of people won’t be traveling to Disney at Christmas. So, I think it’s worth it if you are traveling earlier in the season and want to witness it snow on Main Street! Have you ever attended the party?

Disney World Halloween vs Christmas: Holidays Compared

August 12, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I would write a post comparing Disney World Halloween vs Christmas!

Disney World Halloween vs Christmas

I’ve seen lots of folks online wondering if they should plan a trip to Walt Disney World during the fall months to experience Halloween or wait to experience Christmas. Today, I’d like to help people decide which one is right for them by comparing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

The Decor

Let’s start with the most obvious difference – the holiday decor! For Halloween, you can expect to see Main Street decked out in orange with lots of pumpkins! Plus, there’s fun character pumpkin wreaths around the park. For Christmas, there’s garland and Mickey wreaths. Don’t forget the huge tree at the front of Main Street!

For me, I think I prefer the Halloween decor because it’s unique. I can see Christmas wreaths back home and around town. However, you don’t see near as much fall decor or specialty fall wreaths around.

The Entertainment

I wrote a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide with Tips a few years ago and took a look at all of the different entertainment options at the party. From a parade to fireworks and special castle stage shows, there’s lots to see and experience. My Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Review briefly touched on the entertainment at its party. However, it is very similar offerings at the Christmas party, with fireworks, a parade, and stage show too.

Again, I would pick Halloween for this one. However, I feel like lots of places offer good Christmas shows that the whole family can enjoy. Once again, I think it’s harder to find a good Halloween offering that is family friendly.

The Treats

Who doesn’t love to go trick-or-treating? I love visiting the Halloween party and coming away with a full bag of candy! It’s fun to go around the park and see what all goodies you can get! The Christmas party hands out cookies and drinks. I enjoy that too. However, I can eat several pieces of candy and only a few cookies. Full disclosure: the vast majority of candy and cookies typically come home with me to be enjoyed for days to weeks to come.

I think the candy has to win due to being able to enjoy several different pieces of it versus just a few cookies.

Outfits

Lots of folks dress up in costumes for the Halloween party. I enjoy sitting on Main Street and watching people walk by in their outfits. At Christmas, people wear a variety of Christmas outfits. Typically, it’s a Christmas shirt/sweater or pajamas. I think the Halloween costumes are more fun.

Ambiance

Halloween will get some of the catchy tunes stuck in your head “It’s really not so scary…. boo to you!”. However, there’s something special about watching it snow on Main Street! So, I’ll give Christmas this one.

Weather

Unfortunately, Halloween takes place during hurricane season. So, you will have to deal with the heat and potentially storms if you visit during Halloween. By Christmas, hurricane season is mostly over and it’s cooled down. I’ve got to hand this one to Christmas. Granted, it can be chilly at Christmas parties, but I’d rather deal with that than the heat of summer/fall in August.

Other Offerings

People can visit just for the parties, but they often visit the other parks on their trip. So, I will say that Halloween is mostly concentrated at Magic Kingdom. Epcot will have Food & Wine in the fall. Hollywood Studios may have a few Halloween treats and their character dining gets a Halloween layover. Animal Kingdom usually doesn’t do much of anything, but may get a few Halloween treats.

Christmas at Disney is a whole thing. Every park has special decor and events! Hollywood Studios has Jollywood Nights. Epcot has Festival of the Holidays. Animal Kingdom has the merry menagerie. Disney Springs even has specially themed trees! The resorts get in on the fun too with special trees and decor.

So, if you are wanting a full holiday experience, then you have to go at Christmas!

Should you visit Disney for Halloween or Christmas?

I love visiting Disney for both holidays. However, I’ve been hard pressed to find a comparable Halloween experience. Meanwhile, I love Christmas and can be happy with the offerings at lots of different places. So, I will vote for Halloween but just know that I don’t think there’s a bad answer here. You are going to Disney and it’s going to be great!

Dollywood Christmas Guided Tour Review

December 4, 2025 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

I recently had the chance to take the Dollywood Christmas Guided Tour with my mom. So, I thought I would share what that entailed.

Dollywood Christmas Guided Tour

Back in June, my mom and I took the Summer Tour. During that tour, our tour guide recommended that we come back to do the Christmas tour specifically. He said that it was the best seasonal tour they offer. So, when we planned a return trip during the holidays, we knew we wanted to try it out as well.

This tour typically costs $79, but Gold and Diamond passholders receive a $5/$10 discount. When I renewed my pass for 2026, I upgraded to the Diamond. I was able to receive my Diamond discount of $10 when I booked this tour online a week out.

The Tour

The tour technically begins at 6:30. However, you are instructed to check in prior to 5 PM. That’s because similar to the I Will Always Love You Tour, you start the tour with reserved seating for a show! We had reserved seats for the 5:30 showing of the Christmas in the Smokies show. Following the show, we got to take a picture with some of the actors from the show. Then, we moved outside for a quick restroom break. Then, we made our way over to the train where we had reserved seats for a ride.

Following the train ride, we moved to the in park chapel for the carolers. Unfortunately, the tour didn’t include reserved seating for this show. Rather, everyone just had to stand and watch. After the show, we were able to take another picture with the group of carolers.

