Magic Kingdom – Page 2 – Brent's Crossroads

Greetings, travelers! I want to welcome you back to the crossroads. I hope all is well. Today, I want to discuss the Jollywood Nights party at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. The party is an extra-ticketed event happening once the park closes. Attendees can get in early, at 6 pm, to enjoy the park before it closes to the general public. Without a party wristband, you can’t ride rides or do anything in the park after 7:30 pm. The price ranges from $159 to $179 and is only on select nights. This year, it is only being held on thirteen nights. So, if you want to go, check the Disney website for ticket availability (or email Bobby Linn with Pixie Travel Co. to help book your trip at bobbyl@pixietravelco.com and tell him Brent set you).

The Jollywood party is geared more to an adult audience than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. I attended both over the weekend, and I will review Mickey’s Very Merry later this week. There are some distinct differences, and I will get into those in the reviews. Both parties feature special food and drink, events, ride overlays, shows, and merchandise.

Now, let’s talk about Jollywood Nights.

Jollywood Nights is billed as a throwback to Hollywood’s golden age. The streets are lit with lights, a Christmas tree is in the lake, and festive projections adorn the Chinese Theater where Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is housed and also on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Overall, the mood is like Christmas, leaving this Halloween fan feeling jolly.

I want to start off with the special shows. Jollywood Nights has a Christmas fireworks show, a musical show hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, and, new this year, an ice skating show called Glisten! on a special surfaced area in front of the Chinese Theater. If those shows aren’t enough to squeeze into your five hours, there is also a Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along show and a Pixar dance party. We did all the shows, and each one was fantastic.

The next thing to discuss is the food. The event features exclusive food and drinks that are only available during the party hours. We tried some of the offerings and liked everything we ate. The prices seemed more reasonable than the food at Mickey’s Very Merry, and the food tasted better, too. The highlights were the birria taco, yuca con chicharron, and the two popovers (main dish and side dish themed). We also tried the caramel apple cider and the drinks featured at the Tip Top Club’s Twilight Soiree at the Hollywood Tower Hotel (or the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, as we like to call it). There were so many choices, and trying them all would take multiple trips. It sounds like a goal for next year.

Lastly, the merchandise. Outside of the Haunted Mansion, I don’t pick up other Disney things. I do, however, like to pick up a trinket or two from events as a memento of the trip. This was the first year for Ollie, a gingerbread man who acted as the mascot for this year’s party. There was Jollywood Nights-dated merchandise like shirts, coffee mugs, Mickey ears, ornaments, and pins, to name a few. I’ll be curious to see if Ollie sticks around as the mascot going forward. Disney won’t want to pass up on a way to brand the party for future merchandise. The offerings were few, but deciding what to pick out was easy.

Overall, the party is amazing. It is better than its partner party in the Magic Kingdom. Once I finish my review of Mickey’s Very Merry, I’ll tell you why Jollywood Nights are better for your money and sanity. I would go again and can’t wait to spend more time at Jollywood Nights.

I have to go and do the writing thing again, lol. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you at the crossroads! Don’t forget to subscribe here, on Instagram (@brenttabell), Threads (brenttabell), and TikTok (@brent.abell). Each follow on a platform will enter you for the first of two subscriber giveaways for one of two pins from the two parties. More info on when the deadline is for the first drawing is coming later this week.

Enjoy the road ahead,

Brent

Welcome to the Crossroads! Today, I want to give my final thoughts about Walt Disney World’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (check out the details here). The event is a ticketed party after the Magic Kingdom closes down. The night features trick-or-treating, a special fireworks show, and a villain stage show. Disney also has exclusive food, drink, and merchandise available to purchase.

Now, how was it for the cost?

The tickets range from $119 to $199 per ticket, depending on which date you attend. This event isn’t every day, so you have to plan when you want to party with the mouse. You can get into the Magic Kingdom a few hours before the party begins to ride the rides and grab a bite to eat. Once guests without a wristband have left the park after regular hours, the party gets going.

When the spooky lights come on, the fun begins. While kids can dress up and get candy from designated locations, there are plenty of other things for everyone to enjoy. Some rides have special overlays or lighting to give them a Halloween feel, and lightning effects are projected on Cinderella’s Castle. The vibe is enjoyable and festive. The highlight is seeing the Haunted Mansion portion of Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade and riding the attraction multiple times. By the way, I am a huge Haunted Mansion fan.

The lines for the rides are almost all walk-on since the park capacity is significantly reduced during the party hours. Once the first parade and fireworks end, the crowd gets even smaller. The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show is done multiple times. Wait until the end of the night and see the last show right at the end of the party. This allows you more time to ride rides and pick up some treats or merch.

Overall, it is worth the money to do this extra-cost event. Being able to get right on most rides without waiting almost makes the cost worth it. We’ve heard you get a ton of candy in the past, but it seemed like we didn’t get much this year. They also have special dietary treats, and I didn’t get much of it when I cashed in my tokens for them. I should’ve stuck with the regular candy instead of trying to be good. We’ve also been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and I feel it is a better party for the money. I’ll have to compare them again after attending this year’s Very Merry.

Thanks again for visiting! I will bring home some goodies from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to have as giveaways for subscribing here or following my TikTok over @brent.abell. Everyone subscribed here, following on TikTok, or subscribing to the new YouTube channel will be entered when it launches next week. You can get an entry for each one you subscribe to.

In closing, I want to give a shout-out to my Disney trip guy, Bobby Linn, at Pixie Travel. He does fantastic work helping you plan your trip, and best of all, it is a free service. Be sure to contact Bobby at bobbyl@pixietravelco.com to get your dream vacation rolling.

See you out at the Crossroads,

Brent