Holidays At DIsney’s AnimaL Kingdom
I know that there are a ton of holiday offerings all around the Disney Parks, but there is something truly special about Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the Holidays! The best part? It’s all included with your Park Ticket!
Don’t forget to check out our Video highlighting all the fun there is to have during the Holidays at Animal Kingdom!
The Decor
Ok, so we all know how much of a showstopper the Tree of Life is, (and we’ll talk more about that later) but there is a SECOND stunning tree right out front that you don’t want to miss.
As you walk up to the entrance, you are greeted by a MASSIVE Christmas tree decked out in Animal Kingdom centered decor. You’ll find animal masks, animal prints, and even some of your favorite Disney Animal Characters scattered throughout the tree and in the decorations at the bottom. You can usually find a few Photopass Photographers that can snap a few pics for your family all well!
Also near the entrance, you’ll find a big photo set prop. This is usually out there, but right now it is themed to the Holidays and a fun place to get a family pic. If you aren’t rushing into the park, take a few minutes and hit up some of these photo spots!
Merry Menagerie
The BIGGEST draw to the holidays at Animal Kingdom is definitely the Merry Menagerie! These are beautiful life size puppets of arctic creatures like penguins, foxes, polar bears, reindeer, and more. You can interact with them, pet them, and take pics with them! A musician will be playing holiday music and it’s a fun way to experience something unique.
These puppets as mentioned are beautiful, but even more cool is that they are made from recycled materials! I love that Disney adds the conservation theme even into little details like this.
You can find the Merry Menagerie roaming right out front of the Tree of Life between the two main gift shops from 9:45am-5pm. There are two different sets of puppets that interchange throughout the day, so don’t be afraid to make a few visits up to the front!
Right outside of Island Mercantile, you can also find some fun souvenirs like a tshirt, hoodie, ornaments, and even stuffed animal puppets that you can take home yourself!
Dinoland USA
This one caught me by surprise by how much I loved it! Of course there is lots of fun and quirky dino-themed holiday decor all throughout this area like garland filled with little dinos in Christmas sweaters. The Boneyard sign has a big bow with a gift tag that reads ‘from Donald, to Pluto’. AND if you head over to where some of the character meet and greets are in the Cretaceous Trail, even the dinos and signs back there have some holiday overlay!
Speaking of Characters, Donald, Daisy, Chip, & Dale all meet and greet in this area in their Dinoland costumes. These are already super cute, and for the holidays, you’ll find they upgraded these with a little holiday flair. Donald has a special sash and holly in his hair, and Chip & Dale have some cute antlers and Christmas lights!
Chester and Hesters Gift Shop is tucked back in the corner near the Donald Meet & Greet. This isn’t an ordinary gift shop! The theming in here is NUTS with HUNDREDS of little trinkets, memorabilia, and more decorating the shelves all around the gift shop. Thinks like dinos (obviously) a train set, volcanos, airplanes, road signs, you name it! This is one that is fun to see any time of year, but for the holidays they add even more fun with holiday decorations. You’ll find the big ‘Santa-Saurus’ in the center, tinsel and ornaments all around, and tons of other quirky fun. I know it’s weird to put a gift shop on your list of must do’s, but it’s worth it to spend a few minutes looking around!
Pandora
This is another area you don’t want to miss! Over by Pongu Pongu, you’ll find some really cool decor with na’vi inspired ornaments and christmas lights. Even a na’vi nutcracker! (why they don’t sell these, I’ll never know).
BUT at night is when this land really shines! This park typically closes pretty early around 7 or 8pm each night, so during the summer months when the day is long, you miss out on Pandora at Night. The entire land glows with bioluminescent elements once the sun goes down and there is truly nothing else like it! If you are visiting during the holidays or even just the winter months when it starts to get dark early, you’ll be able to experience this for yourself and I PROMISE it’s not to miss.
Tree of Life Awakens
Something else that only happens during the winter months is the Tree of Life Awakens. This park doesn’t do a Nighttime Fireworks Show like the other parks because of the animals, but it does do a really beautiful projection show on the tree! This happens around every ten minutes or so when the sun goes down and each one tells a different animal ‘story’ through music, lights, and projections. For the holiday, there is of course a little more wintery flair, but these are super cool to catch! The parks tend to clear out quite a bit in the evenings, so don’t worry! It’s usually pretty easy to get a good spot. You’ll want to watch from between the two main gift shops in front of the park, where the Merry Menagerie is during the day.
Other Offerings
A few more things you can catch are some additional decorations like in front of the Feathered Friends in Flight show building, AND you can catch Santa on the Character Flotillas that float down Discovery River during the day. There are also a few fun holiday treats, but honestly anything you eat in Animal Kingdom will probably be fantastic!
Is Animal Kingdom my new favorite park for the holidays? Probably. Either way, it’s definitely one that you don’t want to miss!