After that, it was snack time! Everyone was given a mini loaf of cinnamon bread and a hot chocolate to enjoy. Then, the tour ended in Wildwood Grove where we were able to see the Snow in the Grove show.

Is the Dollywood Christmas Guided Tour worth it?

As with anything, value is subjective. However, this tour is probably only worth it for a select group of people. For starters, it’s a fast paced tour. My mom struggled to keep up with the group. I don’t think this tour is great for people with mobility issues or children. While it was great to have guaranteed seating for the show and for the train ride, the rest of the tour you can do on your own. Additionally, this eats up a lot of time. The show was at 5:30 and the tour ended around 8 PM. We didn’t get to see all of the park’s decor and didn’t have time to stop for pictures of the park. So, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for first time goers with only one park day.

This tour is ideal for repeat park goers who want to experience the park in a new way. I also encourage everyone to consider if they and their loved ones are in good enough shape to be walking briskly around the park prior to booking this one. While I enjoyed the tour, it wore my mom out. So, just keep in mind each person’s needs and wants before booking this tour.

Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg Guide

December 2, 2025 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Last year, I was able to experience Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg! So, I thought I would help anyone else planning a trip with a guide!

Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg

Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg actually begins around Thanksgiving and goes until the first Saturday of January. The special fireworks, Grand Illumination, takes place on the first three Saturdays of December. With lots of add-on experiences taking place during this time of the year, I highly recommend looking at the holiday planner to see what events are taking place when you visit.

Holiday Decor

While the holiday decor is more muted/basic than contemporary times, it is still beautiful. I loved spotting the various themed wreaths on the different buildings. There’s a holiday decor tour that I wish we had taken that goes into more detail about the decor. There’s also classes to make your own wreaths and centerpieces. So, I think that makes it a unique holiday travel destination. Plus, it’s neat to learn about the early traditions.

I also would encourage everyone to walk over to the resort’s hotels to see their holiday decor. It’s more modern and looks pretty!

Grand Illuminations

I think the peak holiday entertainment at CW is Grand Illuminations. That’s the special fireworks they do on the first three Saturdays in December. Since they do the fireworks so infrequently, it gets really crowded. I highly recommend staying on property if you are visiting on a day with fireworks just to avoid the mess of parking and driving.

Also, don’t miss all of the free entertainment happening prior to the fireworks. It was really cold, but we enjoyed gathering around the fire and listening to the various groups caroling.

Add-on Experiences

While the fireworks and the like are included with regular admission, there are lots of add-on experiences available during the holidays. From decor tours to wreath making classes. There’s probably something for everyone. The only add-on my mom and I did was Christmastide at the Courthouse. Held on Friday nights and costing $19/adult, it was a lovely way to begin our Christmas trip to CW. The musicians played some historical tunes and told us about Colonial holidays. It was a really interesting program that I enjoyed lots. I think it was well worth the price paid and would do it again if I go back.

Markets

If you are visiting on a Saturday, then there are lots of markets you can check out. Williamsburg has one in walking distance. My mom purchased some Christmas gifts at that one. We also watched some folks ice skate. Yorktown also hosts a holiday market. Basically, you can find lots of local vendors with very little work.

Bonus: Celebration in Lights

If you are hankering for some modern Christmas lights, then head up the road to Newport News. We enjoyed the drive thru Celebration in Lights show. It features two miles of holiday scenes and over one million lights! If you are in the area and like Christmas lights, I think it’s worth checking out!

Tips

Book accommodations early – We booked our Colonial House lodging in February for December as things were already booking up! So, book your accommodations as soon as you know you are going!
Book dining early – Staying on property allowed us to book things early. We booked our Williamsburg Inn Holiday Tea in early/mid September and it was booked up pretty quickly. We also booked a dinner at one of the Taverns in advance. Basically, keep an eye out for reservations to open up in the Fall and book them as soon as you can.
Check out the events calendar – CW puts out an updated holiday planner around early September. I highly recommend consulting it to see what special events are taking place during your trip.
Do some add-on experiences – My mom didn’t feel like doing much on this trip. However, I hope I get to go back someday and do some of the add-on tours/classes.
Be prepared for crowds – Saturday (the day of the fireworks) was the most crowded I’ve ever seen Williamsburg. Visiting the shops reminded me of visiting a theme park. There were people everywhere I turned. Also, I suspect 2026 will be even more crowded since the US is celebrating its 250th Anniversary.
Lodging is expensive – The holidays are definitely the busiest time of the year for CW. As such, they charge a premium for lodging. Just know that you are going to pay more to stay there during this time of the year.
Pack warm clothes – It was really cold when we visited. I wore multiple layers and my heaviest coat. You will want a scarf, hat, and gloves too! Bundle up!

Should you visit Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas?

While Williamsburg is more subdued at the holidays than some other locations, it’s still a gorgeous location to visit. It’s perfect for history buffs to learn about the history of the country/state and its early holiday celebrations. It’s also a good location for a more leisurely trip than somewhere like Orlando.